Key facts about Gladys Cherry
- Gladys Cherry was born in Greenwich, London, on August 27, 1881 and was 30 when Titanic sank.
- She was a cousin of Noël, Countess of Rothes, and travelled with her and maid Roberta Maioni.
- The three women shared first class ticket 110152 and were recorded in cabin B77.
- Gladys survived in Lifeboat 8, where Thomas William Jones was the seaman in charge and the Countess of Rothes worked at the tiller.
- Her 1912 letter to Jones recorded her regret that the boat did not return to try to rescue people from the water.
Gladys Cherry was 30, not a teenage passenger
Gladys Cherry was born at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, on August 27, 1881. She was the daughter of civil servant James Frederick Cherry and Lady Emily Louisa Haworth-Leslie. Her mother belonged to the Rothes family, making Gladys a cousin of Noël, Countess of Rothes.
That family connection is central to the Titanic story. Gladys was 30 years old when she sailed, not a teenager. The earlier version of this page described her as a teenage passenger, but both the site’s own survivor roll and specialist biographical records give her age as 30.
She travelled with the Countess of Rothes
Gladys boarded Titanic at Southampton with the Countess of Rothes and the Countess’s maid, Roberta Maioni. Specialist records list the women together on ticket 110152, which cost £86 10s, and place them in cabin B77.
They were travelling to the United States during a period when first class Atlantic travel connected British and American social circles. The voyage ended abruptly on the night of April 14, when all three women reached the port-side lifeboats and were put into Lifeboat 8.
Lifeboat 8 pulled toward a light in the distance
Captain Edward Smith supervised the loading of Lifeboat 8 and ordered the crew to row toward a light visible on the horizon, land the passengers and return. Able seaman Thomas William Jones was placed in charge. The Countess of Rothes took the tiller while Jones and others worked the oars.
The boat moved away from Titanic while the ship was still afloat. Witnesses disagreed about exactly how many people were aboard, but they agreed that the boat was not full. As Titanic sank behind them, the people in Lifeboat 8 faced a second decision: whether to turn back toward the cries in the water.
Her letter recorded the argument over going back
Soon after the sinking, Gladys wrote to Thomas Jones from New York. She praised the way he had handled Lifeboat 8 and said she would always regret that the boat did not return to look for survivors in the water. According to her letter, only a small group in the boat supported going back while others refused.
Gladys specifically remembered Jones saying that he wanted to return even if it meant risking his own life. The letter was printed in newspapers in 1912 and has become an important piece of evidence about what happened inside Lifeboat 8 after Titanic disappeared.
Gladys Cherry after Titanic
Gladys returned to England after the disaster. In 1928 she married retired Royal Artillery officer George Octavius Shaw Pringle. The couple settled at Mount Alvernia in Godalming, Surrey, and had no children.
George died in 1952. Gladys lived until May 4, 1965, dying in Godalming at age 83. Her Titanic story is especially well documented because her relationship with the Countess of Rothes and her surviving letter to Thomas Jones connect the passenger list to the decisions made in one specific lifeboat during the early hours of April 15.
Sources used for this biography
Gladys Cherry’s age, family, cabin, ticket and later life are well documented in specialist passenger research. Her own 1912 letter and Thomas Jones’s testimony provide direct evidence about Lifeboat 8.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Gladys Cherry Birth, family, ticket, cabin, Lifeboat 8, 1912 letter, marriage and death.
- U.S. Senate Inquiry: testimony of Thomas Jones Contemporary evidence about Lifeboat 8, Captain Smith’s order and the boat’s movements after launch.
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Frequently asked questions
How old was Gladys Cherry on Titanic?
Gladys Cherry was 30 years old. She was born on August 27, 1881.
Who was Gladys Cherry travelling with?
She travelled with her cousin Noël, Countess of Rothes, and the Countess’s maid, Roberta Maioni.
Which lifeboat did Gladys Cherry survive in?
She survived in Lifeboat 8.
Did Gladys Cherry want Lifeboat 8 to return?
Yes. In a letter written soon after the sinking, she said she regretted that the boat did not go back to try to rescue people from the water.
When did Gladys Cherry die?
She died in Godalming, Surrey, on May 4, 1965, at age 83.