Joseph George Scarrott, 36 Albert Road, Southampton: Saved · Joseph George Scarrott, 36 Albert ......
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Joseph George Scarrott, 36 Albert Road, Southampton: Saved Joseph Scarrott (left) was born in Portsmouth on 25 th April, 1878. In 1898 he married Annie Elizabeth Till at Portsea and by 1911 they were living in Portsmouth with their two daughters Edith (6) and Lucy (6 months). Joseph apparently had a sister: he told Pier Review in 1932 that she had expressed annoyance when he signed on to the Titanic. Before signing on the Titanic he had previously worked for White Star and other shipping lines, mainly out of Plymouth, sometimes as an Able Bodied Seaman (A.B.) and sometimes as a Bosun. His last ship had been the Union-Castle ship Kildonan Castle. He signed on to the Titanic as an A. B. for which he received wages of £5 a month. He gave his address as 36 Albert Road. The photograph (below left) shows 22-40 Albert Road. Number 36 is thi house from the left of the photograph. He was 34 years old in 1912. rd ngland He took the opportunity of looking over the ship when she arrived in Southampton and declared her to be ‘the finest ship I had ever seen.’ Joseph described to The Sphere magazine what happened when the ship struck the iceberg ‘I was underneath the forecastle enjoying a smoke at the time. It happened at about twenty minutes to twelve o’clock. The shaking of the ship seemed as though the engines had suddenly been reversed to full speed astern. Those of the crew who were asleep in their bunks turned out, and we all rushed on deck to see what was the matter. We found that the ship had struck an iceberg and there was a large quantity of ice and snow on the starboard side of the fore deck. We did not think it very serious so we went below again cursing the iceberg for disturbing us.’ Joseph was saved aboard lifeboat 14 and was taken to New York on the Carpathia, arriving there on the 18 th May. On the 20 th Joseph and the other crew members not required to give evidence to the US enquiry left for E aboard the Lapland. He gave the following account of his rescue from the Titanic to the British Inquiry. ‘I myself took charge of No. 14 as the only sailorman there. The Chief Officer ordered women and children to be taken in. Some men came and tried to rush the boat. They were foreigners and could not understand the orders I gave them, but l managed to keep them away. I had to use some persuasion with a boat tiller. One man jumped in twice and l had to throw him out the third time. I got all the women and children into the boat. There were fifty- four women and four children--one of them a baby in arms. There were myself, two firemen, three or four stewards and Mr. Lowe, who got into the boat. I told him the trouble l had with the men and he brought out his revolver and fired two shots and said: "If there is any more trouble I will fire at them." The shots fired were fired between the boat and the ship's side. The after fall got twisted and we dropped the boat by the releasing gear and got clear of the ship. There were four men rowing. there was a man in the boat who we thought was a sailor, but he was not. He was a window cleaner*. The Titanic was then about fifty yards off, and we lay there with the other boats.’ (* Window cleaner William harder was saved in lifeboat 14). On the Lapland’s arrival in Plymouth, the surviving crew members were met by White Star officials who wanted to take down their evidence. To the crew’s surprise and annoyance they were detained in the 3 rd class waiting room, while their families waited outside to see them. Some were detained overnight and had to talk to their friends and families through windows. Above right is a photograph of those surviving crew members who were called to give evidence to the British Inquiry. Joseph Scarrott is possibly the man on the far right of the group, smoking a pipe. The British inquiry began in London on May 3, and Joseph gave his evidence on Day 2, after which he was free to go. Left is a photograph of Joseph taken by the Illustrated London News as he stood outside the London Scottish Drill Hall, Buckingham Gate, waiting to give evidence to the British Inquiry into the sinking. Joseph returned to sea after the Titanic disaster. He died in Southampton in August 1938, aged 60.
Transcript of Joseph George Scarrott, 36 Albert Road, Southampton: Saved · Joseph George Scarrott, 36 Albert ......
Joseph George Scarrott, 36 Albert Road, Southampton: Saved
Joseph Scarrott (left) was born in Portsmouth on 25th April, 1878. In 1898 he married Annie Elizabeth Till at Portsea and by 1911 they were living in Portsmouth with their two daughters Edith (6) and Lucy (6 months). Joseph apparently had a sister: he told Pier Review in 1932 that she had expressed annoyance when he signed on to the Titanic. Before signing on the Titanic he had previously worked for White Star and other shipping lines, mainly out of Plymouth, sometimes as an Able Bodied Seaman (A.B.) and sometimes as a Bosun. His last ship had been the Union-Castle ship Kildonan Castle. He signed on to the Titanic as an A. B. for which he received wages of £5 a month. He gave his address as 36 Albert Road. The photograph (below left) shows 22-40 Albert Road. Number 36 is thihouse from the left of the photograph. He was 34 years old in 1912.
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He took the opportunity of looking over the ship when she arrived in Southampton and declared her to be ‘the finest ship I had ever seen.’ Joseph described to The Sphere magazine what happened when the ship struck the iceberg ‘I was underneath the forecastle enjoying a smoke at the time. It happened at about twenty minutes to twelve o’clock. The shaking of the ship seemed as though the engines
had suddenly been reversed to full speed astern. Those of the crew who were asleep in their bunks turned out, and we all rushed on deck to see what was the matter. We found that the ship had struck an iceberg and there was a large quantity of ice and snow on the starboard side of the fore deck. We did not think it very serious so we went below again cursing the iceberg for disturbing us.’ Joseph was saved aboard lifeboat 14 and was taken to New York on the Carpathia, arriving there on the 18th May. On the 20th Joseph and the other crew members not required to give evidence to the US enquiry left for Eaboard the Lapland. He gave the following account of his rescue from the Titanic to the British Inquiry. ‘I myself took charge of No. 14 as the only sailorman there. The Chief Officer ordered women and children to be taken in. Some men came and tried to rush the boat. They were foreigners and could not understand the
orders I gave them, but l managed to keep them away. I had to use some persuasion with a boat tiller. One man jumped in twice and l had to throw him out the third time. I got all the women and children into the boat. There were fifty-four women and four children--one of them a baby in arms. There were myself, two firemen, three or four stewards and Mr. Lowe, who got into the boat. I told him the trouble l had with the men and he brought out his revolver and fired two shots and said: "If there is any more trouble I will fire at them." The shots fired were fired between the boat and the ship's side. The
after fall got twisted and we dropped the boat by the releasing gear and got clear of the ship. There were four men rowing. there was a man in the boat who we thought was a sailor, but he was not. He was a window cleaner*. The Titanic was then about fifty yards off, and we lay there with the other boats.’ (* Window cleaner William harder was saved in lifeboat 14).
On the Lapland’s arrival in Plymouth, the surviving crew members were met by White Star officials who wanted to take down their evidence. To the crew’s surprise and annoyance they were detained in the 3rd class waiting room, while their families waited outside to see them. Some were detained overnight and had to talk to their friends and families through windows. Above right is a photograph of those surviving crew members who were called to give evidence to the British Inquiry. Joseph Scarrott is possibly the man on the far right of the group, smoking a pipe. The British inquiry began in London on May 3, and Joseph gave his evidence on Day 2, after which he was free to go. Left is a photograph of Joseph taken by the Illustrated London News as he stood outside the London Scottish Drill Hall, Buckingham Gate, waiting to give evidence to the British Inquiry into the sinking. Joseph returned to sea after the Titanic disaster. He died in Southampton in August 1938, aged 60.
