Rhoda Abbott

Rhoda Mary Williams (; formerly Abbott; 14 January 1873 – 18 February 1946), sometimes referred to as Rosa Abbott, was a passenger on the . She was the only woman who went down with the sinking of the ship and survived in the cold waters, finding refuge on Collapsible Boat A where she was picked up, along with around a dozen others, by Fifth Officer Harold Lowe and the crew of Lifeboat No. 14.

Early life Abbott was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on 14 January 1873, the daughter of Joseph Hunt and his wife Sarah Green Hunt. She grew up in Aylesbury, and spent her early adulthood in St Albans with her family, before moving to the United States in 1894. She settled as a housewife and mother and was active at the local Grace Episcopal Church, as well as helping around the house.

In 1911, Abbott was divorced from her husband, returned to England with her sons on the , working as a seamstress, as well as becoming a soldier in The Salvation Army. However, she quickly realized that the boys were not happy living in England and booked a return to America in April 1912.

Abbott's two sons were lost at sea, and only Rossmore's body was later identified. She would later say she had no regrets about remaining on the Titanic until the very end because it allowed her to stay with her sons. On the rescue ship , Abbott received special care in the smoking room. In addition to suffering from exposure, her legs were badly damaged by frostbite by the immersion in frigid water so that she could not move until arrival in New York. There she was hospitalized for two weeks in Manhattan's St. Vincent's Hospital. She was one of the last survivors to be discharged. Abbott's name was mistakenly reported as "Rosa" in the press in 1912, leading to longterm confusion among the public.

Later life As a result of the sinking of the Titanic, Abbott had respiratory problems, including severe bouts of asthma, for the rest of her life. On 16 December 1912, she married longtime friend George Charles Williams, and the couple settled in Jacksonville, Florida. By 1928, they had returned to England to settle Williams' father's estate in London where he suffered a debilitating stroke. Abbott took care of her husband until his death in 1938.

Abbott died in Barnes, Surrey, of heart failure as a result of hypertension on 18 February 1946, at the age of 73.