Just eight minutes outside of Southampton lies the town of Shirley, nowadays the small town is practically indifferent to any other town around the Hampshire area. There isn’t much mention about the Titanic other than the odd plaque here and there, with the only proper memorial being the cemetery which has over sixty headstones associated with the Titanic and an additional one hundred linked to shipwrecks and various other maritime disasters. However, more than 100 years ago this would not be the same story. Shirley was formerly known as ‘Steward’s Town’ due to many of the inhabitants working either on the docks or as stewards on ocean liners. One street which seems to have caught the attention of many historians and enthusiasts, Malmesbury Road was home to six people who went to work on the ill-fated Titanic. None of which were ever come back.
James Toshack:
James Addison Toshack lived at number 103, Malmesbury Road, Shirley, Southampton. Toshack was born in 1881, in Edinburgh. It’s estimated that Toshack moved to Southampton by early 1911 with his wife Phoebe, the couple appear to live as lodgers at number 23, Hanley Road, Southampton. Toshack had previously worked on the sister ship to Titanic, the RMS Olympic. A year later the Malmesbury Road resident had listed onto Titanic on April 4th,1912. Toshack served on the vessel as a saloon steward. His job would have entailed attending to the needs of the passengers in many of Titanic’s restaurant facilities. According to Encyclopaedia Titanica the average wage of a steward was £3 15s.
Virtually nothing has been recorded about Toshack’s activities on the night April 14th, 1912. It is more than likely that Toshack was perhaps tidying up after the conclusion of the band’s routine evening performance or helping set up the dining saloon for breakfast the next morning, when Titanic hit the iceberg. Toshack became one of Titanic’s many victims, again, little is known about what Toshack was doing when the Titanic went down. Toshack died at the age of 30 and nor was his body ever recovered.
George Ernest Hensford:
George Ernest Hensford was born on the 24th April 1885, unlike fellow neighbour James Toshack. Hensford had lived in Southampton for all his life. With his first listed address being 55 Priory Road, Northam, Southampton. Similarly, another one of Titanic’s victims, Ernest Abbott had also lived in Northam too. The sea faring life ran in the Hensford family. George’s father, Fredrick had worked on the docks in Southampton. By this time Hensford had begun practicing as a butcher and in 1903 the butcher had joined the British Army Reserves. Hensford had worked on the vessel Saint Paul, a year before setting sail on Titanic. Hensford signed onto the Titanic on April 6th, 1912. Just two months before Hensford had married Alice Beck. His last address was listed as 132 Malmesbury Road, Shirley, Southampton. The Southampton resident took up the job of assistant butcher on board the ship, Hensford would have certainly worked alongside many of Titanic’s catering staff, including chief baker, Charles Joughin, there was a total of 62 kitchen staff on board Titanic.
Much like fellow Malmesbury Road resident, James Toshack. Hensford became one of many victims of the doomed liner. It’s been concluded that Hensford’s body was never recovered or at least, if it was, the body was never identified. Hensford died at age of 21. Hensford’s widow Alice, never re-married after the loss of her husband and lived in Southampton for the duration of her life and died at the age of 88 in 1978.
Edwin Alfred Best:
Edwin Alfred Best lived at number 87, Malmesbury Road, Shirley, Southampton. much like George Hensford, Best had been another who had primarily lived in Southampton. Best was born in 1872 and by 1881 the Best family had re-located to Clifford Street, St Mary’s, Southampton. Edwin Best wasn’t the only Titanic crew member to have lived in St Mary’s, other notable figures included, fireman George Bennett (23) lived on and Steward John Jack Brookman (27) resided at 34 Richmond Street. Best signed onto the Belfast liner on April 4th, 1912 (the same day as James Toshack). The Malmesbury Road resident served as a first-class steward and received the same wage as James Toshack.
A common theme between all the Malmesbury Road crew is none of their bodies had been recovered, with the exception of 29-year-old saloon steward John Smillie, whose body was buried in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Best’s widow Annie never re-married after the disaster, nor did Best’s only daughter Ivy. Best died at the age of 38.
As always I’ll leave a few external links on the Titanic’s connections to Malmesbury Road. Feel free to ask any questions!
Have a ‘titanic’ week,
Millie
Encyclopaedia Titanica on James Toshack: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/james-adamson-toshack.html
Encyclopaedia Titanica on George Ernest Hensford: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/herbert-george-hensford.html
Encyclopaedia Titanica on Edwin Alfred Best: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/edwin-alfred-best.html
BBC News: The Southampton road that lost eight residents: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17598878?print=true
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