Virginia Bruce Loney was born in Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York, the United States of America, on the 19th May 1899, the only daughter of Allen Donnellan and Catherine Wolfe Loney, (née Brown). She was named after her maternal grandmother, who was born Virginia Marjesson. Her father was a successful stockbroker.
For a while, the family lived at Guilsborough House, Pytchley, in Northamptonshire, England. They leased the 17th century hall from its wealthy local owners, the Renton family, probably after the death of Colonel Renton in 1908. However, in September 1914, Mrs. Loney and Virginia returned home to New York, to Manhattan, because Mrs. Loney was homesick, along with Mrs. Loney's French maid, Miss Elsie Bouteiller.
When the Great War had broken out, her father had volunteered to drive an ambulance on the Western Front for the Red Cross and in the spring of 1915, Mrs. Loney decided to reunite the family by going back to England where she had arranged to take charge of, and manage, a hospital for convalescing soldiers. Consequently, Mr. Loney crossed the Atlantic to escort them and they joined the Lusitania, along with Miss Elsie Bouteiller, as saloon passengers, on the morning of 1ts May 1915. Virginia was very excited at the prospect of seeing London again!
Having boarded the liner at Pier 54 in New York port - with ticket number 46061, Virginia Loney was allocated room B87, which was under the personal supervision of responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward James Collins, who came from Formby near Liverpool in Lancashire. Mr. and Mrs. Loney were allocated room B85, which was also served by Collins and Elsie Bouteiller was not far away in room B81.
Virginia Loney’s excitement would turn to horror, however, just six days later, on 7th May 1915, when the liner was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland. As she was still only young, she was put into a lifeboat by none other than American millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt, who was a family friend. The lifeboat was lowered badly, however and its occupants were spilled into the sea.
The scene is described by Adolph and Mary Hoehling in their book The Last Voyage of the Lusitania: -
Virginia Bruce was a proficient swimmer. With fast graceful strokes she swam away from the listing ship. As she turned her head she saw her mother and father. They were standing by the rail, beside their friend, Alfred Vanderbilt, who had helped her into the lifeboat.
It hurt her deep inside with an unfathomable helplessness to look at them. She knew she would never see them again.
She never did see them again, or Miss Bouteiller, for all three perished and their bodies were never recovered and identified afterwards.
Virginia Loney was still swimming away from the ship when it sank and although caught up in the Lusitania's long wireless aerial which dragged her down under the waves, she eventually managed to break free and surfaced.
The Northampton Mercury in its edition of 14th May 1915 added more information to
her chronicle: -
From the fearful disaster which swept away so many precious lives, Miss Loney had an almost miraculous escape. She was placed in one of the first boats swung away from the doomed liner, but it had scarcely touched the water when it was upset, and all the occupants were flung into the sea.
Fortunately, Miss Loney can swim and was able to keep herself afloat until picked up by another boat and ultimately landed at Queenstown. She, like the rest of the unfortunate victims of the latest outburst of German frightfulness, was in a bad state when landed but there was no lack of kindly ministration at Queenstown and the sufferers were quickly made as comfortable as they, under the circumstances, could be.
Miss Loney remained at Queenstown some time, in the hope of gaining news of her parents. On her return to Guilsborough, Mr. Habbatt, the butler proceeded to Queenstown to be on the spot in the event of any information of their fate being obtained.
She was orphaned by the sinking, just two weeks short of her sixteenth birthday.
Bedroom Steward Collins, who looked after the Loney family in their saloon rooms, like Virginia Loney, also survived the sinking and eventually returned safely to his Formby home.
On 21st May 1915, Virginia Loney was chief mourner at a memorial service held for her parents at Guilsborough Parish Church, only yards from the family home. The service was attended by local dignitaries and villagers alike.
As the owner of Guilsborough House, Mrs. Renton re-took up residence there in 1916, it is probable that Virginia Loney returned to America at about that time, where she had her home at 840. Park Avenue, New York City.
On 27th April 1918, she married Robert Howard Gamble, who at that time was a pilot in the Aviation Corps of the United States Navy. The wedding ceremony took place at her home. The couple had two children – Catherine Bruce, born in 1920, and Robert Howard Jr., born in 1921.
In April 1923, Virginia divorced her husband in Paris, France. She returned to New York City with their children, and in late September 1923, her husband abducted the children and brought them to the home of his parents in Jacksonville, Florida. In November 1924, the couple decided that the children would reside with Virginia for ten months of the year, and with their father and grandparents for the other two months.
On 21st February 1924, the Mixed Claims Commission decided on a claim filed by Virginia and the executors of her parents’ estates for personal injuries suffered by Virginia, the loss of her parents, and the loss of all their personal belongings. The Commission awarded Virginia the sum of $25,000.00 for her injuries and the loss of her parents, and a further $1,700.00 for the loss of her personal belongings. In addition, they awarded the executors of the estate of Catherine Wolfe Loney the sum of $15,450.00, and the executors of the estate of Allen D. Loney the sum of $1,235.00. When she reached the age of 21 years, she inherited her mother’s estate of $1,500,000, making her the youngest millionaire in The United States of America, at that time.
On the 29th January 1926, she married businessman, Paul Abbott, in her aunt’s residence on 5th Avenue, New York City. The couple had one child, a son name Paul Jr., born in 1927.
Virginia Abbott died on the 4th April 1975 in Southampton, Suffolk County, New York, five weeks before her 76th birthday. Her husband had died in 1971.
New York U.S. Birth Index 1891 – 1902, New York U.S. Extracted Marriage Index 1866 – 1937, U.S. Presbyterian Church Records 1701 – 1970 , 1900 U.S. Federal Census 1911 Census of England & Wales, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, 1940 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 -1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 466, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Northampton Mercury, The Evening World, News-Journal, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345, Graham Maddocks, Matthew Fatale, Kate Wills, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.