Florence Padley, née Fry (c. 1892 – 1978), 23, was born in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. In 1914, she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Florence was an artist who loved painting the sea. Her husband, Charles, was a banker. In the spring of 1915, Florence was returning to Liverpool aboard Lusitania to have her baby. She entered a lifeboat that upset and was subsequently rescued. Both she and the baby survived the Lusitania disaster.
Lusitania
Florence was a descendant from a long line of Devon seafarers. Her father was Captain William Colwill Fry, Master Mariner, and Marine Superintendant of Leyland Marine. Her husband, Charles was a bank manager for the Commercial Bank of Canada and relocated as needed.
In the spring of 1915, Florence left Vancouver to visit her hometown of Liverpool. She booked passage on the Lusitania. She had sailed Lusitania previously, which may have influenced her decision to book passage on the ship again for her last voyage. Florence’s ticket for Lusitania‘s last voyage was 46132 and her cabin was D-8. At the time of the sailing, she was five months pregnant.
On Friday, 7 May, Florence was sitting in a deck chair on the B deck promenade. Elbert and Alice Hubbard passed by moments before someone in front of her remarked, “There’s a porpoise.”
Florence got up and went to the railing for a better look. She realized what it was and cried out, “No, it’s a torpedo!”
Florence ran inside and was going to take the elevator down to her cabin on D deck. Realizing how far below her cabin was, she ran up to A deck instead, where the boats were. This decision may have saved her life as the elevators reportedly stalled when the ship lost electricity. When she recounted the disaster in later years, she stated that she saw an elevator “go down in a rush”.
Along the way, Florence lost a shoe.
Stepping out onto the boat deck, she heard Staff Captain Anderson shout, “It’s all right. We’re making for the shore.”
To Florence, land didn’t seem close enough. She hesitated to get in a lifeboat, but after seeing some leave the ship safely, she headed towards one. She came across Elbert and Alice Hubbard standing near a funnel, and Charles Lauriat, who was looking for them. A woman with a baby came up to Florence and asked if she could take her baby. Looking back on it, Florence said, “I told her I did not have a life jacket, she could look after it better. I felt awful about it.”
Florence entered a lifeboat, and as it lowered, it overturned and threw out everyone inside into the water. She was subsequently rescued. Her unborn baby also survived the disaster and was born.
After her wartime ordeal, Florence returned to normal life. She was involved in the local woman’s council, girls scouts, and the art community. After her husband Charles died, Florence retired to Vancouver and then Victoria on Vancouver Island. There she would watch the sea traffic inbound and outbound from Vancouver.
Florence was always willing to talk about her Lusitania experience to her family and friends. Florence was one of several survivors who corresponded with A. A. Hoehling for his book, The Last Voyage of the Lusitania. Florence died in 1978 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Contributors:
John Fry
Jim Kalafus
Michael Poirier
References:
Hoehling, A. A. and Mary Hoehling. The Last Voyage of the Lusitania. Madison Books, 1956.
Preston, Diana. Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy. Berkley Books, 2002.
Florence Padley, was as mentioned , pregnant at the time of this voyage. A descendant from a long line of Devon seafarers she was returning to England to give birth to her child there so that it would have a British passport. Her father, Captain William Colwill Fry, Master Mariner, had been Marine Superintendant of Leyland Marine when it was the largest shipping company in the world. Her husband, Charles was a bank manager for the Commercial Bank of Canada and was moved from place to place as he was needed. After his death Florence retired to Vancouver, finally to Victoria on Vancouer Island from where she could watch the sea traffic inbound and outbound from Vancouver.
When did Florence die(date of death) ?
Florence died in 1978 in Victoria BC Canada
Florence was baptised 19 Aug 1892 at Appledore parish church. My interest is through her mother, Harriet Mary Bolt who married William Fry in Cardiff in 1891. She was the daughter of master mariner Emmanuel John Bolt and his wife Mary Ann Williams. Mary Ann was a first cousin of my greatgrandmother and was the daughter of another master mariner, Richard Williams who died at Quebec in 1849. The Williams family were a large seafaring family who originated in Gower, South Wales. They had settled in Appledore at the end of the 18C. I wonder why Harriet married in Cardiff? Perhaps she was staying with her mother’s sister, Harriet Williams who had married channel pilot Thomas Thomas who worked out of Cardiff. I understand that Florence had a brothe, Kingsley, were there other siblings?