My second book about the RMS Titanic and her passengers and crew along with some movie talk. Same rules apply, no drama, trolls, and disrespecting the people on this ship
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July 7th, 1869 - Unknown.
He is a Cancer.
William Clark was born in the small port town of Greenvore in Carlingford, Co Louth, Ireland to a Roman Catholic family who were largely illiterate. His parents were labourer Thomas Clark (born 1835) and the former Anne Rafferty (born 1837). He had 9 siblings: Peter and James (June 20th, 1865), Charles (August 11th, 1867), Patrick (September 22nd, 1871), Mary (May 8th, 1874), Matthew (June 26th, 1876), Hugh (November 15th, 1877), Joseph (May 1st, 1879), and Bernard (February 27th, 1883). The Clark family appears on the 1901 census living in Greenore, William's mother by then a widow; his father had passed away a few months earlier from heart disease on November 10th, 1900. A veteran of a Boer War, William himself wasn't listed with his family on the census and was presumably in South Africa at the time.
By the time of the 1911 census, William's mother and 3 of his brothers were still residing in Greenore. His mother remained there until her death from old age and senility on June 22nd, 1917. William was listed on the 1911 census, living at Paget Street in Southampton and described as a labourer in a foundry. Also listed at the address were Mrs. Mary Jane Humphreys and her family, the wife of labourer William Humphreys. Although listed as married on the census, William was single man and if there was any relationship between he and Mrs. Humphreys, this is purely speculative.
When he signed onto the RMS Titanic on April 6th, 1912, William gave his address as Paget Street, Southampton. His previous ship had been the Avon and as a firemen he received monthly wages £6. He was rescued in lifeboat 15.
After The Sinking/Later Life/Death: William later served as a firemen aboard the Empress of Ireland, his first voyage aboard the ship, and survived the Empress of Ireland sinking in 1914; interviewed about his miraculous escape, William said:
"Even now I can hardly believe that I am the only man in the world who has sailed in the two ill-fated liner and had survived the two greatest shipping disasters of modern days. If there's any luck on the sea, surely I have had it all... It was my first voyage aboard the Empress; of course also on the Titanic, which was on her maiden trip. There is a sort of superstition among sailors, and I believe it applies on land as well, that the third time is fatal, but that does not worry me. I am going back to Liverpool to find a job on another steamer. Compared with the Titanic, the scene son the Empress of Ireland were not nearly so frightful. Death came more swiftly." - Northern Daily Mail, June 10th, 1914
"Fireman E. Clarke, of Liverpool, one of the survivors from the Empress of Ireland, was also in the Titanic when she went down. ''I have done with the sea, ''he told an interviewer; this last affair has settled it. It's me for the shore. I'm not going to risk a third time. I was in No. 15 boat when the Titanic was lost, and I helped to save lives. Just starting my watch I was, and we had lots of time to lower the boats.....'' (Luton Times and Advertiser, June 12th, 1914)
The Northern Daily Mail reporter that interviewed William described him as "Dark-haired and blue-eyed, he is typical Liverpool Irishman, 43 years old, unmarried, and lives in Derby-road, Bootle. Several newspapers reported that, with their outbreak of war in 1914, William rejoined the British Army. After that his whereabouts remain unknown.
