To add to what Bob has already said, though Margaret's family was quite poor and lacked resources for education and nice clothes, they all strived (as many hillbilly families do) to better their circumstances. Margaret's family actually lived in Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River, and Margaret was familiar with a girl her own age who was niece to Hannibal's other famous resident, Samuel Clemons aka Mark Twain.
Margaret reminds me a lot of my Aunt Amanda, a real Kentucky hillbilly, who married well and sought to improve herself by climbing the social ladder and absorbing culture through music, art and literature. Margaret traveled in well-heeled circles and was quite welcome among the Newport Beach crowd, if not accepted by the cliquish top families of Denver. In Europe, Margaret was a constant student of many subjects, particularly the arts and languages, but also ancient history, which led her to join the Astors on their honeymoon trip to Egypt. In fact, I believe Egypt was THE PLACE to be in the winter of 1912 as many of Titanic's
first class passengers had spent some time there before boarding the ship.
Margaret was warned by an Egyptian fortune teller not to travel by sea, but she laughed about it because he obviously knew she was an American and would have to return by sea. She did buy a jade talisman which looked like a mummy (I've seen it on display at the TSOD - now it's gone to Branson for the new exhibit), and it was this 3 inch souvenir that sparked tales and rumors of a mummy being aboard Titanic that cursed the ship. She later gave the talisman to Capt. Rostron of the
Carpathia as a token of her appreciation.
As for being called Molly in her lifetime, I did find a tabloid reference of a nature that used "Molly" as a term referring to any woman from Ireland. It was noted in Kristen Iverson's book that Polly Pry, a journalist friend of Margaret's wrote: "Here's luck to the annual Lindsey-bad-boy-Mrs. J.J. Brown show. We'll all be there, Molly darlin.'"
This comment was made in reference to an annual talent show that Margaret hosted with a local judge to raise money for a boys' reform school. The "Molly" comment was the result not of a pet name for Margaret, but because she "had the temerity to be named Margaret." All women of Irish descent who were named Mary or Margaret got tagged as Molly much in the same way a black person is tagged with a name like Leroy or Willie. It has nothing to do with their real names, but with the contemporary trends of thoughtless and passive prejudice.
In fact, I use that quote in my script when I portray Margaret Brown to explain the Molly phenom.
But I recommend you read Kristen Iverson's book for more information. Also for accurate information and authorized by the family.
Kyrila