Hannah 'Annie' John was born in Llangafelach, Glamorgan, Wales, in August 1851, the daughter, and eldest child, of Howell and Margaret John. Her father was a farmer who later moved to Traffe Farm, Gowerton, Llanelly.
After completing her education, Hannah became a teacher. In 1876, she married John Davis, and the couple had five children – Sarah Anne, Margaret, William John, Roger Howell, and David Emrys.
Around 1888, John Davis emigrated to the United States of America in search of work and a better life. It is not known where he initially went to, but he obviously established himself to the point that he was eventually able to send word back to his wife to have her and their children join him. In October 1892, Annie duly arrived in New York City, having sailed from Liverpool on the Majestic. She was accompanied by four of her children, Maggie, William, Roger and Emrys.
Eventually the family settled in Pennsylvania. Her husband had become a naturalized citizen of the United States, which resulted in Annie and their children also becoming American citizens. The couple’s youngest son, known as Emrys, was born mentally incompetent, requiring constant care.
In 1902, John Davis died and Annie continued to live in Pennsylvania until just before the outbreak, of the Great War, when she moved to Welland, Ontario, Canada, to be closer to one of her children who was living there.
By the spring of 1915, she was suffering some difficulties with her eyesight and decided to return to Great Britain to consult an eye specialist. Whilst receiving treatment, she intended to stay with a married daughter, Mrs. Phillips, wife of solicitor Lewis Phillips, in Llanelly. It is known at this time that three sons and two daughters were living.
As a result, she left Welland at the end of April 1915 and joined the Lusitania at New York as a second cabin passenger, in time for her last ever trans-Atlantic crossing, which began just after mid-day on 1st May 1915.
She was killed just six days later after the liner had been torpedoed, and her body was later recovered from the sea and landed at Queenstown, where it was deposited in one of the temporary mortuaries there. Until it was positively identified, it was given the reference number 32, which indicates that it was one of the first to be recovered and was probably taken to the mortuary at the Cunard office in Lynch’s Quay, on the waterfront.
There, it was described as: -
Female, 62 years, (probably Mrs. Annie Davis) 2nd cabin, low size, fair hair turning grey, gold ring 3rd finger right hand - not removed.
Once it was positively identified, however, probably by another surviving passenger or member of the crew, it was buried on 10th May 1915, in The Old Church Cemetery, Queenstown, in Mass Grave C., 3rd Row, Lower Tier, where it lies today. She was actually aged 63 years.
It was on 10th March that most of the dead from the sinking were buried following a long
funeral procession which began outside the Cunard office in Queenstown.
After the war, Anne’s three sons, Roger Howell Davis, William John Davis, and David Emyrs Davis, filed a claim with the Mixed Claims Commission for compensation for her loss. Roger was married with a family, residing in Benton Harbour, Michigan, where he worked as a clerk. Since the death of his mother, he had taken on the responsibility of looking after the mentally incompetent David, taking him in to his home.
The Mixed Claims Commission awarded Roger and David the sum of $2,500.00 each. The Commission decided that David had been dependant on Anne, and as a result of her death, Roger was now responsible for him in all matters, including financially, thus the reason for the award. Her daughter, Mrs. Margaret Phillips, also lodged a claim with the British authorities for compensation, which was referred to the Canadian Commission for decision as Annie had last been residing there, but this claim was unsuccessful.
Some Cunard records erroneously refer to her as Miss Annie Davis!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1851 Wales Census, 1861 Wales Census, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 269, Canadian Claims Case No. 887, Western Mail, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.