Bell family home in Farlam, Cumberland Joseph Bell Memorial JOSEPH The memorial gravestone of Joseph Bell is situated in the old graveyard of St Thomas a Becket Church, Old Graveyard, Kirkhouse, BELL Nr Brampton, Cumbria CA8 1JR and is clearly R.M.S. Titanic Chief Engineer signed for visitors. Those visiting Hadrian’s Wall or nearby Brampton, might be unaware of this historical A brief history memorial nearby. Joseph Bell was born at home in Farlam House, Farlam, Cumberland on 12th March 1861. As a fi rst child, he was named a er both his grandfather and great-grandfather who had been farmers there from the 17th century. JA er school in Carlisle, Joseph was apprenticed as an engine fi er at R & H Stephenson Company Shipyard In Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Having completed his apprenticeship there he entered the service of the Mercantile Marine sailing under the fl ag of the Liverpool & River Plate Steam Navigation Co. A er two years, he began his career with the White Star Line serving on Visit the website to some eighteen ships beginning with RMS download a free 81 page Oceanic and eventually the Titanic; until his eBook Tarn to Titanic on death aged 51 on the sinking of Titanic on the life of Joseph Bell April 15th 1912. josephbellengineer.com Visit the Memorial The Engine Remembering Restored memorial of Joseph Bell (le ). Room Heroes their courage Unveiling of the memorial The memorial represents a man of by John Lightfoot (below) The unsung Heroes of the engine room, and Barrie Bell Hodgson. Joseph Bell and his fellow Engineers great courage and human endeavour, Barrie Bell Hodgson kept Titanic’s lights burning until she for his part in the tragedy of the and Anne Freer are co- sinking of RMS Titanic, on the authors of Tarn to Titanic: went down. Knowing that the iceberg Life and Times of Joseph damage was fatal they stuck to their 15th April 1912. Joseph Bell had an Bell Chief Engineer posts, and perished to the last man, extraordinary role, together with his together with the builders’ engineers fellow Engineers, in the saving of so who were with them. All these were many lives with their heroism and the fi rst to know the desperate nature bravery on that night. of the damage to Titanic and were fi rst to note the rising of the water, A er over a hundred years this the uselessness of the pumps, and the remarkable fi gure of the 19th century impossibility of keeping Titanic afl oat. should be more widely recognised. They did however keep the dynamos going, the pumps working, and looked a er the bulkhead doors. Most of them Smithfi eld BIRDOSWALD Ge ing ROMAN FORT died at the last explosion, which tore M6 HADRIAN’S WALL A69 the Titanic asunder as she went down. there A7 Scaleby Main approach Brampton directions: ST THOMAS RMS Titanic at the A689 A BECKET CHURCH Southampton docks ● From the west Old Graveyard, Kirkhouse, use M6 junction Houghton Nr Brampton, FARLAM Cumbria CA8 1JR 43 via the A689 A69 ● From the east A689 CARLISLE Warwick via the A69 M6 Bridge To fi nd out more Blackwell about the life A595 and times of Joseph Bell, and M6 directions to his memorial, scan the QR code Visit the restored memorial to Joseph Bell. Read the information board and discover a hidden piece of history..