David Charters (June 5th, 1891 - April 15th, 1912) was a Third Class passenger of the Titanic. He boarded the ship at Queenstown (ticket number A/5. 13032, £7, 14s, 8d). He died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.
Early Life[]
He was the son of William Charters (b. circa 1860) and Mary Anne Vance (b. 7 February 1865) who had married on 23 July 1890. His parents were both natives of Co Longford. His father was a farmer, and the ffamily belonged to the Church of Ireland.
David was the eldest child and had 9 siblings: William (b. 1 August 1893), Robert (b. 17 February 1895), Anne (b. 26 February 1897), John (b. 12 July 1898), Sarah Elizabeth (b. 22 February 1900 1), Richard (b. 18 June 1902), Mary Jane (b. 2 July 19042), Alexander (b. 12 August 1906) and James Walter (b. 1 August 1908).
In 1901 he lives at house 11, Garvagh, a farm rand by his grandfather David Charters (1808-1901) and his own father. Following his grandfather's death it appears his father took sole responsibility in the running of the farm. In 1911, the family address was house 13 in Garvagh and David worked as a general servant.
Titanic[]
David boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a Third Class passenger (ticket number A/5. 13032 which cost £7, 14s, 8d) and he was destined for the home of his uncle, David Vance (b. 1872), in New York City. Vance had emigrated to the USA around 1892, married Annie Taylor (b. 1873) in 1902 and had two children: William John (1903-1985) and Annie Elizabeth (b. 1904). By 1910 he was living in Manhattan with his two children, having been widowed in 1907.
On April 14, Titanic met her horrible fate by striking a glancing blow against an iceberg late at night. The result was that the ship was sinking. On April 15, after midnight, the commanders of the ship started to evacuate. At 2:20 A.M. the ship sank completely after breaking in two.
David Charters lost his life in the disaster and his body, if recovered, was never identified. He is commemorated on a family headstone in Ballinalee, Co Longford.
If the loss of their eldest boy wasn't bad enough, his parents would incur further heartache when their youngest child James died aged 6 on 8 October 1914 following complications from an oedema of the larynx which a doctor had attempted to treat by tracheotomy, but to no avail; he died just hours later.
Portrayals[]
S.O.S. Titanic (1979)[]
Philip O'Sullivan as David Charters in S.O.S. Titanic
| “ |
We brought you some fruit from the table." |
” |
—David Charters and Kate Gilnagh | ||
David was portrayed by Philip O'Sullivan in S.O.S. Titanic. On board the ship, he shared a cabin with fellow Irishmen James Farrell, Martin Gallagher and Daniel Buckley.
He and the men became acquainted with girls including Kate Gilnagh, Kate Mullins, Mary Agatha Glynn and Bridget Bradley, fellow Irish residents as well. Later they also got acquainted with Olaus Abelseth who also helped bring Martin closer to Irish Beauty.
During the sinking, the group find for their own way to the boat deck, where they ended up getting lost in the First Class Dining Saloon. They were stopped by Master at-arms Thomas King, thinking they were going to steal or looting something, but ended up letting the women go to the lifeboat after Farrell begged him.
Somehow, both Farrell, Gallagher and David got separated from Daniel Buckley and Olaus Abelseth. Daniel and Abelseth later survived but Farrell, Gallagher and David were unable to find the lifeboats. The three of them joined in praying with other passengers led by Father Thomas Byles. When the water flushed to the boat deck, sweeping David fell into the water first, followed by Farrell then Martin. The three of them did not survive the sinking.