May 2nd, 1885 - November 28th, 1958

She is a Taurus.

May Elizabeth Howard was born in North Walsham, Norfolk, England and was baptized on August 26th, 1885. She was the daughter of William Howard (born 1845), an agricultural lanourer, and Martha Whall (born 1849), both also born in Walsham and who had married in 1867. Her siblings: Mary (born 1874), Jane (born 1875), Edward James (born 1877), William (born 1880), Henry (born 1882), Thomas (born 1886), and Emily (born 1888). For reasons unknown May doesn't appear with her family on the 1891 census when they were listed as living at Hall Lane in North Walsham. When she appears on the 1901 census the family were residing at Aylsham Road, North Walsham and she would be listed as this address on the following census in 1911, still living with her family and now described as an unmarried laundress.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
May boarded the RMS Titanic on Southampton as a 3rd class passenger. She was intending to join her brother at Toronto, Ontario before joining her married sister Jane (Mrs. Henry Hewitt) who had emigrated in 1908 and lived in Albion, New York where May had secured work as a nanny for the Kenyon family in that town. She had reportedly been booked on another ship but was switched to Titanic owing to the coal strike. She travelled with the Goldsmith family, whom she knew. She reportedly endured seasickness for a period during the voyage. On the night of the sinking she had been in her cabin at the time of the collision but was still fully dressed. She described the impact as not violent enough to upset them but felt the ship rock and was further alarmed by the sound of ringing bells coming down below.

Leaving her bunk to see what had happened she encountered many other bewildered and half-dressed passengers who had left their cabins with similar curiosity. Crewmen initially instructed the crowd to go back to bed before a "doctor" came and told them all was well but to get their lifebelts. She escaped in lifeboat in Collapsable C with Mrs. Goldsmith and her son.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
After her arrival in New York aboard the RMS Carpathia she sent a telegram from New York. It had been May's intention to go on to Toronto to join her brother Edward, but it's unclear whether she continued on after arriving at her sister's home in Albion, New York where she gave an interview to the Orleans American a few weeks after the disaster. It seems she resided with her sister for a time before going into the employment of Randall Kenyon and his wife Marion and their family in Hilton, Monroe, New York where she would help raise their 5 children: Margaret, Charles, Jean, Marion, and Randall.

She appeared with them on the census from 1920 through 1940. Following services with Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon she later worked for Margaret, later Deckman (1912 - 1998). May, who had never married, is remembered by the Kenyon family as a very sweet lady who was wonderful with children but who was quiet and reserved and ever fearful of water, and whilst it's common knowledge in the family that she has survived the Titanic; it's not a topic brought up to her as she didn't like to discuss it. Her last known address was Smith Street, Hilton, New York. May died in Rochester State Hospital on November 28th, 1958 at the age of 73 and was buried on December 1st, 1958 in Boxwood Cemetery in Medina, New York in the Bowen family plot.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace May Elizabeth Howard.