Titanics Chief Engineer

[John Arton]

Here's an interesting bit from our local rag regarding the Chief Engineer of the Titanic.
Another bit of co-incidence is that he came from quite close by to where Ismay was born in Maryport.
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/cookso...rial-1-6652182

rgds
JA

[John Gill]

Wikipedia states Ismay (Bruce) of Titanic fame was born in Crosby, Merseyside in December 1862. Perhaps it was his father Thomas who had the Maryport connection.
gilly

[Jim Brady]

Lots of Titanic connections here at this end of Liverpool,the captains house is just along the road from Seaforth at Waterloo various other people lived in the Crosby area.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

In Bolton, that town of great Seafaring Men. we have Captain Rostron of the Carpathia, who rescued 705 survivors, He lived on Blackburn Road, also living on Blackburn Road was Captain Lord of the Californian, he was accused of not responding to the TITANIC`s Distress rockets. He later retired to the Wirral, Also on Blackburn Road, Bolton lived Wallace Hartley, the Band Leader of the TITANIC, who was drowned and his body recovered with his violin and shipped back home to his parents and is buried in Colne Lancs.
Captain Rostron and Captain Lord both went to the same schools, St Pauls Church School on Blackburn Road and then to Bolton Grammar School, Rostron became Head Boy. The schools are still there.
On the Queen Mary two years ago in Long Beach California, I met Captain Rostron`s Great Grand Daughter. The Staff had told her that I was on board and she searched for me. She now lives in the U.S.
here she is below.
Also the service on the after deck of QE2 on the 96th Anniversary of the sinking, 2008, right over the wreck site, , raining, nearest iceberg 25 miles away. The US Coast Guard dropped a wreath into the sea along with ours.
Cheers
Brian

[Jim Brady]

John A you will see from attached Joseph Bell lived in Crosby.
Regards.Jim.B.
http://www.g8jyv.co.uk/titanic.html

[Ron Kendall]

Joseph Bellwas born n what was then Cumberland as was Thomas Ismay,they ended up in Merseyside after the Brocklebanks relocated there earlier, and I wonderif that is one of the reasons that so many places have Cumbrian names? Bootle, Crosby, Egremont, Harrington (dock and street)etc

[mmmmerchant]

Joseph Bell was born 12 March 1861.At the age of 30 Joseph was promoted to Chief Engineer the Coptic.

[robpage]

From http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org...seph-bell.html

Joseph Bell, Chief Engineer of RMS Titanic, was from Farlam, Cumbria.

The Bell family were yeoman who had been farming for many decades in Farlam. The family home (Farlam House) had been extended many times from the 17th century onwards. The future engineer’s great grandfather (also called Joseph) and his great grandmother Mary have their initials J M B (Bell) 1818 carved over the current front door.

Joseph Bell was born on 12 March 1861 to John and Margaret Bell of Farlam, Cumbria. As the first child he was named after his grandfather and great grandfather. He was baptised on the 4th May 1861 at Farlam Church.

The young Joseph Bell’s mother Margaret (Watson) came from a similar farming family in the next village.

A second child Jane was born in 1864 and named after Margaret’s sister. The third child Richard Watson1865-1882 was named after Margaret’s father. The fourth and last child John was born in 1868. Margaret died shortly after John’s birth.

In Farlam Church yard is the family head stone. It records the passing of Joseph (great grandfather) then Margaret, Richard and finally a tribute to Joseph Bell and the engineering staff from the Titanic. The inscription is similar to that found on the Titanic memorial in Southampton.

Joseph’s father John had inherited the family farm from his father in 1849 at the age of 17. He had been brought up by his grandmother as his mother had also died after the birth of his younger brother. John married Margaret Watson and continued farming in Farlam. It is thought that the children were educated in a private school in the village.

In the 1870’s, following his wife’s death, John moved with his children to Eden Town, Stanwix, Carlisle. The children continued their education at William Harrison’s academy at Earl Street, Carlisle. John’s younger brother Joseph immigrated to Australia on the SS Great Britain. Joseph and is daughter died out there but the rest of the family returned and lived latterly in Carlisle.

The young Joseph left Carlisle and went to Newcastle as an apprentice engine fitter at Robert Stephensons and Co. George Stephenson was a regular visitor to James Thompson of Farlam Hall and son Robert even made a donation to the new church appeal. Thompson’s collieries were along the fell side and serviced by railways which had been developed in conjunction with the Stephensons. Thompson and Sons bought locomotives including the Rocket from Newcastle as well building their own at Kirkhouse. Living only a mile from all this Victorian innovation it presented an attractive alternative to farming.

Bell joined the White Star line in 1885 and served on many vessels trading on the company`s New Zealand and New York services.

Joseph married Maud Bates in 1893 in Ripley and had 4 children. Frances John (Frank) 1896, Marjorie Clare 1899, Eileen Maud 1901 and Ralph Douglas 1908. Jane Bell (sister) married William Hugh Lowthian in 1886 and they spent a number of years living in Ripley where he was a bank manager. It was probably during this time that Joseph met Maud. The two families were close and in 1901 Jane was looking after Frank when the third child was born. At the time of the Titanic disaster William was a bank manager in Carlisle.

At the age of 30 Joseph was promoted to Chief Engineer on the Coptic.

In 1911 Joseph was in lodgings in Belfast with his wife and the youngest child. On the census return each lodger has filled in their own details. Josephs occupation: Chief Engineer SS Olympic, White Star Line. Birth place; Farlam Village, near Carlisle, England. The lodging house was run by Emma Johnston, refered to in Josephs letter to Frank written from the Titanic. The two daughters were being cared for at the family home whilst young Frank was boarding at Grovenor College, Warwick Square, Carlisle. A private school for boys run by William Graham.

A member of the Institute of Marine Engineers and of the Royal Naval Reserve Joseph Bell lived at 1 Belvidere Road, Great Crosby, Liverpool but had a temporary address in Southampton.

Joseph served aboard the Olympic before being transferred to the Titanic. He "stood-by" the ship during her construction in Belfast.

Bell died in the sinking leaving behind Maud and their four children.

After the sinking of the Titanic and the death of her husband, probate was granted in London to Maud and her brother William Ralph Bates £6,457 2s 10d). Maud inherited the family farm at Farlam which had only been part of the estate since 1904 after his father died. Although she never lived here, family relatives ran the farm until the farm was sold.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Nothing about the Chief Engineer, but there is a book available 'Down amongst the Black Gang' (by Richard de Kerbech) The world and workplace of RMS Titanic's stokers : The functions of the trimmers, stokers, firemen and greasers explained in detail, how their work was organised and controlled. As no photographs of the Titanic's engineroom survive it is illustrated with pictures of similar ships of the time.

Haven't got a copy myself and haven't got an ISBN number but no doubt Amazon will help, also available at www.mainmastbooks.co.uk

[Captain Kong]

I did a trip as a coal burning fireman in 1952 on the Beechfield, one of Savages [ what a good name for a ship owner ]. didnt last long but what an experience, do your own trimming, throw a pitch on, a flick of the wrist to spread the coal across the fires, feed `em. rake and slice the clinkers, dump your own ashes, covered in ash thats stuck to the sweat,a belt with the buckle at the back, watch the water level and steam, 180 psi. four hours on four off.
Apart from all that, not a bad job.
Cheers
Brian.