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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August 2nd, 1869 - October 15th, 1955
He is a Leo.
Arthur John Bright (Quartermaster) was born in Sherston Magna, Wiltshire, England and was baptized on December 25th, 1869. He was the son of John Bright (1845 - 1876), an agricultural labourer originally from Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and the former Mathilda Jemima Gomm (1847 - 1922), also from Sherston. His parents were married in 1869 around the same time of his birth and went on to have 2 further children: Margaret Ann (born 1871) and Rosina Mathilda Jane (born 1874). Arthur appears on the 1871 census living at Butler's Hill in Sherston Magna, the home address of his paternal grand-parents William and Ann Gomm, the former a basket maker. His parents seemingly permanently moved back to Lyndhurst, Hampshire and appear on the 1871 census living at Emma's Down with their 7-week-old daughter Margaret.
Arthur's father died in late 1876, and less than 2 years later his mother remarried Thomas Pringle Cummings (1852 - 1908), a carpenter originally from Southampton. The family, Arthur, and siblings settled in Southampton, appearing on the 1881 census residing at Ransoms Terrace. Although absent from both the 1891 and 1901 census records, Arthur's family was shown at Dick Terrace on the earlier record and Crosshouse Road in 1901, both in Southampton. Arthur first joined the Royal Navy on April 16th, and 1887, serving initially aboard the St Vincent. Other ships he served aboard included: Active, Australia, Excellent, and Sovereign before his final service on HMS Victory. In February of 1902 after which he joined the Merchant Service. He is described as standing at 5'7 and a half, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a fair complexion and sported a tattoo on his left forearm whilst his character was universally described as very good.
He married Ethel Poulton, a native of Southampton, on April 6th, 1901, but it ended in an divorce. His second marriage on February 16th, 1908 was to Emily Jane Harbut, mée Shewry (born 1866), a widow originally from Highworth, Wiltshire, but the marriage lasted only 2 years and Emily died in 1909. Arthur's 3rd and final marriage was on January 15th, 1910 to Ada Maria Hooper (born 1869), a native of Cucklington, Somerset. He had no surviving children from any of his marriages. The 1911 census shows Ada as a resident of Firgrove Road, Freemantle, Southampton and Arthur was presumed at sea at this time.
Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: When Arthur signed onto the Titanic on April 6th, 1912 he gave his local address as Firgrove Road, Southampton and his previous ship as the RMS Olympic. As a quartermaster he could expect monthly wages of £5. Also serving aboard was Henry Joseph Bailey, as master-at-arms; their respective wives Ada and Mary Jane were sisters and it appears that Arthur and Henry may have served together whilst both in the navy. On April 14th, 1912 Arthur had been on duty until 8 PM before retiring to his bunk to await his next watch scheduled for midnight and slept through the collision. Quartermaster Wyn arrived from up top informing him that the ship was going down by the head, so Arthur got up and hot dressed, left his quarters and headed towards the stern to take over his midnight watch from Quartermaster George Rowe. The 2 men waited there a short while, not knowing what to do before telephoning up to the bridge to ask for instructions and they were asked to bring flares to the wheelhouse.
Carrying a box each when they reached the bridge they began firing them with 4th officer Joseph Boxhall, assisting in loading the boats between each rocket over a span of time that Arthur estimated to be 30 minutes. From the bridge he could see the light of a vessel 4 or 5 miles away and what he took to be a fishing boat. After this Arthur indicated that there were only 2 boats left, Collapsables C and D, and he and Rowe assisted in preparing them. Rowe would leave the ship in command of lifeboat C after which Arthur crossed the portside where he assisted 2nd officer Charles Lightoller in filling Collapsable D with what he understood was 25 persons, based on the head count taken by steward Hardy. Arthur noted that the forecastle was going under as his boat left. Following the lowering of Collapsable D Arthur estimates they were 100 yards away from the ship when she went down, stating that the ship up-ended, broke in 2 with the foreword end disappearing and the stern-section righting herself before flooding and sinking, observing that he could clearly see the propellers and adding that there was no suction.
Collapsable D would take another dozen or so passengers from lifeboat 14 during the night but Arthur felt that it could have comfortably taken on more. Arthur reported that 5th officer Harold Lowe later brought lifeboat 14 alongside Collapsable D for a second time that night, tying the two together as Collapsable D now had insufficient seamen after passing several of her crew to lifeboat 14 previously. The 2 boats made their way towards the waterlogged Collapsable A; Arthur recalled heading a chorus of voices calling for help but it wasn't until daybreak that those people became visible and Collapsable A and lifeboat 14 Made their way to Collapsable A and took in those survivors into lifeboat 14, including one woman, Rhoda Abbot. Collapsable A was then cast adrift, with according to Arthur, 2 bodies that they had taken to cover their faces with lifebelts.
After The Sinking/Later Life/Death: Following his arrival in New York Arthur was called to testify to the American Inquiry and many of the questions put to him concerned J. Bruce Ismay, of whom Arthur knew little and who didn't even leave in the same lifeboat as he (A/N: Why are people in America so stupid?). Arthur returned to Southampton and continued working at sea. During WW1, he rejoined the Naval Services, finding himself again assigned to the HMS Victory which he joined on August 3rd, 1916. His service was short-lived and he was invalidated a fortnight later due to eye problems.
Arthur and Ada continued to reside in Southampton and he became a widower when Ada died on June 11th, 1928. He spent his final days living at Aberdeen Road, Southampton where he died on October 15th, 1955 at the age of 86. He was buried in South Stoneham Cemetery, Southampton.
