Mary Baldwin, 38, was a United States national from New York, New York, United States traveling aboard Lusitania with her husband, Harry. He was president of Austin Baldwin & Company, Inc. and was traveling for business. Both Mary and Harry were lost when the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk on 7 May 1915.
Life
Mary Margaret MacCauley was born in Chicago in around 1877. Mary was the daughter of Violet McCauley, then 68 years of age at the time of Mary’s death. Mary had a sister, Elizabeth McCauley Mills and later Mrs. Elizabeth M. Parmly, then 40 years of age at the time of Mary’s death. Mary also had a nephew, Peter J. Mills, Elizabeth’s son from her first marriage, then 16 years of age.
Mary Margaret MacCauley married Harry Bradley Baldwin in Chicago in 1902. Baldwin married Margaret secretly and without his parents permission. On finding out, Baldwin’s father threatened to disinherit him. The two men reached an which made the young Baldwin leave his new bride and travel on company business.
The story goes that the elder Baldwin said, “Harry, I am going to test the love that you and Mary have for each other. You get on one of my boats, it will take you around the world, picking up our products. You may be gone a year and a half, two years. If you both retain that supposed love until the end of that time I will be willing to believe that you really care for each other.”
Young Baldwin got on the boat and sailed away. On returning his father would not oppose the marriage. In early 1904 Baldwin returned to the US and headed to Chicago claim his bride. Mary did not know that her husband had returned and was overjoyed to see him. It was the absence of her husband that caused her to hate the sea.
Harry left a will executed in August 1912 that would have given his entire estate to his wife Mary. Harry and Mary had no children.
Harry and Mary died in the sinking of the Lusitania. Their ticket for the ill-fated trip was 46056 and they stayed in cabin A-22 and bath. The New York Times‘ death notice on 30 May 1915 had listed her age as 42.
As of 1924, Mary’s sister Elizabeth lived in Chicago with her second husband, a member of the Chicago bar, her son Peter, and her mother. Prior to the Lusitania, Violet McCauley was wholly dependent upon her Mary for support, who contributed $1,200 every year.
The Mixed Claims Commission awarded Violet McCauley $10,000 for the loss of Mary and awarded Elizabeth M. Parmly, as Administratrix Mary’s estate, the sum of fifteen hundred dollars $1,500 for lost personal effect.
Related pages
Harry and Mary Baldwin at the Mixed Claims Commission
Contributors:
Cliff Barry
References
Mixed Claims Commission. Docket No. 421.
“Obituary.” The New York Times. 30 May 1915. Web. 9 August 2011. <http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F10E14F9385C13738DDDA90B94DD405B858DF1D3>.
Mary Margaret MacCauley was born in Chicago in around 1877.
Mary Margaret MacCauley married Harry Bradley Baldwin in Chicago in 1902. Baldwin married Margaret secretly and without his parents permission.
On finding out,his father threatened to dis-inherit him. An agreement was reached which made the young Baldwin leave his new bride and travel on company business. The story goes that the elder Baldwin said ” Harry” I am going to test the love that you and Mary have for each other. “You get on one of my boats, it will take you around the world, picking up our products. You may be gone a year and a half, two years. If you both retain that supposed love until the end of that time I will be willing to believe that you really care for each other. Young Baldwin got on the boat and sailed away. On returning his father would no oppose the marriage. In early 1904 Baldwin returned to the US and headed to Chicago claim his bride. Mary did not know that her husband had returned and was over joyed to see him. It was the absence of her husband that caused her to hate the sea.