September 16th, 1896 - April 15th, 1912

She is a Virgo.

Mary Bedelia Burns was born in Killmaacowen, Co Sligo, Ireland aa the eldest of Thomas Burns (October 8th, 1868), a farmer, and Annie Kermmit (born 1870) who had married on February 20th, 1895. She bailed from a Roman Catholic family. By 1912, she had 7 siblings: Michael Joseph (March 19th, 1900), Annie Mary (October 30th, 1901), Margaret Ellen (June 19th, 1903), Elizabeth "Lizzie" Josephine (March 14th, 1905), Catherine (November 26th, 1906), Gertrude Patricia (March 1st, 1909), and Thomas (January 24th, 1911). The family appears on the 1901 census living at house 20, Killmaacowen; by the time of the latter record the family were living at house 15, Killmaacowen, and Mary was still a schoolgirl.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
Although supposedly financially comfortable enough to have travelled second class, Mary boarded the RMS Titanic at Queenstown on April 11th, 1912 as a third class passenger with 2 acquaintances from her locally, Margaret Devaney and Kate Hargadon, appearing to travel in third class with her friends. Mary was emigrating to the USA where she hoped to get employment as a housemaid for a well-to-do family. She was travelling to the home of her paternal aunt Mary, Mrs. Peter Sheridan, who had emigrated as a young woman and married a Scottish-born typewriter ribbon finisher in 1899. The Sheridan family made their home at Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

Whilst aboard the Titanic, Mary, Kate, and Margaret became acquainted with another Sligo born man, Henry Hart. Margaret was the only survivor of the 3 girls and gave 2 different versions as to what became of them. In one, printed in the Irish World on May 4th, 1912, she related:

"We were all on deck, not thinking it was serious, when the boy comes along and said "You girls had better get into a lifeboat." Then he held out his hand, saying "I hope we'll meet again." ....I got into the boat, but Mary Burns and Kitty Hargadon held back, thinking it was safer to remain on the ship, I never saw them again..."

In another version of events, Margaret related  that Kate was afflicted with seasickness and fear and couldn't face climbing a ladder to the higher decks; she remained in communal third-class areas, perhaps the aft well deck, but was tended by Mary who chose to remain with her. Whatever happened will forever remain a mystery. Mary died in the sinking along with Kate and her body if recovered, was never identified.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Confusion arose as to her fate as the name Burns appeared on the lists of survivors, it later becoming clear that the surviving burns was first class passenger Elizabeth Margaret Burns. Nevertheless, Mary's aunt Mary Sheridan hastened to Manhattan in hope that she was safe and well, searching hospitals in vain for her niece. Following the disaster, Mary's parents received £25 from the Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund. Her father and mother later welcomed another 2 daughters: Mary Delia Veronica (June 13th, 1913), who was named in honor of Mary, and Norah Teresa (February 24th, 1915).

Mary's mother died from heart failure and senility in a Sligo hospital on March 31st, 1949 in Aughamore, Co Sligo. Mary is remembered on a memorial plaque in Sligo Cemetery, Cemetery Road, Co Sligo and on a plaque by a family grave at Killmaacowen graveyard in Ballisodare, Co Sligo.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Mary Delia Burns.