It was in 1893 that former middleweight boxing champion George Stanton Abbott arrived on American soil. He was a 25 year-old English pugilist and was looking forward to making a name for himself in the United States. Rhoda Hunt had been born in Aylesbury, Buckingham, England on January 15, 1873, the daughter of Joseph Hunt, a farm labourer, and his wife Sarah Green Hunt. The two married in England about 1890 and Rhoda Mary Abbott followed her husband to America in 1894. They made their home in Providence, Rhode Island and in due course started a family. Stanton's name began to appear on flyers throughout the state of New York as he participated in local boxing matches.

Rossmore Edward Abbott would make his debut as firstborn son on February 21, 1896. He would welcome his only sibling, Eugene Joseph (Gene) Abbott, on March 31, 1899. Both boys were born in Providence and started school there. For a time the family prospered in Providence and was active in the Salvation Army. But the marriage became shaky after a few years and the couple seperated in 1911. Rhoda used her talents as a seamstress to support her young sons but in early 1911 she determined that life would be easier if she returned to her widowed mother in St. Albanshurst, England. She and her sons made the voyage to England on the Olympic. But once the family arrived, the boys found themselves uncomfortable among strangers and quickly became homesick. Within a short time it became obvious they were not adjusting to their new home and Rhoda Mary Abbott opted to return to Providence for their sake. She booked passage to America on the Titanic and the threesome boarded the ship at Southampton, the boys anxious to return to their familiar home.

In the late hours of April 14, 1912, Rhoda Mary Abbott was awakened by the impact with the iceberg. Becoming alarmed she sent her younger son Gene to investigate. He returned telling of passengers putting on lifebelts and Rhoda wasted no time getting dressed. She made her way to the after-deck by the time the second boat was lowered and waited with Gene to find a place in a lifeboat. Rossmore was "held back" with some older people. For some reason she never found a place in one of the lifeboats although she claimed that a number of men were allowed to escape while she and seven other women stood by until the last. When the sip plunged, Rhoda Mary Abbott and Gene were drawn under the water together but when she surfaces, Gene did not. She then went under a second time but claimed to be blown out of the water by the explosion of a boiler, resulting in burns to her thighs. Somehow she scrambled to Collabsible Lifeboat A where she begged the other occupants to pull her in. In an interview given to the Providence Daily Journal in late May, Rhoda Mary Abbott described her experience on Collapsible A.

Rhoda Mary Abbott and her sons some years before the tragedy. Her oldest boy, Rossmore (center) and Eugene (left).

Ernest Owen Abbot was the son of John and Catherine Louisa Abbott, nee Welch. He was born in the 1st quarter of 1891 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. He was a crew member of the Titanic and was a lounge pantry steward. His body was not recovered.
His father John Abbott died in the 3rd quarter of 1896.