David Livshin, also known as Abraham Harmer, was a Third Class passenger of the Titanic. He died in the sinking.
Biography[]
Early life[]
He was born around 1887 in Liepāja, Kurzeme, Latvia, then part of the Courland Governorate, within the Russian Empire. He hailed from an Ashkenazi Jewish background,
Details about David's early life are vague but it is understood he served in the Russian Army before settling in England around 1911. He moved to Manchester, changing his name to David Lifschitz. He started a watchmaking business at Strangeways and lived at 36 Strong Street, Lower Broughton in that city.
David was married in early 1912, to China Hodes, a young Russian woman. It was decided that they would emigrate and settle in Canada with David to travel ahead first and then send for his 20 year old wife who was pregnant by that time. He had originally planned to leave for Canada in late March 1912 aboard the SS Grampian but later exchanged his ticket. Reasons likely being that the Jewish holiday of Passover took place between April 2nd and April 10th, and Livshin probably preferred to spend the holiday at home with his wife rather than at sea. So, presumably, he exchanged his ticket on the Grampian for a later one on the Titanic.
Aboard the Titanic[]
David boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a Third Class passenger on 10 April 1912. He bought (ticket number 374887 for £7, s5) under the name of Abraham Harmer. His family didn't know why David Livshin had adapted this name because they had never heard of it before. A plausible explanation is that he had bought the ticket from a third party. He was aiming to go to Montréal, Québec. As he had several siblings living there.
David's cabinmate was Joseph Abraham Hyman, a Polish-Jewish grocer and jeweler who lived in England.
On April 14, at 11:40 P.M, Titanic had. Joseph felt a bang and a jolt which lasted a while. While he went out to investigate, David sat idle and probably slept on.
While his cabin mate found refuge at Collapsible C, David Livshin died in the sinking. According to Captain Rostron, Livshin was one of the four people buried by the Carpathia. He may have been the fourth person picked up by lifeboat 14 (if indeed there was a fourth person). Alternatively he may have been 'the lifeless body', referred to by Lightoller, transferred from Collapsible B to lifeboat 12 during the night. Algernon Barkworth also talked about a dead body being transferred.
Legacy[]
China Livshin had been in the early stages of pregnancy when she became a widow. Her son, whom she named David in honour of his father, was born on 3 September 1912. China applied to the Liverpool Relief Fund for assistance and was granted a monthly payment but requested that she be given a reduced monthly sum and an immediate cash payment in order that she might return to Russia to take the child to visit his grandparents. She was still in Russia for the onset of the First World War and was unable to leave and the family endured severe deprivations during this time and it was not until 1920 that she and the child were able to return to Manchester. What became of China is not clear.
Young David in time became a highly respected member of the medical profession. He was married in 1948 to Milly Bor (1916-1998), the daughter of Russian immigrants, and had one son, Michael (b. 1949) and two daughters, Naomi (b. 1953) and Deborah (b. 1957). He died in Manchester in 1992 aged 79.
Portrayals[]
'A Night to Remember' (1958)[]
A possible appearance of David Livshin in A Night to Remember (1958), portrayed by Barry Steele
| “ |
Look, boyo! There's a ship coming! She's firing rockets!" |
” |
—Patrick Murphy and Dying passenger | ||
A dying passenger who appeared in 'A Night to Remember' was probably David Livshin. He was portrayed by Barry Steele.
He appeared as one of the passengers being transferred from Collapsible B to lifeboat 12, but he was too weak and cold from being submerged in water for hours. He is then comforted by Patrick Murphy, saying that a ship is coming and firing rockets. The man then asks Murphy to let him be, leaving Murphy grieving.