Maude Robinson was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, in the United States of America, on 25th October 1879, the daughter of Franklin Albert and Ella Robinson (née West. She was the eldest of five children and her father initially worked as a clerk in a soda water plant before managing a hotel.
On the 31st March 1904, she married Eldridge Blish Thompson, who was secretary and treasurer of The Blish Milling Company. The family home was in Seymour, Indiana, and the couple had no children
In the spring of 1915, Eldridge Thomson decided to travel to Holland to sort out a business deal with a Dutch company to sell their flour in America and decided to take Maude Thompson with him. As a consequence, a saloon passage was booked for them both on the May sailing of the Lusitania, which was due to leave New York on 1st May 1915.
Having left Seymour at the end of April, the couple travelled to New York and stayed at 558, St. Marks Avenue, in Brooklyn, where they may have had relatives. They then
joined the liner at the Cunard berth in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May and boarded her with ticket number 46157. They were then escorted to room B68, which was under the control of First Class Bedroom Steward John Roach, who came from Liverpool.
The liner’s 10.00 a.m. departure was delayed because she had to take on cargo, passengers and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship. She finally left New York at 12.27 and six days later, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 as she was passing The Old Head of Kinsale, in southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination.
Although her husband, Elbridge Thompson, was killed as a result of the sinking, Mrs. Thompson survived, perhaps because she was able to get into a lifeboat. Having been rescued from the sea, she was landed at Queenstown and probably from there; she completed her journey to England. She was aged 35 years at the time of her ordeal.
Bedroom Steward Roach, who had looked after her and her husband in room B68 also survived the sinking and eventually made it back to Liverpool.
Maude Thompson boarded the St Paul at Liverpool on the 5th June 1915 and returned to her home in Seymour. On the 1st July 1916, she boarded the s.s. Chicago, bringing an automobile, to join the Surgical Dressings Relief Unit in Paris, France.
On 17th November 1917, Maude Thompson married Count Jean Charles Augustin Dubois de Gennes in Paris, France. Count de Gennes was serving as a fighter pilot with the fledgling French Air Force, and was twelve years her junior. On 20th December 1919, she gave birth to a son – Jean-Marie Augustin Dubois.
In August 1915, Maude Thompson had filed a claim with the Department of State of the United States of America against Germany for damages for the loss of her first husband. In March 1925, the Umpire for the Mixed Claims Commission, Edwin B. Parker, ruled that Countess Maude de Gennes, as she was now known, was not entitled to any compensation because she had become a French citizen on her marriage to Count de Gennes, surrendering her American citizenship as was the law at that time, and under the rules of the Commission, was not therefore entitled to compensation.
After the War, Count de Gennes became a pilot for Aéropostale, and was killed when his aircraft was lost at sea on the 17th September 1929.
Maude de Gennes divided her time between Paris and New York after her second husband’s death, and her son worked for Air France, holding a senior position in their New York office.
Maude de Gennes died at Sunnyside, Queens, New York City, on the 17th May 1951, aged 68 years.
New Jersey Births and Christenings Index 1660 – 1931, New York Marriage Index 1866 – 1937, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2262, Indianapolis News, New York Times, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.