We are all familiar with fictional romance of Jack and Rose in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster Titanic. However, aboard the real Titanic, there were 13 newly wed couples on board the ship. So, let’s take a look at the story of newlyweds, Helen and Dickinson Bishop.
Dickinson and Helen Bishop
After the tragic death of his first wife, first-class passenger, Dickinson Bishop married nineteen-year-old; Helen Walton. Unlike Dickinson, who was considered ‘new money’, Helen had been born into a wealthy family, Helen’s father had been responsible for creating a chair that reclined by pressing a button. The couple were married in November of 1911 and honeymooned in Egypt, Algiers, Italy, and France. As present to his new wife, Dickinson had bought Helen a small lap dog by the name of Frou-Frou. But the Bishop’s would soon be joined by another member, as shortly after their trip to Florence, Helen discovered that she was pregnant Dickinson’s child.
A Pre-Destined Fate?
Whilst Helen was in Egypt, she had visited a fortune teller who told her that she would be involved in a shipwreck but, go on to survive. This would be a tale that Helen would later recall to the other frightened passengers in the lifeboat as they watched thousands perish around them in the Atlantic waters.
As the couple were enjoying their holiday in France, Dickinson and Helen had seen the advertisements for the maiden voyage of the White Star Line’s newest vessel RMS Titanic. Both were eager to travel on the ship so, they delayed their return home this would allow them to make the trip back to America on board the newest, grandest, and largest liner on earth.
On April 11th, 1912, the Bishop’s boarded Titanic alongside 127 other passengers, at Cherbourg, France. It is certain that the couple would have been escorted to Titanic via the tugboat SS Nomadic. This tender also escorted a host of Titanic’s wealthiest passengers, including a lady by the name of Margaret Tobin Brown. On board Titanic the Bishop’s were recalled as being a very sociable couple. Helen had formed a quick friendship with the Madeline Astor, it would be easy to see why, as both were married at incredibly young ages. After all, Helen was 19 when she married Dickinson, and Madeline had just turned 18 when she married John Jacob Astor VI, in fact, John’s eldest son was two years older than Madeline when she married his father. Another factor that attracted the women to each other was that they both were expecting. John and Madeline Astor had thought it best to keep their pregnancy a secret as the couple had only been married seven months. Helen did not face the stress of keeping her pregnancy secret as unlike the Astor’s as the Bishop’s were not much of an area of interest to the press.
April 14th, 1912
The Bishop’s had also formed a friendship with fellow passengers Albert Harder and his wife Florence, who had lodged in a cabin on B Deck, the Harder’s cabin was directly opposite cabin B-49, which was the cabin of the Bishop’s. It was only a few minutes after 11:40 pm when Albert came into Dickinson’s lounge to inform him that the ship had struck something. Helen, who was in bed at this stage, was woken by her husband who insisted that perhaps they should go up to the Deck to see what had happened. When they reached A Deck, they spotted John Astor who had just spoken to Captain Smith. The Captain had informed them to put on their life jackets. The couple both returned to their cabin to retrieve their life jackets. Before Dickinson and Helen left their cabin, Helen wondered if their dog, Frou-Frou, would be able to come with them. Her husband assured her that they would not be outside for long before they could come back to their cabin. With that the Bishop’s left their cabin with the dog inside. That was the last time Helen would see Frou-Frou.
Helen was the first passenger to board a lifeboat. Her husband Dickinson was also permitted to board with her. She was placed into lifeboat number 7, which was the first boat to leave the doomed ship. Whilst in the lifeboat Helen counted 12 women and 13 men, which came to 28 people aboard the lifeboat. This incident would be later discussed at both inquires and for many years to come. Titanic’s existing 16 lifeboats had the capacity for a maximum of 70 men. Helen’s lifeboat had only been launched half full and even more so, there were more men than women. A logical explanation for this is to would be to consider the lifeboat’s position. Lifeboat 7 was launched from the starboard side which had been largely controlled by First-Officer William Murdoch. From Murdoch’s known actions that night it does indicate that he had let several male passengers get into lifeboats. To Murdoch's defense, Helen did later clarify that she had been assisted into the lifeboat by fifth-officer, Harold Lowe.
Lifeboat number 7 left the Titanic some time between 12:28 to 12:45 pm. The Bishop's watched the foundering of Titanic and the passengers speculated amongst themselves how long it would take for another ship to come to their assistance. As the chaos unfolded in the North-Atlantic waters around them, Helen, in a bid to reassure everyone, told the story of the fortune teller whom she had visited in Egypt. Another fifteen minutes later, another lifeboat, perhaps number 4, which left the Titanic shortly after number 7. Pulled alongside them. The passengers in lifeboat 7 were transferred to the other lifeboat to make more room for any survivors they picked up in the water. As she watched the Titanic sink Helen described that
‘The ship seemed to be pointing straight down.’ After the vessel vanished from the surface, she described the ‘death cries and groans.’ That belonged to those still in the water.
The Aftermath of Titanic
At approximately 3:30 am on the morning of April 15th, 1912, the Cunard vessel; Carpathia was spotted on the horizon. On board the ship Helen had spoken to various women who lost their husbands in the sinking. Guilt must have immediately set in for Helen, as her husband had survived. Both Dick and Helen were devastated to learn from Madeline that John Astor had also been lost in the sinking. The ship seemed to be pointing straight down.’ After the vessel vanished from the surface, she described the ‘death cries and groans.’ That belonged to those still in the water.
The American Senate Inquiry:
On the 1st May 1912, Helen and Dickinson were called to give evidence at the American Inquiry. Helen recalled the events of the evening and when asked about how she boarded a lifeboat she stated that it had been loaded by Fifth Officer Harold Lowe.
An excerpt from the inquiry of Helen Dickinson:
Senator SMITH. Tell me which lifeboat you refer to?
Mrs. BISHOP. The first lifeboat that was taken off the Titanic on the starboard side. I think it was No. 7. Officer Lowe told us that.
Senator SMITH. All right. Proceed.
Mrs. BISHOP. We had no idea that it was time to get off, but the officer took my arm and told me to be very quiet and get in immediately. They put the families in the first two boats. My husband was pushed in with me, and we were lowered away with 28 people in the boat.
Senator SMITH. Was that a large lifeboat?
Mrs. BISHOP. Yes; it was a wooden lifeboat.
Senator SMITH. And there were 28 people in it?
Mrs. BISHOP. Yes. We counted off after we reached the water.
Senator SMITH. How many women were there?
Mrs. BISHOP. There were only about 12 women.
Senator SMITH. And the rest were -
Mrs. BISHOP. (interposing).Were men.
Senator SMITH. Yes; but I want to divide the rest into two classes, the crew and the passengers.
Mrs. BISHOP. There were three of the crew. The rest of them were passengers. We had no officer in our boat.
Senator SMITH. Three of the crew?
Mrs. BISHOP. Three of the crew.
Similarly, Dickinson was also called to speak at the inquiry. He made a remarkably interesting point about the potential problems with Titanic’s watertight compartments. Dickinson described how he thought that he had seen an issue with the ‘mechanical closing’ of the watertight compartments on E Deck. Some of Dickinson’s fellow passengers had thought they had seen ‘The crew trying to do something to these holes in the deck with a key such as they use in the shut-offs to the water system in cities.’
Dickinson was also questioned about how he had been permitted to board a lifeboat.
An excerpt from Dickinson Bishop’s testimony before the US Senate:
Senator SMITH. Who told you to get into the lifeboat?
Mr. BISHOP. One of the officers in charge of the lowering; which one, I could not tell. There was some confusion there at the time, and I did not pay much attention. There was an officer stationed at the side of the lifeboat, and as my wife got in I followed immediately, and he helped me into the boat, or rather indicated, and I fell into the boat.
Life After Titanic
After the sinking of Titanic Helen had lost $11,000-worth of jewellery, this also excluded that the Bishop’s had lost nearly all their clothing too. On 8th December, 1912, the Bishop’s welcomed their new son; Randall Walton Bishop. Unfortunately, Randall died two days later. In 1914 Helen was involved in a car crash which resulted in her fracturing her skull. At first, she had not been expected to live but, a few weeks later Helen was discharged with severe head injuries. Unfortunately, the marriage did not survive for much longer and in the late winter of 1916 Dickinson and Helen divorced.
As always, I’ll leave a few external links to the live and times of Titanic’s honeymoon couple. Please feel free to ask any questions and let me know what you think.
Have a ‘Titanic’ week, Millie.
Works Consulted:
The Testimony of Helen Bishop before the American Senate, May, 1912: http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq11BishopH01.php
The Testimony of Dickinson Bishop before the American Senate, May, 1912: http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq11BishopD01.php
The Life of Helen Bishop according to Encyclopaedia Titanica: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/helen-bishop.html
The Life of Dickinson Bishop according to Encyclopaedia Titanica: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/dickinson-bishop.html
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