Arthur Rostron

Who is Arthur Rostron I hear you ask.  Well he was the captain of the Carpathia who rescued the majority of the survivors following the sinking of the Titanic...and yes I'm related to him.  

So where do we start on our journey to Arthur Rostron...would it surprise you if I said it was Edward Hunt's family line that gets us there.  In my previous post on Edward we discovered that he left Stockton on Tees to move to Chicago in America.  He would leave for America from Liverpool on the Cunard lane ship now remember that name as it's important later.  It is his wife Edna woodworth and her family line via the Weidner or Whiteners the starts our journey.  I'll write a bit more about the Whiteners in a later post.  They would flee Germany due to religious persecution.

The first person we meet is William Pinkney Bollinger who was born in 1836 in America.  He was a farmer and enlisted at the age of 25 as a second corporal.  Sadly he died in 1862 by accidentally discharging his own weapon while fighting on the banks of the Potomac River.  Don't worry I've already checked the heritage of the Bollinger family and no I am not related to the champagne producers!

We then meet the Lingenfelter and Sturm families who like the Whiteners were Palatine immigrants seeking refuge in America from religious persecution.  The Palatine Migration to America began in the early 1700's.  They were mainly Catholics who lived in states in Europe controlled by the Holy Roman Emperor.  Many were fleeing famine, war and religious persecution in their native lands.  There wer harsh winters which led to poor harvests.  They had support from Queen Anne of England and it was she who propsoed that Palatines would be given free passage to America if they worked in a trade in the new country of America.

John Hart is the next family member we meet.  The expanding cotton industry in America would make him leave Lancashire to move to Philadelphia in the hope of a better life.  There was a huge growth in the textile in Philadelphia.  John Hurt's father was a weaver.  Conditions were miserable with long working hours and low pay.  The working conditions were unhealthy and many died young.  

In 1887 Rostron joined the Red Gauntlet as a second mate. In December 1894 he passed his exam for his extra master's certificate. A month later he joined Cunard Line as Fourth Officer on the ocean liner RMS Umbria. Rostron became First Officer aboard the RMS Lusitania in 1907, but was transferred off her the day before her maiden voyage. He had to wait until 1911 to command his first passenger ship, Pennonia, and in January 1912 he was given command of RMS Carpathia.

Rostron was asleep in his cabin when news of Titanic reached him. He immediately ordered the ship to change course and raced towards the Titanic’s reported position. At nearly 60 nautical miles away, Carpathia was the closest ship to Titanic and it took her three and a half hours to reach Titanic’s position. Carpathia rescued 710 passengers and crew before returning to New York.

It was no doubt due to Rostron’s quick thinking, his preparations on board before any survivors were picked up and the speed with which he got to the scene that so many survived.

Captain Rostron gave evidence to both the US and UK inquiries. He was honoured for his efforts on both sides of the Atlantic, including a gold medal from Titanic’s survivors. Cunard rewarded him with command of the Mauretania. He served throughout the First World War and retired in 1931.  Remember me mentioning the Etruria which took Edward Hunt to Chicago, well her is the spooky bit.  Joining the Cunard Line in January 1895 Rostron gained the position of fourth officer on the Umbria. It was in this capacity that he made his first visit to New York. In the years that followed he served aboard various Cunard vessels including..the Etruria.  Who knows...he may have me Edward Hunt! 

Although there may not be many famous or celebrity members of this family line it has been a big learning curve regarding the Palatine immigrants and also the growth of the cotton industry in America.