On 17 April 2007, my original article on the Titanic and its South African connections was published by News24. Since then, the article has been used by various media, societies and individuals for their publications, websites and articles. One hundred and thirteen years later on the anniversary of the iconic ship’s sinking, 14-15 April 2025, I revisited my research notes and updated the article with new information.
April 15 is regarded as Titanic Remembrance Day. The ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 23:40 the evening of April 14 and sank at 02:20 the following morning. Of the 2,208 passengers and crew on board, only 712 survived (the Halifax list gives 891 crew and 1,317 passengers). Most victims’ bodies were never recovered.
Some of the Titanic's passengers had connections to South Africa. There may be other passengers with South African connections, as yet undiscovered, but these are the ones I found and researched.
Captain Edward John SMITH
Captain Edward John SMITH (27 January 1850 – 15 April 1912) joined the White Star Line in 1880. He also joined the Royal Naval Reserve, receiving a commission as a lieutenant. He retired from the RNR in 1905 with the rank of Commander. When Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) broke out, he was captain of the Majestic which was called upon to transport British Imperial troops to the Cape Colony. He made two trips to South Africa. In 1903 King Edward VII awarded him the Transport Medal with the South Africa clasp in recognition of his service during the war. In 1914, his daughter unveiled a statue of him at Lichfield. The sculptress was Lady SCOTT, widow of Captain Robert Falcon SCOTT who had died in the Antarctic two weeks before the Titanic sank. Captain SCOTT’s last port of call was Cape Town, where a monument to him exists on the foreshore.
Thomas William Solomon BROWN
Thomas William Solomon BROWN (60), his wife Elizabeth Catherine (née FORD) and their daughter, Edith Eileen, were from Worcester.
Thomas was born on 13 July 1851 in Kuils River, the son of James Solomon BROWN and Harriet HOLLOWAY. He was baptised on 25 August 1851 in the Anglican church in Cape Town. His death notice listed his father as Thomas William BROWN and was signed by Elizabeth Catherine.
His father was born in Greenwich, Kent. He died in 1866 in Cape Town, where he owned The Rose & Crown Inn in Wharf Street. His mother was born in Surrey, England, and died in 1878 in Kuils River.
During his life, Thomas had lived in Cape Town, Worcester, Kuils River, and Bloemfontein.His first marriage was to Isabella Gracilia (Griselda Isabella) WILLOUGHBY on 06 May 1873 at St John’s Anglican church in Cape Town. He gave his occupation as hotel keeper and lived in Waterkant. Isabella was born in Constantia and died on 28 November 1889 in Kuils River.
Thomas and Isabella’s children:
1) William James BROWN born and died in 1875.
2) Lilian Henrietta BROWN was born on 26 April 1878 in Cape Town.
She died on 05 July 1946 at home: 17 Suffolk Mansions, Smal Street, Johannesburg.
She married Joseph Augustus WOOLF on 08 January 1909 in Cape Town. He was a billiard room owner.
3) Harriet Elizabeth Maria BROWN was born on 27 May 1880 in Cape Town.
She died on 17 February 1961 at home: 28 Barnard Street, Mowbray.
She married Willem Adriaan BOSMAN on 27 December 1898 in Worcester. He was a cycle engineer.
4) Thomas Andrew Ralph BROWN was born on 18 February 1882 in Cape Town.
He died in 1958.
He married Cornelia Magdalena COETZEE on 22 February 1905 in Cape Town. He was a hotel manager in Observatory, and she was from Boksburg.
5) Ernest Herbert Willoughby BROWN was born on 28 January 1886 in Kuils River.
He died on 29 April 1914 at Klipfontein Farm, Boksburg.
He was a miner and unmarried.
Thomas’ second marriage was Elizabeth Catherine FORD on 11 August 1890 at St Mary’s Anglican church in Woodstock. She was from Moorreesburg. He gave his occupation as hotel keeper and was living in Kuils River. Elizabeth was born in 1871 in Cape Town.
Thomas and Elizabeth’s children:
1) Dorothy Beatrice BROWN was born on 09 October 1899 in Worcester.
She died on 16 October 1906 at home: Mountain View Hotel in Long Street (diphtheria cardiac failure).
2) Edith Eileen BROWN was born on 27 October 1896 in Worcester.
Edith married Frederick Thankful HAISMAN, an engineering draughtsman, on 30 June 1917 in Johannesburg. He died on 26 November 1977 in Southampton, England. One of their children, David, was educated at Simonstown Secondary School until the age of 11 years, when the family returned to England as Frederick’s contract with the Admiralty in Simonstown came to an end. David left school at 15 years of age and joined the Merchant Navy. He visited Cape Town and other ports along the coast while employed with the Union Castle Line. He wrote three books, I'll See You in New York: Titanic - the Courage of a Survivor, Titanic: The Edith Brown Story and Raised on the Titanic: An autobiography. According to David, his father was a friend of Robert HICHENS before he met Edith and married her.
In 1993 Edith was presented with the gold watch that her father was wearing when the ship went down. The watch was found by RMS Titanic Inc of New York City, a salvaging company. She appeared in the 1994 TV movie, Titanic: The Legend Lives On, as herself, as well as in Titanic: Secrets Revealed (1998). Edith was an honorary member of the Titanic Society of South Africa and the oldest Titanic survivor until her death on 20 January 1997 at the age of 100 in a nursing home in Southampton. Her life story was published as A lifetime on the Titanic - the biography of Edith Haisman.
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| Frederick & Edith HAISMAN & Fred jnr |
In my original article of 2007, he was listed as William BULL and his granddaughter as Margaret CHARLESWORTH of Lyndhurst, Johannesburg. New information shows that his correct name was Walter Edward BULL and Margaret lived in Lyndhurst, England (not Johannesburg).
Walter Edward BULL was born on 28 October 1875 in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, the son of Walter William BULL and Rosa LININGTON. Walter was in a relationship with Edith Jane CARTER. She was born on 27 September 1879 in Newport, Isle of Wight. They had a son, Walter William, born in 1904 in Ryde, Isle of Wight. In the 1911 Census, Walter William BULL born in Ryde in 1904, was living with his grandmother Rosa GIBBS at 26 Joseph St, Gosport, Alverstoke. Rosa married Bertram GIBBS after her first husband’s death.
When Walter signed-on to the Titanic on 04 April 1912, he gave his address as 27 Chandos Street, Southampton. Like many others among the crew, Walter had previously worked on the Olympic. He worked as a scullion in the galley which served the 1st and 2nd Class passengers, and would have earned £3 10s per month. On board the Titanic he shared a dormitory cabin with nine other scullions who washed and polished the silverware. Walter did not survive.
Walter’s son was granted a weekly allowance from the Titanic Relief Fund. There isn’t reference to Edith receiving support, which may indicate that the couple were not legally married or they were separated. The Titanic Relief Fund was created to support widows and dependents of the Titanic’s crew who were lost in the disaster. The fund was wound up in 1959, with the remaining money used to purchase annuities for the surviving dependents. Some families were given weekly allowances, while others applied for help with education and apprenticeship fees. For those who were given a weekly allowance, the support was split into seven classes:
Class B: saloon stewards and bedroom stewards. Widow £1 12s. 6d., children 6s. 3d.
Class C: lower class stewards, catering, boots, bakers, bedroom stewards. Widow £1 7s. 6d., children 5s. 6d.
Class D: stewards. Widow £1 0s. 0d., children 3s. 6d.
Class E: second class stewards, stewardesses, senior firemen. Widow 17s. 6d., children 2s. 6d.
Class F: greasers. Widow 15s. 0d., children 2s. 6d.
Class G: firemen, scullions, lower class stewards. Widow 12s. 6d., children 2s. 6d.
It is not clear what happened to Edith. According to Walter’s granddaughter Margaret, he was commemorated on Edith’s grave stone. Edith had married SKEATS and lived in Longmoor Avenue, Woolston. She died in 1937. Margaret believes that there are other relatives, some in South Africa. However, there is an Edith Jane BULL, born 27 September 1879, who died in 1970 in Isle of Wight. This mystery needs more answers.
Margaret R M S BULL married John E W CHARLESWORTH in 1959 in Southampton. They had two children: Andrew and Susan. John died on 14 November 2017 at Southampton General Hospital.
Francesco CELOTTI
Francesco CELOTTI was a sailor from Cape Town but originally from Italy. He applied for a passport at the Cape and was granted one on 16 February 1911. He was 24 years old when he boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a 3rd Class passenger (ticket number 343275, £8 1s). He did not survive.
Charles Henry CHAPMAN
Charles Henry CHAPMAN was born on 19 June 1859 in Cape Town, the son of James CHAPMAN and Catherine Cecelia ROOME (daughter of Capt. William ROOME and Catherine Cecelia BUSHNELL).
His father was born in Cape Town and became a photographer, hunter, trader and explorer. He died in Du Toit's Pan, Kimberley in 1872.
Catherine was born in Virginia, USA. Her father was a sea captain who settled in Nova Scotia, Canada. Catherine died on 16 November 1916 in Port Elizabeth.
Charles had three siblings: William James Bushnell CHAPMAN (1858-1832), Ada Cecelia CHAMPMAN (born 1861) and Catherine Romania CHAPMAN (born 1864). The family lived in South Africa and Namibia.
He married Ellen Virtue LAWRENCE on 22 May 1880 at St Augustine's Cathedral in Port Elizabeth.
His son William's 1921 passport stated that Charles had been an unnaturalised resident of the US since 1875.
Charles and Ellen’s children:
1) Alice Ethel Ellen Lawrence CHAPMAN was born on 12 October 1875 in Southampton, England.
2) Charles Lawrence Roome CHAPMAN was born on 06 September 1882 in New York.
He died on 24 February 1941 in White Plains, New York.
He married Selma Ida FRITZ.
He worked as a purchasing agent. By 1920 he lived in New Rochelle, Westchester, New York.
3) William Charleston CHAPMAN was born on 29 August 1886 in Charleston, South Carolina.
He married Annabella AYRES on 18 September 1912 in New York.
He worked as a bonds salesman. By 1930, he was living in Gardiner, Ulster, New York.
4) Ralph Howard CHAPMAN was born on 12 January 1889 in Atlanta, Georgia.
He died on 27 May 1945 in San Mateo, California.
He married Ella Ursula MURRAY on 29 April 1914 in the Bronx, New York.
He was an accountant and lived in the Bronx and Chicago.
5) Adele C. CHAPMAN was born on 16 March 1891 in Charleston, South Carolina.
She died on 29 August 1959 in Princeton, Illinois.
She married James Francis CONNOLLY on 21 December 1934 in New York.
The 1905 US census shows Charles and his family living at 106th Avenue, Manhattan, and in the 1910 census as residents of 22 St. Nicholas Place in New York. On both occasions Charles’ occupation is given as publisher. His son Ralph was an accountant, son William an auto-parts salesman and his daughter Adele a stage actress. His wife Ellen died on 27 November 1910.
He had spent a few months in South Africa where he still had relatives, and left Durban on board the Kinfaus Castle in January 1912, arriving in Southampton on 23 March 1912. He boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a 2nd Class passenger (ticket number 248731 which cost £13, 10s). His body was recovered and the following were found in his suit pockets: silver cigarette case, garnet tie-pin, garnet ring, papers, gold mounted cuff-links, $200, gold studs, fountain pen, knife and pipe. Charles was travelling with the family Bible belonging to his maternal grandparents’ family in Virginia. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
Nathan GOLDSMITH
Nathan (Neshenye) GOLDSMITH was He was born circa 1871 in Kreidburg, Russia. In about 1897 he married Sorah METT in Panev?žys, Kovno, Lithuania. Their first child, Michael, was born on 09 June 1898 in Lithuania.
In 1907 Nathan, Sorah and Michael, and Sorah’s mother Dineh, left Libau on board the Rassa for England, from where they boarded the Petersburg as 3rd Class passengers to New York. Nathan was listed as a shoemaker. They arrived in New York in June or July 1907. The family was going to join Sorah’s brother who lived at 126 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia. Nathan and Sorah had a second son, Irving, who was born on 24 December 1907 in Philadelphia. He died in 1970 in Tennessee.
Nathan left the family in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and went to South Africa, where he worked as a boot maker in Cape Town (possibly also Johannesburg) before the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). He sent money to his wife every week. In early 1912 he decided to return to the US to join his family living at 2027 South 7th Street in Philadelphia. He sold his business and travelled to England. He boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a 3rd Class passenger (ticket number SOTON/O.Q. 3101263, £7, 17s). He did not survive.
Herbert Gifford HARVEY
Herbert Gifford HARVEY was born on 03 February 1878 in Belfast, Ireland, the son of James Thompson HARVEY and Elizabeth Garston GIFFORD. His father was a partner at Messrs. Lawther and Harvey, ship owners, in Belfast. Herbert volunteered to serve in the Anglo-Boer War and joined the 46th Company Imperial Yeomanry. He earned the Queen's Medal with three clasps and the King's Medal with one clasp. After his return, he joined Harland & Wolff and later went to sea as an engineer with Lowther, Latta & Co before leaving to join the White Star Line. He lived in Southampton. Junior Assistant Second Engineer HARVEY was on duty in the engine room at the time of collision. He did not survive.
Samuel Emest HEMMING
Samuel Ernest HEMMING was born on 24 December 1868 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, the son of John William HEMMING and Elizabeth. He joined the Royal Navy on 12 February 1884. By 1888 he was an able seaman. He was pensioned off on 05 January 1907 and the next day he joined the Portsmouth Royal Fleet Reserve and went to work for the White Star Line the same year as boatswain’s mate, lamp trimmer and boatswain.
He married Elizabeth Emily BROWNING on 04 June 1903 in Portsmouth. They moved to Southampton in about 1910. They had three children: Ernest Harry, Jessie Dorothy and Thomas Robert.
He signed-on to the Titanic on 06 April 1912 as a lamp trimmer. He was in life boat 4. He testified at the US Inquiry on 25 April 1912 and at the British inquiry on 24 May 1912.
He rejoined the Navy during World War I as 1st Class Petty Officer. He served aboard Roedeau which was struck by a mine and sank on 13 January 1915. He was discharged on 06 March 1919 and was decorated with the General Service and Victory Medals. He lived in Shirley before moving to Blighmont Nursing Home where he died on 12 April 1928.
Two or three of Samuel's brothers had immigrated to South Africa, where they started a law firm. His brothers were: John William (b. 1859), Frank (b. 1861), Elizabeth Mary (b. 1862), Ellen (b. 1864), Francis Joseph (b. 1866), Harry (b. 1870) and John Walter (b. 1879).
Robert HICHENS
Robert HICHENS was born on 16 September 1882 in Newlyn, Cornwall, the son of Philip HICHENS and Rebecca WOOD. On Robert's birth certificate the spelling is HICHENS. On his marriage certificate it is HITCHENS. He married Florence MORTIMORE on 23 October 1906 in Manaton, Devon. His occupation was listed as master mariner.
He worked on mail boats and liners of the Union Castle line and British India line. On Titanic he was one of the six Quartermasters. He signed-on on 06 April 1912 and gave his home address as 43 St James Street, St. Marys, Southampton, where he lived with his wife and two children. Robert was at the wheel, having relieved Q.M. OLIVER at 22:00, when the warning came from the lookout that an iceberg had been spotted ahead. He was ordered by First officer MURDOCH to turn the wheel 'hard-a-starboard' to avoid the iceberg, but it was not enough to avoid the collision. At about 23:23 he was relieved by Q.M. PERKIS. Robert was put in charge of Lifeboat 6. The lifeboat left the ship at about 23:55 and the occupants taken to New York on board the Carpathia. Robert was one of the most important witnesses at both the US and British inquiries, answering hundreds of questions. His testimony became the story of the tragedy. After the US inquiry, he returned to England aboard the Celtic, arriving in Liverpool on 04 May 1912. On 07 May 1912 he testified at the British Enquiry.
It is claimed that he became a harbour master in Cape Town, according to Henry BLUM in a letter to Thomas GARVEY in New York. Henry was an acquaintance of Robert, and was a Quartermaster on a British ship that docked in Cape Town in 1914. According to him, the harbour master who met the ship was Robert. So far, no research has found this to be true and it may be a tall tale. Henry BLUM was born in Norway and was recorded in the 1940 US Census. The Leitrim Observer dated Saturday 29 July 1933 carried an interview with Robert and no reference was made to being a harbour master.
Robert’s brother, William, lived in Johannesburg in 1915. Family members recalled that he spent time in Durban and Johannesburg. In 1917 a fellow Titanic survivor (likely Edith HAISMAN) claimed to have met Robert in Johannesburg. William HICHENS returned to England in 1918 and married Penelope Rouffignac COTTON in Newlyn. Shortly afterwards, they moved to South Africa. Penelope died in Johannesburg in 1959.
In 1910, Robert received a Royal Naval Reserve long service medal. During World War I, he served in the Royal Naval Reserve, having been called up on 02 August 1914. He was invalided out of the reserves having been diagnosed with neurasthenia (a nervous condition which would now be termed post-traumatic stress disorder). He managed to serve in the Royal Army Service Corps. He arrived in France for a tour of duty in the supply lines on 06 December 1914. A description of a river trip on the Thames for convalescing soldiers, published in The Times on 04 September 1915, mentions a member of the Army Service Corps who is also a survivor of the Titanic disaster. Army records show that he served until 1918 with the Royal Army Service Corps.
By 1919 he was working as a third officer on a small vessel out of Hull. In the 1920s he spent time China and Hong Kong. By the late 1920s Robert and his family moved to Torquay, Devon, where his wife’s sister Beatrice was living. Robert was working in a boat charter. In 1930 he purchased a boat from Frederick George Henry HENLEY (aka Harry) for £160 of which he paid the initial sum of £100 with the remainder to be paid within two years. Robert obtained a £100 loan from J.E. SQUIRES in Torquay. He was able to repay £50 but due to a poor season in 1931 he was unable to repay the balance to SQUIRES who then took the boat to settle the debt.
By the end of 1931, Robert’s wife and children had left him and moved to Southampton. Robert spent the next year looking for work all over the country but was unsuccessful. Towards the end of 1933 he wanted to kill Harry, blaming him for his misfortunes. He bought a revolver and arrived in Torquay on 12 November 1933. He met up with Thomas Robert John HOLDEN, a fisherman he knew. That evening, Robert was drinking with another acquaintance, Charles Henry STROUD, who tried to dissuade him from carrying out revenge. After the bars closed, Robert took a taxi to Harry’s house at 6 Happaway Court, Stentiford's Hill. The two men had some words before two shots rang out. One of the shots hit Harry in the head but did not strike a bone. He managed to punch Robert in the face and Robert fell down. Harry ran to the police for help. Robert was taken to the police station in a semi-conscious state. In his pocket he had a suicide note to his brother. The following morning, Robert appeared in the Torquay Court and was remanded in custody for a week. On 29 November 1933 he appeared at the Winchester Assizes. His wrists were bandaged as he had attempted to cut his wrists. He was sentenced to five years prison for attempted murder.
He was released from Parkhurst Prison in 1937. He worked on a cargo ship during World War II, delivering coal. By mid-1940, he was working as Third Mate aboard the ship English Trader. On the evening of 19 July 1940 Robert informed the ship’s doctor that he was too ill to keep his watch on the bridge. He had been unable to keep food down and had a fever. On 24 July, the doctor examined him and stated he was suffering from asthmatic bronchitis. Robert recovered by 05 August. On 19 September, Robert reported ill again, complaining of stomach pains and fever. He did not eat on 20 and 21 September. On 23 September he had still not eaten, and by 10:00 the doctor found him in a coma and was declared at 10:35. His body was removed to the Aberdeen police mortuary. The post mortem gave cause of death as heart disease. Robert was buried at Trinity Cemetery in Aberdeen in a grave with three other people.
In 1939 Florence began to suffer severe headaches and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour. Robert returned to the family home in Shirley Road, Southampton and stayed until Florence’s death on 23 March 1940 at the age of 53. She was buried at the Stoneham Cemetery in Southampton. Soon after her funeral, he left Southampton and never returned.
Robert and Florence’s children:
1) Edna Florence born 1908 in Torquay.
She died at age 48 of cancer.
She married Bernard McKNO. They owned a pub in Southampton and had two daughters, Vivian and Brenda.
2) Frances born 1910.
She had a common-law relationship with Percy KELSEY and had two sons: Barry and Noel.
3) Phyllis May born 1912.
She died at age 63 of cancer.
She was known as the Titanic baby.
Her first marriage was to Alfred Stanley RUSSELL and had three sons: Graham, Bev, and Warner.
She divorced him and married George VEAL.
She managed a café where she met John WATERS and married him. They had a son: James Michael. They lived in Telford.
4) Robert born 1913 in Southampton.
He lived in Cadnam and was an accomplished pianist and songwriter.
He lost his leg in an accident with a tram while riding his bicycle.
During the Black-Out in World War II he was the driver of a vehicle that hit and killed a cyclist on Christmas Eve. The man left twin boys and the tragedy haunted Robert.
He was employed as a wages clerk in Cadnam prior to his death of a heart attack at age 57.
5) Ivy Doreen born 1915 in Southampton.
She died at age 58 of cancer.
She had a relationship with the married Fred WOOLGAR. They had two children: Paul (a boxer / prize-fighter in London) and Susan.
6) Frederick John born 1925 in Southampton.
He died at age 60 of a heart attack.
He served in the British Army during World War II.
He married Dorothy and had three children: Janette, Robert and Frederick.
He was a flooring contractor in Sandhurst, Camberwell, Surrey.
Robert’s great-grand-daughter, Sally NILSSON, wrote The Man Who Sank Titanic. In April 2002, some of Robert’s grandchildren attended the British Titanic Society Convention in Southampton and were introduced to Muffet BROWN (great-granddaughter of Margaret Tobin BROWN of Denver, Colorado, who was on lifeboat 6).
Sydney Samuel JACOBSOHN
Sydney Samuel JACOBSOHN was born on 23 October 1869 in Cape Town, the son of Moritz JACOBSOHN and Juliet SOLOMON. His father was a general merchant who had a shop on the corner of Main and Church Streets in Riversdal. In 1902 Sydney was an attorney at Walker & Jacobsohn, 16 Wale Street. He registered mortgage bonds in 1898 and 1906. Sydney, his parents and several siblings later moved to London, England. He is the man in Frans van Wyk’s book, Riversdal 150 Jaar, as the former resident of the town that was on the Titanic and did not survive.
He married Amy Frances COHEN on 06 September 1910 in London. She was born on 08 April 1888 in Lewisham, Kent, the daughter of Moreno COHEN and Alice Frances JONES. Her mother worked as a psychiatric nurse before she was married in 1885. Her father died in 1890. Alice remarried in 1902 to Frederick Alexander CHRISTY.
Sydney and Amy spent their honeymoon in Torquay, before settling at 7 Pembridge Square in London. In the 1911 England census they are listed as visitors at the Hotel Inverness, in Ealing, and Sydney’s occupation was listed as a colonial lawyer. Sydney and Amy had a daughter who died at birth.
The couple boarded the Titanic as 2nd Class passengers, on their way to Montreal, Canada (ticket number 243847 which cost £27). Amy’s widowed mother Alice Frances Christy, and her sister, Rachel Juli, were accompanying them. Alice’s children adopted the surname CHRISTY. Sydney did not survive. The women survived, rescued by the Carpathia, and returned to England on 11 May 1912 on board the Meganti.
While on honeymoon, Sydney had drawn up his will and had it witnessed by a Mr and Mrs WRIGHT. On her return to London, Amy started legal proceedings in July 1912 to get Sydney's estate passed to her. Her lawyers managed to trace Mr and Mrs WRIGHT who gave evidence that they had read the will and that Amy was the sole heir. Sydney's brother, who lived in 34 Anson Road, Cricklewood, waived all claims which he might have had to the estate. The estate was settled on 07 October 1912 in Amy’s favour.
Amy remarried to William FENWICK and had two children. She moved to Nairobi, Kenya before returning to England for a while. Following a period of ill health, she returned to Nairobi and spent her last days in the Maia Carberry Nursing Home. She died on 09 July 1947 and was buried at City Park Cemetery in Nairobi.
In a January 2019 episode of the TV show Antiques Roadshow, a green engagement ring featured. It belonged to Amy, who had worn it on the Titanic.
Amy’s brother, Jaques Moise CHRISTY (born 1885), worked as an electrical engineer and settled in Vancouver, Canada. He married Hattie Alberta MACKAY and had two sons: John (born 1913) and Robert Frederick (born 1916). Robert later became a prominent theoretical physicist and astrophysicist. During WWII he became an American citizen and was one of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, the research and development programme that produced the first atomic weapons. He died in Pasadena, California on 03 October 2012.
Henry Forbes JULIAN
Henry F JULIAN
Henry Forbes JULIAN was born on 09 May 1861 in Cork, Co Cork, Ireland, the son of Henry JULIAN and Marie. His father was a coach builder. Henry was 13 years old when the family moved to Bolton, Lancashire. He studied at Owens College in Manchester and later in South Kensington, London. He became a metallurgical engineer.
In October 1886 he travelled to South Africa. He became a consulting engineer and mine manager in Natal, Barberton, Johannesburg and Kimberley. Henry stayed in South Africa for seven years, during which time he invented and patented an extracting apparatus for the mines. In 1893 he moved to Germany where he worked as a technical adviser on mining and metallurgy. His work also took him to Mexico, Canada, the USA, the West Indies and eastern Europe. In 1895, he moved to South Devon where he rented Ness House. He also kept a residence in London.
He was a founder member of the Royal Automobile Club and a member of the British Association. By 1902 he was living in Torquay. He joined the Torquay Natural History Society and became an active member of the Devonshire Association, both of which were founded by his future father-in-law William PENGELLY, an eminent geologist. of Torquay. He married Hester PENGALLY on 30 October 1902.
Henry had to attend a business meeting in San Francisco, and was booked to travel on the Olympic, leaving Southampton on 03 April 1912. However, because of the disruptions caused by the national coal strike, his trip was re-scheduled for 10 April on the Titanic. His wife stayed home as she had influenza. He was travelling in 1st Class, cabin E-90 (ticket 110344 costing £26). He did not survive.
Charles KENNELL
Charles KENNEL was born circa 1882 in Cape Town. When he signed-on to the Titanic on 04 April 1912, he gave his address as 6 Park View, Southampton. He previously served on the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic, which took its maiden voyage in 1911. He was the ship’s kosher cook, earning a monthly wage of £4. He did not survive. There were 69 Jewish passengers on board. The kosher kitchen was located on F deck, the back half of the ship, which split from the front during the sinking.
Samuel Beard RISIEN
Samuel Beard RISIEN was born in Deal, Kent on 03 June 1842. He married Mary Louisa LELLYETT on 08 June 1867 in London. She was the daughter of Walter LELLYETT and his wife Charlotte BOYETT.
Samuel was well-off, he was a successful businessman and hotel owner in Texas. He was widely travelled and had spent time in South Africa before he settled in the USA and became an American citizen. He sailed on the CSS Alabama in the Civil War. He belonged to the Joe Johnston Camp of the Confederate Veterans.
Samuel and Mary had four children. They immigrated to the USA shortly after the birth of their first child in 1868 and the remaining children were born in Michigan. By 1880 they were living in Groesbeck, Texas and Samuel was working as a carpenter. In about 1889 he married Emma Jane LELLYET, his wife's sister. Emma was born in 1848 in Havant, Hampshire, England.
In late 1910, Samuel and Emma travelled to Durban, where Emma’s family lived. They spent about a year there, before sailing to England. In London they stayed with Samuel's brother Jonathan, who was a jeweller and diamond dealer. They were on their way back to the USA, after spending about 14 months in Durban. On 10 April 1912, Samuel and his wife boarded the Titanic in Southampton as 3rd Class passengers (ticket number 364498, which cost £14, 10s). They did not survive.
William Thomas STEAD
William Thomas Stead was a newspaper editor, author and publisher. He lived at Cambridge House, Wimbledon Park, London, and Holly Bush, Hayling Island, Hampshire. He was pro-Boer during the Anglo-Boer War and published articles about the concentration camps. He opposed the war and wrote Shall I Slay my Brother the Boer and also published the weekly paper of the Stop the War Committee, War against War in South Africa. He boarded the Titanic in Southampton and was going to a peace congress at Carnegie Hall on 21 April at the request of President William Howard TAFT. He sat reading a book in the 1st Class Smoking Room while the ship sank.
Henry SUTEHALL
Henry (aka Harry) SUTEHALL jnr was born on 23 July 1883 in Fulham, England, the son of Henry SUTEHALL and Sarah STANTON. On 01 January 1910, Henry jnr started a round-the-world trip and purposefully planned to return home to the USA on the Titanic's maiden voyage. His family boarded the Paris in Southampton on 16 March 1895 for Buffalo, New York. Henry snr worked as a plasterer and worked on the cathedral on Delaware Street, designed by architect and a Titanic passenger Edward Austin KENT. Sarah ran the family's corner store at 2852 Delaware Avenue at the intersection of Mang Street in Kenmore, Buffalo.
Henry jnr became a trimmer for E. E. Denniston in Buffalo, installing and repairing upholstery in carriages and early cars. Here he met the Canadian-born Howard Albert IRWIN who became his closest friend. The two friends decided to go on a world tour, working wherever they could find employment. During 1910, they travelled all over the USA. In mid-1911, they left for Australia. While in Sydney, Henry won a sweepstakes that helped fund the rest of their trip. The two friends wanted to visit different places and at this stage, they each went their own way. They met up again in Durban and made plans to meet in England early in 1912 to conclude the voyage home together. While in Durban, they entered a talent contest and won a trip. Henry played the violin and Howard played the clarinet. Howard most likely used the prize to fund his travels, arriving in England a week before Henry. On the day of their departure from Southampton, Howard did not show up. Henry had already put Howard's trunk on board the ship. Henry did not survive.
In 1993, during recovery efforts at the wreck site by RMS Titanic, Inc. Howard's trunk was found. Among the contents was a diary that Howard kept for 1910. The diary and several of Howard's possessions can be seen in museums in St. Petersburg and Boston. Howard married Ivy M. CURRISTON. He died on 23 September 1953 in Haledon, New Jersey. A book, The Man Titanic left Behind, by K. Sohail and Claude Irwin, tells his story.
Austin Blyler VAN BILLIARD
Austin Blyler van Billiard (35) and his sons, James William (10) and Walter John (9), were 3rd Class passengers on their way to South Wales, Pennsylvania, USA. None survived.
Austin was born on 09 February 1877 in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, the son of James Wilson VAN BILLIARD and Phoebe BYLER. His father was a marble merchant. Austin left the USA at a relatively young age for Europe. He was working in France when he met Maude MURRAY whose father was in Paris on business. They were married on 03 November 1900 in Paris.
Austin and Maude’s children:
1) James William VAN BILLIARD was born on 20 August 1901 in North Wales, Pennsylvania.
2) Walter James VAN BILLIARD was born on 28 February 1903 in Cape Town.
3) Dorothy Jane VAN BILLIARD was born on 04 March 1905 at the Cape.
She died on 07 July 1960 in Philadelphia.
She married BELL.
4) Donald Diamond VAN BILLIARD was born on 02 June 1907 at Winter Rush, Beaufort West District.
He died in 1977.
5) Richard VAN BILLIARD was born on 19 November 1909 in Kimberley.
He died in 1988 in Pompano Beach, Florida.
6) George Austin VAN BILLIARD was born on 14 February 1912 in Cape Town.
He died in 1965 in Florida, USA.
From 1902 the family lived in South Africa, where Austin owned part of a diamond claim. He had sold his share and wanted to move permanently to the USA. In 1906 he applied for letters of patent for his invention - a mechanical suspension conveyancer. In 1910, he wrote to the American Consul in Cape Town that he had come to South Africa to establish international trade in diamonds. Owing to the depression following the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, his financial situation didn’t enable him to return to the USA, explaining his extended stay in South Africa. He regarded the USA as his permanent residence.
He left Cape Town for England with his wife and four children on board a French steamer. Maude's parents lived in London. He decided to go to New York where he might get a better price for his uncut diamonds. Maude became ill and remained in England with the youngest children until she was well enough to travel. Austin and his two eldest children boarded the Titanic as 3rd Class passengers (ticket number A/5. 851, £14, 10s). Austin carried at least 12 uncut diamonds, which were found on his body when it was recovered. John’s body, if recovered, was never identified. Walter and Austin were buried at Union Cemetery, Zion Lutheran Church, Flourtown, Pennsylvania. In February 1913, Maude moved to South Wales, Pennsylvania, with her remaining children. She never remarried and died in a nursing home on 17 January 1968.
William Jeffery WARE
William Jeffery WARE was born in 1889 in Calstock, Cornwall, England, the son of Samuel WARE and Ann Louisa WITHERIDGE. His father was a blacksmith. William became a blacksmith. His father had been making trips to South Africa for work since the 1890s and had been living in the country since 1908. William had been on an extended visit to his father. He returned six weeks before departing England again. He boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a 2nd Class passenger (ticket number 28666, which cost £10, 10s). He was travelling to Butte, Montana. He did not survive.
His father eventually returned from South Africa and died in Gunnislake on 21 August 1945.
James WEBBER
Mary GRIFFIN (née WEBBER) died on 17 June 1897 in Main Street, Ferreira, Johannesburg of Brights disease and was buried at Braamfontein Cemetery. She was from Kea, Cornwall, England. Mary was 33 years old when she married the widower, James GRIFFIN, on 05 November 1863. They moved to South Africa.
Her brother, James WEBBER, was on the Titanic on his way back to his home at the Southern Hotel in San Bernardino. James was born in 1846 in Kea, Cornwall, the son of Richard WEBBER and Mary RICHARDS. He was 15 years old and already working as a miner in Kea. By 1871 he was likely living in the USA. He boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a 3rd Class passenger (ticket number SOTON/OQ 3101316, costing £8, 1s). He did not survive.
James left from Southampton after an 18-month trip that took him from the USA to China, Japan, and Korea. He had visited two sisters in Cornwall and Mary in Johannesburg. He owned properties in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. His estate was administered by his sister Harriet JULIAN (née WEBBER), wife of Edmund JULIAN. Harriet died in 1914 in Liskeard, Cornwall.
In 1914 J. GRIFFIN of Kynevin Cottage in Port Elizabeth purchased the private rights to Mary's grave and a stone was erected commemorating Mary and James. This was Mary and James’ son, John (23 January 1864, Cornwall – 23 July 1920, Port Elizabeth). The inscription reads: In loving memory of Mary Griffin of Kea, Cornwall who died at Johannesburg 17th June 1897 aged 66 years. Also, James Webber brother of the above who was drowned on the "Titanic" April 15th 1912 aged 62 years. Safe in the arms of Jesus.
The following are stories that have been passed down as being passengers on the Titanic with a connection to South Africa, but have not been proven as fact:
Edith BOON
Edith BOON claimed to be a passenger on the Titanic, probably aged 15 years, along with her grandfather (name unknown). She wrote a letter on 26 April 1918, addressed to "Dear May", which was written while in Retreat, Cape Town. In it she writes that she knows May is very interested in the Titanic, and so tells her what she recalls, even though it is difficult for her to deal with the memories. The 5-page letter is "a personal account of the sinking of the Titanic" and is in the National Library of South Africa in Cape Town as part of the A.A. FULLALOVE Collection. Arthur Anthony FULLALOVE (1911-1978) was a South African Railways employee and amateur researcher and writer. He collected books, documents, photographs and diaries.
Edith's letter includes the following “On the boat we had a glorious time; all the way round the deck was a cycle track and also beautiful gardens – really the Titanic was a moving palace... The cabins were beautifully furnished and very large. We had four bunks our cabin, including a dressing table, washing stand and wardrobe, and leading from our cabin into the next was a beautiful bathroom.” She further describes the disaster... "Oh! Never shall I forget that scene. My grandfather told us that our lives were now almost at an end and that only prayers shall help and comfort us. He helped to get us a boat, kissing us goodbye and taking his wedding ring and slipping it onto mine. He left us with a prayer on his lips and tears in his eyes. Oh! Never, never! will I forget that moment, he turned away and we lost sight of him among the crowds that were struggling for a seat on the boats. We then saw hundreds of people struggling in the icy water on the one side of us and on the other we saw the huge iceberg floating away, and without exaggeration it seemed to be as large as Table Mountain, well I dare say it is only natural that it should seem huge for we were not too far away from it. The last I can remember is the awful cry of the drowning; then of the explosion..."
Edith was living in Holland with her parents and little sister (she also refers to her as her twin), when her grandparents arrived for a visit from England. A week later, her sister became ill and died. Her mother was hospitalised with shock, and her grandparents stayed on to look after Edith during the day, while her father was out working. When Edith's mother was released from hospital, she found it difficult to see Edith without her sister, so she asked the grandparents to adopt her. This happened when Edith was four years old. Edith and her grandparents left for England for a short while and then to Africa. It is not known where in Africa. Her mother later adopted other children.
Edith and her grandparents stayed in Africa until she was 14 years old, after which they left for England and then Holland. In Holland, Edith was told who her parents were, as she had regarded her grandparents as her mother and father. After so many years, she decided to remain living with her grandparents. After a stay in Holland, Edith and her grandparents returned to England in 1912. On 02 April 1912, they left England aboard the Titanic for the USA, as 1st Class passengers.
Edith's grandfather found a life-boat for her and his wife. He took his wedding ring off and gave it to Edith, and kissed them goodbye. He turned into the crowd and they lost sight of him. Once they were safely on board the life-boat and rowing away from the ship, they saw him one last time on the deck, bidding them a last farewell. Edith wore the ring all her life. She ended her letter by signing off as "I remain a Titanic survivor" and asks May not to show the letter to anyone else as it is badly written.
The only Edith on board who matches in age was Edith BROWN (later married to HAISMAN). However, she was in 2nd Class, and the letter writer specifically stated that her grandfather would not allow her to go down to the other Classes so she did not know what they looked like. Also, the two girls’ memories of their grandfathers on the fateful night are very different.
Herbert Linford GWYER
A man who became the Bishop of George circa 1950s/1960s, spent his honeymoon on the Titanic. Different lifeboats picked up the newly-wed couple and they were separated for three weeks, neither knowing that the other was alive. The following were the bishops of George during those years: Herbert Linford GWYER 1937-1951, John HUNTER 1951-1966 and Patrick Harold Falkiner BARRON 1966-1978. Herbert was a survivor of the sinking of RMS Lusitania, which may have been confused with the Titanic over time.
William Harold WELCH
William Harold WELCH was born on 15 December 1890 in Southampton, the son of Charles William WELCH and Mary Jane. He had a brother, Charles Leslie, born in 1896.
When he signed-on to the Titanic on 04 April 1912 he gave his address as Northern Bond Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton. His last ship had been the Edinburgh Castle. As an assistant cook, his monthly wage was £4 10s. William did not survive.
His parents remained in Southampton, where his mother died in 1931 and his father in 1948. His brother was said to have settled in South Africa. Charles Leslie died in 1987 in Leicester. He married Katherine Mary TOMLIN in 1921 in Belgrave, Leicestershire. At the time, Charles lived at 5 Halkin Street, Leicester.
Josef (Joseph) Argon ROTHENAIGNER
Josef (Joseph) Argon ROTHENAIGNER claimed to be a wine steward in 2nd Class on board the Titanic and was rescued by the lifeboats. He is not listed in any Titanic passenger lists or survivor lists.
He was born on 14 March 1891 in Triftern, Rottal-Inn, Bavaria, Germany. Archival records confirm that he was in internment camps in South Africa from 1914 to 1919.
On 19 April 1933 he married the widow Christina Wilhelmina CYSTER (née ROBERTSON) in Cape Town. At the time, he was 42 years old, a hotel manager and lived in Pniel. Christina had six children from her previous marriage to Andre Johann CYSTER who died in 1930. The marriage did not last long. According their divorce record, Christina left in about 1937. Joseph filed for divorce in 1947 and it was granted on 06 August 1947. Christina died on 07 July 1981 in Pretoria.
On 18 September 1947 Joseph married the spinster Auguste Wilhelmine DIENER in Paarl. They lived at 371 Main Street, Paarl.
He became a tailor in Paarl and had a shop in Mernoleon Street.
On 18 May 1956, he arrived in Southampton on board the Athlone Castle from Cape Town. He gave his occupation as farmer, and was going to Kapuziner Street, 11/4 Munich.
He died on 22 November 1970 in Paarl.
Auguste died on 17 May 1991 in Paarl.
An article in the Cape Argus dated 23 November 1970 referred to him as a Titanic survivor:
Paarl. Monday. - A German immigrant to South Africa who spent 12 years in internment camps in South Africa during World Wars I and II, and who is believed to be the only survivor in South Africa of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, died at his home at 2 Mernoleon Street, Paarl, at the age of 79.
He was Mr. Argon Rothenaigner, who was well-known in the tailoring trade here before he retired in 1967.
Mr. Rothenaigner had narrow escapes as a German soldier during the South West African campaign in 1914 and 1915.
He miraculously escaped death when he was a steward on the ill-fated ship, the Titanic, which sank in 1912 drowning more than 1,000 passengers and crew. When the ship went down, he jumped into the sea in a lifebelt and drifted for 10 hours before he was picked up by rescue boats. He was one of the few survivors.
Mr. Rothenaigner was taken as a prisoner of war by South African forces in S.W.A. during 1915 and spent five years in internment camps in South Africa. After the war her returned to Germany, but immigrated to South Africa in 1938. He was again interned during World War II, but released in 1947.
He leaves a wife in Paarl, and a daughter from a previous marriage in Switzerland.
Joseph and Christina had two children:
1) Angela ROTHENAIGNER was born on 22 March 1933.
She died on 15 March 2019 in Port Elizabeth. Her last residential address 412 Fernkloof, Park Drive, Port Elizabeth. She married Corrado PASSERINI on 03 July 1954 in Stellenbosch. At the time, he was a general dealer and lived at 154 Main Street, Paarl. She lived at 6 Zeederburg Square, Paarl.
2) Rosemarie ROTHENAIGNER born in 1934.
