Mabel Annie Bird was born in Oldbury, Worcestershire, England, on the 6th August 1881, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Bird (née Smithyman). Her father was a grocer’s porter and Mabel was one of nine children.
On the 4th January 1901, she married Henry George Surman in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Deritend, Birmingham, Warwickshire. Her husband was a greengrocer and
carter. The couple had two daughters – Lillian and Ellen, and a son Joseph, before the family immigrated to the United States in 1909, settling in Princeton, New Jersey.
On 7th July 1910, Mabel gave birth to her second son, Charles George Edward, followed by another son, Lyndon, born on 29th April 1913. Henry Surman worked infrequently, and when he did work, earned about $12.00 per week. He neglected his wife and children, compelling Mabel to work as a housekeeper to support herself and their children. She was physically strong, of good character, and devoted to her children.
In the spring of 1915, Mabel’s brother, Lyndon Bird, asked her to accompany his wife, Rose, who was in poor health, on a visit back to England. Rose originally came from Birmingham, Warwickshire. Lyndon agreed to pay all of Mabel’s expenses, and also undertook to take care of her children for the three weeks she was expected to be away.
Consequently, Lyndon booked second cabin passage for his wife and Mabel on the Lusitania and joined the vessel at Pier 54, before she left on her final journey out of the North River, which began just after mid-day on 1st May 1915.
Neither of the ladies survived the liner’s sinking, six days later, nor were either of their bodies ever recovered and identified. Mabel Surman was aged 34 years.
On 21st May 1915, a letter from New York was received in the Queenstown office of The Cunard Steam Ship Company concerning her, which stated: -
About 5ft 5” tall, blue eyes, rather short hair brown, complexion inclined to be freckled, narrow wedding ring, also another ring on same finger. Probably wearing box pleated skirt of some heavy striped tweed material, with cream colored lace waist, shoes rather shabby.
Following her death, Henry Surman returned to England with his daughters, leaving his two youngest sons in the care of another of Mabel’s sisters, Mrs. Alice Grant, and her husband. It is unknown what became of the eldest son, but it is possible that he was of an age that he could work and provide for himself. What is known is that Henry Surman made no contribution to the upkeep of his two youngest children, and ignored their very existence.
Mr. and Mrs. Grant filed a claim with the U.S. State Department, on behalf of Charles and Lyndon, for compensation for the loss of their mother. The Mixed Claims Commission awarded them the sum of $5,000.00 each.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, UK Outgoing Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2501, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv. PR13/6, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.