Hilda Mary Slayter in the 1930s.
Hilda Mary Slayter was a passenger on the Titanic.
Background[]
Hilda Mary Slayter was origionally named by Doctor William Bruce Slayter and Clarina Underhill Clark, when they had her as their twelfth child on Wednesday April 5, 1882. William was a physician that came from Halifax in Canada and lived there with his wife as well as having his medical practice. He had bought the house from a medical partner. Clarina was American and stemmed from Waterloo in the state New York. She was world-class pianist. They pledged their vows to eachother in 1864 in Chicago. Their maritial estate was in the fashionable Argyble Street in Halifax, where their lineage began with the father’s name sake, William Bruce junior. Unfortunately, two years after the birth of his brother John Howard, who was from 1865, William Bruce junior died. He was less than 4 years old. Another boy was born in the same year of 1867, also named William, but given the second name Firth. Edward Wheeler was next in 1869. Then it was their first sister, Clarina Louise, who expanded the family in1872. The year 1873 saw a second daughter: Frances Clark. Four sons were due in the following years. They were George Herbert, born in 1875, to not make it through the next year, James Morrow, who arrived that same year, Charles Keeler, who was welcomed in 1879, while 1880 blessed the family with Robert Underhill. The three latter sons survived childhood. Hilda had one younger sister. Her name was Margaret Mclean Haslam. She was from 1885. Hilda grew up with a taste for music.
In August 1898, when she was 16, she lost her father. Hilda said goodbye to her home in Halifax when it was 1902. Her mother, as well as sister They went to see Charles, her brother, who was in Paris as he wanted to become an architect.
Her dream from young age was to become a singer. She had met friends of her mother’s music teacher in her youth, between 1885 and 1887, when Hilda lived in Bamberg, Germany for a while.
She vigorously pursued this career and also studied the Italian language. She now wanted to do more music studies in France. Her brothers, especially William Firth, were willing to help set up her career. He was a seafarer in the early 1900s and had become an officer to work for royals, so he had connections which he used in favor of his ambitious sister. Hilda did some singing and performed on stage. She was involved in balls and dances where came in contact with royalty. She visited the Italy next, where she kept studying but her plans to use her talent for bigger things, such as operas, didn’t come off the ground in the next 10 years. Living off the contributions of her brother dear wasn’t sustainable anymore, as William himself agreed to.
She found more luck in love, when she was on a trip to Britain in 1910. She promised to become the wife of Henry Reginald Dunbar Lacon after he had shown interest in her. He was from Ottley in Canada and had his background in a renowned political family, as well as some blue-blooded posterity from British side.
For the oncoming wedding, she needed to buy many items. She spent time in parts of Europe and was not wasting any effort: Her wedding dress, jewelry and various other clothes would cost $7000. Included where handmade blouses from Italy. She was in England first, before travelling to Ireland. This is where her younger sister lived, Margaret Haslam. It would soon be April 5, Hilda’s birthday, which she wanted to celebrate at Margaret’s home, which was in Clonmel, County Tipperary. Brothers William and John would come to attend the occasion as well as her married sister Clarina Hartley.
She had intended to take the SS Tunisian to Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada, but due to the coal strike in England, she had to book new passage on a different, much larger liner.
Titanic []
In Queenstown, on the evening of April 11, Miss Slayter came aboard the Titanic to travel in Second Class. One steward proved useless as he had no idea how to guide the lady to her correct cabin, with his lack of experience. Hilda’s cabin was supposed to be on D-Deck, yet, the paint on the walls hadn’t dried out yet as Titanic was just barely finished and had been rushed into completion to make the deadline of her Maiden Voyage. The steward said that the best next available cabin was at E-Deck on starboard side, so she was taken there.
The widowed Englishwoman Florence Kelly was also in her cabin. Her real name was Fanny Maria Kelly, but had adopted Florence as first name when she boarded Titanic in Southampton in the company of Marion Smith. Fanny was overwrought since the near-collision between Titanic and New York, which she took as a sign of approaching calamaty. Even though Hilda was not such a believer in the supernatural, she shared the woman’s sentiment, referring to Kelly’s origin, as she was a Celt, with Celts being a people that were described as having great foresights.
The motion of the ship was felt very well in the cabin, which was something Hilda was very displeased about. In the afternoon of April 14, she was singing hymns at a service in the Second Class Dining Saloon.
On the night of April 14, Kelly and Slaytor were in the cabin as Hilda felt a thump while in her berth. The Titanic had not seen an iceberg in time and had touched it on starboard side, which had left gashes in her hull, leading water through. A steward came running to the women’s cabin. He told them of the iceberg while Hilda picked up a strange amoniac scent. The ship was damaged, but her sistership would come to them to pick them up in about 8 hours, he said. Florence was soon helped by Hilda to get her clothes on, as Mrs. Kelly had a bit of a tense feeling from the collision. She almost demanded Fanny to get multiple layers on. Outside their cabin, two mechanics were busy with a watertight door, which had to be manually closed, but they didn’t manage it and gave up, to go try to let another one down. The two women left the scene. When Mrs. Slayter and her cabinmate were on a higher deck, friendly people checked if their seatbelt was put on properly. The Second Class Staircase to B-Deck was blocked by a thick throng of people, so they couldn’t go any farther, but it was the only way, said one stewardess. Hilda and Kelly found another way, seeing someone else going up an iron ladder. Hilda pushed Kelly up the ladder and left on her own, before she was on A-Deck where she heard a boat being lowered. At that point, she noticed a starboard list.
As a real lady of class, she kept her posture and never lost her calm demeanor. Hilda was concerned of other people’s safety before her own. When the time came that the ladies could board a lifeboat, at the late hour, she wanted to make sure that others were given a place into a boat and suddenly, by surprise was lifted into lifeboat 13 by a sailor when repeatedly turning down his offer to get in. A baby was then given to her. It was the infant of the Caldwells, named Alden.
They were still not safe however. The lowering process didn’t go smooth and a stream of water coming from the side of the ship, pushed them a bit aft. Lifeboat 15 was being launched just two minutes after 13 and Hilda, among others shouted to the Boat Deck to stop the lowering of this boat, but it couldn’t be heard so it kept descending towards them. Hilda could touch the boat as she stood up and they were nearly crushed, but thanks to leading stoker Frederick Barrett, who cut all the ropes, they were freed from a precarious situation.
She was very generous in the boat, when, without the light, she gave her stole and outer jacket to some shivering women, first asking a stoker, who had it bad too, but he declined. The boat was fully loaded, at least 65 people were in it. Alden Caldwell meanwhile was asleep in Hilda’s arms, but woke an hour later and started to cry. Slayter knew that she had to keep the baby’s feet warm, so she asked another Second Class passenger, who she met during the voyage, to help her see if the child’s feet were covered. They weren’t so the man made sure that they were bundled up. Slayter recognized him as Lawrence Beesley, a teacher. He recognized her too. The baby was later given back to their mother and father, who were also in boat 13.
Hilda had heard the Orchestra play as long as they could. She looked on as the Titanic met her tragic end. The stern rose up to over 45 degrees and caved in, sinking fast. She had also heard one or two explosions. It was 2:20 A.M when Titanic had gone under, as the other people, who didn’t find a lifeboat, were consigned to the icey waters, where they shouted in agony and cried for help, when Hilda mistakingly assumed there were other boats calling for a tieing together. An occupant in boat 13 was surprised by her remark, pointing out to her that it was the sound of drowning.
The lifeboats were later found by the RMS Carpathia, whose crew had sped to Titanic’s aid once their CQD call had reached them by Titanic’s wireless. Lifeboat 13, as well as the others, were found and taken aboard the ship along with the Titanic survivors.
Carpathia finished Titanic’s set course for New York, letting the survivors off on the 18th of April. Slayter was then on her way to the West Coast of Canada, sadly, without her luxury items she had bought for the wedding as they were gone with the Titanic. Before she completed her journey, she was besieged by members of both American and Canadian press who wanted her first-hand witness account.
Later life[]
Slayter proved the world that she was a strong woman, as the sinking of the Titanic hadn’t left a psychological mark on her, as it seemed, because this was the case with many of the other 706 that made it off alive.
She picked up where she left off and went on with her life, to complete her first mission: she married Henry Reginald Dunbar Lacon on June, 1st 1912 on Denman Island, Comox-Strathcona, British Columbia, Canada. This secluded island became her new home, which was something she really had to get used to. Henry had gone there in 1911 to build it.
Mr. And Mrs. Lacon had one child together: a son named Reginald William Beecroft Lacon. He came into the world on March 10, 1913. In 1914, she contributed to the community with the building of the Saint Saviour’s Anglican Church. She became a member and active volunteeer, to could keep herself busy on the thinly populated island. On occasion, she made a trip to the cities of Vancouver and Victoria.
In 1916, Henry decided to apply for military service. Because of this, Hilda and her family could live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which made Hilda very happy, as she could have a more active social life.
The Titanic disaster was not the only thing that confronted Hilda. She would also survive the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917 along with her son. She was at home when a collision between two vessels, one loaded with explosive weaponry, caused a fire that turned into an insane blast that hit the town badly, detroying over a 1000 homes. Among the massive destruction was also the home of the Lacons when the concussive shock from the explosion hit, shattering windows and ripping out doors. Mother and son were not hurt. They could stay with relatives on South Park Street for a while. The misery had not been enough for the town of Halifax. A snowstorm, followed by a rainstorm, increased the pitiful circumstances. Help was hindered and the sewage was blocked.
Restoration of the estate began after the return of Henry. It were difficult times, as it was winter and the broken windows let the chilly winds through the house. Hilda set about on her own adventures to make more Atltanic crossings. As World War I was still raging on, she had avoided another tragedy before it could take place. The SS Missanabie fell victim to a U-boat off the coast of Ireland, 5 months after she had embarked on this liner to England.
For a while, she lived in New York in 1920, her residence being in Claverack, Columbia. By late 1921, Hilda had returned to Denman Island. When not travelling abroad, she continued to be involved with Saint Saviour’s Church on various committees and played the organ at services. She was also active in the Denman Island Women’s Institute, often hosting the chapter’s monthly meeting.
Reginald was sent to Shawnigan Lake boarding school on Vancouver Island. He would go to England in 1926 after having graduated, joining the Royal Navy in 1934, to later become a naval commander of the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, earning the Distinguished Service Cross.
Danger and calamaties kept following Hilda in later life. On Saturday, January 30, 1943, a house fire erupted on Denman Island around 2:00 P.M. The isolated island didn’t have phone connections so there was a whole . Neighbours could only see the smoldering remains of the house, woodshed and garage. The Lacon pair could still save some furnuture and their car, but some very personal attachments were destroyed. They were insured.
Hilda still traveled extensively at the age of 77, visiting Europe for extended periods. In 1959, she had a rough trip with an airliner which had to go through a snow storm.
Her husband was taken away from her in 1960 as he died on September 3.
Her last few years were spent in Norris Castle, on the Isle of Wright, Hampshire. She stayed with Reginald his own family. Hilda Mary Lacon passed away on April 12, 1965, at the age of 83, having lost a battle against pancreatic cancer. Her ashes were flown from London, via New York to be interred at the family grave in Halifax’ Camp Hill Cemetery.