Mrs. William Wallace Watson (Florence Stancliffe)

Florence Wallace Watson Saloon Passenger Lost
[No Picture Provided]
Born	Florence Stancliffe 26 April 1867 Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Died	7 May 1915 (age 48) At sea, RMS Lusitania
Age on Lusitania	48
Ticket number	13163
Cabin number	D 17
Body number	132
Interred	St James Church, Sutton, England, United Kingdom
Citizenship	British (Canada)
Residence	Montréal, Québec, Canada
Spouse(s)	William Wallace Watson (1887 – 1903, his death)

Florence Wallace Watson (1867 – 1915), 48, was a British subject and saloon (first class) passenger lost in the Lusitania sinking. Her ticket for Lusitania was 13163 and she stayed in cabin D-17.  She was a widow and lived in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Early life

Florence Stancliffe was born on 26 April 1867 to William Watham Stancliffe and Sussanah Stancliffe (née Adhead) of Langley, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, near Macclesfield. Her father was a brewer of Spring Fields House, 97 Byrons Lane, Sutton, Macclesfield. She was the oldest daughter and had one blue eye and one brown eye. In 1871, Florence was living at that address with her parents, siblings Percy (3) and Esther (1), and three servants. Ten years later Florence’s father was an Alderman and JP as well, and the family now included Richard (10). William Stancliffe became the owner of the Sutton Brewery.

Marriage

On 16 November 1887, Florence married William Wallace Watson, a Scotsman and a sugar refiner, at St George’s Church, Sutton, Macclesfield. He was about 20 years her senior. They moved to Montréal, Québec, Canada in 1888 where William worked. They had four children: Agnes (1888 – 1962), Stancliffe (1889 – 1947), Florence (1891 – 1988), and William (1892 – 1973). The first three children were born in Montréal. William was born in Murray Bay, Québec.

Florence’s husband William was President of the Montreal Golf Club and treasurer of Red Path Sugar Company. through this connection, she was the first female member of that club and thus the first female member of any golf club in North America. William died of a heart attack on 21 November 1903.

Loss on the Lusitania

Florence was traveling to Macclesfield in order to join her parents’ golden wedding anniversary celebrations. She was lost in the Lusitania disaster. Her body was identified by her brother, Percy Stancliffe. She was buried at St James Church, Sutton on Friday 14 May 1915.

The Macclesfield Courier printed almost a full page about the sinking of the Lusitania on 15 May 1915 and the following two reports relating to the death of Mrs. Wallace-Watson:

“COLONEL AND MRS. STANCLIFFE

In all its 101 years’ existence ‘The Courier’, I venture to assert, has never presented more painful reading that its pages today contain, in the loss of the Lusitania, through German devilry, and the sudden launching into eternity of 1,119 souls. … The horror of it all is brought very close to us in Macclesfield by the sad fact that one of the many victims was Mrs. Wallace-Watson, the elder daughter of our esteemed townsfolk, Colonel and Mrs. Stancliffe, and pathos is added to the melancholy occurrence by the circumstance that Mrs. Watson was on a visit to her native town to join in the golden wedding celebrations of her beloved parents. In last week’s ‘Courier’ I reproduced from its columns of fifty years ago the interesting report of the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Stancliffe, and pointed out that congratulations fell due to them on Tuesday last; the employees of Messrs. Stancliffe had prepared to celebrate the happy anniversary with becoming manifestations of joy, but the cruel blows of German murderers on Friday afternoon week changed joy into mourning. All our hearts go out sympathetically to the venerable couple in this dark hour, and we earnestly pray that He who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb will sustain them in their heavy bereavement. They have one consolation in their sore distress, namely, the fact that Mrs. Watson’s body has been recovered and identified by her brother, Mr. Percy Stancliffe, who conveyed it to Macclesfield, and it was interred at St. James’ Church, Sutton, yesterday (Friday) forenoon.”

“FUNERAL OF THE LATE MRS WALLACE-WATSON

The funeral of the late Mrs. Wallace-Watson, eldest daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Stancliffe, and a victim of the Lusitania tragedy, took place last Friday morning at St. James’ Church, Sutton. The body was conveyed to Macclesfield from Queenstown, and was accompanied by the deceased lady’s brother, Mr. Richard Stancliffe. It was met at Hibel Road Station by Mr. Percy Stancliffe. The body was then taken to St. James’ Church to await interment.

The coffin, which consisted of plain English oak with heavy brass mountings, bore the following inscription on the breast-plate: “Florence Wallace-Watson: born 26th April 1866: died May 7th, 1915.” and was surmounted by a magnificent Gothic floral cross the full length of the coffin with the following inscription on the card: “Mr. Stancliffe Wallace-Watson, Mr. William Wallace-Watson (Montreal), Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Edward Grier (Montreal), and Mr. and Mrs. Sameron Macpherson Edwards (Ottowa).”
The following mourners attended:- Mr. and Mrs. Percy Stancliffe, Mr. Richard Stancliffe, Miss Stancliffe, Miss C. Stancliffe, Mrs. William Harrison, Mrs. A. B. Wise, Mr. S. Watts, Mr. and Mrs. Latham, and Mrs. Underwood. There was also a large attendance of the sympathetic public present.

The funeral service was most impressively conducted by the Rev. W. R. Gough, M.A., the vicar of St. James’ Church, after which the remains were borne to the new family vault.

The following floral tributes were sent:- Colonel and Mrs. Stancliffe; Mr. and Mrs. Percy Stancliffe; Mr. R. S. and Miss C. Stancliffe; Auntie Nellie and family; Mr. Richard Schofield Stancliffe; Mr. George Hall Stancliffe; Mrs. George Hooper (Montreal); Mr. and Mrs. Latham; Mrs. Walter and the Misses Birchenough; the Rev. W. R. Gough; Mr. and Mrs. and Miss L. L. Armitage (Sutton Hall). The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. J. B. Walker, Market Place.”

Florence’s family placed this notice in the same newspaper:

“WALLACE-WATSON – 7th May 1915 – Drowned in the sinking of the Lusitania – Florence, wife of the late William Wallace-Watson, of Montreal, Canada, and eldest daughter of Colonel and Mrs Stancliffe, of Sutton, Macclesfield.”

Neither of her sons were able to attend her funeral, as they were both at war. William was a lieutenant and Stancliffe was a lieutenant colonel (DSO), both in the Canadian infantry. They fought at the Somme and Vimy Ridge. William received Florence’s watch that she wore around her neck and which stopped at the exact time of the sinking.

The inscription on Florence’s memorial stone at St James’ Church, Sutton, reads:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF
Florence, wife of William Wallace Watson
of Montreal, Canada, and daughter of
William Waltham Stancliffe of Sutton
Macclesfield. Born April 26th 1866
Drowned in the sinking of the Lusitania
May 7th 1915.

Family legend had it that she gave up her seat on one of the lifeboats for a young mother and her baby. This young woman later wrote a letter to the family of her gratitude. A large oil painting of her is kept with the family in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, with the widow of William’s oldest son. 

Contributors:
Richard Johnson
Senan Molony, Ireland
Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield Historian
Scott Burke

References:
“Florence Stancliffe (1867 – 1915).” Ancestry.com. Online. Accessed 14 May 2013. <http://records.ancestry.com/Florence_Stancliffe_records.ashx?pid=124567848>.

“William Wallace Watson (1844 – 1903).” Ancestry.com. Online. Accessed 15 May 2013. <http://records.ancestry.com/William_Wallace_Watson_records.ashx?pid=116245539>.

“Agnes Wallace Watson (1888 – 1962).”  Ancestry.com. Online. Accessed 15 May 2013. <http://records.ancestry.com/Agnes_Wallace_Watson_records.ashx?pid=116248749>.

“Stancliffe Wallace Watson (1889 – 1947).” Ancestry.com. Online. Accessed 15 May 2013. <http://records.ancestry.com/Stancliffe_Wallace_Watson_records.ashx?pid=116410135>.

“Florence Wallace Watson (1891 – 1988).” Ancestry.com. Online. Accessed 15 May 2013. <http://records.ancestry.com/Florence_Wallace_Watson_records.ashx?pid=116427284>.

“William Wallace Watson (1892 – 1973).” Ancestry.com. Online. Accessed 15 May 2013. <http://records.ancestry.com/William_Wallace_Watson_records.ashx?pid=116246610>.

Molony, Senan ( 2008 ) “Lusitania: Final Voyage Folios,” Gare Maritime (ref: #6316, accessed 13th May 2013 11:31:43 PM) <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/lusitania-folio.html>.

“Sutton’s History.” Sutton Parish. Online. Accessed 14 May 2013. <http://www.suttonparish.org/suttons-history.html>.