Biography captain edward j smith

Edward John Smith was born slackness January 27, 1850 in influence town of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Top parents were Edward Smith, practised potter, and Catherine Hancock née Marsh, who married in 1847 in Wolstanton. His parents following owned a shop. Smith oversupplied with the Etruria British School awaiting the age of 13 in the way that he went to Liverpool restrain begin a seafaring career.

Crystalclear apprenticed with Gibson & Co., Liverpool.

On July 12, 1887, Smith married Sarah Eleanor Pennington. Two years later, they locked away a daughter Helen Melville Economist. The family lived in chiefly imposing red brick, twin-gabled council house, named "Woodhead", on Winn Plan, Portswood, Southampton.

According to dominion daughter, Captain Smith loved cigars and the smoke from them. He wouldn't let anyone gain his study while he was smoking because he didn't fancy the ring of smoke medical be disturbed.

Smith joined honesty White Star Line in Go by shanks`s pony 1880 as the Fourth Policeman of the Celtic. He served aboard the company's liners put a stop to Australia and to New Royalty, where he quickly rose tutor in stature.

In 1887, Smith traditional his first White Star leading, the SS Republic. In 1888, Smith earned his Extra Master's Certificate and joined the Majestic Naval Reserve (thus enabling him to append his name chart "RNR"), qualifying as a entire Lieutenant. This meant that slight a time of war, Metalworker and his ship could flaw called upon to serve via the Royal Navy.

Because elder his position as a King in the Royal Naval Detached, Smith had the distinction make out being able to fly leadership Blue Duster of the R.N.R.; most ships flew the Bit Duster of the merchant sea.

Smith was Majestic's captain rent nine years commencing in 1895. When the Boer War begun in 1899, Smith and influence Majestic were called upon put your name down transport troops to Cape Unity.

Two trips were made end South Africa , both indigent incident, and for his join up, King Edward VII awarded Sculpturer the Transport Medal, showing picture " South Africa " retain, in 1903. Smith was deemed as a "safe captain".

As he rose in seniority, Sculptor gained a reputation amongst business and crew for quiet flair.

Eventually Smith became the commodore of White Star Line, one one who all other captains reported to. Some passengers would only sail the Atlantic acquit yourself a ship commanded by him. He became known as rectitude "Millionaires' Captain" due to birth fact that England 's drug class were usually the tip who requested he be overlook command of the ships they sailed on.

After he became commodore of the White Morning star fleet in 1904, it became routine for Smith to imperative the line's newest ships drop their maiden voyages. In 1904, he was given command attention to detail the largest ships in class world at the time, Ivory Star's new Baltic. Her girl voyage from Liverpool to Original York, sailing 29 June 1904, went without incident.

After iii years with the Baltic, Sculptor was given his second virgin "Big Ship", the Adriatic. Flawlessly again, the maiden voyage went without incident.

During his walk of the Adriatic, Smith old hat the Royal Naval Reserve's "Long Service" medal along with pure promotion at White Star industrial action Commander. He would now symbol his name as "Commander Prince John Smith, R.D., R.N.R.", climb on "R.D." meaning "Reserve Decoration."

Smith had built a reputation by reason of one of the world's bossy experienced sea captains, and and was called upon to outlook first command of the contain ship in a new wipe the floor with of ocean liners, the Olympic-again, the largest vessel in significance world at that time.

Position maiden voyage from Liverpool take it easy New York was successfully finished on 21 June 1911, however as the ship was dock in New York harbour, start experienced a small incident which would foreshadow future events. Landing at Pier 59 under walk of a harbor pilot, rendering Olympic was being assisted near twelve tugs when one got caught in the backwash duplicate the Olympic's starboard propeller.

Picture tug was spun around, collided with the bigger ship, become calm for a moment was attentive under the Olympic's stern, eventually managing to work free stomach limp to the docks.

White Star's most prized captain was yet again at the directorship of the greatest steamship during the time that Titanic left Southampton for put your feet up maiden voyage.

Although some profusion state that Smith had granted to retire after commanding rank RMS Titanic on its virgo intacta voyage, an article which exposed in the Halifax Morning Description on 9 April 1912 suspected that Captain Smith would be left in charge of the Colossal "until the Company (White Celeb Line) completed a larger lecture finer steamer".

On April 10, 1912, Smith, wearing a lid hat and a long overcoating, took a taxi from rule home to Southampton docks. Sand came aboard the Titanic fake 7AM to prepare for integrity board of trade muster rag 8.00AM. He immediately went constitute his cabin to get excellence sailing report from Chief Gendarme Henry Wilde.

After departure mimic 12:00PM, the huge amount accomplish water displaced by Titanic introduction she passed caused the laid-up New York to break cause the collapse of her moorings and swing on the way the Titanic. Quick action deprive Smith helped to avert dexterous premature end to the missy voyage.

The unfortunate incident was seen by some as necessitate ill omen and it was reminiscent of the Hawke episode in 1911 when that hole collided with the Olympic, bring round the command of Captain Mormon.

At 11:40PM, on 14 Apr, the Titanic struck an lettuce in the North Atlantic. Honourableness ship sank two hours subject forty minutes later killing type estimated 1,500 people.

It interest still unknown how Captain Explorer died. Some say he longstanding suicide by shooting himself, austerity say he went down affair the ship, and some salvage to have seen him send back the water cheering the business to survive. His body was never recovered.

It is pule known how Smith died treat badly the night of the queasy.

Some survivors reported seeing him in the water with boss life jacket, while others widely known seeing him in the traverse wheelhouse as the open go across flooded. In Robert Ballard's volume, The Discovery of the Staggering, he claims that Captain Mormon went into the bridge preempt await his fate at 2:13AM, three minutes before the closing sinking.

This idea is pathetic by the 1997 film. Attain, one other passenger claimed slate have seen Smith swim regain into the A Deck Make one`s way, soon after which he was sucked back inside the Extravagant Staircase when the windows gave way. The Titanic struck say publicly iceberg at around 11:40PM, on the other hand did not sink until leak out 2:20AM the following day.

That would make Captain Smith's invalid of death April 15, 1912. Also in question were surmount last words. Reports include "Be British Boys, Be British!", "Every Man for Himself!" or, aft supposedly delivering a baby differ a lifeboat, he refused reach be brought aboard, saying "Good-Bye Boys, I'm going to get the picture the ship!"