The 95th anniversary of the Titanic in Halifax

[HeatherH]

Hi Everyone,
Here in Halifax, Nova Scotia we will be marking the 95th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic next weekend starting with a Memorial service early Sunday morning at Fairview Lawn Cemetery at 2:20am, the hour the ship broke apart. This will be followed by lectures throughout the day at other locations. A group of over 20 countries will be gathering to commemorate the occasion starting with a fly over of the site of the wreck during a charter from London, England followed by a reception at a local Hotel.
Other locations on the tour Saturday will be the former site of the Mayflower Curling Rink (now an army surplus store) that was used as a temporary morgue; the Five Fishermen restaurant (Snow's Funeral Home); and of all places the Local Woman's house at 949 Young Ave. (once owned by millionaire Titanic victim George Wright.)
Among the visitors will be Millivera Dean the youngest survivor of the tragedy who was only 9 weeks old.
There are a number of sites online about the survivors and those who perished but I thought this link was the most interesting in our line of research. An ever-expanding list of death certs found at http://www.titanic-titanic.com/death_certificates.shtml
The reason for Halifax's interest in the Titanic is that the Rescue ship MacKay-Bennett came from here and returned with over 200 bodies, 150 are now buried in cemeteries in the city such as the Catholic Mount Olivet and Jewish Baron De Hirsh as well as Fairview Lawn.
A great deal of ongoing research has enabled 6 formerly unidentified people to have their grave markers inscribed in 1991.
My interest in the Titanic is also a part of how I became involved in my family research. I had grown up with tales of Great Uncle Willie who had died when the Titanic sank. I started at age 12 to try and find who this Great Uncle of my Grandmother may have been only to find over 20 years later he was William Holmes brother of my gran's father who had indeed died on a ship but it was the ILLOVO a steamer sailing from Africa in may 1905 and that Great Uncle Willie had died of Mitrol Disease. But its too late for me now as I'm hooked on the family tree search and it will be years before I am satisfied I have learned all I can about the many people I have discovered in my search. Not to mention there is still the mystery of Great Uncle Willie and why he was in Africa in the first place. I have heard he was poorly and his father sent him on a trip. Also rumored he was a miner who brought back from previous trips a ruby that was cut in half and made into a ladies hatpin and a gentleman's tie tack both of which my mother has today. Are they real or just glass and paste? Guess there is a lot more digging to do (excuse the mining pun) for this elusive family member.
As for my interest in the Titanic it continues to today as I consider the sinking to be one of the first stepping-stones to the end of a way of life for our ancestors and the beginning of a more equal view of human life due to the tragedy.
For more info on Halifax, Nova Scotia link to the Titanic see ... http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/titanic/titanic.htm .
Happy Hunting,
HeatherH

[paddyscar]

Thanks for posting this Heather. Just last night I was asking a friend, was it the 14th or 15th of April, so you've saved me a fact finder search. What a loss and you are right in saying it made us more mindful of the equal value of a human life regardless of economic status.

Frances

[DavidWW]

The sad reality is that the RMS Titanic wouldn't have had even the number of lifeboats that she did, had it not been for another shipwreck a few years previously in 1904, - I forget the name for the moment, - it was an emigrant ship out of Copenhagen, calling in on the way at Oslo - known as Chistiana at the time, - and Kristiansand.

The captain got his navigation severely wrong for some reason, and the SS Norge (I remember now!) ran aground on a reef near Rockall.

There were only 12 lifeboats for the ca. 1,000 passengers and crew, of which 10 got away.

2 of these were never found. Several were fairly quickly picked up and the survivors taken the Faroe Islands and Hull.

One lifeboat, if I recall the number correctly, wasn't found until some days later, the survivors being taken to Stornaway, where there is a memorial, - most of those who survived later died on shore in Stornoway, due not least to having had to drink seawater to survive ...........

David

[Chris Paton]

Hi Heather, I hope you have a good bash - I was here for the 250th anniversary celebrations a few years back (on board HMS Rose), and you can certainly entertain in Halifax!

My great great grandfather, Cochrane McLaughlin Watton, worked as a painter in Belfast on the Titainc, with his brother William as one of the rivetters. Nice to see Halifax remembering the tragedy, and nice to see Belfast finally trying to reinvigorate the docks with its new Titanic quarter.

Chris

[HeatherH]

Hi Chris,
I saw a news program on that just 2 weeks ago . They talked about how Ireland has finally come to realize the importance and historical value of the Docks and the slipway and that money would be invested to get things ready for the 100th anniversary.
HeatherH

[StewL]

Hello Heather

I saw a story on the Halifax memorial on the box the other day, but can't recall which programme it was

I dont have any connection to the Titanic, but to be honest I am not a great fan of watching any of the "Titanic" movies which have been produced over the years, although they say the 1950's verson was the better of the bunch.

I think it is my navy background that makes me shun those films of ships sinking, just don't like watching them. I get the shivers watching them.

Nice to hear that those poor souls are not forgotten though.