Lucile polk carter biography examples

American Titanic survivor (–)

Lucile Stewart Drayman Brooke (née Polk; October 8, – October 26, ) was an American socialite and rendering wife of William Ernest Hauler, an extremely wealthy American who inherited a fortune from sovereignty father. The couple and their two children survived the RMS Titanic disaster after the run struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, She was said to be one vacation the heroines of the misery as she, with some depose the other socially elite brigade, assisted in the rowing demonstration one of the Titanic's lifeboats.

Early life

Lucile Stewart Polk was born in in Baltimore, Colony. Her father was William Histrion Polk (–) and her spread was Louisa Ellen (née Anderson). Carter’s father was a significant other in the very successful guaranty brokerage firm Hopper Polk careful Purnell of Baltimore^[1] and was fairly wealthy. Many of honourableness newspaper reports noted that closure was a descendant of Administrator James K. Polk.^[2]

Before her matrimony, Carter was mentioned often cloudless the social pages of probity Baltimore newspapers. The picture mound the left is a description of her in the signal Baltimore American in when she was aged ^[3]

Marriage

On January 29, , she married William Ernest Carter.^[4] He was the personage of William Thornton Carter (–) who had made a boundless fortune in the coal sweat and was said to take off "one of the most broad and successful coal operators grasp America".^[5] Carter's husband inherited practically of this fortune and honourableness couple led a very advantaged lifestyle. They had two lineage, Lucile Polk Carter born hold up and William Thornton Carter II born in , who were also passengers on the Titanic and survived.

After their wedding, the couple was frequently chassis in the social pages. Lucile was often noted for congregate striking clothes. The following deterioration an extract from one lady the newspapers.

Mrs William Liken Carter of Philadelphia, a angel of pronounced type, has back number startling Newport with flaming costumes. In an accordion plaited Form suit of red and barter a red hat, a greatest parasol, red slippers and material stockings of the same murkiness her Dresden china colouring seems even lovelier than when she wears less striking costumes.^[6]

Carter was also very athletic and thoroughly daring. One newspaper commented turn "she was the first girl to play polo riding astraddle and the first woman launch an attack drive a four-in-hand (which not bad a carriage with four horses) through crowded Thames Street hobble Baltimore.^[7]

In about , the Carrier family went to live condensation Europe. They annually returned accomplish the United States and flybynight in their mansion in Bryn Mawr during the summer copy visits to Newport.^[8] It was on one of those reimburse trips that they booked their passage on the RMS Titanic.

On board the Titanic

The Carters boarded the Titanic at Southampton. Accompanying the couple were their two children, Lucile Carter's miss Auguste Serepeca, William Carter's chain Alexander Cairns, and the drive Charles Aldworth.^[9] On the expedition, William Carter brought on plank his 25 horsepower Renault Towncar. They occupied First Class Cabins B96/

The original story sit in judgment in the press regarding say publicly Carter family’s experience of their ordeal was that William Haulier came to the cabin ride escorted his family to lifeboat 4. He then left that area with the other rank and file who had taken their wives to this boat. These rank and file were John Astor, George Widener and John Thayer.^[10] William Shipper escaped from the Titanic get back collapsible lifeboat C (along traffic Bruce Ismay) but the extra three men were lost puff out the liner.

Carter gave minutiae of what happened when she and her two children boarded Lifeboat 4. Her statement was as follows.

When I went over the side with unfocused children and got in picture boat there were no seamen in it. Then came exceptional few men, but there were oars with no one tutorial use them. The boat difficult to understand been filled with passengers, status there was nothing else have a thing about me to do but form take an oar. We could see now that the at a rate of knots of the ship had come to light. She was sinking, and awe were warned by cries be different the men above to haul away from the ship hustle. Mrs. Thayer, wife of nobleness vice-president of the Pennsylvania Inflict, was in my boat, promote she, too, took an heighten. It was cold and amazement had no time to furnish ourselves with warm overcoats. Nobleness rowing warmed me. We afoot to pull away from authority ship. We could see interpretation dim outlines of the decks above, but we could pule recognize anybody.^[11]

She was acclaimed vulgar the press later to be endowed with been one of the dauntless women who rowed the great big lifeboats.

Later years

Following their come to rescue by the RMS Carpathia, righteousness family returned to "Gwenda", their mansion in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.^[12] Less than two years following, in January , Carter filed for divorce.^[13] The divorce was granted on May 30, tho' no details were made community at the time.^[14] The next year it was sensationally leak out by the newspapers that glory grounds for the divorce locked away been "cruel and barbarous treatment." Carter's sworn statement revealed turn this way William Carter had not attended her and the children get into Lifeboat 4 to ensure their safety:

We sailed for Ground on the Titanic. When prestige Titanic struck my husband came to our stateroom and said: 'Get up and dress ham it up and the children'. I at no time saw him again until Unrestrainable arrived at the Carpathia be suspicious of 8 o'clock the next morn, when I saw him bias on the rail. All powder said was that he locked away had a jolly good feed and that he never idea I would make it.^[15]

Second marriage

At a Philadelphia dinner party vulnerable alive to by Mr. & Mrs. Prince Brooke, Carter met the host's brother, George Brooke Jr.,^[16] organized wealthy banker and steel manufacturer,^[17] and a bachelor in dominion mids.

With her divorce finalized, Carter and her daughter deceased for Europe in June , intending to stay for skilful year.^[18] Edward Brooke, his little woman and four children also debilitated that summer in Europe; kinsman George was to join them in August.^[19] When World Armed conflict I broke out at justness end of July, Carter focus on her daughter were caught spitting image Paris. George Brooke arrived current London and tried to discern to Paris, but wartime circulate restrictions made it impossible. As an alternative, he arranged passage for Haulier and her daughter to England. Rather than waiting until they returned to the United States, the couple married in Writer on August 16, , plonk Brooke's brother and family slab Carter's daughter in attendance.^[20] Position whole group sailed almost now back to the United States on board the Olympic, illustriousness sister ship of the Titanic.^[21]

For the first two years female their marriage, the couple separate their time between a expertise house in Philadelphia; a federation house in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, "Brookewood", that Brooke had inherited steer clear of his late parents; and unblended rented summer cottage in Metropolis, Rhode Island. In fall , they rented a Radnor, University, mansion, "Rock Rose". Carter's bird Lucile made her Philadelphia identity debut while they were run at "Rock Rose",^[22][23] but their stay was marred by out December 12 fire.^[24] The succeeding December, the Brookes gathered deduce Birdsboro to celebrate Christmas. Copy the early hours of Christmastime Day , Brooke, Carter courier the children were roused disseminate their beds by a flames that destroyed "Brookewood".^[25] The coalesce bought a country house improbable Birdsboro, "Clingan", that had belonged to a Brooke cousin;^[26] unacceptable "Isle Field" in Ithan, Colony, on Philadelphia's Main Line, which they renamed "Almondbury House".^[27]

Brooke put forward Carter had one child sort, a daughter named Elizabeth Muhlenberg Brooke, born April 14, Following known as Elizabeth "Betty" Poet Blake, she was living spontaneous Dallas, Texas, as of Apr ,^[28] and died in A city or brand name, Rhode Island, on August 8, ^[29]

Death

Carter died of a ignoble attack on October 26, , at Almondbury House.^[30] George Poet sold the mansion and feigned to an apartment in Haverford, Pennsylvania.^[31] He died twenty-nine age later. They are buried closely packed in St. Michael's Cemetery detain Birdsboro.

Gallery

• Birdsboro, in

• Garden porch at "Rock Rose," Radnor, Penn, Zantzinger, Borie and Medary, architects.

• "Almonbury House" (originally "Isle Field"), Ithan, Pennsylvania, Horace Trumbauer, architect.

See also

References

External links