Titanic

She was the biggest ship of her day. She was nicknamed “The Millionaires Special” because you had to be a millionaire to afford to go on her. There was approximately 898 crew, 549 had Southampton addresses and only 212 came home. Overnight in Southampton 232 women became widows and 1239 children were orphaned.

Captain Lardiner of the Mackay Bennett, which was the ship sent to retrieve the bodies, said “It looked like a flock of seagulls on the water” until they got up close and realised these seagulls were life jacketed people floating up right in the water. They were our men, the men from Southampton.

Whilst the Titanic was in Southampton, prior to sailing, Thomas Andrews (Managing Director of Harland and Wolff Ltd) stayed at The South Western Hotel. His days were spent preparing the ship for sailing. In The South Western Hotel the day before sailing, he met J Bruce Ismay (Chairman of White Star Line) who had spent the night in the hotel. Later that evening, Thomas Andrews wrote to his wife "The Titanic is now about complete and will I think do the old firm credit tomorrow when we sail." (10th April 1912).

Written by Genevieve Bailey