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Lucile Carter
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Lucile Carter
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Lucile Stewart Carter Brooke (née Polk; October 8, 1875 – October 26, 1934) was an American socialite and the wife of William Ernest Carter, an extremely wealthy American who inherited a fortune from his father. The couple and their two children survived the RMS Titanic disaster after the ship struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912. She was said to be one of the heroines of the tragedy as she, with some of the other socially elite women, assisted in the rowing of one of the Titanic's lifeboats.

Key Information

Early life

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Sketch of Lucile Stewart Polk in the social pages of a Baltimore newspaper in 1892 when she was aged 17.

Lucile Stewart Polk was born in 1875 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was William Stewart Polk (1828–1917) and her mother was Louisa Ellen (née Anderson). Carter’s father was a partner in the very successful insurance brokerage firm Hopper Polk and Purnell of Baltimore[1] and was fairly wealthy. Many of the newspaper reports noted that he was a descendant of President James K. Polk.[2]

Before her marriage, Carter was mentioned often in the social pages of the Baltimore newspapers. The picture on the left is a sketch of her in the newspaper Baltimore American in 1892 when she was aged 17.[3]

Marriage

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On January 29, 1896, she married William Ernest Carter.[4] He was the son of William Thornton Carter (1827–1893) who had made a vast fortune in the coal industry and was said to be "one of the most extensive and successful coal operators in America".[5] Carter's husband inherited much of this fortune and the couple led a very privileged lifestyle. They had two children, Lucile Polk Carter born in 1897 and William Thornton Carter II born in 1900, who were also passengers on the Titanic and survived.

After their marriage, the couple was frequently mentioned in the social pages. Lucile was often noted for her striking clothes. The following is an extract from one of the newspapers.

Mrs William E Carter of Philadelphia, a beauty of pronounced type, has been startling Newport with flaming costumes. In an accordion plaited Eton suit of red and with a red hat, a red parasol, red slippers and silk stockings of the same shade her Dresden china colouring seems even lovelier than when she wears less striking costumes.[6]

Carter was also very athletic and quite daring. One newspaper commented that "she was the first woman to play polo riding astride and the first woman to drive a four-in-hand (which is a carriage with four horses) through crowded Thames Street in Baltimore.[7]

In about 1907, the Carter family went to live in Europe. They annually returned to the United States and lived in their mansion in Bryn Mawr during the summer with visits to Newport.[8] It was on one of those return trips that they booked their passage on the RMS Titanic.

On board the Titanic

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The RMS Titanic lifeboat 6 being rowed toward the RMS Carpathia similar to lifeboat 4, the one rowed by Lucile Carter.

The Carters boarded the Titanic at Southampton. Accompanying the couple were their two children, Lucile Carter's maid Auguste Serepeca, William Carter's manservant Alexander Cairns, and the chauffeur Charles Aldworth.[9] On the voyage, William Carter brought on board his 25 horsepower Renault Towncar. They occupied First Class Cabins B96/98.

The original story told in the press regarding the Carter family’s experience of their ordeal was that William Carter came to the cabin and escorted his family to lifeboat 4. He then left this area with the other men who had taken their wives to this boat. These men were John Astor, George Widener and John Thayer.[10] William Carter escaped from the Titanic on collapsible lifeboat C (along with Bruce Ismay) but the other three men were lost on the liner.

Carter gave details of what happened when she and her two children boarded Lifeboat 4. Her statement was as follows.

When I went over the side with my children and got in the boat there were no seamen in it. Then came a few men, but there were oars with no one to use them. The boat had been filled with passengers, and there was nothing else for me to do but to take an oar. We could see now that the time of the ship had come. She was sinking, and we were warned by cries from the men above to pull away from the ship quickly. Mrs. Thayer, wife of the vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was in my boat, and she, too, took an oar. It was cold and we had no time to clothe ourselves with warm overcoats. The rowing warmed me. We started to pull away from the ship. We could see the dim outlines of the decks above, but we could not recognize anybody.[11]

She was acclaimed by the press later to have been one of the heroic women who rowed the heavy lifeboats.

Later years

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Following their rescue by the RMS Carpathia, the family returned to "Gwenda", their mansion in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.[12] Less than two years later, in January 1914, Carter filed for divorce.[13] The divorce was granted on May 30, although no details were made public at the time.[14] The following year it was sensationally revealed by the newspapers that the grounds for the divorce had been "cruel and barbarous treatment." Carter's sworn statement revealed that William Carter had not accompanied her and the children to Lifeboat 4 to ensure their safety:

We sailed for America on the Titanic. When the Titanic struck my husband came to our stateroom and said: 'Get up and dress yourself and the children'. I never saw him again until I arrived at the Carpathia at 8 o'clock the next morning, when I saw him leaning on the rail. All he said was that he had had a jolly good breakfast and that he never thought I would make it.[15]

Second marriage

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At a Philadelphia dinner party given by Mr. & Mrs. Edward Brooke, Carter met the host's brother, George Brooke Jr.,[16] a wealthy banker and steel manufacturer,[17] and a bachelor in his mid-40s.

With her divorce finalized, Carter and her daughter departed for Europe in June 1914, intending to stay for a year.[18] Edward Brooke, his wife and four children also spent that summer in Europe; brother George was to join them in August.[19] When World War I broke out at the end of July, Carter and her daughter were caught in Paris. George Brooke arrived in London and tried to get to Paris, but wartime travel restrictions made it impossible. Instead, he arranged passage for Carter and her daughter to England. Rather than waiting until they returned to the United States, the couple married in London on August 16, 1914, with Brooke's brother and family and Carter's daughter in attendance.[20] The whole group sailed almost immediately back to the United States on board the Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic.[21]

For the first two years of their marriage, the couple divided their time between a city house in Philadelphia; a country house in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, "Brookewood", that Brooke had inherited from his late parents; and a rented summer cottage in Newport, Rhode Island. In fall 1916, they rented a Radnor, Pennsylvania, mansion, "Rock Rose". Carter's daughter Lucile made her Philadelphia society debut while they were living at "Rock Rose",[22][23] but their stay was marred by a December 12 fire.[24] The following December, the Brookes gathered in Birdsboro to celebrate Christmas. In the early hours of Christmas Day 1917, Brooke, Carter and the children were roused from their beds by a fire that destroyed "Brookewood".[25] The couple bought a country house outside Birdsboro, "Clingan", that had belonged to a Brooke cousin;[26] and "Isle Field" in Ithan, Pennsylvania, on Philadelphia's Main Line, which they renamed "Almondbury House".[27]

Brooke and Carter had one child together, a daughter named Elizabeth Muhlenberg Brooke, born April 14, 1916. Later known as Elizabeth "Betty" Brooke Blake, she was living in Dallas, Texas, as of April 2012,[28] and died in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 8, 2016.[29]

Death

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Carter died of a heart attack on October 26, 1934, at Almondbury House.[30] George Brooke sold the mansion and moved to an apartment in Haverford, Pennsylvania.[31] He died twenty-nine years later. They are buried together in St. Michael's Cemetery in Birdsboro.

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See also

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References

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Lucile Carter

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Lucile Polk Carter (October 20, 1897 – October 19, 1962) was an American and a survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster, traveling as a 14-year-old first-class passenger with her family when the ship sank on April 15, 1912. Born in , , to William Ernest Carter, a wealthy businessman and heir to a coal and iron fortune, and Lucile Stewart Polk, a prominent from a family tracing lineage to President , young Lucile grew up in privilege across estates in and . She had one younger brother, William Thornton Carter II, born in 1900. The family boarded the Titanic in , , on April 10, 1912, after a European tour, occupying suites B-96 and B-98 with ticket number 113760 costing £120. During the sinking, Lucile and her mother were evacuated in lifeboat 4, the fourth boat lowered and the first from the port side, which carried about 40 people to safety; her father and brother survived separately in lifeboat collapsible C. After rescue by the , the Carters returned to the , where Lucile was presented to society in 1916 and continued a life of travel and social engagements. In 1922, she married Samuel James Reeves, a businessman, with whom she had three children: Elise (1924–1950), David (1926–2011), and Lucile (1929–1996). Her parents divorced in 1914, and her mother remarried George Clymer Brooke Jr., adding a half-sister, Elizabeth, to the family. Lucile outlived her father, who died in 1940, and her mother, who passed in 1934, before her own death at age 64 in , while residing with her daughter; she was buried at Washington Memorial Chapel in .

Early life

Family background

Lucile Polk Carter was born into an affluent family on October 20, 1898, in , . Her father, William Ernest Carter (1875–1940), was a businessman and player who inherited a substantial fortune from his father's interests in the coal and iron industries. Her mother, Lucile Stewart Polk (1875–1934), was a prominent from , , whose family traced its lineage to U.S. President . The Carters maintained estates in and , providing their children with a privileged upbringing. Lucile had one younger brother, William Thornton Carter II (1900–1985).

Youth and social debut

Carter spent her early childhood in the Philadelphia area, primarily in Bryn Mawr and Radnor, Pennsylvania. Prior to the Titanic voyage, she attended Wycombe Abbey, a prestigious boarding school for girls in England. The family often traveled to Europe, culminating in their return journey on the Titanic in 1912. After surviving the disaster, Carter was presented to Philadelphia society in 1916 while the family resided at a rented called "Rock Rose" in . This debut marked her entry into the upper echelons of American social circles, continuing the family's tradition of elite engagements.

First marriage

Wedding to Samuel James Reeves

Lucile Polk Carter married Samuel James Reeves on October 14, 1922, in Rosemont, . Reeves was a businessman from a prominent family. The wedding united two established American families, reflecting Lucile's continued social standing post-Titanic. Details of the ceremony are limited in available records, but it was a private event consistent with the era's elite society weddings. Following the marriage, the couple resided primarily in the , maintaining a of and social engagements.

Family and lifestyle

Lucile and Samuel Reeves had three children: Elise Carter Reeves (born 1924, died 1950), David Polk Reeves (born 1926, died 2011), and Lucile Polk Reeves (born 1929, died 1996). The family enjoyed a comfortable existence supported by Reeves's business ventures and Lucile's family inheritance. They divided time between residences in and other seasonal locations, continuing the transatlantic travel traditions of Lucile's upbringing. Socially active, they participated in high-society events, though less frequently abroad than her parents' era.

Titanic experience

Boarding the RMS Titanic

In the spring of 1912, after several months in where Lucile Polk Carter had been attending the prestigious boarding school in , the Carter family decided to return to their home in . This journey was one of their periodic transatlantic crossings, as the family had frequently traveled between the and in prior years. On April 10, 1912, 13-year-old Lucile Polk Carter boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton, England, as a first-class passenger with her parents, William Ernest Carter and Lucile Stewart Carter, and her 11-year-old brother William Thornton Carter II. The family traveled on ticket number 113760, which cost £120 and entitled them to adjoining cabins B-96 and B-98 on B Deck. Accompanying them were the family pets—an Airedale Terrier belonging to her brother and a King Charles Spaniel belonging to Lucile—as well as three servants: her mother's French maid Augusta Serreplaà and her father's Scottish valet Alexander Cairns, both in first class, and their chauffeur Augustus Aldworth in second class. The family also shipped a 25-horsepower Renault Type CB Coupe de Ville automobile in the ship's cargo hold. In the initial days of the voyage, following stops at , , and Queenstown (now ), , the Carters settled into the opulent surroundings of the Titanic, which impressed young Lucile with its state-of-the-art facilities, including a gymnasium, swimming pool, and grand staircase. The family engaged in social interactions with fellow elite passengers, such as the Wideners and Astors. Lucile noted in her personal diary the excitement of the ship's departure and the novelty of traveling on what was billed as the world's most luxurious vessel.

Survival during the sinking

On the night of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an at 11:40 p.m., awakening 13-year-old Lucile Polk Carter in her first-class stateroom. Roused by the impact and her parents' urgent instructions to dress quickly, she and her family made their way topside amid growing confusion, where officers were directing women and children toward lifeboats as the ship's band played to maintain calm. The atmosphere was one of disarray, with incomplete lifeboat preparations and conflicting reports about the danger, though ' first-class status facilitated their access to the evacuation area. Lifeboat 4, one of the later boats to depart, was lowered from the port side around 1:55 a.m., commanded by Quartermaster Robert Hichens and carrying approximately 40 occupants, well below its capacity of 65. Lucile boarded with her mother Lucile Stewart Carter, her brother William Thornton Carter II, and the maid Augusta Serreplaà, after her mother kissed her father goodbye on deck; her mother and fellow passenger Marian Thayer took up oars themselves when no seamen were initially available to row the boat away from the tilting ship. The boat drifted through the frigid night, maintaining order and avoiding ice floes while watching the Titanic's lights flicker and the vessel ultimately sink at 2:20 a.m., with cries from those left behind echoing across the water. Hichens, at the tiller, refused requests from some passengers to return for survivors, citing the risk of swamping, though the boat later picked up a few swimmers before halting efforts. Meanwhile, Lucile's father had separately escaped in collapsible lifeboat C, launched shortly after, without further contact with the family during the ordeal. Lifeboat 4 reached the around 8:00 a.m. on April 15, where passengers climbed aboard via ropes and ladders amid emotional reunions. Lucile and her family were reunited with her father on the rescue ship, where he remarked casually, "I have had a jolly good breakfast, but I never thought I would make it," a comment later described in testimony as indicative of his detachment. Survivors received aid before the Carpathia steamed toward New York. Upon arrival at Pier 54 on April 18, 1912, the Carter family, including young Lucile, was among those hailed in the press for their poise and resourcefulness during the ordeal, with her mother earning descriptions as a "heroine" for calmly through the night while adorned with a diamond horseshoe stickpin.

Divorce and second marriage

Divorce from William Carter

The marriage between Lucile's parents, Lucile Stewart Polk Carter and William Ernest Carter, already under strain, deteriorated significantly in the aftermath of the RMS Titanic disaster in , with the traumatic events of the sinking exacerbating personal and relational tensions. Lucile's mother later testified that her husband's behavior during , including his departure from her and their children without ensuring their safety, contributed to the irreparable breakdown. On January 23, 1914, Lucile's mother filed for divorce in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, citing ongoing marital discord rooted in the post-Titanic period. The proceedings moved forward amid efforts to keep details private, reflecting the couple's prominent social status. The divorce was granted on June 15, 1914, though the court initially impounded the case papers, preventing public disclosure of the specific charges. In 1915, her mother's testimony was released, revealing the grounds as desertion—particularly William's alleged abandonment of her and the children during the Titanic evacuation—and incompatibility manifested through cruel and barbarous treatment, including physical abuse (such as horsewhipping and striking her), habitual drunkenness, womanizing, and verbal mistreatment. She described a specific reunion on the rescue ship Carpathia where William remarked, "I had a jolly good breakfast, and never thought I would make it," highlighting his apparent indifference to her ordeal of rowing Lifeboat 4 to safety. As part of the settlement, Lucile's mother retained custody of their two children, daughter Lucile Polk Carter (age 16) and son William Thornton Carter II (age 13), along with financial support from William's substantial estate to maintain their lifestyle. In the immediate aftermath, Lucile and her brother returned to the family home at Gwedna in , with their mother, seeking stability amid the emotional fallout.

Marriage to George Brooke

Following her divorce from William Ernest Carter, finalized in June 1914, Lucile's mother entered a brief with Brooke Jr., a prominent businessman and heir to the E. & G. Brooke Iron Company, a firm. The couple, both active in elite Philadelphia social circles—Brooke as a member of clubs like the and the —met through mutual acquaintances in the Main Line community shortly after her . Their engagement was kept private amid the recent scandal of her separation, but the impending outbreak of in July 1914 hastened their plans, prompting an expedited wedding abroad where Lucile's mother had been residing. On August 16, 1914, Lucile's mother and George were married in a quiet in , , with no elaborate public festivities due to the wartime tensions and the couple's desire for discretion. The union marked a swift new chapter for her, just two months after her , surprising many in their social set who learned of it only later. George, aged 47 and a widower, brought stability from his family's industrial legacy in , where the Brookes owned significant estates tied to their . The newlyweds returned to the shortly after the ceremony, arriving in by late August 1914, where they publicly announced their marriage on September 1. Their early married life centered in , with the couple spending initial months at the estate in Birdsboro, a sprawling property reflecting George's inherited wealth in steel and banking. No formal is recorded, as travel was disrupted by the war, but the period allowed the couple to establish a shared household blending their backgrounds—Lucile's mother's and Newport society roots with George's industrial prominence. A key aspect of their early union was the integration of Lucile and her brother, both Titanic survivors aged 16 and 13 respectively, into the family dynamic. George warmly welcomed the children, facilitating their adjustment to the new household in while maintaining their ties to Philadelphia's social scene; the resided together at the Birdsboro estate during this transitional phase, fostering a unified home amid the couple's settling in. Later, the family gained a half-sister, Elizabeth, born to Lucile's mother and George.

Later years

Family life and residences

After returning to the following the Titanic disaster, Lucile Carter was presented to society in 1916 and pursued a life of travel and social engagements. In 1922, she married Samuel James Reeves (1880–1944), a businessman from , in Rosemont. The couple had three children: Elise Fisher Reeves (1924–1950, later Wiseman), David Reeves (1926–2011), and Lucile Stewart Reeves (1929–1996, later Trowbridge). They raised their family in affluent circles, with Lucile overseeing the children's upbringing amid social events and family travels. Samuel Reeves died in 1944. The family resided in Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, during the 1930s and 1940s, reflecting their comfortable lifestyle. Later, Lucile lived with her daughter Lucile Trowbridge in .

Death

Lucile Polk Carter Reeves died on October 19, 1962, at the age of 64 from at her daughter Lucile Trowbridge's home in . She was buried at Washington Memorial Chapel in . At the time of her death, she was survived by two of her children, and Lucile , as well as her brother William Thornton Carter II; her eldest daughter Elise had predeceased her in 1950. Lucile is remembered as a Titanic survivor who escaped in lifeboat 4 as a teenager, later becoming a known for her resilience and family-oriented life in high society.

References

  1. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/lucile-polk-carter.html
  2. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/death-certificate-20886-48.html
  3. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/william-carter.html
  4. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/lucile-carter.html
  5. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MQ1R-YTD/lucile-polk-carter-1898-1962
  6. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/community/threads/lucile-polk-carter.20014/
  7. https://titanic.fandom.com/wiki/Lucile_Polk_Carter
  8. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/remembering-dogs-titanic/
  9. https://www.bonhams.com/auction/20009/lot/3190/titanic-carter-lucile-p-manuscript-diary-of-a-titanic-survivor/
  10. https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/baltimore-native-lucy-polk-carter-survived-titanic-sinking-but-not-marriage/
  11. https://www.baltimoresun.com/1997/04/13/escaping-as-the-ship-went-down-behavior-mrs-carter-got-away-in-one-lifeboat-her-husband-in-another-rumors-of-his-cowardice-surfaced-later/
  12. https://circaoldhouses.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2900-The-Polk-Family-.pdf
  13. https://www.nytimes.com/1914/01/31/archives/wife-sues-w-e-carter-philadelphia-society-couple-saved-from-titanic.html
  14. https://www.nytimes.com/1914/06/16/archives/william-e-carter-divorced-wife-gets-decree-at-philadelphia-both.html
  15. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/william-e-carter-divorced.html
  16. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Polk-478
  17. https://www.nytimes.com/1914/09/01/archives/mrs-carter-weds-again-back-from-london-she-announces-her-marriage.html
  18. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/mrs-carter-weds-again.html
  19. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/william-thornton-carter.html
  20. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137263311/samuel_james-reeves
  21. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Carter-9924
  22. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184871004/lucile_polk-reeves
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