TITANIC'S PASSENGERS

Colonel and Mrs. John Jacob Astor

Colonel John Jacob Astor was born in New York on July 13, 1864. Astor was the son of William Astor and the grandson of John Jacob Astor, the fur trader. After completing his education at Harvard and a period of traveling abroad, Astor returned to the US to manage the family fortune. Astor was the author of a scientific novel, A Journey To Other Worlds, and he developed several mechanical devices including a bicycle brake. He helped to develope the turbine engine and also invented a pneumatic road improver. Astor served as Colonel in the Spanish American War.
Astor was married first to Ava Willing of Philadelphia, with whom he fathered two children. In 1909 Astor divorced Ava and two years later, married eighteen year old Madeleine Force. As he was in his forties at the time, the union was cause for much scandel and speculation in social circles. Because of this, the Astors decided upon an extended vacation abroad. In the spring of 1912, the Astors booked passage on Titanic as first class passengers fro their voyage back to the US.
At the time of the collision, the Astors were alone in their suite. After the accident, John Jacob Asotor went on deck to investigate the damages. He returned quickly to inform his wife of the collision. However, he reported that the damage did not seem overly serious. As the other passengers were being loaded into the lifeboats, the Astors sat together in the gymnasium. They each wore their lifebelts, but Mr. Astor had scured another and had cut it open to show Madeleine what it was made of. Astor appeared in no hurry to board the lifeboats, once even stating, "We are safer here than in that little boat." However, when Second Officer Lightoller appeared on the A deck to complete the loading of lifeboat 4, the seriousness of the situation was evident. Astor helped his wife into the boat and then asked if he might join her as she was "in a delicate condition". Lightoller refused his request, for all the women and children had not yet been boarded. The boat was launched and Mr. Astor was seen waving goodbye to his bride.

John Jacob Astor's badly crushed body was found on Monday, April 22 by the McKay-Bennett. His young wife, Madeleine, gave birth to a son in August of that same year whom he named him after her husband. Mrs. Astor remarried twice more, forfeiting her inheritance of five million dollars. She bore two children before her second marriage ended in divorce. Two years following the divorce of her third husband, Madeline died in Palm Beach, Florida in 1940. She was 47 years old.

The Countess of Rothes

Lucy Noel Martha Dyer-Edwards, the Countess of Rothes, was born in Kensington, London in March of 1879. At the age of 22, she married the 19th Earl of Rothes, Norman Evelyn Leslie.
On April 12, 1912, the Countess of Rothes boarded Titanic with her cousin, Gladys Cherry and her maid, Roberta Maiono. Her destination was Vancouver, Canada.
The Countess of Rothes, along with her cousin, Gladys and her maid, Roberta were rescued from the sinking ship in lifeboat 8. Lucy was later put to the tiller. Thomas Jones, Able Bodied Seaman aboard lifeboat 8, was quoted as saying, "She had alot to say, so I put her to steering the boat." Jones and the Countess maintained correspondence for years after the tragedy of Titanic, and he later presented her with the brass number plate from the lifeboat.
The Earl of Rothes, who did not travel with the Countess on board Titanic, died in 1927. The Countess later remarried. She died in September of 1956 at the age of 77.

Thomas Andrews

Thomas Andrews Jr. was born in Belfast on February 7, 1873. He was the son of Thomas Andrews and Eliza Pirrie and nephew of Lord Pirrie, owner of Harland & Wolff Shipbuilders. At the age of 16, Andrews left school to join Harland & Wolff as an apprentice. Working his way up the company ranks, he eventually became the managing director of Harland & Wolff, in charge of ship design. In June of 1908, Andrews married Helen Reilly Barbour, and two years later, the couple had a daughter.
As Titanic's chief designer, Thomas Andrews sailed aboard her in order to observe the ships operations and make plans for any improvements that might have been necessary following her maiden voyage. His wife and daughter did not plan to sail with Andrews, and thus remained in Belfast to await his return. In his last correspondence to Mrs. Andrews, he wrote, "The Titanic is now about complete and will, I think, do the old firm credit tomorrow when we sail."
On the evening of April 14, 1912, Andrews retired to his cabin following dinner with Dr. O'Loughlin, the ship's surgeon. He was unaware of the collision until Captain Smith requested his immediate presence on the bridge. Upon hearing of the collison, Andrews conducted an investigation of the ship's damages. He then reported to Captain Smith that, due to the extent of the damage sustained, Titanic could only remain afloat about 90 minutes, despite any efforts made to repair her.
It was reported that Andrews spent his last hours wondering the decks of the great ship encouraging passengers to make their way to the lifeboats with all haste and to wear their lifebelts. He was last seen alone in the first class smoking room, his lifebelt discarded.

Joseph Bruce Ismay

Joseph Bruce Ismay was born at Crosby, near Liverpool on December 12, 1862. He was the eldest son of Thomas and Margaret Ismay. Thoams Ismay was the senior partner in the firm of Ismay, Imrie, and Company, and he was the founder of White Star Line. Upon completion of his education, J. Bruce Ismay was apprenticed to the offices of Thomas Ismay for four years. In 1888, Ismay married Julia Florence Schieffelin. The couple had four children together. He was made a partner in the firm of Ismay, Imrie and Company in 1891.
In 1901, White Star Line became part of the International Merchantile Marine Company, and Ismay was made Managing Director of the company in 1904. In 1907, Ismay and Lord Pirrie, a partner in the Harland & Wolff shipbuilding firm, made plans to build three luxury ocean liners, Olympic, Titanic, and, a third, Britannic, to come later. The Olympic was launched in June of 1911, and, as was his custom, Ismay was aboard her. Hence, he found himself a passenger on the larger and more luxurious Titanic 11 months later when she departed Southampton for her maiden voyage.
Ismay found himself on deck following the collision with the iceberg and was the last passenger to take a seat aboard collapsible lifeboat C. The boat was being loaded by First Officer William Murdoch, and as there were no more women in sight to board, Murdoch had begun to allow men to take the remaining seats.
Following the sinking, Ismay was called upon to testify at both the US and the British inquiries. In 1913, Harold Sanderson took over the position of Managing Director of White Star Line. Ismay retired to the country to live out the remainder of his life. Joseph Bruce Ismay died on October 17, 1937.

For more information regarding those traveling aboard Titanic, I encourage you to visit
Phillip Hind's Encyclopedia Titanica.

© 1997 bfroberts@hotmail.com

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