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The sailor superstitions the Titanic ignored
Did you know that six traditional sailor superstitions were ignored on the Titanic’s maiden voyage to New York? Take a look at the evidence we’ve uncovered in our collection of Titanic records. Prepare yourself, some of the superstitions may seem a bit silly…
Sailor superstition #1: Women on board a ship make the sea angry
The header pages from the ship’s passenger list reveal that there were 353 female passengers travelling on the Titanic. The passenger list records the people who boarded at Southampton and Queenstown, but the list of those who boarded at Cherbourg does not survive.
Header page from the Titanic's passenger list, recording the passengers who boarded at Southampton
Sailor superstition #2: It’s unlucky to have a priest on board
A list of the passengers and crew who were supposed drowned can be found in our maritime death records. These record the occupation of each victim, revealing that four of the Titanic’s passengers were Ministers of Religion.
Two of the Ministers of Religion listed in the Maritime death records
Sailor superstition #3: Cutting your hair at sea is bad luck
The list of those who perished in the disaster also shows that there were three Barbers travelling on the Titanic. Two of these were crew members who would have practised their trade on the ship.
One of the Barbers listed in the Maritime death records
Sailor superstition #4: A dog seen near fishing tackle is bad luck
We’ve uncovered this article in The British Newspaper Archive which states that there were dogs (and a pig!) on board the Titanic:
An article from The Western Times, Saturday 20 April 1912
Sailor superstition #5: People with red hair bring bad luck to a ship
You can find many of the Titanic’s surviving crew members listed in our Merchant Navy seamen records. You’ll often find a physical description or a photograph included, as is the case with John Alexander Podesta. Podesta worked as a Fireman on the Titanic and his Merchant Navy index card describes his hair colour as being ‘auburn’.
John Podesta's Merchant Navy seamen record
Sailor superstition #6: Flowers are unlucky on board a ship
Another of the Titanic’s Firemen, Charles Rice, also survived and appears in the Merchant Navy records. He was recorded as having a tattoo on his right forearm depicting a basket of flowers.
Charles Rice's Merchant Navy seaman record
Do you think there’s any truth behind superstitions like these? Is there anything you do or avoid doing to bring you luck?
Findmypast.co.uk launches new Titanic records
Today marks the launch of two fascinating sets of records, which include information about the Titanic: Maritime births, marriages and deaths and White Star Line Officers’ books. We’re thrilled to offer you the most comprehensive collection of Titanic records anywhere online.
Maritime births, marriages and deaths
Search for your ancestors in vivid full colour scans of the original birth, marriage and death records of those associated with maritime occupations, not just ones which took place at sea. These include all Titanic crew members and all Titanic passengers who died at sea.
Until now there has never been a mandatory single centralised register of births, marriages and deaths at sea. Some records were deposited with the General Register Office, some with The National Archives and others elsewhere. Our online collection is published in association with The National Archives and brings together 30 different record types from 10 different record series held at The National Archives.
White Star Line Officers’ books
View full colour scans of the original service records of White Star Line officers and commanders, including all the officers on board the Titanic.
The records include an original colour scan of Captain Edward Smith‘s employment record listing all the ships he served on and when. You can see the red ink on his record which tells us he was ‘Lost in “Titanic” April 15th, 1912′. View Edward’s record below – click on the image to enlarge it.
Click to enlarge
The information for each officer includes: date and place of birth, address, details of his apprenticeship, the names and dates of the ships served upon and the date he left the company.
Search White Star Line Officers’ books
Search other Titanic records on findmypast.co.uk
As well as these two brilliant sets of records, you can also search for your Titanic ancestors in our passenger lists leaving the UK 1890-1960 and our Merchant Navy Seamen records. You won’t find a more comprehensive set of Titanic records anywhere else.
Find out more about our Titanic records
Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: director's cut
We’ve been chatting to Adam Donneky, producer and director of two episodes of Find My Past the TV show, to find out the view from behind the camera.
FMP: What was your role in the series? How did you do this?
Adam: I was one of five producer/directors involved in this series of Find My Past the TV show. I directed two of the 10 episodes looking at stories from the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940 and the Whitechapel murders of 1888, attributed to the infamous Jack the Ripper.
FMP: What was the most difficult thing you faced?
Adam: The greatest difficulty that I faced was selecting the three individuals for each episode as there were so many fascinating personal stories from both historical events.
FMP: What was your favourite moment?
Adam: Very difficult to select a favourite moment from the filming process as this series includes so many fascinating individuals. I think I would have to say that the most prestigious moment for me was working with the Dunkirk veterans. Their stories were so remarkable and their attitudes and sense of humour was such an inspiration. I have to thank both the Dunkirk Veterans Association and the Dunkirk Little Ships Association for making it all possible.
FMP: How do you think this series compares with other family history programmes, such as Who Do You Think You Are?
Adam: What I like about Find My Past the TV show is that it gives new insights into stories that we all think we already know.
FMP: What was it like contacting potential participants and how did they react?
Adam: All the participants in my shows found their involvement to be a really positive experience. It was very difficult to keep certain information secret until we had them on camera, but they really enjoyed the suspense of discovering new facts about their ancestors.
Find out more about Find My Past the TV show
Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: director’s cut
We’ve been chatting to Adam Donneky, producer and director of two episodes of Find My Past the TV show, to find out the view from behind the camera.
FMP: What was your role in the series? How did you do this?
Adam: I was one of five producer/directors involved in this series of Find My Past the TV show. I directed two of the 10 episodes looking at stories from the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940 and the Whitechapel murders of 1888, attributed to the infamous Jack the Ripper.
FMP: What was the most difficult thing you faced?
Adam: The greatest difficulty that I faced was selecting the three individuals for each episode as there were so many fascinating personal stories from both historical events.
FMP: What was your favourite moment?
Adam: Very difficult to select a favourite moment from the filming process as this series includes so many fascinating individuals. I think I would have to say that the most prestigious moment for me was working with the Dunkirk veterans. Their stories were so remarkable and their attitudes and sense of humour was such an inspiration. I have to thank both the Dunkirk Veterans Association and the Dunkirk Little Ships Association for making it all possible.
FMP: How do you think this series compares with other family history programmes, such as Who Do You Think You Are?
Adam: What I like about Find My Past the TV show is that it gives new insights into stories that we all think we already know.
FMP: What was it like contacting potential participants and how did they react?
Adam: All the participants in my shows found their involvement to be a really positive experience. It was very difficult to keep certain information secret until we had them on camera, but they really enjoyed the suspense of discovering new facts about their ancestors.
Find out more about Find My Past the TV show
Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: Chris Hollins
We’ve been chatting exclusively to Chris Hollins about what it was like to present Find My Past the TV show. Chris tells us about his favourite moments and how presenting the series has encouraged him to research his own family tree.
FMP: Are you interested in history?
Chris: Very much. It was my favourite subject at school when I was a young lad thanks to a great teacher who told the most amazing stories. 
That’s what I really love about Find My Past the TV show: incredible moments in British history are re-told though the relatives of key figures. History is about moments but it’s also about how people react to these events. As a journalist, I think it’s always open to interpretation – nothing is cut and dry.
FMP: How do you think this series compares with other family history programmes, such as Who Do You Think You Are?
Chris: There are obvious comparisons with Who Do You think You Are? as we are both looking into family histories. Find My Past the TV show, however, follows the families of famous people who sometimes can have led ordinary lives. We follow incredible/famous events in history through the eyes of ordinary people; without fail the relatives are amazed by some of the extraordinary feats of their ancestors. We also go into more depth about a particular event/relative.
FMP: What was your favourite moment while making the series?
Chris: Undoubtedly meeting the veterans from Dunkirk. They say they are very ordinary people but they are far from it. I can’t possibly imagine what these men were facing during the lowest moments during WWII. They were frightened, just as I would have been, but they still ‘did their bit’ for the cause. It was a very humbling experience.
FMP: Which was your favourite episode and why?
Chris: That is a very tricky question. I have, and I’m not just making it up, enjoyed every single programme, for different reasons. Some because of the moment in history: Dunkirk, Battle of Britain and D-Day, others because of the individual stories: Jack the Ripper, Titanic and Suffragettes or because of the discussions that arose from our investigations: Firing Squad, Bounty and Royal Scandal. It’s too difficult!
FMP: Has presenting Find My Past the TV show encouraged you to look into your own family history?
Chris: Yes it has, but I’m not sure I want to, just in case I owe anybody any money or we have a shady past! I will definitely be looking into it very soon.
FMP: Do you have any ancestors that you’re proud of?
Chris: Yes of course. My father was, and always will be, my hero. He came from nothing to play football for England and with my mum, who I am also very proud of, gave us a great start of life. I also think about my granddad who fought in Africa and Italy during WWII.
FMP: If you could be connected to a major event in history, what would it be and why?
Chris: I have always been fascinated by Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire but that may test the findmypast.co.uk website a little too much! I would love to know what my granddad did during the war.
FMP: Are there any other questions you’d like to answer?
Chris: Where my family name comes from. I would love to know what they did for a living. They don’t have to have done anything incredible, but I love social history. I want to know why we are the way we are.
Find out more about Find My Past the TV show
Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: Titanic part 2
Tim Rickeard was one of the participants in Titanic, the second episode of Find My Past the TV show. Read our exclusive interview with Tim as he tells us what it was like to appear on the show.
FMP: What was the most surprising or emotional moment for you?
Tim: Reading the personal narrative by eye-witness Joseph Scarrott of the rescue of my great-uncle Harold Phillimore. It made me realise how lucky he was to be one of the four people rescued by lifeboat 14, which was the only lifeboat to go back to search for those in the water. The description of how he was rescued was quite harrowing.
FMP: How has being involved in the programme affected you or your life?
Tim: It has given me the motivation to find out about the rest of my family history. I met with my uncle Leslie who has been researching family history for over 10 years. He was able to give me a fascinating insight into our relatives’ social history. I discovered a rich naval and maritime past. My great grandfathers sailed in the Fastnet race and on board the first British yacht to challenge the America’s cup.
FMP: Are you proud of your ancestor’s role in this historical event?
Tim: Yes, I’m very proud that Harold survived and that he went on to continue a successful career as a first class steward serving, among others, the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII).
FMP: Do you feel you’ve got to know your ancestor better?
Tim: It was fascinating to get an insight into the life on board for a steward and to see a picture of my relative.
FMP: If you could meet your ancestor, face to face, what question would you ask them?
Tim: How he felt going back to sea after the disaster onto the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic.
FMP: How did you find out you were going to be in a TV programme about your family history? What was your reaction?
Tim: A letter through the post. Initially, I wondered if it was a scam but then I was intrigued to find out who in my family history was of interest.
FMP: Has it sunk in that your ancestor was involved in such a momentous point in history?
Tim: Both of my grandfathers and their families worked on cruise ships so it is not totally surprising that one of the family was on the Titanic. It was a real surprise to find out how my ancestor was rescued, however, and that he was probably the last person to be rescued two hours after the Titanic sank.
Read more about the Titanic episode
Find out more about Find My Past the TV show
Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: Titanic
Jessica Wilson appeared in Titanic, the second episode of Find My Past the TV show. We talked to Jessica to find out her experiences of appearing on the show and how it has affected her life.
Q: What was the most surprising or emotional moment for you?
A: Reading my great-grandfather’s own account in the New York Times of the night the Titanic sank. It surprised me quite how emotional I found reading it. Despite being related, I didn’t think it would touch me as much as it did. By that point I had been given so much background information on his role, his colleagues and the lead up to that night, that reading his own account brought it all together. The story of the Titanic is familiar to everyone but to hear one individual’s account was harrowing, let alone to know that person was my great-grandfather.
Q: How has being involved in the programme affected you or your life?
A: I’ve always been interested in my family history, but know more about my maternal ancestry. The programme has made me think more about exploring my paternal roots and making the most of asking my family more about it while I can. I think the programme has made me realise how important it is to have an awareness of your ancestry and to be proud of it.
Q: Are you proud of your ancestor’s role in this historical event?
A: Immensely! Not only of how important his job was on the ship but to hear just how far he went to make every effort he could to get help. Especially after the Captain had told him he could step down, to have carried on sending the distress signals, with freezing Atlantic water around his legs rather than searching for the nearest lifeboat, was a very heroic act. In such a situation as his I feel it is a true test of character how he chose to act, his loyalty to both the ship and his colleagues.
Q: Do you feel you’ve got to know your ancestor better?
A: I learnt so much about what he did and what he went through, as well as learning about his character. I was very touched by his loyalty to his colleagues and his selflessness in his actions. Even his humour at such a fraught time portrayed more of his personality and strength of character.
Q: If you could meet your ancestor face to face, what question would you ask them?
A: That is a really difficult question to answer because after following his story, there is so much I would like to ask him, but once my great-grandfather returned from New York, he never really spoke about the Titanic again. So I guess I would ask him ‘which of his relatives he was most proud of and why?’
Q: How did you find out you were going to be in a TV programme about your family history? What was your reaction?
A: The researchers traced my cousin in Swaziland, who put them in contact with my father, and he gave them my phone number. Initially I was quite apprehensive to take part in the programme; I was a little worried about what I might find out and felt uncomfortable at the idea of being filmed. The team were very reassuring though and the more I thought about it, the more I realised what a great opportunity it was. I thought that if I were ever do something significant I would like to think that my ancestors would want to know about it and be proud. If the stories in our family history aren’t told they get forgotten, and this was such a good opportunity to learn more about Harold Bride. Often family stories change from generation to generation as parts get omitted or fabricated, whereas this was a way to hear the truth and facts about my great-grandfather that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. It was a very surreal experience, especially agreeing to take part not knowing who the programme would be focusing on or where they would be taking me. So I guess it was a little bit of blind faith and pure curiosity.
Q: Has it sunk in that your ancestor was involved in such a momentous point in history?
A: I’d always know that Harold Bride was on the Titanic but I never knew the details. Reading how his actions that night played such a huge part in the reason so many people survived made it more impressive. It hits me a little more each time I discuss the programme with people, to see their reaction to his story, and how impressed they are to hear what he did. It’s interesting to me because he was my great-grandfather, but to hear how much it interests other people makes me realise how momentous his story actually is. A friend even asked me to talk to her primary school class about it, so the idea that another generation will hear his story is quite special too.
Read more about the Titanic episode
Find out more about Find My Past the TV show
Find My Past the TV show is coming soon
Find My Past the TV show is an exciting new 10-part series which unites ordinary members of the public with their ancestors.
Each week, we take three members of the public on a journey to discover how they are related to someone from a significant historical event, by searching the records on findmypast.co.uk. We follow each of them as they uncover who their ancestor is and the part they played in history, before uniting the participants to find out how they are connected.
The show is screened on Thursdays from 20 October 2011 at 9pm on the Yesterday channel, presented by Chris Hollins of BBC Breakfast and Strictly Come Dancing. Each Friday morning, you’ll be able to read all about the previous night’s episode, including which records were used to chart the participants’ family histories.
Find out more on our Find My Past TV show page
Proof of Titanic letter-writer's fated trip found in findmypast.co.uk's passenger records
A letter from a first class passenger aboard the Titanic to his wife fetched a reported £55,000 at auction on Saturday 17th April at Devizes, Wiltshire, and we’ve found the author in findmypast.co.uk’s passenger lists.
The letter was written by an Adolphe Saalfeld, a 47-year old German manufacturer of perfumes living in London and was dated 10th April 1912, the first day of the ill-fated trip. He described in detail a near collision with another liner at Southampton, the lunches and dinner he enjoyed, and the comfort on board. According to the auctioneers, it is the most detailed first person account of life aboard the Titanic in existence.
Mr Saalfeld’s passenger records, along with all those who travelled on the Titanic, can only be found on findmypast.co.uk. Saalfeld’s passenger transcript states details of his port of departure at Southampton, and expected port of arrival, effectively verifying the letter. He did in fact arrive at his expected destination of New York, having boarded a lifeboat and been rescued when the ship hit the iceberg.
Here you can see the passenger list for the Titanic:
Titanic passenger list
Debra Chatfield
Debra Chatfield, findmypast.co.uk’s marketing manager, said: “When we heard about this amazing letter, we were keen to look up the original passenger record for Adolphe Saalfeld online at findmypast.co.uk. Passenger lists are so useful for finding out when people travelled and to where, for example when and where they emigrated or travelled on business.
There are so many details you can see in the records, from who travelled with the passenger, to exactly when they left, their year of birth and their occupation. In this case it proved an important historic document as it meant the letter was hugely likely to be the genuine article.”
Search findmypast.co.uk’s 1890-1960 passenger lists today.
Proof of Titanic letter-writer's fated trip found in our passenger records
A letter from a first class passenger aboard the Titanic to his wife fetched a reported £55,000 at auction on Saturday 17th April at Devizes, Wiltshire, and we’ve found the author in our passenger lists.
The letter was written by an Adolphe Saalfeld, a 47-year old German manufacturer of perfumes living in London and was dated 10th April 1912, the first day of the ill-fated trip. He described in detail a near collision with another liner at Southampton, the lunches and dinner he enjoyed, and the comfort on board. According to the auctioneers, it is the most detailed first person account of life aboard the Titanic in existence.
Mr Saalfeld’s passenger records, along with all those who travelled on the Titanic, can only be found on our site. Saalfeld’s passenger transcript states details of his port of departure at Southampton, and expected port of arrival, effectively verifying the letter. He did in fact arrive at his expected destination of New York, having boarded a lifeboat and been rescued when the ship hit the iceberg.
Here you can see the passenger list for the Titanic:
Titanic passenger list
Debra Chatfield
Debra Chatfield, our marketing manager, said: “When we heard about this amazing letter, we were keen to look up the original passenger record for Adolphe Saalfeld online at findmypast.co.uk. Passenger lists are so useful for finding out when people travelled and to where, for example when and where they emigrated or travelled on business. There are so many details you can see in the records, from who travelled with the passenger, to exactly when they left, their year of birth and their occupation. In this case it proved an important historic document as it meant the letter was hugely likely to be the genuine article.”
Search our 1890-1960 passenger lists today.