On the evening of April 18th, 1912, the Cunard liner RMS Carpathia docked into pier 39, New York. This was not just any ship coming into land. This ship carried the 705 survivors who had been rescued from North Atlantic after witnessing the tragic demise of the Belfast built liner: RMS Titanic. Members of the public, press and relatives waited in eager anticipation, wanting the first glimpse of the Titanic survivors but it would be another three days until 167 of Titanic’s surviving crew were able to travel back to Plymouth via the Red Star Line vessel, the SS Lapland.
The Journey Back to England:
167 crew members who had been needed to speak at the upcoming American Inquiry, after being interviewed, were sent home via the passenger liner the SS Lapland. This carried he three surviving Officers and a host of seamen, stewardesses, stokers, and lookouts. All of which were hoping to go home to their families.
Arriving in Plymouth:
On the morning of April 20th, 1912 survivors disembarked the SS Lapland at Cawsand Bay, Plymouth. They were greeted by 50,000 members of the public. To stop the survivors being mobbed by the Titanic frenzied press, the crew were essentially held captive on the dock. However, there was reason for this decision. Firstly, the White Star Line had made the decision that none of the crew should be able to talk to any reporters, this was to stop any statements about the sinking being quoted out of context. Secondly, many of the crew who had been detained at Plymouth were called as witnesses to speak at the upcoming British Inquiry. The only exception to be made to this rule was the pre-investigation by a wreck commissioner, who had been ordered to speak with the survivors. One example was Percy Edward Keene who lived at 14 Rigby Road, Southampton.
Above: The two pictures show the Lapland coming into dock at Cawsand Bay, Plymouth.
(picture credits: Plymouth Live)
The male crew members were ordered to stay and make a temporary residence in the waiting rooms on the docks, whilst the 20 surviving female stewardesses had stopped in the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Plymouth. Few acceptations were made for some crew to receive visitors. Under the supervision of a policeman, bath steward, Samuel Rule was permitted to see his brother. A visit was also made by White Star Line representative; John Bartholomew who was accompanied by fellow White Star Line Directors: E.C Grenfell and Harold Sanderson. Shortly before the British Inquiry began, the President of the British Seafarer’s Union travelled to Plymouth to speak to a handful of Titanic’s surviving crew.
Above: (behind the gates) Titanic survivors, essentially being held captive at the Plymouth Docks, whilst members of the public come to catch a glimpse of the survivors.
(picture credits: Encyclopedia Titanica)
Going Home:
After all members of the crew gave a statement that would later be examined by the British Wreck Commissioners, they were finally permitted to go home. A collection of the crew returned to Southampton on Monday April 29th, 1912. They arrived at Southampton Train Station, which undoubtedly passed the Southwestern Hotel. Only a month prior, many of Titanic’s First-Class passengers would have lodged in the Southwestern House before boarding the ship.
Some crew members were lucky enough to be re-united with their families. One example was seaman; Charles Henry Pascoe, who once in Southampton, was re-united with his Mother Jane and three brothers at number 44 Derby Road, Southampton. Similarly, fellow seaman Albert Horswill was also reunited with his wife and two children. However, this was not the case for the majority. Southampton was arguably one of the largest areas that had been impacted by sinking. 724 of Titanic’s passengers and crew had lived in Southampton and only 175 came back. On April 18th, 1912, the Daily Graphic newspaper summarised the catastrophic scene in Southampton. The article titled: The Sailors’ Wives, Women’s Weary Vigil in The Street at Southampton. Detailed the gloomy environment of the city, in wake of the disaster. The article describes Southampton to have been covered in the “The shadow of death.” Many women waited for hours for the list of survivors to be put up outside of the Canute Chambers. The Daily Graphic’s article gives Canute road the appropriate nickname of the “Street of tragedy.” This gives a morbid impression of the activities of those anxiously waiting at the Southampton White Star Line offices.
The British Inquiry
On the 2nd May 1912, a vigorous investigation was held in the Scottish Drill Hall, Buckingham Gate, London. The inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic took place over a period of 36 days. Over the two months that the investigation took place 97 witnesses were called before Lord Mersey, a notorious judge who had also been involved with 1911 discussion with the Board of Trade’s Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee and one of the Senior Managing Directors of Harland and Wolff: Alexander Carlisle.
The first to be called onto the stand was Archie Jewell, this Southampton resident was one of six lookouts on board Titanic. Jewell’s shifts tended to be completed alongside George Symons. Jewell was not on duty when the ship struck the iceberg.
On the first day, six crew members spoke at the Inquiry:
- Archie Jewell (lookout)
- Joseph Scarott (seaman) (recalled on 3rd May 1912)
- Robert Hitchens (Quartermaster) (recalled on 7th May 1912)
- George Beauchamp (fireman)
- Fredrick Barrett (fireman)
On the 23rd May, 1912, the final testimony was given by surviving officer, Harold Godfrey Lowe. After he was questioned by the British Wreck Commissioners the final report was made on the 30th July 1912. The transcript of the statement concludes that:
‘The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances of the above mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons appearing in the annex hereto, that the loss of the said ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated.’
(extract is courtesy of the Titanic Inquiry Project.)
The Wreck Commissioner chose to point some of the blame towards the speed that Titanic had been moving at. Which still to this day remains a strong area of debate.
As always, I’ll leave a few external links about Titanic’s connections with the City of Plymouth and some sources from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry. Feel free to ask any questions and let me know what you think.
Have a ‘Titanic’ week,
Millie
Survivor Charles Henry Pascoe: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/charles-pascoe.html
Survivor Percy Edward Keene: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/percy-edward-keen.html
Survivor Samuel Rule: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/samuel-james-rule.html
The British Wreck Commissioner’s final comment regarding the sinking of the Titanic: https://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTReport/botRep01.php Courtesy of the Titanic Inquiry Project.
The Plymouth Herald: The true story behind Plymouth's role in the Titanic disaster: https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/true-story-behind-plymouths-role-2007351
Works Consulted:
Titanic Voices, Geoff Tibballs, extract: Sailor’s Wives, Women’s Weary Vigil in the Street of Southampton , page 281
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