Early Life:
Master Robert Douglas Spedden was born on the 19th November 1905, New York. Robert was the only known child of Fredrick and Daisy Spedden. According to an issue of the New York Times published in 1950, Robert’s parents had joined the Tuxedo Colony in 1906. This would seem logical as the Spedden family took up residence in Tuxedo Park, New York. The Spedden family were certainly wealthy and spent most of their free time, when not doting on their son, Robert, indulging in luxurious holidays. A maid by the name of Elizabeth Burns was Robert’s primary nanny. However, the youngest member of the Spedden family had difficulty pronouncing her name, so she was given the affectionate nickname ‘Maudie Boons.’
The Titanic Connection:
In late 1911, the Spedden family took a vacation in Algiers. They had sailed via the steamship SS Caronia. Whilst, on their holiday they of course took the time to visit another favourite spot, Maine. Maine was a particular favourite spot for Robert, as he took a keen interest in sailing. They travelled to Carlo and by the spring of 1912 the Spedden’s terminated their holiday in Paris. It was likely that the Spedden’s would have been acutely aware that the new 45,000-ton passenger liner; RMS Titanic would soon be passing through Cherbourg, to pick up 271 passengers on her maiden voyage. On April 11th, 1912, Fredrick, Daisy, Robert, and family servant Elizabeth boarded Titanic at Cherbourg, France. It has been thought that Robert and Elizabeth occupied cabin E-40 on E-deck.
A photograph can be seen, showing a young Robert Spedden playing, presumably with his father Fredrick, at the end of the promenade deck. According to book Titanic in Photographs. Robert is shown to be spinning a top. The photograph was taken by Irish Priest Father Frank Browne, who is most notably known for taking some of the only existing pictures of Titanic’s interior.
April 14th, 1912:
A short while after 11:40 pm, Titanic collided with an iceberg that left her mortally wounded and almost impossible to save. After all, the 300 ft gash ripped a hole in Titanic’s holding quarters, mail room, and within minutes the first five of Titanic’s watertight compartments had been completely flooded. At the time of the collision, the Spedden’s had been asleep in their cabins. It is possible that the Fredrick Spedden had heard about the collision at an early stage as his family vacated Titanic on lifeboat number 3. This boat left the ship at approximately 1 am. Including the Spedden family, lifeboat boat carried 39 people, 12 of which were male crew members. This was also the same lifeboat that allowed American Tycoon, Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon and his wife, the notorious fashion designer, Lucille an escape from the sinking ship.
It was reported and later recalled that Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon had allegedly paid first officer, William Murdoch £5 for a seat in the lifeboat. As this lifeboat had been under the command of William Murdoch, it is not surprising to learn that Murdoch had permitted Fredrick Spedden and Duff Gordon a seat in the lifeboat as they were not the only male passengers who Murdoch had granted a spot in a lifeboat to. William Murdoch had allowed other male passengers to enter the lifeboats. For instance, lifeboat 7 left with first-class passengers: William Brentem Greenfield, Henry Blank and Dickinson Bishop.
Surprisingly enough, little Robert had slept through the entire event, whether it was because Robert was still sleepy after being roused from his cabin at such a late hour, or the climate of the North Atlantic had made him drowsy, is left undecided. But once the family returned to New York via the Carpathia, neither of the parents spoke at the Inquiry held by the American Senate.
Life After Titanic:
On Christmas Day, 1913, Robert was presented with a book that his mother Daisy had written for him. The book was called My Story. It detailed the sinking of the Titanic, but it was told through the perspective of a stuffed bear named Polar. Fast forward and nearly 100 years on, and the story of Polar the Titanic Bear is a popular children’s book that is still sold to this day.
Unfortunately, Robert’s life was cut tragically short. On the 6th August, 1915. The Spedden family were spending the summer in their favourite spot in Maine. However, Robert had wandered onto the road and was hit by an automobile. He survived the initial collision but was pronounced dead two days later. On Robert’s death certificate, the cause of death is described as ‘Concussion of the brain, struck by an automobile.’ He was buried on August 11th 1915 at Greenwood Cemetery, Tuxedo Park, New York.
Fredrick and Daisy remained married and carried on living in Tuxedo Park, New York until their deaths. Daisy died in 1948 and Fredrick died in 1950.
As always, I’ll leave a few external links about the Spedden Family and Polar the Titanic Bear. Feel free to ask any questions and let me know what you think.
Have a ‘Titanic’ week,
Millie.
The life of Robert Douglas Spedden according to Encyclopaedia Titanica: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/robert-douglas-spedden.html
Robert Douglas Spedden’s death certificate (1915): https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/death-certificate-20961-123.html
Find a Grave on Robert Douglas Spedden: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8507776/robert-douglas-spedden
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