Based on the real ship, it's people, maybe a bit of A Night To Remember, and the 1997 movie
Absolutely NO drama. No blaming any of the actual people from the ship and no disrespect towards any of them. Merely a tribute to the people and I'll try to...
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December 7th, 1878 - December 9th, 1949
He is a Sagittarius
William Ryerson was born in Port Dover, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada to George Arthur Ryerson (born 1851) and Catherine Eleanor Hamilton (born 1854), both Ontario natives who had married in 1875 in Toronto and went on to have 3 children (there were known of), William's siblings were: George Arthur (born 1877) and Charles Arthur Egerton (born 1880). William was living in York, Ontario when his father died in 1881. His mother remarried several years later to Thomas Edward Williams (born 1855) and had a daughter named Kate Hamilton (born 1888) before her own death in 1899. William joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons at a young age and later joined a British regiment where he served time in India but contracted typhoid, necessitating his immediate return to England for treatment. Following his recovery he began working at sea in the Merchant Service, initially Cunard Line.
William was married near Birmingham, Warwickshire on December 17th, 1906 to Florence Annie Mallison (September 5th, 1881), a native of Southgate, London. William and Florence had 6 children: Clarence Edwy (1907 - 1937), Kate Hamilton (1910 - 1984), Thomas Arthur (1912 - 1994), William Ernest (1914 - 2003), Ronald Jack (1918 - 1990), and Ralph Egerton (1914 - 2003). William, Florence, and their first two children appeared on the 1911 census living at Amberley Road, Paddington, London. William was described as a storeman.
Onboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: When he signed on to the Titanic, on April 4th, 1912, he gave his address as Salop Road, Walthamstow, citing the Titanic as his first ship. As a second class saloon steward, he could expect monthly wages of £3, 15s. Unbeknownst to him, his American third cousin, once removed (they shared a common great-great grandfather), Arthur Ryerson and his family was traveling aboard the Titanic in first class.
Later Life/Death: Following the disaster, William returned to England. Florence had been pregnant at the time and gave birth in May of 1912 to Thomas Arthur. William resumed his career at sea and during the First World War enlisted to the 159th Gun Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, rising to the rank of Sergeant. The family moved back to Ontario sometime around 1919 where he worked various jobs, including farming, the post office, and as a customs officer. Following retirement, William and Florence resettled in England but made several more trips across the Atlantic.
William died in Runwell, Essex on December 9th, 1949 and he was buried in St. Mary's Churchyard, Runwell and his resting place remained unmarked until 2012 when on April 15th of that year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking, a headstone was finally unveiled:
IN THE NEIGHBOURING EARTH LIE
THE MORTAL REMAINS OF
WILLIAM EDWY RYERSON
7TH DECEMBER 1878-9TH DECEMBER 1949
SERVED AS 2ND CLASS STEWARD
ON SS TITANIC IN 1912
Florence moved to Oxford to be near her youngest child Ronald and she died there in September 11th, 1968. His last surviving child, William, died in Simcoe, Ontario in 2003.
