Subject:	Mattice relative on board Titanic disaster
Date:		April 15, 1912
Relative:	Thornton (Mattice) Davidson
Born:		1876 Cornwall Ontario, Canada (fifth of seven children)


  Thornton descended from:                      (Born-Died)
  Mother:	        Alice Harriet Mattice   (1844-1915)
  Father:               Charles Peers Davidson (Married 9/23/1868)
  Grandfather           William Mattice         (1798-1881) 
  G-grandfather         John Mattice            (1756-1848)
  Gg-grandfather        Nicholas II Mattice     (1718-1796)
 *Ggg-gr'father         Nicholas I Mattice      (1701-1793)
  Gggg-gr'father	Hendrick Mattice        (1667-1716)

*This is where our Nicholas line branched off so Thornton was a distant cousin
Thornton had lived on one of the 7-8 farms in the Cornwall/Osnabruck regions of
Ontario owned by his grandfather William. William also raised thoroughbred horses,
had cattle, was a Mason, agent of the Bank of Montreal, belonged to St. John's
Presbyterian Church and helped bring the first Canadian railway into town in 1855.

Thornton (31) married Orian, (Mary) Hays de Villiers (Madame Berthe (27), daughter
of Clara (52) Jennings Greg Hays and Charles Melville Hays.

Charles (55), Orian's dad, was the president of the Canadian Trunk Railway and perhaps
knew Thornton's grandad, William.

The above four along with Clara's personal maid, Miss Pericault, an Charles' personal
assistant, Mr. Vivian Ponsby Payne (22), were vacationing in Paris, France, visiting
Thornton's older brother Peers (1870-1923).

They decided to return home to Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the RMS Titanic for two
reasons; first, one of Charles' three daughters was having his grandchild by cesarean
delivery; second, he planned to attend the grand opening of the new Chateau Laurier Hotel
in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capitol.

All six boarded the Titanic at Southhampton, England, as First-class Passengers. Each
ticket cost $4700, which has a $50,000 value today, due to inflation.

It sailed on April 11, 1912. Three nights later, the ship hit an iceberg at 11:40PM on the
14th. At 1AM on the 15th, Orian, Clara and her maid were lowered in lifeboat #3 from
the starboard side of the ship. This was the fourth lifeboat lowered and only
contained 32 people instead of 65 because the crew didn't think they could be
lowered full. The 32 included 6 servants and 11 crewmembers and was
commanded by Seaman George Alfred Moore. They were picked up at 6PM by the
Carpathia, who saved 705 people.

All three women survived.

Both husbands drowned along with Charles' assistant. Charles' body (#307) was found and
returned to Montreal for burial at Mt. Royal Cemetery. Although 190 corpses were
found, 116 were buried at sea. Thornton's body was not found and his watery grave
is with the Titanic.

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