Maria Miller Brown (SS Arctic Victim)

Maria Miller Brown, more commonly know as Millie Brown, was a first class passenger on the Collins Steamer Arctic when the ship sank in September 1854.

Early Life

Not much is known about Millie Brown's early life time, but it is known that she was born on September 20th, 1833. It is known that she did have a romance with the stockbroker William Gilbert.

Experience on the Arctic

Millie Brown was a friend of the SS Arctic's captain, James C. Luce, and a friend of his permanently crippled son, Willie. All three were on the voyage. The day of departure was the same day of Millie's 21st birthday, and there was a small party thrown for her.

She was one of the exactly 200 first class passengers on board.

Traveling Companions:

James Brown (Father)

George Allen (Brother in Law)

Grace Allen Brown (Sister)

Grace Alice Jane Allen (Niece)

Grace Alice Jane Allen's Nurse

William Gilbert (Lover)

Herbert Brown (Nephew)

And a few others...(Needs to be updated)

On the day of the sinking, Millie at first was not aware of the danger, until it was imminent, and the crew started to panic. Over 400 people were on board, and all but 87 would survive.

Captain Luce led the Brown's as well as the Collins family to a lifeboat, but it several men trampled it, she spent the rest of the sinking cowering with the Brown and Collins family, in the fray on deck.

After Arctic sank, Captain Luce was depressed because he believed his good friend to have died in the rough final plunge, but this was not the truth. With a few of her family members, Millie was one of the four women to have sought refuge on the raft officer Francis Dorian and a few other men had built.

Death

Aged 21, Millie Brown died thirty miles away from shore of exhaustion, clinging to the raft.