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 15th, 1859 - September 3rd, 1919
He is a Leo.
Sidney Humphreys was born in Wimborne, Dorset, England and was later baptized on November 13th, 1859. He was the on of William Humphreys (born 1834), a publican, and Elizabeth Jane Masson (born 1837), both natives of Wimborne who had married in Southampton on February 8th, 1857. He had one known sibling, Rosa Alicia (born 1858). At the time of Sidney's birth his father was a licensed victualler but by the time of the 1861 census the family had relocated to Southampton where his father now worked as a ship's steward, the family living at French Street. The family's whereabouts over the next decade are unclear but it appears that they remained in Southampton.
Sidney, like his father, went to sea, he at a young age. He then joined the Royal Navy on September 10th, 1874, first serving aboard the St Vincent and soon becoming a seaman. He would also go on to serve aboard Excellent, Rover, Euphrates before being invalidated from service on November 4th, 1882, his last ship being the Duke of Wellington. Of varying product, he was shown to have spent a 14-day stretch in the cells at one point. Physically he stood at 5'3 and with light brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. Following his discharge, it's possible Sidney worked in the merchant service but he was to rejoin the Navy on September 11th, 1892, serving as an able seaman on several voyages aboard Trincomalee. By now he sported a tattoo, a coat of arms, on his left arm. He went ashore on August 12th, 1895.
A few months later, in January of 1896, Sidney was decorated by the Royal Humane Society after saving the life of a young domestic servant Minnie Whitehorn who had attempted suicide by throwing herself into Shirley Pond. With no regard for his own life, Sidney dived and saved Minnie. Sidney was married in Southampton in 1895 to Annie Rosetta Snod (born 1874), a native of Sittingbourne, Kent, and the couple had 8 children: Catherine Elizabeth (1892 - 1971; later Mrs William Alfred Smart), Frederick William (1894 - 1945), Sidney Herbert (born 1897), Horace John (1899 - 1959), Leslie Graham (1900 - 1928), Hetty Grace (1902 - 1971; later Mrs Richard Shells), Arthur John (born 1904), and Joan Evelyn (born 1912; later Mrs Edward Reginald Bailey).
The family are shown to the 1911 census living on Pond Street and the 1911 census living on Redcar Street, both Shirley, and on both occasions Sidney being described as a seaman. By 1912 the family were listed on the Southampton Street directory living on Duke's Road.
Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: When Sidney signed onto the RMS Titanic on April 10th, 1912, he gave his address as Duke's Road, Southampton and his previous ship as the RMS Olympic. Serving as quartermaster he could expect monthly wages of £5. Leaving behind wife and children, Joan Evelyn had been born on January 20th, 1912. On the night of the sinking, Sidney recalled the youngest members of the crew, the bellboys, being corralled to the regular posts so as not to get in the way and observed them smoking and joking with passengers.
He apparently assisted in loading lifeboat 11 from A-deck before stepping in and assuming command of the heavily laden boat which encountered difficulties during launch as she was unable to release herself from the falls. Those at the pats also found near impossible to row aa the craft was so tightly packed.
After The Sinking/Later Life/Death: Sidney wasn't called to give evidence to either of the British or American inquiries into the sinking. Sidney returned to England and continued working at sea, serving throughout the duration of WW1. In advancing years and troubled with a valvular heart condition, he later worked as a stevedore at Southampton.
Sidney lastly lived on New Road, Southampton and passed away on September 3rd, 1919 at the age of 60. He was buried at Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton in an unmarked grave. Annie died in 1936.
