CAPTAIN ARTHUR ROSTRON CARPATHIA Created by: Jonathon Wild Campaign Director – Maelstrom www.maelstromdesign.co.uk CONTENTS 1 CAPTAIN ARTHUR ROSTRON………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………3-6 CUNARD LINE…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7-8 CAPTAIN ARTHUR ROSTRON CONT…….….……………………………………………………………………………………………………….8-9 RMS CARPATHIA…………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….9-10 SINKING OF THE RMS TITANIC………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…11-17 CAPTAIN ARTHUR ROSTRON CONT…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….18-23 R.M.S CARPATHIA – Copyright shipwreckworld.com 2 CAPTAIN ARTHUR ROSTRON Sir Arthur Henry Rostron, KBE, RD, RND, was a seafaring officer working for the Cunard Line. Up until 1912, he was an unknown person apart from in nautical circles and was a British sailor that had served in the British Merchant Navy and the Royal Naval Reserve for many years. However, his name is now part of the grand legacy of the Titanic story. The Titanic needs no introduction, it is possibly the most known single word used that can bring up memories of the sinking of the ship for the relatives, it will reveal a story that is still known and discussed to this day. And yet, Captain Rostron had no connections with the ship, or the White Star Line before 1912. On the night of 14th/15th April 1912, because of his selfless actions, he would be best remembered as the Captain of the RMS Carpathia who rescued many hundreds of people from the sinking of the RMS Titanic, after it collided with an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Image Copyright 9gag.com Rostron was born in Bolton on the 14th May 1869 in the town of Bolton. His birthplace was at Bank Cottage, Sharples to parents James and Nancy Rostron. Bank Cottage has now been replaced by Sharples School. Arthur was the second child of his parents, James being 30 years old and Nancy being 27 years old at the time of his birth. It was the marriage of James and Nancy in 1867 that produced a total of 5 children. The first to be born was Edith (1868), Arthur (1869), Frederic (1870), Beatrice (1872), Ethel (she only survived for two weeks), and George in 1877. Bolton was at the time, and for many years afterwards, the centre of the Industrial Revolution. For anyone who has watched the late Steeplejack, Fred Dibnah, he would have provided hours of interesting anecdotes on the heritage of Bolton’s fine industry. The town was the main focal point for the manufacturer of cotton textiles, and as Fred Dibnah once said, there were nearly 200 factories employing thousands of people. They would produce medium and fine yarns, cotton cloths and many household goods. Map to the right shows Bank Cottage - copyright maps.nls.uk We must go back to Rostron’s family tree to understand the history of the family and how they arrived at Bolton. As with many families, parents or grandparents would also work at the Cotton Mills. The Rostron’s family were the same with both of Arthur’s grandfathers working in the mills at their time. Henry Rostron was a dyer and Thomas Lever was a cotton-waste dealer. Again, the family would have supported (and would have had little else to turn to) the mill by Arthur’s father who was also a cotton-waste dealer at the mill. The family trend to work in the cotton mills was further cemented by Arthur’s younger brother, George, who would later go on to manage the running of a cotton mill himself. How did the industrial town of Bolton, with the entire family working in the Cotton Mills, far away from any Nautical involvement, or even any major river on the horizon? How would Arthur move from a standard industry with views towards anything other than a life at the mills? It was not the time or really the option to have ideas about your station, let alone to put these ideas in to any sort of practice outside the safety of the Mills? 3 Arthur Rostron had ambition. At a very early age, he had ideas of the sea. But this must have been installed by a remote ancestor as there was no specific pull in Bolton for anything Nautical. The plans at home was much the same. Arthur’s father wanted him to have a good education, and a good standard secure career, certainly as far removed from the sea as possible. Yet as it happens with many people who are pushed into something they don’t want to do; they rebel and decide to do exactly what they want to do. His first nautical experience was running away from home at the age of 14, but that didn’t get him very far. Certainly not to the sea. Having been brought back to his standard lifestyle, the progression was for him to gain further education. He was schooled at Bolton Grammar School (the school was built in 1657!) and then baptised as an Anglican he then enrolled in in the Upper School of the Bolton Church of England Educational Institute, in Silverwell Street. The school offered excellent facilities and offered every possible assistance in forming the children who were schooled there, however as again, Arthur was still unsure on his Career. He left the school at the age of 15 and was still not swayed by his choice of career – something to do with the sea. His Father seeing that his son was not to be moved in his passion, agreed to assist to enrol his son aboard the HMS Conway. The HMS Conway was a ‘school ship’, founded in 1859, that stood on the River Mersey at Birkenhead before being moved to the Menai Strait during WW2. This provided the opportunity by the Mercantile Marine Service Association (founded in 1857) to improve the status of Britain’s merchant service and its officers. It was in 1859 that they acquired the surplus HMS Conway to use as a training ship for merchant officer cadets. (image copyright Wikipedia.com) This was a short-lived acquisition lasting for two years until she was replaced by the HMS Winchester – renamed the HMS Conway. Again, this structure lasted till 1876 for when she was replaced again by the former HMS Nile, a 92-gun two-deck, second rate ship of the line originally built in 1826. The big machinery was removed, and the rigging was added, and this ship would be the model ship for a training ship, sleeping quarters and general mess for the students who would learn their trade and their love of the sea on this ship. It was noted that Arthur’s time spent aboard the ship and learning his seafaring trade amounted to £105! A small fortune in those days. Rostron enrolled in this activity in February 1885 and was part of a group who were structured yet were free to move forward with other activities on the ship. There were other subjects to excel in and it wasn’t all training. At nearly 16, Rostron had found his calling and was already near the top of his game by the end of the first term. Was it during this time of heavy exams in seagoing subjects of navigation, nautical astronomy and the laws of compass deviation that gave him the knowledge upon receiving the news of the Titanic made him quickly assess the situation knowing he could make a difference? Arthur’s senior year was the greatest. He reached the head cadet and was the leading cadet. This was more than a hobby as he took to this greatly. Part of his year meant he had to work through additional tests in navigation, and seamanship which were reviewed by the marine board in Liverpool. It was noted that these consisted of: Rules of the Road at Sea, Use of Charts, Signals, and Nautical Instruments. At the end of this time, he concluded this with an Extra Certificate issued on 20th December 1886 and his final report of ‘Conduct very good. Ability very good’. It was noted that only a few days later, he received a letter to appoint him as midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserve. A fantastic achievement brought on by his excellent conduct during his time of HMS Conway. He concluded his time at the HMS Conway by stating that every boy should take the time to experience the HMS Conway and what the system had to offer. He said that he was schooled there, learnt new subjects, learnt many skills that he came to rely upon later in life and stated that it provided the structure to make him aware that a life on the sea was the way forward. Conway’s Register of Cadets note that Rostron would next join a sailing ship named Cedric the Saxon, his first billet in the merchant service and the beginning of his lifetime at sea. 4 As with many great seafaring people, he came to Liverpool as one of the greatest ports in the world for trade and industry. It was in February 1887 and just over 17, that he signed up with the Liverpool shipping firm of Williamson, Milligan and Company. He was to be there for 4 years under an apprentice and had to promise not to ‘frequent Taverns or Alehouses’. A difficult promise to keep in Liverpool with a pub on every corner. In return for keeping his nose clean, the company would train him in all manner of expertise in relation to nautical activities. The headquarters of Williamson, Milligan and Company were based in the Old Castle Buildings Preeson’s Row, Liverpool. They ‘engaged in general trade to all parts of the world’ and owned many ships of differing weight and size and structure.