Titanic on Trial

by Nic Compton

  Samuel Hemming, 43, Lamp-trimmer

  Hemming had been to sea since the age of 15 and had served five years with the White Star Line before he signed up on the Titanic. He married Elizabeth Browning in 1903, and the couple had several children. A Southampton resident, he died there in 1928, aged 59.

  Charles Hendrickson, 29, Leading Fireman

  Hendrickson was another crew transferred from the Oceanic, and another to come from Southampton. He played a controversial role during the British Inquiry by claiming that Sir Duff Gordon and his wife Lady Lucy had discouraged the crew on Lifeboat No 1 from going back to rescue more survivors. His defiant stand duly earned him a place in the 1997 movie of the event.

  Robert Hichens, 29, Quartermaster

  The son of a Cornish fisherman, Hichens served on numerous ships before joining the Titanic, sailing as far afield as India and the Baltic – but he had never crossed the Atlantic before. He married Florence Mortimer in 1906, and by the time the Titanic left Southampton, she was pregnant with the couple’s third daughter. After the disaster, Hichens carried on working on ships, travelling to South Africa and the Far East, and the couple had another three children. Hichens fell on hard times in the 1930s, and in 1933 was imprisoned for the attempted murder of a man, after a business deal went sour. He was released from prison in 1937, and three years later Florence died of a brain tumour. Hichens eventually found work as Third Mate on the English Trader in 1940, but died of ‘heart disease’ on the ship a few months later. His body was buried at sea off Aberdeen, Scotland.

  George Hogg, Lookout

  Hogg had worked as a ‘sailorman’ for 13 years before the Titanic, serving variously as Quartermaster, Mate, Boatswain’s Mate and Lookout. He was married, and died in Southampton in 1946.

  Bruce Ismay, 49, Managing Director, International Mercantile Marine

  The son of a prominent shipowner, Ismay was sent to Harrow before embarking on a four-year apprenticeship at his father’s company, the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (OSNC). After a year travelling the world, he settled in New York where he became the agent for the White Star Line, a subsidiary of OSNC. In 1888, he married Julia Florence Schieffelin, and the couple went on to have five children, one of whom died in infancy. The family moved to England in 1891, and when his father died in 1899 Ismay took over the family business. After protracted negotiations, OSNC merged with International Mercantile Marine, funded by JP Morgan, and Ismay was subsequently appointed its managing director. His status in the company made him an easy target for the press after the Titanic sank, and Ismay never recovered his social standing. He retired as director in 1916, and divided his time between Conamarra, Ireland, and London. In later life, he suffered from diabetes and died of a cerebral thrombosis in London in 1937.

  James Johnson, 41, First Saloon Night Watchman

  Although he gave his address when he joined the Titanic as ‘the Sailor’s Home, Southampton’, Johnson told the British Inquiry he lived in Liverpool. His previous position was aboard the Olympic.

  Charles Joughin, 32, Chief Baker

  Starting his nautical career at the tender age of 11, Joughin already had more than 20 years’ experience under his belt when he boarded the Titanic. After surviving the disaster, he emigrated to Paterson, New Jersey, and served on ships run by the American Export Lines and later World War II troop carriers. He was married twice, and had a daughter, Agnes, by his first wife, born in his native Liverpool. He died in Paterson in 1956.

  Reginald Lee, 41, Lookout

  As one of the lookouts when the Titanic struck the iceberg, Lee was the focus of considerable scrutiny at both inquiries. He had more than 15 years’ experience at sea, and was lookout on the Olympic before he joined the Titanic. He also had a history of alcoholism, and had already been discharged from the Royal Navy on that account. His habit may also have lead to the breakdown of his marriage. After the British Inquiry, he served briefly on the Kenilworth Castle, but died of pneumonia the following year. Unlike many other Titanic survivors, there is no mention of the ship on his grave.

  Charles Lightoller, 38, Second Officer

  From the age of 13, Lightoller served a four-year apprenticeship on sailing ships, during which he was shipwrecked once, dismasted twice, and also survived a cyclone. He then spent three years on steam ships on the West African coast, at the end of which he almost died of malaria. He left the sea after this and tried his hand first prospecting for gold at the Yukon, then as a cowboy in Alberta, before working his passage back to England on a cattle boat. He joined the White Star Line in 1900, and served under Captain Smith several times before joining the Titanic. Lightoller took part in the ship’s sea trials as First Officer but was demoted to Second Officer after a shuffle in the ranks. His colourful career continued after the Titanic, first on the Oceanic which, as HMS Oceanic, ran aground off the Shetland Isles, and then as commander of HMS Falcon, which sank after colliding with a fellow escort ship in fog. He earned himself a Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), however, by attacking a zeppelin with a ship’s gun, and added a ‘bar’ to his medal by ramming a German U-boat in a later ship. During World War II, Commander Lightoller rescued 130 soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk on his yacht Sundowner. He retired in 1946, and ran a boatyard on the Thames building boats for the London River Police until his death in 1952.

  Elizabeth Lines (née James), 50, First Class passenger

  Born in Burlington, New Jersey, Lines lived in Paris with her husband Ernest, president of the New York Insurance Company. She and her daughter Mary were returning to America to attend her son’s graduation at Dartmouth. She was not questioned during the inquiries, but later gave highly contentious evidence during a lawsuit against the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (owners of the White Star Line) suggesting that Ismay had encouraged Captain Smith to increase the Titanic’s speed despite the danger of ice. Her evidence is included here as it was given under oath and, like the inquiry accounts, can be regarded as official evidence. She died in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1942.

  Stanley Lord, 35, Captain, SS Californian

  Lord started his sailing career at the age of 13, and gained his Master’s certificate at the precocious age of 23. He joined the West India and Pacific Steam Navigation Company in 1897, and achieved his first command when he was just 28. He skippered three ships, the Antillian, the Louisianian and the William Cliff, before assuming command of the Californian in 1911. Although he was never prosecuted for negligence, both inquiries found heavily against him and he was forced to resign his post. Despite the damage to his reputation, he managed to find work at sea until his retirement due to poor eyesight in 1928. He denied any wrongdoing right up until his death in 1962, aged 82.

  Harold Lowe, 28, Fifth Officer

  Lowe ‘ran away to sea’ when he was 14 and served on seven schooners and various square-rigged ships before transferring to steam. He worked for five years on the West African coast, and joined the White Star Line in 1911. The Titanic was his first transatlantic crossing. His actions during the disaster were widely praised, and he was welcomed back home to Wales as a hero. He married Ellen Whitehouse the following year, and the couple had two children. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve during Word War I, but never achieved command of a ship. He died in 1944, aged 61.

  Paul Mauge, 25, Secretary to the Chef, A La Carte Restaurant

  The Titanic was Mauge’s first employment at sea. Born in Paris in 1887, he had a London address when he boarded the ship. After the disaster, he married twice, and moved to Montreal, Canada, with his second wife Madeline. He died there in 1971.

  Frank Morris, 28, First Class Bath Steward

  Born in London, Morris boarded the Titanic in Belfast. He was one of several crew who had previously served under Captain Smith on the Olympic.

  William Murdoch, 39, First Officer

  Murdoch came from a notable Scottish seafaring family and followed the family tradition by going straight from school to start his nautical career. He se
rved mainly on sailing ships, travelling to South America and the Far East, and gained his Master’s certificate at the age of 23. He joined the White Star Line in 1900, serving on the Arabic, the Adriatic, the Oceanic and the Olympic, before joining the Titanic. Originally signed up as Chief Officer, he was demoted to First Officer following a shuffle in the ranks. Murdoch was depicted shooting himself in the 1997 movie Titanic, although most of the evidence suggests he died performing his duty. His body was never recovered.

  Alfred Olliver, 27, Quartermaster

  Born on the island of Jersey in 1884, Olliver had worked on ships for 11 years, including seven years in the Royal Navy, before he signed up to the Titanic. His brother-in-law Walter Perkis was also Quartermaster on the ship. After the disaster, Olliver is said to have carried on working for the White Star Line, but never went to sea again. He died on Jersey in 1934.

  Frank Osman, 38, Able Seaman

  Osman first went to sea at the age of 14. He served 11 years with the Royal Navy before joining the White Star Line. His previous post was on the Oceanic.

  Walter Perkis, 37, Quartermaster

  Born on the Isle of Wight, Perkis started working on ships from the age of 16. He had previously served as Quartermaster, Able Seaman and Lookout, but on this trip he and his brother-in-law Alfred Olliver were both signed on as quartermasters. After the disaster, he rejoined his old ship the Olympic. He died in Southampton in 1954, aged 79.

  Arthur Peuchen, First Class Passenger

  Born to a wealthy Anglo-Prussian family in Montreal in 1859, Peuchen had a privileged upbringing. Aged 22, he enlisted with the Queen’s Own Rifles in Toronto, and moved swiftly up the ranks, becoming Major by 1904. He was president of the Standard Chemical Company and helped developed a method to make acetone from wood. He travelled widely with his work, and the Titanic was his 40th transatlantic crossing. His was ridiculed following his testimony at the US Inquiry and labelled a coward. He fought in World War I, but never recovered his social standing and, after a series of bad investments, lost much of his money in the 1920s. He died in Toronto in 1929, aged 69.

  John ‘Jack’ Phillips, 25, Senior Wireless Operator

  Phillips learned the art of telegraphy at the Post Office in Godalming, a small town in Surrey where his parents ran a draper’s shop. He joined the Marconi Company in 1906, and got his first assignment on the White Star Line ship Teutonic. He worked on various vessels until 1908, when he went to work at the Marconi station near Clifden, Ireland. He returned to sea in 1911 on the Adriatic, followed by the Oceanic and the Titanic. He celebrated his 25th birthday the day after the ship left Southampton, but died during the disaster. His body was never recovered.

  Herbert Pitman, 34, Third Officer

  Despite being born to a farming family in the middle of Somerset, Pitman dreamed of the sea and joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 18. He served on sailing ships for three years before joining steamships travelling to Australia and Japan. In 1906, he qualified as a Master Mariner and transferred to the White Star Line, working on several ships before eventually joining the Titanic in Belfast. After she was lost, he continued working for the White Star Line, eventually transferring to the pursers’ section due to failing eyesight. He married New Zealander Mildred ‘Mimi’ Kalman in 1922, who predeceased him. In 1946, he was awarded an MBE for ‘long and meritorious service at sea’. Pitman retired in Pitcombe, Somerset, close to the village where he was born. He died in 1962, aged 84.

  Benoit ‘Berk’ Pickard, 32, Third Class passenger

  Born in Warsaw as Berk Trembisky, Pickard was a Jewish leatherworker who adopted a French name while living in France. When he boarded the Titanic, he was heading to San Francisco. Reports suggest he may have died there in May 1941.

  Robert Pusey, 24, Fireman

  Before joining the Titanic in Southampton, Pusey’s previous post had been on the American Lines ship the St Paul. He was one of more than 170 firemen on the Titanic.

  Frederick Ray, 33, Saloon Steward

  Born in London in 1879, by 1912 Ray was married and living in Reading, Berkshire. He later gave up working at sea and became a poultry famer. He died in 1977, aged 97.

  George Rheims, 36, First Class Passenger

  Born in Paris in 1879, Rheims was travelling to New York with his brother-in-law Joseph Loring. Only Rheims made it to America. He died in Paris in 1962.

  Annie Robinson, 40, First Class Stewardess

  Born in Bedford, UK, Robinson had more reason than most to fear ice. According to Titanic legend, she was on board the Lake Champlain when it struck an iceberg in 1907. Although she survived both that incident and the Titanic disaster, she was clearly traumatised by the experience and two years later, while travelling from Liverpool to Boston on the passenger ship Devonian, jumped over the side. According to a contemporary report, the ship had slowed down due to fog, and Robinson, ‘labouring under mental aberration’, became so convinced another disaster was about to take place that she abandoned ship.

  Arthur Rostron, 42, Captain, SS Carpathia

  Born in Bolton in 1869, Rostron went to sea at the age of 13. After two years training with the Royal Navy, he worked for nearly ten years on sailing ships before joining his first steam ship in 1894. He joined the Cunard Line the following year, and stayed with them for the next 17 years. He took command of the Carpathia in January 1912, three months before the Titanic tragedy. His decisive action during the incident earned him a Congressional Medal of Honour from the American government. Rostron subsequently took command of the Mauretania, one of the most loved Cunard ships, and was responsible for breaking several transatlantic records. He was knighted in 1926 and made commodore of the Cunard Line two years later. He retired to Southampton in 1931 and wrote his autobiography, Home from the Sea. He died of pneumonia in 1940.

  George Rowe, 32, Quartermaster

  Born in the naval town of Gosport, Rowe served 14 years in the Royal Navy before joining the merchant service in 1910. He initially joined the Titanic in Belfast as Lookout, but was switched to Quartermaster in Southampton. After giving evidence at the inquiries, he rejoined his previous ship the Oceanic and served on the hospital ship Plassy during World War I. He later joined the shipbuilders Thornycroft in Southampton, where he worked until he was in his 80s, and was responsible for, among other things, fitting stabilisers to the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. He died in 1974.

  Emily Ryerson (née Borie), 48, First Class Passenger

  Ryerson was holidaying in Europe with her husband and three of their five children, when she learned of their oldest son’s death in a car crash back in the USA. They boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg with their maid, headed for Cooperstown, NY. Although not questioned during the inquiries, she later gave evidence at a lawsuit against the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (owners of the White Star Line). Her evidence is included here as it was given under oath and, like the inquiry accounts, can be regarded as official evidence. After World War I, she became head of the American Fund for French Wounded and the Society for Fatherless Children in France and received the Croix de Guerre from the French Government. She later accompanied President Hoover on a good-will tour of South America. In 1927, she was remarried to Forsythe Sherfesse, a financial adviser to the Chinese Government. Travelling to the end, Ryerson died of a heart attack in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1939.

  Joseph Scarrott, 33, Able Seaman

  Born in Plymouth in 1878, Scarrott lived in Portsmouth from the age of three. He married Annie Till, and the couple had a child who died in infancy. Before joining the Titanic, he worked on several White Star Line ships, but transferred from the Castle Line ship Kildonan Castle. He later remarried and moved to Southend-on-Sea, where he is said to have worked on the pier. He died in 1938, aged 60.

  Frederick Scott, 28, Greaser

  Scott joined the Titanic at Southampton and was one of 33 greasers employed on the ship. Their job was to ensure all mechanical equipment was properly lubricated.

  Edwar
d Smith, 62, Captain

  The son of a potter, Smith’s first job, at the age of 13, was operating a steam hammer at a steel foundry in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, far away from the sea. In 1869, however, he signed up for an apprenticeship on the American-built sailing ship the Senator Weber, commanded by his half-brother Joseph Hancock. He joined the White Star Line in 1880, and received his first command in 1887 aboard the Republic. Married to Eleanor Pennington in 1887, the couple had a daughter, their only child, in 1898. Smith was captain of the Majestic for nine years from 1895 and, as a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, served in the Boer War. He was known as a safe pair of hands, and was entrusted with many of the White Star Line’s new ships on their maiden voyages. It wasn’t all plain sailing, however. The year before taking command of the Titanic, he had two collisions while in command of the Olympic and, while leaving Southampton on the Titanic, had a close shave with another ship. Smith was exonerated by the British Inquiry, and a statue was erected in his memory in Lichfield in 1914. His body was never recovered.