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Writer's pictureTitanictalksMillie

Titanic Lives: Joseph Bruce Ismay

Early life

Joseph Bruce Ismay was born on the 12th December 1862, Crosby in Liverpool at Waterloo Mansion. He was the eldest child out of four sisters and two younger brothers. Ismay’s father was a man called Thomas Henry Ismay, his father re-established the White star Line. Ismay had a very privileged upbringing . He was educated at a first class private school in Harrow and spent a year studying in France and a round the world trip. As Ismay grew up he began working for his father’s company White Star Line. Bruce was being groomed to become the next Managing Director of the White Star Line. In 1888 Ismay married Julia Schieffelin and had three sons Thomas, George and Henry Ismay and two daughters: Margaret and Evelyn Ismay.


Above: Joseph Bruce Ismay, the Director of the White Star Line and owner of the Olympic Class


Bruce and the White Star Line

Ismay succeeded his father’s business in 1899 after Thomas Ismay passed away. Sources and testimonies describe Ismay as a complete businessman. In 1901 Bruce Ismay joined the White Star Line up with the International Mercantile Marine Company headed by John Pierpont Morgan. J.P Morgan would go on to be one of the main investors in the creation of the Olympic Class.


A Date With Destiny

It was one quiet evening in one of Bruce’s mansions in London, 1906 where, a dinner took place between Bruce and William Pirrie. At the time there had been an arms race in the maritime industry as to who could build the biggest, fastest and most luxurious liners White Star’s main competitors Cunard had recently secured the record with the RMS Mauritania who acquired an impressive speed of 24 knots, measured at 772 ft, weighed over 37,000 tonnes and from funnel to keel had a beam of 88 ft from the top of the bridge to the keel. Cunard’s liner was the fastest ship in the world. But,not for long. Pirrie and Ismay drafted up a plan on the back of a napkin for three new liners, each would weigh 43,000 tonnes, measure at 882 ft in length and would stand at 94 ft from the bridge to the keel. So work began on the Olympic class: Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.


Bruce Ismay, the man who sank the Titanic?

When looking at the Titanic disaster Ismay is the man who gets the most blame. Why? many scapegoat Bruce because of his apparent bossiness during the construction. His most famous episode is the lifeboat issue. Ismay had argued that both Titanic and Olympic had enough lifeboats on by Board of Trade standards, which at the time were 16. Much to the disapproval of Titanic’s designer, Thomas Andrews. After many quarrels which led to Titanic’s original chief designer, Alexander Carlisle walking out on the project. Ismay came to a compromise with Andrews and said he wouldn’t allow any extra lifeboats but, instead add four collapsible lifeboats instead. Bruce Ismay perhaps undeservedly is blamed a little too harshly. In a letter, now in possession of the Liverpool Maritime Museum Ismay had written. He had stated that he would only do what was allowed by the law in terms of adding lifeboats. By law Titanic had enough lifeboats for an average ship, however as Titanic was the largest ship up to date, Ismay didn’t account that in case of an accident that Titanic would need extra lifeboats due to her being double the size of any other liner.


In Ismay’s testimony before the British wreck commissioners he is asked about the number of lifeboats in relationship to the Board of Trade specification:

The Commissioner: When working out the designs of the 'Olympic' and the 'Titanic'" (this is what Mr. Carlisle is reported to have stated.) "I put my ideas before the davit constructors" (who they are I do not know.) "and got them to design me davits which would allow me to place, if necessary, four lifeboats on each pair of davits, which would have meant a total of over 40 boats. Those davits were fitted in both ships, but though the Board of Trade did not require anything more than 16 lifeboats, 20 lifeboats were supplied."


Sir Robert Finlay: Now then, with regard to the number of boats. You are familiar with the Board of Trade Rules

Mr Ismay: Yes.

Sir Robert Finlay: Can you tell us how the number of boats on board the "Titanic" compared with either the Board of Trade Regulations or the Recommendations of that Advisory committee in July, 1911?

Mr Ismay: In the cubic capacity?

Sir Robert Finlay: Yes?

Mr Ismay: The Board of Trade, I think, would call for 9,500 cubic feet. We had 11,300 or 11,400 cubic feet. Owing to the construction of the "Olympic" and the "Titanic," the bulkheads being carried and the wireless installation, I think the Board of Trade would have asked us to supply 7,500 cubic feet, whereas we had 11,300 cubic feet.

Ismay was even asked if he had any financial gain from Harland and Wolff:

Commissioner: Now, I want you just to tell me about the building of the "Olympic" and the "Titanic," two sister vessels. I am not going to ask you the details of the construction, I am going to keep that for skilled Witnesses, and those who have had more to do with it and who know - but generally speaking, first of all, have you any financial interest by way of shareholding or otherwise in the firm of Harland and Wolff?

Mr Ismay: Absolutely none.

Commissioner: So that what it amounts to, if I follow you correctly, is, that there is no limit placed by you upon the cost of the vessel?

Mr Ismay: Absolutely none. All we ask them to do is to produce us the very finest ship they possibly can; the question of money has never been considered at all.

Commissioner: Do you give your orders for the construction of a vessel in writing?

Mr Ismay: Yes.

Commissioner: Then substantially it is as you say?

Mr Ismay: We simply pass a letter between us. Messrs. Harland and Wolff would write us a letter, and we would confirm it.


Titanic on Trial: Joseph Bruce Ismay giving his testimony before the British Wreck Commissioners in 1912 (Copyright Encyclopedia Titanica)

April 14-15th 1912

What really deemed Ismay as the coward of the Titanic was his actions on the night Titanic sank. Ismay had been in his cabin at the time of the collision. it was on the passenger deck that he had met with Chief Engineer Joseph Bell and asked what had happened. During the course of the sinking it’s been recorded by passengers that Ismay spent most of his time hovering over the fifth officer Harold Lowe, who had been manning lifeboat 5. Sources later recounted that Lowe had told Ismay “if you will get the Hell out of that then I shall be able to do something. Do you want me to lower away quickly? I’ll drown the lot of them.” Ismay had eventually secured a spot on Titanic’s collapsible C which left Titanic approximately 40 minutes before she foundered.

In his testimony before the US Senate he was asked about the women being put into the lifeboats:

Senator Smith: Were these women passengers designated as they went into the lifeboat?

Mr Ismay: No Sir.

Senator Smith: those that were nearest the lifeboat were taken in?

Mr. Ismay: We simply picked the women out and put them in the boat as fast as we could.

Senator Smith: You picked them from among the throng?

Mr. Ismay: We took the first ones that were there and put them in the lifeboats. I was there myself and put a lot in.

Death of a Titan

Bruce Ismay has often been described as a business man and nothing short of a product of his time. However, his actions on the night of April 14th ruined his reputation forever. On the Carpathia it was reported that Ismay had to be sedated by the ship’s surgeon due to constant guilt that lingered over him. In the inquiry conducted by the British Board of Trade, Lord Mersey (the Commissioner) ripped Ismay apart on the stand referring to him as a ‘super captain’. Ismay travelled back from New York on the 2nd May, 1912 alongside surviving officers Joseph Boxhall, Herbert Pitman, Charles Lightoller and Harold Lowe. The press hounded Ismay. The words coward and Bruce Ismay became synonymous. Ismay, eventually secluded himself away from society in a countryside mansion in Galway. This didn’t prevent people from ridiculing Ismay, there are many incidents of children throwing stones at Ismay’s house. His reputation continues into the 21st century. In 2011 a book entitled How To Survive The Sinking of the Titanic: The Sinking of J.Bruce Ismay. which looks at the relationship between Titanic and her cowardly owner.


As always, I’ll leave a few external links on Bruce Ismay. there will be a separate piece at some stage looking at Ismay’s testimony. Feel free to ask any questions or add anything I might have missed.

Have a titanic week, Millie

Encyclopaedia Titanica on Harold Lowe and Bruce Ismay: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/harold-godfrey-lowe.html

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