As you know if you have been following the Blog, I am related to the Captain of the Titanic, Capt. Edward John Smith.  Well one thing most people don’t know it I have another site called the Enchanted Titanic.  Where I do have many cool fact on that site about the captain and the ship there is something a bit more special about that site.  It is called Children of the Titanic. 

Now who are the Children of the Titanic you ask.  Well it is anyone that is related to someone that was on the ship.  Crew and passengers alike.  These people have been coming to the site (or section of another site when it first started out) and telling their story.  Some people are in search of information about their relative and stop by and leave a note, telling what they know so far and asking for more information.

I even tell my story there on how I found out I was related to the Captain.  There are stories that will make you laugh and some will bring a tear, but most are just very cool facts.  Talking about facts we even have a section called the “believe it or not” were a very good friend of mine and author, Donald Allen Kirch (link is to his author fan page) got me started on this.  He also has some wonderful books out and some are about the Titanic.  He even published one of my letters to him in his books on the Titanic.  I was so honored to be able to be part of his books. 

Well this is a lot of interesting things going on at the Enchanted Titanic so after you done reading on this site jump over there and find some interesting reads.  And don’t forget to stop by Donald’s Facebook Fan Page and become a fan.

Name: Edward John
[Edward John Smith] 
Age: 1
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Relation: Son
Father’s Name: Edward
Mother’s Name: Catherine
Gender: Male
Where born: Hanley, Staffordshire, England
 
Civil parish: Stoke Upon Trent
Ecclesiastical parish: Wellington
Town: Hanley
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England 
 
Registration district: Stoke Upon Trent
Sub-registration district: Hanley
ED, institution, or vessel: 1f
Neighbors: View others on page 
Household schedule number: 51
Household Members: Name Age
Edward Smith 46
Catherine Smith 42
Edward John 1
Thurza Hancock 16

In this day and age of blogs everyone is researching and looking up information. But Blogs still seem to lack one key factor, a place to actually start and continue a discussion. Oh yes there are comments, but they seem to lack something because sometimes you can never tell who is really talking to who.

That is where Enchanted Family is making a new change. We have added a new forum for you to enjoy. A place where you can start up new discussions and join in on old ones. So lets get started because the best part of Genealogy is finding new family.

Everyone has family links and ties, so maybe you did not find a link within the Enchanted Family.  You can try posting a message on the forum under the section “LOOKING FOR”  You never know who might see it and be able to help you out.

Anyway, This is just one more way the Enchanted Family is getting more Enchanted!

I am related to the Captain of the Titanic, Captain Edward John Smith.  First let me explain what the Titanic is all about before I get into any family related information.

The RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner owned by British shipping company White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. At the time of her construction, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world.

Shortly before midnight on 14 April 1912, four days into the ship’s maiden voyage, Titanic hit an iceberg and sank two hours and forty minutes later, early on 15 April 1912. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 1,517 of the 2,223 people on board, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The high casualty rate was due in part to the fact that, although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship did not carry enough lifeboats for everyone aboard. The ship had a total lifeboat capacity of 1,178 people, although her maximum capacity was 3,547. A disproportionate number of men died due to the women-and-children-first protocol that was followed.

The Titanic used some of the most advanced technology available at the time and was popularly believed to have been described as “unsinkable.”[6] It was a great shock to many that, despite the extensive safety features, the Titanic sank. The frenzy on the part of the media about Titanic’s famous victims, the legends about the sinking, the resulting changes to maritime law, and the discovery of the wreck have contributed to the continuing interest in, and notoriety of, the Titanic.

Welcome this is the section I will be posting about the Titanic family Genealogy.

I recieved an interesting email just lately from an ardent fan of the Titanic. Chuck Steffes has told me a great story about some cute teddy bears that were produced after the Titanic sank called mourning bears, So I asked him if he would like me to post it and he said yes and included even more fun facts.

Without further delay I will post what he had to say now.

When the Titanic Sank in 1912, the Margarete Steiff company of Giengen Germany immediately produce 600 black mohair teddy bears that were shipped to Harrod’s in London. These teddy bears were sold as :mourning bears” to comfort those people who lost someone on the Titanic. These teddy bears are now one of the rarest of the rare teddy bears in existence. I own one of the original 600 bears produced. I am looking foe information on anyone who may have received one of these bears when the Titanic sank. I have been collecting Steiff for almost 30 years and worked for the Steiff company for 6 years. As next year is the 100th Anniversary of the sinking, I would love to correspond with someone who remembers or even has one of these bears.

I have been fascinated with the Titanic for many years. There was also a young boy travelling with his family on the Titanic. His name was Douglas Spedden. He had been given a Steiff Polar Bear a year earlier and had carried it with him throughout his travels with his parents. When the Titanic went down, he and his family went into lifeboat #3 and were picked up by the Carpathia and were returned to New York where they lived. In 1913, his mother wrote a book about the bears travels and adventures. It was called “My Story” and was told through the eyes of his beloved Polar Bear. On August 6th, 1915, Douglas Spedden was struck and killed by a car at his summer home in Maine. This was one of the first recorded car fatalities in the state. The book was put away in a trunk and was not discovered until 1982. In November of 1994, the book entitled Polar, the Titanic Bear” was published and released.
Gaspare Antonino Pietro (Luigi) Gatti, was the head of the à la carte restaurants. He also carried a small teddy bear. It was made by the Bing company of Germany. Although he didn’t survive, his body was retrieved and the small bear was returned to his wife.
As you can see, there is much that ties the teddy bear world to the Titanic. I would be happy to share stories with anyone that is interested.

If you would like to comment to Chuck Steffes, you may do so here, and I am sure he will be watching for any comments you may have.

LAST WILL OF CATHERINE SMITH Died 1893

This is the last Will and Testament of me Catherine Smith of 32 Cecil Road, Seaforth in the County of Lancaster Widow. I direct the payment of my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses as soon as convenient after my decease And subject thereto I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto my Son Edward John Smith his heirs executors administrators and assigns to and for his and their own absolute use and benefit And I appoint my said Son Edward John Smith sole Executor of this my Will and give and bequeath to him all estates vested in me as Trustee or Mortgagee subject nevertheless to the trusts and equities affecting the same respectively. I revoke all former Wills and declare this to be my last and only Will In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this Twenty seventh day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty five.
Signed by the said Catherine Smith as her Will in the joint presence of us who in her and each others presence have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.
Annie Jane Hancock 32 Cecil Road Seaforth Wife of George John Hancock Clerk
W S Nadiri 18 King St Manchester Gentleman & Solr of the Supreme Court of Judicature in England

On the 8th day of January 1894 Probate of this Will was granted at Chester to Edward John Smith the sole Executor