Florence May “Flossie” Fry was born in Bootle, Liverpool, Lancashire, on the 1st May 1892, the daughter of William Colwill and Harriet May Fry (née Bolt). Her father was a steam ship superintendent, and Florence was the eldest of four children.
On the 11th February 1914, she arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, having sailed from Liverpool on the Bohemian. She made her way to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where her fiancé, Charles Padley, was waiting for her. The couple got married in Christ Church, Winnipeg, on the 16th February 1914, and then continued to Radisson, Saskatchewan, where Charles Padley was the manager of The Canadian Bank of Commerce.
By the spring of 1915, Florence Padley was expecting her first child, and decided to return to her family, who were now living at “Mayfield”, Blundellsands, Lancashire, just north of Liverpool. She travelled to New York City and booked a return saloon class ticket to Liverpool on board the Lusitania, and she arrived at Pier 54 in that city, on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10 o’ clock sailing to Liverpool.
Having boarded the liner with ticket number 46132, she was escorted to her accommodation in room D8, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward William Fletcher who came from Liscard, in Wallasey, Cheshire, on the opposite bank of the River Mersey from Liverpool.
The liner’s departure for Liverpool was actually delayed until the early afternoon, to take on board passengers, cargo and some crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship at the end of April.
On the afternoon of 7th May, she was resting in a deck chair on the promenade deck, when someone yelled that they could see a porpoise. Florence Padley went to the rail to have a look and realised immediately that it was the track of a torpedo. This had, in fact, been fired by Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger who was in command of the German submarine U-20, and who had spotted the liner sailing within sight of the coast of southern Ireland
Mrs. Padley firstly decided to go below to get a life jacket, but realising that room D8 was too far below, instead ran up onto the boat deck, losing a shoe in the process. Once there, she was somewhat comforted to hear Staff Captain Anderson state that there was no danger and that the Lusitania was making for the shore. Despite this, having seen a lifeboat with only a few people in it, she decided to join them! Fate then took a hand, however, as her lifeboat toppled over and she was thrown into the sea.
She was eventually rescued from the sea and having been landed at Queenstown, she ultimately made it back to England. She was aged 23 years at the time of the sinking.
Bedroom Steward William Fletcher, who had looked after her in room D8, also survived the sinking and eventually made it back home to Liscard.
In September 1915, Florence Padley gave birth to her son, named Charles Colwill Padley, and in December 1915, they boarded the Philadelphia at Liverpool and sailed
to New York City on the first part of their journey to Radisson, where Florence introduced their child to her husband.
By 1916, the family had moved to Dauphin, Saskatchewan, where Florence became very involved in community matters. She was, at various times, a Commissioner for the Girl Guides in Northern Manitoba, President of the Manitoba Local Council of Women, and Secretary of the Worlds Ships Society of Victoria. She made a number of return visits to England for holidays and to visit her family and friends over the following years.
On her return to Canada in December 1915, she had filed a claim for compensation with the Canadian Commission for the loss of her personal effects and for personal injury. She claimed $1,877.19 for the loss of her personal effects and $9,812.20 for injuries she received in the sinking of the Lusitania, and associated medical treatment, making a total of $11,689.39. She gave evidence before the Commission in Ottawa, Ontario, on the 9th April 1924, and the Commission subsequently awarded her full claim.
Florence’s husband, Charles, died in West Vancouver, British Columbia, on the 22nd May 1949, and later Florence moved to Penticton, where she resided at 204. Imperial Manor, probably with her son and his family. While living there she was known as an artist and a member of the Penticton Arts and Crafts Society.
Florence May Padley died in Penticton on the 14th June 1978, aged 78 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Manitoba Marriage Index 1881 – 1937, British Columbia Canada Death Index 1872 – 1990, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, 1916 Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, 1921 Census of Canada, Massachusetts Passenger Lists 1820 – 1963, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, Cunard Records, Canadian Commission Case No. 767, Dauphin Herald, The Leader, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, PRO 22/71, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.