Margaret McClintock was born at the family home at Tattyreagh Glebe, near Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, on the 1st June 1878, the daughter of Samuel and Mary Jane McClintock (née Wilson). Her father was a farmer, and Margaret was one of eight children.
After leaving school, Margaret became a draper’s assistant, and then a dressmaker. In 1911, she left Ireland and went to live in New York City in the United States of America to pursue her career. While living in New York City, she met Oscar Turner Martin, a native New Yorker, who was working for the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpet Company as a carpet weaver, and the couple became engaged to be married.
In the spring of 1915, Margaret decided to return home on a visit to her sister in Belfast, and no doubt see the rest of her family and to prepare for her upcoming wedding. As a consequence, she booked a second cabin passage on the Lusitania, which left New York at mid-day on 1st May 1915.
She survived the sinking six days later and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown; she eventually made it by train, to her sister’s home at 3, St. George's Terrace, Castlereagh Street, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her sister was also a dressmaker.
Whilst there, Margaret McClintock gave an interview to a reporter of a local newspaper, The Northern Whig, which was published in the edition of 11th May 1915. It stated: -
In the course of the interview, Miss McClintock said she heard a terrific noise and was thrown from her seat at the lunch table. She realised immediately that the Lusitania had been torpedoed. She succeeded in getting into a lifeboat which contained over sixty persons.
After two and a half hours had elapsed, they were transferred to a trawler, and subsequently to a Government boat, being eventually landed at Queenstown.
The crew, according to Miss McClintock, did everything possible for the passengers.
Later in the year, she applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund for financial help to make up some of the losses she had incurred through the sinking. This fund had been set up by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local dignitaries, to give financial help to survivors and distressed relatives of the sinking, and on 11th June 1915, it awarded her a once and for all payment of £3-0s-0d, to enable her to replace some of her lost dresses.
On the 7th August 1915, Margaret boarded the New York at Liverpool, to return to New York City. She landed in new York City on the 15th August, and less than two weeks later, on the 28th August, she married Oscar Turner Martin at the Chapel of St. Cornelius the Centurion, Governor’s Island, New York. The couple resided at 54. Clarendon Avenue, Yonkers, New York.
The couple had no children, and on the 13th May 1932, her husband died suddenly, aged 50 years. The couple by now were residing at 34. Linden Street, Yonkers.
Margaret Martin died in Yonkers, New York, on the 3rd August 1845, aged 67 years. Her address at the time of her death was 100. Elm Street, Yonkers, New York.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, New York U.S. Episcopal Diocese of New York Church Records 1767 – 1970, New York U.S. County Marriage Records 1907 – 1936, New York U.S. Death Records 1852 – 1956, 1901 Census of England & Wales, U.S. Federal Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, Belfast Evening Telegraph, Belfast News-Letter, Northern Whig, The Herald Statesman, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
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