Unsinkable Molly Brown. Titanic's Margaret Brown

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"Unsinkable Molly Brown." 1867-1932.

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912.

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Margaret Brown (née Tobin; July 18, 1867 – October 26, 1932), posthumously known as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown", was an American socialite and philanthropist. She was a survivor of the RMS Titanic, which sank in 1912, and she unsuccessfully urged the crew in Lifeboat No. 6 to return to the debris field to look for survivors.

During her lifetime, her friends called her "Maggie", but by her death, obituaries referred to her as the "Unsinkable Mrs. Brown". Gene Fowler referred to her as "Molly Brown" in his 1933 book Timberline. The following year, she was referred to as the "Unsinkable Mrs. Brown" and "Molly Brown" in newspapers.

Early life ~

Margaret Tobin was born on July 18, 1867, near the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri, on Denkler's Alley. The three-room cottage where she was born is now the Molly Brown Birthplace and Museum; it is on 600 Butler Street in Hannibal. Her parents were Irish Catholic immigrants John Tobin and Johanna (Collins) Tobin. Her siblings were Daniel Tobin, Michael Tobin, William Tobin, and Helen Tobin. Both of Margaret's parents had previously been married to other spouses who had died. Brown had two half-sisters: Catherine Bridget Tobin, by her father's first marriage, and Mary Ann Collins, by her mother's first marriage. Called Maggie by her family, she attended her maternal aunt Mary O'Leary's grammar school, which was across the street from her home. Nearby was also the Hannibal Gas Works where her father worked as a laborer. Their neighborhood was a tight-knit Irish Catholic community, where people traveled westward through the town for the gold fields.

Margaret Brown’s Birthplace in Hannibal Missouri. The house has since been restored.

At age 18, Margaret relocated to Leadville, Colorado, with her siblings Daniel Tobin, Mary Ann Collins Landrigan, and Mary Ann's husband John Landrigan. Margaret and her brother Daniel shared a two-room log cabin, and she found work sewing carpets and draperies at a dry goods store, Daniels, Fisher and Smith. Daniel was a miner.

Marriage and children ~

In Leadville, she met and married James Joseph Brown (1854–1922), nicknamed "J.J.", an imaginative, self-educated man. He was not a rich man, and she married J.J. for love. After his death she said,

"I wanted a rich man, but I loved Jim Brown. I thought about how I wanted comfort for my father and how I had determined to stay single until a man presented himself who could give to the tired older man the things I longed for him. Jim was as poor as we were and had no better chance. I struggled hard with myself in those days. I loved Jim, but he was poor. Finally, I decided that I'd be better off with a poor man whom I loved than with a wealthy one whose money had attracted me. So I married Jim Brown."

Margaret and J.J. married in Leadville Annunciation Church on September 1, 1886. They had two children: Lawrence Palmer Brown (1887–1949), known as Larry, and Catherine Ellen Brown (1889–1969), known as Helen. They also raised three of their nieces: Grace, Florence, and Helen Tobin.

Mining success ~

In 1893, the Brown family acquired great wealth when J.J.'s mining engineering efforts proved instrumental in the exploration of a substantial ore seam at the Little Jonny Mine. His employer, Ibex Mining Company, awarded him 12,500 shares of stock and a seat on the board. In Leadville, Margaret helped by working in soup kitchens to assist miners' families.

Gold from Little Jonny Mine, Breece Hill, Leadville, Colorado.

In 1894, the Browns bought a Victorian mansion, now known as the Molly Brown House, in Denver for US$30,000 (equivalent to $1,056,000 in 2023). In 1897, they built a summer house, Avoca Lodge, in Southwest Denver near Bear Creek, which gave the family more social opportunities. Margaret became a charter member of the Denver Woman's Club, whose mission was the improvement of women's lives by continuing education and philanthropy. Adjusting to the trappings of a society lady, Brown became immersed in the arts and fluent in French, German, Italian, and Russian. Brown co-founded a branch in Denver of the Alliance Française to promote her love of French culture. She lobbied for women's right to vote.

The Molly Brown House in 1889.

J.J. was not interested in the social life that Brown enjoyed and the couple began to drift apart. After 23 years of marriage, Margaret and J.J. privately signed a separation agreement in 1909. She received a US$700 monthly allowance (equivalent to $24,000 in 2023) to continue her travels and political work.

Brown assisted in fundraising for Denver's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which was completed in 1911. She also worked with Judge Ben Lindsey to help destitute children and establish one of the United States' first juvenile courts.

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Denver).

Passenger on the Titanic ~

Brown spent the first months of 1912 in Paris, visiting her daughter and as part of the John Jacob Astor IV party, until she received word from Denver that her eldest grandchild, Lawrence Palmer Brown Jr., was ill. She immediately booked passage on the first available liner leaving for New York, the RMS Titanic. Originally, her daughter Helen was supposed to accompany her, but Helen, who had studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, decided to take a side trip to London with friends. Brown boarded the Titanic as a first-class passenger on the evening of April 10, conveyed aboard the tender SS Nomadic at Cherbourg, France, and sailed for New York City that night.

The Titanic sank early on April 15, 1912, at around 2:20 a.m., after striking an iceberg at around 11:40 p.m. the previous night. Brown helped other people board the lifeboats but was finally persuaded to abandon ship in lifeboat no. 6. More than 1,500 aboard RMS Titanic perished; there were a total of 2,224 people on the ship.

Sinking of the RMS Titanic, by Willy Stöwer, 1912.

Lifeboat 6 rowing towards RMS Carpathia on April 15, 1912.

After her death in 1932, Brown was called "Molly Brown" and "The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown" by authors because she helped in the ship's evacuation, taking an oar herself in her lifeboat and urging the lifeboat crew to go back and save more passengers. Her urgings were met with opposition from Quartermaster Robert Hichens, the crewman in charge of lifeboat 6. Hichens was fearful that if they were to go back, the lifeboat would either be pulled down due to suction, or those in the water would swamp the boat in an effort to get in. After several attempts to urge Hichens to turn back, Brown threatened to throw him overboard.

Robert Hichens from Merchant Seaman Records.

Upon being rescued by the ship RMS Carpathia, Brown proceeded to organize a committee with other first-class survivors. The committee worked to secure basic necessities for the second- and third-class survivors, and even provided informal counseling.

Later life and death ~

In 1914, six years before the Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote, Brown ran for Colorado's U.S. Senate seat, but she ended her campaign to serve abroad as the director of the American Committee for Devastated France during World War I. Also in 1914, she contributed to miners and their families after the 1914 Ludlow Massacre and she helped organize the International Women's Rights conference that year, which was held in Newport, Rhode Island.

Ludlow Massacre.

During and after World War I, she worked in France with the Red Cross and later with the American Committee for Devastated France to help wounded French and American soldiers and rebuild areas behind the front line. For her work organizing female ambulance drivers, nurses, and food distributors, Brown was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1932.

French Legion of Honor.

J.J. Brown died on September 5, 1922. Margaret told newspapers, that although she had met royalty and other great people around the world, "I've never met a finer, bigger, more worthwhile man than J.J. Brown." J.J. Brown left vast, yet complicated, real estate, mining, and stock holdings. It was unknown to the Browns and their lawyers how much was left in the estate. Prior to J.J.'s death, he had transferred a large amount of money to his children. Their children were also unaware of how much money Margaret had, but were displeased at the large amounts she spent on charity. Margaret Brown and her children fought in court for six years to settle the estate.

In the 1920s, Margaret Brown focused her energy on personal passions, especially the theater. She died in her sleep at 10:55 p.m. on October 26, 1932, at age 65, in New York City's Barbizon Hotel. Subsequent autopsy revealed a brain tumor. She was buried next to J.J. at St. Brigid's cemetery, now known as Cemetery of the Holy Rood, in Westbury, New York, following a small ceremony on October 31, 1932, attended by close friends and family. There was singing, but no eulogy.

Barbizon Hotel for Women - 2007.

Legacy ~

Brown’s fame as a Titanic survivor helped her promote the philanthropic and activism issues she felt strongly about. She was concerned about the rights of workers and women, education and literacy for children, historic preservation, and commemoration of the bravery and chivalry displayed by the men aboard the Titanic.

Avoca Lodge, known as The Molly Brown Summer House, is in southwest Denver, Colorado near Bear Creek; the home served as a summer retreat for Brown and her husband James Joseph Brown. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Molly Brown Summer House.

The three-room cottage where Brown was born is now the Molly Brown Birthplace and Museum; it is on 600 Butler Street in Hannibal, Missouri.

The theme park Disneyland Paris features a 19th-century riverboat attraction, the Molly Brown Riverboat, named after her.

Molly Brown riverboat, Disneyland, Paris.

In 1965, astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young named their Gemini spacecraft Molly Brown in her honor.

Brown’s Denver, Colorado home has been a museum since 1971. It is called the Molly Brown House Museum. There is a trail marker outside it as part of the National Votes for Women Trail. The marker was stolen in November 2023, but was found later that month.

National Votes for Women Trail marker outside the Molly Brown House Museum in Denver, Colorado.

In 1985, Brown was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

Portrayals ~

Thelma Ritter (1953) (Titanic). Brown's name was changed to Maude Young, and her Colorado gold mining fortune became a Montana lead mining fortune.

Cloris Leachman (1957) (Telephone Time) ("The Unsinkable Molly Brown").

Tucker McGuire (1958) (A Night to Remember).

Tammy Grimes (1960) (The Unsinkable Molly Brown) (Broadway musical) Grimes won a Tony Award for her performance.

Debbie Reynolds (1964) (The Unsinkable Molly Brown). Reynolds received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Cloris Leachman (1979) (S.O.S. Titanic) (TV movie).

Fionnula Flanagan (1983) (Voyagers!) ("Voyagers of the Titanic").

Marilu Henner (1996) (Titanic) (TV miniseries).

Kathy Bates (1997) (Titanic).

Judy Prestininzi (2003) (Ghosts of the Abyss) (Documentary).

Linda Kash (2012) (Titanic) (TV series/2 episodes).

Beth Malone (2020) (The Unsinkable Molly Brown) (Off Broadway revival).

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Margaret Brown’s first ball gown after moving to Denver.

Margaret Brown signed photo.

Molly ready for a dinner party at her Colorado mansion.

Catherine Ellen (Helen) Brown (Benziger) and Margaret "Molly" Brown sit, with a woman and men, on a bench at Wolhurst, in Littleton, Colo., in 1909. Helen wears a hat elaborately decorated with flowers. Margaret Brown holds an umbrella.

James Joseph Brown, successful mining engineer (1854 – 1922), husband of 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown'.

J.J. Borwn.

James Joseph (J.J.), Margaret (Maggie or Molly), and their children Lawrence Palmer (Larry) and Catherine Ellen (Helen) Brown, in Leadville, Colorado.

Catherine Ellen 'Helen' Brown (Benziger), Margaret 'Molly' Brown's daughter, between 1895 and 1900.

Studio portrait of Catherine Ellen 'Helen' Brown (Benziger), Margaret 'Molly' Brown's daughter, around 1900.

Lawrence Brown.

The Brown family in 1906.

Margaret Brown at 21 with Larry and sister Helen Tobin, later Baroness von Reitzenstein.

Johanna and John Tobin circa 1898-99. Taken at daughter Margaret's home in Denver.

Close up.

Daughter Helen.

Margaret Brown’s Birthplace in Hannibal Missouri.

Today, after restoration.

The Molly Brown House in 1889.

Today, after restoration.

Molly Brown House, National Register of Historic Places listing, Denver, Colorado.

Avoca Lodge, The Molly Brown Summer House.

Isidor and Ida Straus, who refused to board a lifeboat while there were younger people still waiting to board. Margaret spent time with the straus's on board the Titanic.

Edward Smith, captain of Titanic, on board the Olympic in 1911.

Jacques Futrelle urged his wife to enter Boat 9 but did not find a lifeboat for himself and died in the sinking.

John Jacob Astor IV in 1909. He was the wealthiest person aboard Titanic; he did not survive. Margaret had dinner with the Astors on the Titanic.

Margaret Brown with friends somewhere in Europe.

Margaret Brown with Romanoff Princess Stephanie Dolgorouky.

Ben B. Lindsey.

Gene Fowler. Author.

Ludlow Massacre.

Striking miners after the Ludlow Massacre destroyed their Tent City and killed 14 women and children.

The iceberg.

The Titanic itinerary on the Northern Atlantic, from Fastnet Light (Ireland) to Ambrose Light (New York).

RMS Carpathia picked up survivors from the lifeboats of the Titanic.

The Titanic's Collapsible Boat D approaches RMS Carpathia at 7;15 am on 15 April 1912.

Lifeboat 6 rowing towards RMS Carpathia on April 15, 1912.

Lifeboat #6 with Margaret Brown aboard.

Lifeboat pulls up to the Carpathia with it's survivors.

Titanic lifeboats strewn on the deck of the Carpathia on the morning of the Titanic disaster.

Titanic survivors onboard the Carpathia on the morning after the Titanic's sinking.

Brown presenting Carpathia Captain Arthur Henry Rostron with an award for his service in the rescue of survivors of the Titanic.

Jewels of well-to-do Titanic passengers on display together for first time ever.

Book from Margaret's personal library.

Photo of Margaret Brown and two costumes from the 1964 movie, ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown.’

Daughter Helen obituary.

Helen's grave is unmarked.

By far, the best portrayal of Margaret Brown was done by Kathie Bates in the 1997 feature film, Titanic.

Helen Benziger McKinney, great-granddaughter of "The Unsinkable" Molly Brown, flanked by her cousin Muffet Laurie Brown and Lowell Lytle, aka Captain Smith, at the 2006 opening of the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo.