Titanic's Liverpool Trail: The Companies

1) Albion House, James Street:

Albion House was formerly the headquarters for the White Star Line. White Star was first founded in 1845 by Henry Therefall Wilson and John Pilkington. The company originally focused on the Australian and British trade and import of gold. However, in the early 1860s a series of financial troubles led the company into bankruptcy. It wasn’t until 1867 that Liverpudlian Thomas Henry Ismay bought the company house and flag for £1,000. Ismay switched the company’s focus from gold exporting to passenger liners. one of the earliest vessels built by the White Star Line under the new management was the S.S Oceanic and the S.S Atlantic which first set sail in 1871. Ismay established White Star’s headquarters on James Street in Liverpool. The building first opened its doors in 1898. Following this White Star Line offices were established in Southampton and London.

James street played a huge part in the Titanic story, Titanic and her sisters Olympic and Gigantic (later named the Britannic) were all registered at the White Star offices on James Street. After the Titanic sank lists of saved were posted outside the Albion House. James street was crowded as people flocked to the doors to see if their relative had survived the sinking. The building was last used by the White Star Line in the early 1930s. in 1932 White Star declared bankruptcy, White Star briefly merged forces with former competitors Cunard. The doors of the Albion House closed officially in 1934 despite the company carrying on for another ten years.

Above: Albion House, was the former offices for thr White Star Line, the company that famously owned the RMS Titanic

A Titanic Disaster: The picture above shows crowds of people around James Street this photograoh was taken a few days after news of the Titanic's foundering hit England, relatives would gather to see if their loved one had survived.

1) 14 Castle Street, Central Liverpool:

Castle Street was the former residence of the company C.W & F.N. This was the company that employed Titanic’s eight musicians. It’s often thought by some that the musicians were directly employed by the White Star Line. However, C.W & F.N acted as an agency in which they were responsible for paying the musicians. The average wage for a musician was £6 and 10 shillings which in today’s money is around £508. All eight members were lost in the sinking of the Titanic, including Lancashire lad Wallace Hartley. After the sinking C.W & F.N billed the musician’s families for the uniforms that were lost in the sinking. One of the musicians, John Hume’s father received a letter from the Liverpool company asking for 5 shillings and 4d, that’s £20 and 85p in today’s currency.

14 Castle Street: This was the former offices of C.W & F.N offices that employed Titanic's eight musicians

1) J.W Ray and CO:

This company was located on Hanover Street, Liverpool One. It was the responsibility of the company to supply the bridge and engine room telegrams. There were three telegrams located on Titanic’s bridge and this allowed effective communication between the boat deck and the engine room located 5 decks below the boat deck and one deck below the water line. The Telegrams were used to indicate what speed Titanic should be doing. On April 14th, when First Officer William Murdoch spotted the iceberg for himself. He immediately rushed over the one of the telegrams to inform the workers down in the boiler room to slow Titanic down.

Titanic's Telegram: There would have been four telegrams located on the bridge of the Titanic, these connected to the boiler rooms nearly six decks below the boat deck.

1) Stonier and Co Firm:

The building was originally located on Williamson Square in central Liverpool. This company designed and supplied all 50,000 items and pieces of bone china to the Titanic. Titanic’s china is easily identified by the blue and gold patterns painted onto the first and second class plates, saucers and cups. Like most of the items on the Titanic they were lost in sinking. However, after numerous dives the wreck of Titanic an image was taken showing Titanic’s plates stacked perfectly in a row on the ocean floor.

Titanic's china would have been supplied by Liverpool company Stonier and Co Firm. Copyright Image: Mariner's Museum

Titanic's china now lays nearly 2 miles below the North Atlantic Sea

1) Utley’s, St Helen’s

Utley’s was responsible for crafting Titanic’s port holes. There were nearly 1,161 portholes on the Titanic and her sister Olympic. Utley’s created nearly 900 of the circular portholes on Titanic. Utley’s had also had a hand in supplying Titanic’s bells. The main bell was located in crow’s nest and on April 14th was rang six times at 11:30, this often indicates adverse weather conditions and serves as a signal to slow down or be careful and at roughly 11:35 the bell rang seven times to indicate danger. Titanic’s bell was eventually recovered from the wreckage and traveled round numerous exhibitions

Titanic's last survior Milvina Dean photographed with a porthole, made by Utley's, which was recovred from the wreck site. Dean was only eight weeks old when she travelled on the Titanic with her monter and father.

Titanic's bell was recoverd from the wreck site and now travels round numerous exhibitions

This concludes the Titanic and Liverpool trail series, I am planning on writing some more self guided tour articles for people to use and learn more about the Titanic from.

As always, feel free to ask any questions or add anything, have a titanic week, Millie .