RMS Titanic Book 1

William Carter

June 19th, 1875 - March 20th, 1940

He is a Gemini

William Ernest Carter was, according to most records, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, although it has been stated that he was born in Paris, France. He was the son of William Thornton Carter (1827 - 1893) and Cordelia "Nellie" Miranda Redington (1846 - 1934). His father was English by birth, having migrated from Cornwall around 1854, whilst his mother was from Vermont and they had married in Ohio in November of 1868.

His coal and iron baring father owned and operated mines in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, amongst several other business interest, and he amassed a considerable fortune. He had originally been married in Cornwall, England in 1854 to Jane Jewill (1830 - 1864), and with her had two children: Annie Editha (1855 - 1908; later Mrs. Thomas Chester Walbridge) and Charles Jewill (1858 - 1906). Following widowhood in 1864, his marriage to Cordelia produced three children besides William: Helene Redington (1870 - 1933; later Mrs. Joseph Leidy) and Alice (1878; later Mrs. William Carter Dickerman......that's gotta be a bit awkward). Another daughter, Grace Alice, died after only 2 months of life in 1876. Upon his father's sudden death in February of 1898, William reportedly inherited a large fortune.

A member of the class of 1896 at the University of Pennsylvania, William dropped out prior to graduation to devote his time to polo and hunting. A keen sportsman, he later worked as a stockbroker and was a member of the Newport Reading Room, later maintaining summer residence on Narrangansett Avenue after marriage. Known as Willie to friends and family, he was also a member of the Pennsylvania Society Sons of Revolution, of the Radnor Hunt, Philadelphia Country and St. Anthony clubs. William married Lucile Carter at Franklin Street Presbyterian Church in Baltimore on January 29th, 1896. Lucile and William had 2 children: Lucile Polk (1898 - 1962) and William Thornton (1900 - 1985).

The family travelled extensively in Europe, especially in England where they remained for protracted periods. Passenger lists furnish proof of their voyages in 1902, 1904 - 1906, 1907, 1908 - 1910. On February 20th, 1906, at the first Royal levee of the season, Whitelaw Reid, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, presented William Ernest Carter to King Edward VII. In May of 1911, The Carter Family sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania for England once again. They participated in the Coronation ceremony of Their Majesty King George V and Queen Mary and the London season. In winter, William rented Rotherby Manor in Melton-Mowbray district, Leicestership to attend the hunting season.

Onboard The Titanic:
In March of 1912, the family decided to return to America and made reservations on the RMS Olympic, departing from Southampton on April 3rd. At the last minute, they changed their plans and booked cabins on Titanic. The family boarded the Titanic at Southampton as first class passengers, they occupied B-96 and 98. Also traveling was Lucile's maid, Augusta Serreplaá, William's manservant Alexander Cairns, and traveling in second class, William's chauffeur Augustus Aldworth. Two family pets were also making the crossing, an Airedale terrier and Lucile's Pekinese spaniel, probably named Me Too.

Resting in the forward hold of the Titanic and resting on the cargo manifest, was William's 25th horsepower Renault automobile. It is listed as a case so maybe the car was not fully assembled. William was a car enthusiast and in 1907, he possessed a 45 horsepower Mercedes limousine and a large Mercedes touring car. He would later claim $5,00 for the car and $100 and $200 for the family pets who were also lost.

April 14th-15th, 1912:
On the night of April 14th, the Carters joined an elusive dinner party held in honour of Captain Smith in the á la carte restaurant. The host was George Widener and the party was attended by many notable first class passengers. Later, after the ladies had retired and Smith had departed for the bridge, the men chatted and played cards in the smoking room. After Titanic had struck the iceberg, William awaken Lucile and advised her to get dressed and head up top; she claimed she never saw him again after that and she escaped in lifeboat 4 with their children. William later joined Harry Widener and advised him to try for a boat before they were all gone. Harry replied that he would rather take a chance and stick with the ship.

Later in the proceedings, William ended up in the vicinity of Collapsable C, which had been fitted to lifeboat 1's empty davits. At one point, a group of men desperately tried to rush Collapsable C; Purser Herbert McElroy fired his pistol and they were removed. Loading with women and children progressed but eventually no more could be found and as the boat was released for lowering, William and J. Bruce Ismay stepped in. William arrived aboard the Carpathia ahead of his family and waited on the deck, straining to see the lifeboat that his wife and children were in. When it finally arrived, William did not recognize his son under a big ladies hat and called out for him. According to sources John Jacob Astor IV had placed the hat on the boy and explained that he was now a girl and should be allowed in the boat, other sources suggest, the most likely scenario that it was his mother in response to Chief Second Stewart George Doddd's order that no more boys were to enter lifeboat 4. Upon reaching New York, William telephoned his mother to advise her that he and the family were safe and well. She immediately fainted after hearing her sons voice.

Aftermath:
William got caught up in the finger pointing associated with being a male Titanic survivor and was forced to defend not only himself but J. Bruce Ismay from the vitriol that they received. Not long after the disaster on June 5th, 1912, William was seriously injured at a polo game in Bryn Mawr when his horse threw him off me landed on top of him, with William being knocked unconscious and receiving a concussion and internal injuries. Lucile and William marriage never recovered and in January of 1914, Lucile filed for divorce, the reasons for which were initially impounded but by the next year details emerged that Lucile applied for proceedings on the grounds that William had deserted her and their children aboard Titanic and that he had since shown signs of unpredictable behavior and physical and mental abusiveness. In addition, Lucile said her husband had subjected her to cruel treatment and showed the greatest ingenuity in devising ways and means to abuse her. One of which includes horsewhipping.

Later life and Death:
Following the divorce, William was swiftly remarried and had another daughter. The family home in Bryn Mawr was sold and he later lived at Ivy Cottage in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. He never remarried and remained working in banking, later with Cassatt & Company based in Philadelphia and continued to travel around Europe on business. His 1919 passport describes him as standing at 5' 10½" and with a medium mouth (with moustache), a square chin, high forehead, oval face, prominent nose, brown/grey hair, grey eyes and a ruddy complexion.

In May 1921 he sailed aboard Olympic. Whilst he remained wealthy William spent much of his later years at his farm in Unionville, Pennsylvania where he reared prize-winning Black Horn Angus cattle. He died at the age of 65 whilst on vacation in Palm Beach, Florida on March 20th, 1940 following empyema of the gallbladder. Two days later, and following a service at Second Presbyterian Church, he was buried in the Ashland section of West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania with this parents.

I still have absolutely no idea what to even think the abuse part. Rest In Peace William Carter.

The source I used was www.encyclopedia-titanica.org