Erik Gustaf Lindeberg-Lind was a Swedish businessman and a First Class Passenger aboard Titanic. This was, however, not the name he used when he boarded the ship in Southampton on Wednesday, 10th of April 1912.
Early life[]
His original name was Erik Gustaf Åkerlind, and he was born on June 18, 1869 at Jordanstorp in Gryt parish in Södemanlands län, Sweden. He was the son of landowner Per Erik Åkerlind and his wife Eva Johanna Bernhardina Tigersköld.
Åkerlind had, in his youth, emigrated to the USA in 1887, naturalization followed in 1892. Erik made a career in the US Navy where he advanced to Captain or Commander. Having made his fortune in the USA he got married to the daughter a famous funeral center owner named Mabel Molin. Her name and background is unknown. She was the daughter but the marriage failed and, after the divorce. In 1909 he returned to Sweden where he bought back the Jordanstorp manor his father had lost. One day after all of that, he remarried to Elsa Teresia Dubois-Karsten who had a son Åke Raoul from her earlier marriage. Living in the manor with them were a bunch of other people. Erik's widowed mother Eva, former Captain of the Royal Navy August Balthazar Carl Jakob Lagercrantz and his wife Annie Elisabeth Johnson, Edith Eugenia Eklund, Ingeborg Maria Johansson and Anna Maria Kristina Olsson, all maids, Ester Emilia Sedvall, a cook and finally three servants, Elin Johanna Hörnström, Elin Elisabeth Myrberg and Elna Sofia Karlsson.
Jordanstorp Manor as it still stands today.
The double whammy of rebuilding and repair of the manor and some unsuccessful investments cost him his fortune. Some of the investments were importing school desks who couldn't be sold or watches that didn't function properly anymore. Affter that he had fallen into the clasp of loan shark Jean Jansson. To save himself from his debts, Lind made the decision to return to America in order to build up a new fortune. At first, Elsa and Åke were meant to follow him, but he left earlier instead. On the passenger list he went under the name Edward Lingrey, because he didn't want to be recognized by his ex-wife.
Titanic[]
He took the voyage on Titanic in First Class with fellow passenger Spencer Victor Silverthorne. Remarkably, they shared a ticket. While on board, he kept most of his identity to himself. He said that he was called Captain Lingrey, a man who had traveled from Sweden to Berlin before finding himself on the Titanic. He also wrote four letters to his wife. Only one would ever reach destination. This is what it said: My darling little Elsa, before I leave this part of the Globe, I hereby send you my warm and loving regards. You have no idea how enormous this boat is, and you would never have guessed how luxurious it is! The first trip and believe it or not she can accommodate 5,000 passengers. I hope the envelope does not tell which boat I am traveling on. Remember, Elsa, my darling, that you are not supposed to tell anybody. Poor little darling perhaps another note or something to that effect has come to you but I hardly think so. You know who they were. Perhaps some villain thinks that Auntie K. could help, but do they get to know something else, they will probably calm down. I hope I will remain healthy, so you can be assured that I will see to it that everything is settled and done. I will now write every day and when we go ashore I shall send it all to you. May God protect you and our little Åke and may you remain healthy.
Send my love to mother with a thousand kisses.
Your own, lonely Erik.
On the night of April 14, the ship had struck an iceberg and evacuation was needed. Erik had managed to get up on deck with a life jacket. When it was very late and one of the last Collapsibles was being lowered away, he joined another First Class Swedish businessman Mauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson, and also Hugh Woolner who had helped women into the boats until that point, but those two were now about to jump from the Boat Deck into Collapsible D that was being lowered. While Mauritz and Hugh were fortunate enough to land in the boat, Erik did not. He must have drowned.
Erik's body was never recovered or at least identified.
After his death[]
When Elsa claimed damages to the White Star Line, they refused to admit that Erik had ever been on board. Due to Elsa's proof of her husband's passing on the Titanic, an investigation was started but, on July 5th, 1912, the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs declared that Erik had never boarded the ship. After the verdict was dropped, they still tried to communicate with Gryt's Church who said they couldn't help. While dealing with Erik's loss, Elsa and Åke were struck by misfortune again. They still had no money and could pay their debts back to Jean, so he took possession of the Jordanstorp Manor and forced the mother son duo to move out. Eva, Erik's mother, found them an apartment in the building she used to lodge students in back in the days. On August 7th, 1912, the Ministry contacted Elsa again to know where Erik had bought his ticket. There was a ray of hope for justice and, on August 15th, 1912, they were finally able to tell that Erik had been on board with the confirmation that he had bought his ticket on April 9th, 1912, in London, London, England. The White Star Line, having no proof that he had perished, still refused to pay damages.
Mauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson came to their aid. Pictures of Erik were shown to him and he immediately recognized the man and recalled his last moments. Five years after Titanic had landed on the bottom of the Atlantic, Björnström-Steffansson gave assurances to the Notarius Publicus in New York that Lingrey and Lind was the same person. Thanks to his efforts, the damage claims were finally paid. On February 26th, 1917, £48 were paid to Eva and £150 to Elsa.