William Ward

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/william-ward....

• Name: Mr William Ward
• Titanic Survivor
• Born: Tuesday 18th August 1874 in Handsworth, Staffordshire, England, U.K.
• Age: 37 years 7 months and 28 days (Male)
• Nationality: English
• Marital Status: Married to Amelia Anne Gleeson
• Last Residence: in Southampton ,Hampshire, England
• Occupation: Saloon Steward
• Last Ship: "New York"
• Victualling Crew
• First Embarked: Southampton on Saturday 6th April 1912
• Rescued: (Boat 9)
• Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
• Died: Saturday 19th July 1941 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia aged 66 years
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-deckplans/ deck plans of R.M.S. Titanic
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-lifeboat-9/ Life Boat No. 9

Mr William Ward, of Oak Villa, 107 Millbrook Road, Southampton, had been a seaman for 20 years when he boarded the Titanic as a steward. His superior aboard the Titanic was second steward Dodd - Dodd being one of three second stewards.

At the time of the collision, Ward had just turned in - his room was located amidships, portside on E deck. After feeling a shock he went to a porthole and opened it. Seeing nothing he returned to his bunk, where "I lay there for about 20 minutes, and in the meantime the steerage passengers were coming from forward, coming aft, carrying lifebelts." He still remained in his bunk, until a waiter (Moss) told him to put on some clothing and get on deck. "With that, I think most everybody in the 'glory hole', as we call it, got dressed and went on deck." It was then he was ordered by Dodd to go to the saloon on D deck, order everyone there to go up on deck and bring lifebelts. Arriving there, he found no one but returned with 7 lifebelts, which he distributed to those who hadn't any. Putting one on himself, he noticed there was no excitement or confusion. "A lot of the ladies and gentlemen there that were just treating it as a kind of joke."

Ward then went to his assigned station, lifeboat 7 on the starboard side, where he saw First Officer Murdoch, Bruce Ismay and Purser McElroy.. After helping to load it he then went to 9. Haines, a boatswains mate, assisted in loading this boat. "One lady... absolutely refused to get into the boat. She went back to the companionway and forced her way in." After loading the passengers, the Purser (McElroy) ordered Ward into the boat and it was lowered into the water. The boat was pretty well packed, Ward would testify later, "We had not room to pull the oars - they (the passengers) had to move heir bodies with us when we were rowing." Then, a couple of hundred yards off, they laid on their oars. As the ship went down, they pulled further away to excape any suction, but there was very little. Until that time, Ward was "...of the opinion that she would float." They did not pull back to look for survivors as the boat was already full. Later, after the Carpathia arrived, he remembered they were the fourth or fifth boat to be picked up. He reported to the US Senate inquiry that there was no drinking that night by any of the crew.

References and Sources United States Senate (62nd Congress), Subcommittee Hearings of the Committee on Commerce, Titanic Disaster, Washington 1912

Credits Pat Cook, USA

Related Articles and Documents

Southern Daily Echo (2002) HUMAN TRAGEDY OF THE TITANIC

William Ward (Steward) Not to be confused with the other William Ward, a fireman from the delivery crew.

William Ward was a Saloon Steward of the Titanic. He survived the sinking.

He was the son of John Ward (1848-1923), an auctioneer and surveyor, and Mary Emma Taylor (1849-1919). His father was Scottish and his mother was from Bradford, Yorkshire and they had married in 1870, producing fifteen children, which included two sets of twins.

William's siblings were: Mary Elizabeth (b. 1872), John Henry (b, 1873), Jeannie Isabelle (b. 1876), Robert (b. 1877), Frederick Robson (b. 1879), Lionel (b. 1880), Sydney (b. 1882), twins Kenneth and Margaret (b. 1884), Herbert Glendenning (b. 1886), Richard Neil (b. 1888), twins Kathleen and Helen (b. 1890), and Ralph Douglas (b. 1894).

The family later moved from their native Handsworth around 1878 and appear on the 1881 census living at 183 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire soon relocating around the mid-1880s to Enfield, Middlesex. The family are shown on the 1891 census living at Wellington Road, Enfield and William was described as a clerk.

William had worked at sea for twenty years and survived five wrecks previously. He later spent time living in Australia where he was married in 1903 to a Sydney-born woman named Amelia Anne Gleeson (b. 1877) and their son John Lawrence Ward born the following year in Melbourne. The small family soon resettled in England, appearing on the 1911 census living at 107 Millbrook Road, Freemantle, Southampton and William was described as a ship's steward.

When he signed on to Titanic, on 6 April 1912, Ward gave his address as 107 Millbrook Road, Southampton. His previous ship had been the New York and as a steward he could expect monthly wages of £3, 15s.

At the time of the collision Ward had just turned in; his cabin was located amidships, port side on E Deck. After feeling a shock he went to a porthole and opened it. Seeing nothing he returned to his bunk: "... I lay there for about 20 minutes, and in the meantime the steerage passengers were coming from forward, coming aft, carrying lifebelts."

He still remained in his bunk, until a waiter (William Moss) told him to put on some clothing and get on deck. "With that, I think most everybody in the 'glory hole', as we call it, got dressed and went on deck." It was then he was ordered by Steward Dodd to go to the saloon on D Deck, order everyone there to go up on deck and bring lifebelts. Arriving there, he found no one but returned with 7 lifebelts, which he distributed to those who hadn't any. Putting one on himself, he noticed there was no excitement or confusion. "A lot of the ladies and gentlemen there that were just treating it as a kind of joke."

Ward then went to his assigned station, lifeboat 7 on the starboard side, where he saw First Officer Murdoch, Bruce Ismay and Chief Purser McElroy. After helping to load it he then went aft to boat 9 with bathroom steward James Widgery. Albert Haines, the boatswains mate, assisted in loading this boat. "One lady... absolutely refused to get into the boat. She went back to the companionway and forced her way in." After loading the passengers, the Purser (McElroy) ordered Ward into the boat and it was lowered into the water. The boat was pretty well packed, Ward would testify later, "We had not room to pull the oars - they (the passengers) had to move their bodies with us when we were rowing." Then, a couple of hundred yards off, they laid on their oars. As the ship went down, they pulled further away to escape any suction, but there was very little. Until that time, Ward was "...of the opinion that she would float." They did not pull back to look for survivors as the boat was already full. Later, after the Carpathia arrived, he remembered they were the fourth or fifth boat to be picked up. He reported to the US Senate inquiry that there was no drinking that night by any of the crew.

He sent his family back in England a telegram, informing them of his safety. Upon his arrival in New York he was called to give evidence at the US Inquiry into the sinking, which he did on Thursday 25 April. He soon returned to England but was not called to testify at the British Inquiry.

How long William continued to work at sea is not clear and he and his family returned to Australia. What became of his wife Amelia is not known but he was remarried in the mid-1920s to a lady named Mary Gertrude Aldous (1899-1949) and they had a son named Kenneth who was born on 15 April 1928 in Sydney.

William Ward died in Sydney on 19 July 1941 aged 66. Both his sons are believed to have died in the early 1990s in Australia

• Reference: 1891 England & Wales Census - SmartCopy: Jun 24 2019, 17:13:11 UTC
• Reference: Full text- https://archive.org/details/truthabouttitani00grac/page/n6 "The Truth About the Titanic" by Colonel Archibald Gracie, IV 1913 pp. 279-284

BOAT NO. 9*

fifth boat lowered on starboard side, 1.20 (Br. Rpt., p. 38),

Brice, A. B. (Am. Inq., p. 648) and Wheate, Ass't. 2nd Steward (Br. Inq.), say No. 9 was filled from A Deck with women and children only.

No disorder when this boat was loaded and lowered.

Passengers: Mesdames Aubert and maid (Mile Segesser), Futrelle (Mrs. Lily May Futrelle is listed in Englehardt Boat D. Col. Gracie may have been in error.), Lines; Miss Lines, and second and third-class.

Men: Two or three.

Said good-bye to wife and sank with ship: Mr. Futrelle.

Crew: Seamen: Haines (in charge), Wynne, Q. M., McGough, Peters; Stewards Ward, Widgery and others.

Total: 56.

INCIDENTS

A. Haines, boatswain's mate (Am. Inq., 755) :

Officer Murdoch and witness filled boat 9 with ladies. None of the men passengers tried to get into the boats. Officer Murdoch told them to Stand back. There was one woman who refused to get in because she was afraid. When there were no more women forthcoming the boat was full, when two or three men jumped into the bow. There were two sailors, three or four stewards, three or four firemen and two or three men passengers. No. 9 was lowered from the Boat Deck with sixty-three people in the boat and lowered all right. Officer Murdoch put the witness In charge and ordered him to row off and keep clear of the ship. When we saw it going down by the head he pulled further away for the safety of the people In the boat: about lOO yards away at first. Cries were heard after the ship went down. He consulted with the sailors about going back and concluded with so many in the boat it was unsafe to do so. There was no compass in the boat, but he had a little pocket lamp. On Monday morning he saw from thirty to fifty icebergs and a big field of ice miles long and large bergs and "growlers, the largest from eighty to one hundred feet high.

W. Wynne, Q. M. (Br. Inq.) :

Officer Murdoch ordered witness Into boat No. 9. He assisted the ladles and took an oar. He says there were fifty-six all told in the boat, forty- two of whom were women. He saw the light of a steamer — a red light first, and then a white one — about seven or eight miles away. After an interval both lights disappeared. Ten or fifteen minutes afterwards he saw a white light again in the same direction. There was no lamp or compass in the boat.

W. Ward, steward (Am. Inq., 595) :

Witness assisted in taking the canvas cover off of boat No. 9 and lowered it to the level of the Boat Deck.*

Officer Murdoch, Purser McElroy and Mr. Ismay were near this boat when being loaded. A sailor came along with a bag and threw it into the boat. He said he had been sent to take charge of it by the captain. The boatswain's mate, Haines, was there and ordered him out. He got out. Either Purser McElroy or Officer Murdoch said: "Pass the women and children that are here into that boat." There were several men standing around and they fell back. There were quite a quantity of women but he could not say how many were helped into the boat. There were no children. One old lady made a great fuss and absolutely refused to enter the boat. She went back to the companionway and forced her way in and would not get into the boat. One woman, a French lady, fell and hurt herself a little. Purser McElroy ordered two more men into the boat to assist the women. When No. 9 was being lowered the first listing of the ship was noticeable.

From the rail to the boat was quite a distance to step down to the bottom of it, and in the dark the women could not see where they were stepping. Purser McElroy told witness to get into the boat to assist the women. Women were called for, but none came along and none were seen on deck at the time. Three or four men were then taken into the boat until the officers thought there were sufficient to lower away with safety.

No. 9 was lowered into the water before No. II. There was some difficulty in unlashing the oars because for some time no one had a knife. There were four men who rowed all night, but there were some of them in the boat who had never been to sea before and did not know the first thing about an oar, or the bow from the stern. Haines gave orders to pull away. When 200 yards off, rowing was stopped for about an hour. Haines was afraid of suction and we pulled away to about a quarter of a mile from the ship. The ship went down very gradually for a while by the head. We could just see the ports as she dipped. She gave a kind of a sudden lurch forward. He heard a couple of reports like a volley of musketry; not like an explosion at all. His boat was too full and it would have been madness to have gone back. He thinks No. 9 was the fourth or fifth boat picked up by the Carpathia. There was quite a big lot of field ice and several large icebergs in amongst the field; also two or three separated from the main body of the field.

J. Widgery, bath steward (Am. Inq., 602) : Witness says that all passengers were out of their cabins on deck before he went up.

When he got to the Boat Deck No. 7 was about to be lowered, but the purser sent him to No. 9. The canvas had been taken off and he helped lower the boat. Purser McElroy ordered him into the boat to help the boatswain's mate pass in women. Women were called for. An elderly lady came along. She was frightened. The boatswain's mate and himself assisted her, but she pulled away and went back to the door (of the companionway) and downstairs. Just before they left the ship the officer gave the order to Haines to keep about 100 yards off. The boat was full as it started to lower away. When they got to the water he was the only one that had a knife to cut loose the oars. He says that the balance of his testimony would be the same as that of Mr. Ward, the previous witness.