October 5th, 1872 - April 15th, 1912

She is a Libra.

Margaret Norton was born at Glasses Lane in Athlone, Co Westmeath, Ireland in a Roman Catholic family, she was the daughter of James Norton (born 1819), a railway official, and Mary Carty (born 1848) who had married around 1869. Her known siblings were: Michael (born 1871), Patrick (born 1873), James (February 3rd, 1877), and George (October 3rd, 1879). From at least the early 1870's the Norton family lived at Glasses Lane in Athlone; her mother died there on January 13th, 1885 as a result of tuberculosis. Margaret was married in St Mary's Church, Althone on June 18th, 1889 to an Englishman from Surrey, William Rice (born 1876), a solider and the son of a fishmonger; his address was stated as the military barracks in Athlone whilst Margaret was described as a "factory girl" whose address was Glasses Lane.

The couple made their home at North Gate Street, Athlone and whilst there they welcomed their first child, William James who arrived on April 13th, 1899. The child lived less then 2 months and died on May 31st, 1899; he had swallowed his pacifier 4 days previous and never recovered, dying after a series of convulsions (A/N: Poor baby). The sorrowful couple made their first leap and made their home in London and whilst there, in 1902, another son arrived, Albert. Their stay in Britain proved short-lived and at the beginning of 1903 they made plans to cross the Atlantic.

In March of 1903 the family of 3 arrived in Montréal, Quebec and were to become 4 later in the year when another child arrived on November 30th, 1903, George. They made their way west and settled in Ontario where William worked as a clerk, first at Carleton Place and later Toronto. Whilst there another 2 sons were born, Eric (August 24th, 1905) and Arthur (August 18th, 1907). The entire family crossed into the USA from Canada in January of 1909 and Margaret gave her contact as Michael Norton in Athlone; she was described as standing at 5'6 and with brown hair and eyes.

Her husband William was described as a steam fitter standing at 5'9 and with a light complexion and fair hair and blue eyes. They made their home in Spokane, Washington and whilst there their youngest child was born, Francis (September 13th, 1909). Her husband worked at a Great Northern tracks at Hillyard; he was crushed by an engine on January 24th, 1910 and later died at the Sacred Heart Hospital. He was buried at Fairmount Cemetery, Spokane where John H. Chapman worked as a cemetery labourer. It's been speculated that Chapman himself might have dug William Rice's grave. Margaret and her children appear on the 1910 US census living at Sheridan Street, Hillyard, Spokane; with a payout she received from the railroad company as recompense for her husband's death Margaret and her sons soon returned to Ireland where they still had relatives and they appear on the 1911 census living at Castle Street in Athlone with her young niece, Sligo-born Kathleen Norton, the daughter of Michael Norton.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
With perhaps the stay in Ireland not intended to be permanent the family soon made plans to return to Spokane, possibly convinced to do so by others from their locality who would be making a crossing of the Atlantic aboard the Titanic. Other people from in or around Athlone that Margaret and her sons would be travelling with included: former Glasses Lane neighbor Eugene Daly, Bridget Mulvhill, Margaret Daly, and Bridget Henry. They boarded the RMS Titanic at Queenstown as 3rd class passengers.

On the night of the sinking Bridget Mulvhill reported that she saw Margaret standing on either the boat deck or A-deck clutching her youngest son to her breast and with the other boys holding onto her skirts. The entire family was lost in the sinking and only Margaret's body was recovered by the MacKay Bennett and identified. She was identified as Roman Catholic by her rosary and as Margaret by her box of pills prescribed on April 9th, 1912. She was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Margaret Rice.