Leah Aks
Leah Rosen was born in Warsaw, Poland on 20 March 1891.1
She was married in 1910 to Sam Axman (b. 10 May 1891), a tailor and native of Łódź, Poland. The couple later settled in London, later anglicising their surname to Aks and they appeared on the 1911 census living at 198 St George Street, St George in the East, London; her husband was described as a trouser machinist. The couple's first-born, Philip, also known as Frank or Filly, arrived later that year on 7 June 1911. Her parents also made their home in London, living at 25 Brunswick Square, Stepney where her father worked as a bread vendor. Sam Aks left England in January 1912, sailing from Liverpool to New York aboard Cymric. He worked as a tailor, eventually saving enough money to send back to Leah for she and their son to join him in America. Leah and her son boarded Titanic as third class passengers (ticket number 392091 which cost £9, 7s) at Southampton on 10 April 1912. Whilst accounts vary as to the events at the time after the collision, Leah and her infant son became separated during the confusion and ended up in different lifeboats. One version of events is that Frank was taken from Leah's arms during the ascent from the third class areas to the lifeboats whilst another version states that Frank was pulled from her arms and tossed into a lifeboat which was lowered without her. It has been argued that Frank was placed in boat 11 and Leah was rescued in lifeboat 13 while an interview with Leah in the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch of 24 April 1912 hints at her presence in boat 4. Aboard the Carpathia Leah searched frantically for her son and was comforted by other passengers. Whilst out on deck one day she heard a baby cry and, recognising the cry as belonging to her son ran up to a lady who was carrying baby Frank in her arms. The woman, described as "Italian" reportedly refused to give up the child and it was only when only through the intervention of Captain Rostron was Frank returned to Leah. Upon hearing of the news of the sinking, Sam Aks fell off his porch and received a concussion. He was eventually reunited with his wife and son. Leah and Sam went on to have a further two children in America. A daughter would come first on 12 March 1913 and she was named Sarah Carpathia, in honour of the ship that was instrumental in saving the life of Leah and her son. Another son, Harry, was born on 21 January 1915. |