Annie Sarah Johnson was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England in 1872, the daughter of Walter and Mary Johnson (née Turner). She had an older brother, Benjamin, and her father was a watch maker at the time of her birth, but later worked as an embosser of metals and bicycle painter. Her name was registered as Sarah Annie at the time of her birth; however, she was known throughout her life as Annie Sarah!
Annie became a dressmaker after completing her education and then became engaged to be married to Robert Taylor, who was a wood turner, and also came from Coventry. Around 1893, Robert had immigrated to Waltham, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, and having established himself, he sent for Annie to join him.
On the 6th November 1894, Annie Johnson arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, on board the Cephalonia, having boarded at Liverpool, and on the following day, the 7th November, she married Robert Taylor in Waltham, Massachusetts. They had one son, named Stanley Robert, who was born on the 11th August 1899.
The family made a number of return visits to Coventry, and by 1915, they were residing at 20. West Cottage Street, Roxbury, Massachusetts. By this time, Robert Taylor was working as a laundry man.
On the 25th February 1915, Robert Taylor died tragically when he suffered fatal injuries as a result of accidently falling through a window. He was buried on the 28th February at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Following the sudden and tragic death of her husband, Annie decided to return to Coventry with their son, Stanley. Consequently, she booked second cabin passage for both of them on what proved to be the Lusitania’s last ever voyage out of New York.
Having left Boston some time during April, they joined the vessel on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for her delayed sailing out of that port. The delay came about because she had to wait to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Lines ship Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship.
The Lusitania finally left port just after mid-day and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that point, she was off The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland and only 250 miles hours away from her Liverpool home port destination. Although Stanley Taylor survived, Annie was killed. She was aged 42 years at the time.
On the morning of Tuesday 11th May 1915, a fishing yawl from Long Island, County Cork, found an upturned lifeboat apparently marked 22a Lusitania, Liverpool, seven miles south-east of the fishing village of Schull, about fifty miles from where the liner had gone down.
When it was righted, six bodies were released and one of these was that of Annie Taylor. It was then taken to one of the Queenstown mortuaries where it was given the reference number 181, before papers on it led to its positive identification. It was described by Cunard at the time as: -
A female about 5’ 1” age 36. Annie S. Taylor ...... Slight build, brown hair, light eyebrows (brown) false teeth, regular features, oval face, light blue eyes.
Dress. Black bodice with black buttons, black silk waist belt lined with white leather and fastened with large black buckle, black cloth skirt lined with black silk, black stockings and black button boots, long black cloth coat with large black buttons with cloth facings, black velvet collar.
Jewellery. A broad wedding ring on the 3rd finger of the left hand, also a narrow gold ring with three large stones believed imitation diamonds as well as a narrow gold ring with 5 small stones or imitation diamonds on the same finger.
Found on body. A small leather (black) bag containing newspaper cuttings of advertisements for diamonds jewellery &c. A business card of the Central Park House Old Orchard Beach; another business card of Max M. Fitz. Attorney and Counsellor at Law, 40 Court Street, Boston. 4 business cards of Mrs. C.L. Ellsworth Teacher of the New Thought Pojchic and Astrological Work, 10 Alexander Street. Dorchester, Mass. Another business card of Mrs. A.B. Sheppard. A 2nd Saloon card of Lusitania seat No.238-239. A letter of introduction addressed Mrs. D. Price, 35 Perth Street, West Derby Road, Liverpool introducing her as Mrs. A.S. Taylor, a copy of Cunard Daily Bulletin of May 7th, on inside bodice was found a card case containing various documents among which were an Alien’s Restriction Order 1914, landing card made out in the name of Mrs. Annie S. Taylor. £18 in gold, 4 10$ Bills, 12 5$ Bills, 1 £10 note, 2 £5 note, 1 gold piece, 1 cameo brooch, 1 gold watch and chain, 1 bar brooch, 1 ring 2 diamonds 1 missing should be 3, 1 jet brooch.
It would appear that Annie Taylor had intended to call upon Mrs. Price in Liverpool,
once the Lusitania had docked in that city.
Annie Taylor’s body was dispatched from Queenstown to Birmingham for burial on 17th May 1915 and property taken from her body was sent to her father at the Earlswood address, on 4th June 1915.
When administration of her estate was established on 1st October 1915, she was described as a widow, thus confirming her husband’s death, and the grant of administration was given to her father Walter Johnson, whose occupation was shown to be that of gentleman. Her effects amounted to £314-3s-3d., (£314.17p.).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Massachusetts U.S. Marriage Records 1840 – 1915, Massachusetts U.S. Death Records 1841 – 1915, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, Massachusetts Passenger Lists 1820 – 1963, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Cork Examiner, Boston Globe, Southern Star, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv. PR 13/6, UniLiv D92/2/302, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.