Archie Jewell
Archibald "Archie" Jewell was born on December 4th, 1888, in Bude, North Cornwall. He was a lookout for the Titanic and a survivor of the sinking. Archibald Jewell, also known as Archie, was the youngest child of John Jewell, a sailor, and his wife Elizabeth Jewell. He had six older siblings, two sisters and four brothers. His mother died on 9 April 1891 in childbirth.
In 1903, at the age of 15, Jewell began working on smaller sailing ships. In 1904, he joined White Star Line where he served on board RMS Oceanic as a Full Seaman for 7-8 years, during which time he lived in Southampton.
On 6 April 1912, Jewell was transferred to the Titanic as one of six lookouts along with 24-year-old George Symons. As a lookout his monthly wages were £5. Jewell was scheduled to be in the crow's nest between 20:00 P.M and 22:00 P.M. and then from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., during the night of 15 April 1912.
On the night of April 14th, 1912 he had worked his 8 P.M. to 10 P.M. shift and was in his berth when the ship hit the iceberg at 11:40 P.M. He was one of the first people to leave the ship in lifeboat 7 at 12:25 A.M.
The lifeboat reached the Carpathia at 5:10 A.M. the next day. After arriving in New York City on the RMS Carpathia, Jewell returned to England on 29 April 1912 on board the SS Lapland. He was among the first witnesses interviewed by Lord Justice Mersey on 3 May 1912 before the British Committee of Inquiry on the accident. At least 331 questions were asked.
He was married to Bessie Heard, also from Bude, in the summer of 1915, and moved to Bitterne with her. Bessie Jewell gave birth to her and Archie's son, Raymond Hope Jewell, in Autumn 1916. Jewell also worked on HMHS Britannic during World War I. He survived the sinking of the Britannic on 21 November 1916 along with two other Titanic survivors Violet Jessop, a stewardess operating as nurse on the newer sister ship, and Arthur John Priest, who was a stoker on Titanic.
At the end of 1916, Jewell left the White Star Line and was hired as an Able Seaman on the SS Donegal, a passenger ship put into service in 1904. The Donegal was converted into a hospital ship during World War I and transported wounded soldiers from France to England. On 1 March 1917, one of these voyages involved enemy contact with a German submarine. Badly damaged, the Donegal could get to safety, but it was never repaired. On 17 April 1917, another German submarine fired without warning on the Donegal. The ship went down in the English Channel, about 19 nautical miles (35 km) south of the Dean light vessel. The 28-year-old Jewell was one of the 12 crew members who died, along with 29 British soldiers. Jewell's body was never recovered. By pure coincidence, fellow Titanic and Britannic survivor, Arthur John Priest was also onboard, but survived once again.
A plaque commemorates Jewell at the Tower Hill Memorial, in London. Archie Jewell was survived by his wife and son, his father, and all six of his siblings; his son died in Exeter on 10 December 1930, at the age of 14, after a serious illness.
His account of the Britannic's sinking[]
“Thank God I didn’t die then, I have never been as close to death as I was at that moment.” When the Britannic's hull touched the mine, the ship "vibrated along its entire length", outboard water poured into the hole and smelled of gunpowder. I was near the place where the explosion took place. While I was wondering where I was, a man abruptly opened the cabin door, knocked me down and hit my head so hard that I bled. I rushed to the boat deck, where one of the medical staff bandaged me. After helping, I looked like old one-eyed Nelson.”