Key facts about Annie May Stengel
- Annie May Morris Stengel was born in Brooklyn in 1868 and lived in Newark, New Jersey.
- She travelled first class with her husband, Charles Emil Henry Stengel, on ticket 11778 and occupied cabin C116.
- Annie escaped in Lifeboat 5. Charles later survived in Emergency Lifeboat 1.
- The couple were reunited aboard Carpathia and sent word home that both were safe.
- Annie continued travelling after Titanic and died in 1956 at age 87.
- Titanic passenger records do not list a child named Cecile Stengel; an older page on this site used that name incorrectly and has been corrected.
Annie Stengel came from a New York family and made her home in Newark
Annie May Morris was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 2, 1868. She married Charles Emil Henry Stengel, a Newark leather manufacturer, around 1888. The Stengels became an established New Jersey family, with a daughter, Inez, and sons Henry and Karl.
By 1912 Charles was a senior partner in the leather firm Stengel & Rothschild. The couple were experienced travellers rather than emigrants beginning a new life. Their Titanic voyage was the return leg of a trip to Europe.
The Stengels boarded Titanic at Cherbourg
Annie and Charles joined Titanic at Cherbourg on April 10 as first-class passengers. Their joint ticket was number 11778, and specialist passenger records place them in cabin C116.
The couple therefore had relatively direct access to the upper decks when the collision occurred. Charles later gave evidence to the United States Senate inquiry, providing a contemporary record of their movements and his observations aboard the ship.
Annie left in Lifeboat 5 while Charles stayed aboard
The Stengels were in their cabin when the ship struck the iceberg. After the engines stopped, they went out to investigate, returned for lifebelts and made their way back toward the Boat Deck. Charles later recalled seeing that Captain Edward Smith looked grave, which reinforced his sense that the situation was serious.
Annie eventually entered Lifeboat 5. Charles remained on Titanic after her boat left. He later moved forward to Emergency Lifeboat 1 and was allowed aboard shortly before it was lowered. The husband and wife therefore survived the same sinking by two different routes.
They found each other again aboard Carpathia
Annie and Charles were reunited aboard Carpathia. Charles later testified that he sent a wireless message home confirming that both were safe. He also arranged for automobiles to meet the rescue ship because the couple expected to help several other survivors after landing.
Their survival is a reminder that married couples did not always leave Titanic together. Women were frequently placed in boats first while husbands remained on deck, leaving both people uncertain whether the other would survive until the rescue ship gathered the scattered boats.
Annie kept travelling after the disaster
Charles died unexpectedly in April 1914. Annie continued to travel extensively afterward, making repeated trips to Europe and other destinations during the 1920s and 1930s. Titanic did not end her willingness to cross the Atlantic.
She later lived in Florida and New Jersey. Annie died on January 22, 1956, and was buried with Charles in Fairmount Cemetery in Newark. Her long post-Titanic life stands in sharp contrast to the unsupported child identity that had previously appeared on this site under the Stengel surname.
Sources used for this biography
Annie’s passenger details and later life are checked against specialist passenger research. Charles Stengel’s Senate testimony provides a contemporary account of the voyage and confirms that both husband and wife survived.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Annie May Stengel Birth and family background, ticket and cabin, Lifeboat 5, later travel and death.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Charles Emil Henry Stengel The couple’s movements after the collision, separate lifeboats and reunion aboard Carpathia.
- United States Senate Inquiry: testimony of Charles E. Stengel Contemporary testimony from Annie’s husband about the Titanic voyage and rescue.
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Frequently asked questions
Did Annie May Stengel survive Titanic?
Yes. Annie May Stengel survived in Lifeboat 5. Her husband Charles also survived, but in Emergency Lifeboat 1.
Who was Annie Stengel travelling with?
She was travelling with her husband, Newark leather manufacturer Charles Emil Henry Stengel.
What cabin did Annie Stengel occupy?
Annie and Charles Stengel are associated with first-class cabin C116.
Was there a child passenger named Cecile Stengel on Titanic?
No matching Titanic passenger is found in the modern passenger records. The Stengel passengers were Charles Emil Henry Stengel and his wife Annie May Stengel.
What happened to Annie Stengel after Titanic?
She continued travelling extensively, later lived in Florida and New Jersey, and died in 1956.