Note: Rhoda actually never went by Rosa. She was only accounted for as Rosa Abbott on lists of Titanic Passengers.
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Rhoda Hunt was born on January 14, 1873 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, to Joseph and Sarah Hunt.[1] She was Christened on October 5 of that year in Ludgershall, Buckingham, England.[2] Growing up, she would have two siblings; Thomas and Lucy.
She was found with her brother and two siblings on the 1881 Census, living in Willesden, Middlesex, England. They were lodging at the home of Ziller Wells.[3]
On the 1891 Census, she was living with her family in Chelsea, Kensal Town with her mother and sister.[4]
Rhoda immigrated from St. Albans to the United States in 1894, arriving in Providence, Rhode Island.[5]
In early 1895, she married a professional boxer named Stanton Abbott (who had been born in London, but immigrated to the US in 1893). Stanton would become the middleweight boxing champion of the United States.
Stanton and Rhoda had two sons, Rossmore Edward and Eugene Joseph. She loved being a wife and mother, caring for her sons as they grew. The family were members of Grace Episcopal Church in Providence.
The family appeared together on the 1900 Census, living in Providence, Rhode Island.[6]
Unfortunately, by 1911, Stanton and Rhoda had grown apart and they suffered a divorce. [7]
Rhoda and her sons returned (via the Olympic - the Titanic's sister ship) to England to live with her mother in St. Albans. They arrived August of 1911. Rhoda worked as a seamstress to support her family. Things were more difficult for the family and the boys longed to return to the United States, so Rhoda agreed to take them home, booking tickets on a small ship, which were later redirected to the Titanic due to a coal strike.
The family boarded the ship in Southampton on April 10, 1912. [8]
For the first few days, life aboard the Titanic was uneventful for the family. They explored, unpacked and made a few friends.
On the night of April 14, the family had just gone to bed, when they were awakened by the ship hitting an iceberg. The boys wished to go on deck and see what happened, but Rhoda was cautious and wouldn't leave. A steward came by their room and assured them that everything was find and that they should go back to sleep.
At 12:15 AM, they were awakened when a steward opened their door to alarm, “all passengers on deck with life jackets”. The family casually put on their life jackets before going to the deck above. Eventually, they arrived at the loading area for Collapsible C. Rhoda watched as the lifeboat was loaded with women and children, her heart falling when she realized that her sons would not be allowed to board. When given the opportunity to board, she refused access so that she could stay with her sons.
As the Titanic sank, Rhoda, Rossmore, and Eugene were swept into the icy Atlantic waters. Rhoda held onto her sons hands as long as she could, until they were pulled away from her. She struggled to stay with them, but couldn't find them in the mass of bodies around her while she, herself, struggled for life. Finally, a man on Collapsible A grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the water.
Collapsible A was nearly swamped and was riding low in the water. As people passed away from hypothermia, they were lowered over the side to make more room and to lessen the weight in the boat. By the time Lifeboat 14 reached them, only thirteen of the occupants had survived. Rhoda was nearly unconscious as they were transferred to the Carpathia, but was well cared for by Lead Fireman Thomas Threlfall until they boarded the rescue ship.[9]
Aboard the Carpathia, Rhoda was given a makeshift bed. Her new friend (met on the Titanic), Amy Stanley cared for her, both soothing her injuries and comforting her over the loss of her sons.
Amy Stanley later recalled:
"We were very close since we were on the Titanic together. And her stateroom had been near mine. I was the only one that she could talk to about her sons because I knew them myself. She told me that she would get [sic] in the lifeboat if there hadn't been so many people around. So she and her sons kept together. She was thankful that [the] three of them had stayed with her on that piece of wreckage. The youngest went first then the other son went. She grew numb and cold and couldn't remember when she got on the Carpathia. There was a piece of cork in her hair and I managed to get a comb and it took a long time but finally we got it out."
When they arrived in New York, Rhoda was sent to St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, New York. She was one of the last survivors to be discharged. For the rest of her life, she would have respiratory problems and serious asthma as a result of the Titanic disaster. [10]
Rhoda married George Williams on December 16, 1912 in Swansea, Massachusetts, United States.[11]
"United States Census, 1910,"[12]
Rhoda passed away on February 18, 1946 in Barnes, Surrey Northeast, London from heart failure as a result of hypertension.[13][14]
Note: These sources may never have existed
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H > Hunt | A > Abbott > Rhoda Mary (Hunt) Abbott
Categories: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire | Willesden, Middlesex (London) | Chelsea, Middlesex (London) | Rhode Island, Immigrants from England | Providence, Rhode Island | 1910 US Census, Providence County, Rhode Island | Barnes, Surrey (London) | RMS Titanic | 3rd Class Passengers on Titanic | RMS Carpathia | Survivors of the Titanic