George Bowyer was a harbor pilot on board the RMS Titanic. He had also previously worked on Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic and was involved in both vessel's incidents in Southampton. After guiding Titanic, he disembarked at Cherbourg.
Early life and career[]
George Bowyer was born on October 16, 1859 in The Cottage, West Gate, Southampton. 23 December 1882 to Richard Tubb Bowyer and Sarah Cue. Both parents were Southampton natives. George stemmed from a family with lots of harbor pilots and also had lots of siblings. A brother born before him died within a year. At least one older sister and one younger sister survived childhood. They were Emma Susannah, born in 1853 and Annie Louise, born in 1872.
George joined the pilot service in 1871 as an apprentice, crewing the sailing pilot cutter Lively, and his first trip was to ferry his uncle James, who was also a harbor pilot, to his ship. As a youngster he also crewed what he described as William C. Bowyer’s racing yachts, presumably the boats belonged to his older cousin. He went on to become a distinguished big-ship harbor pilot.
George was married to Emma Hall on 23 December 1882, in Southampton. From their marriage, at least 8 children were born, evenly devided between girls and boys. Two of them might have deceased early.
One of George Bowyer's son's, Stanley George Hill Bowyer, was born in 1889. Stanley was part of the White Star Line's very own football team in 1907. At the time Stanley was aged about 18.
Olympic[]
Bowyer was on the RMS Olympic's bridge, navigating the ship, during the collision with HMS Hawke at 12.46 P.M. on September 20th 1911. With Captain Smith and the mandatory Pilot George Bowyer on the bridge, Olympic departed Southampton at 11.25 A.M. and began to increase her speed. The Royal Navy cruiser HMS Hawke, under the command of Commander William Blunt, was sailing towards the same channel in the Solent. She altered course to overtake on Olympic’s starboard side but was irresistibly drawn towards the giant liner, probably by a combination of water displacement and propeller suction.
An investigation followed on the incident, and obviously George was called as a witness.
Titanic[]
At 11 A.M. on the morning of the 10th of April, 1912, George Bowyer arrived aboard Titanic and spent some time discussing with Captain Smith and the officers the draft of water and other considerations for the Maiden Voyage of Titanic. Technically speaking, Bowyer was in charge of Titanic until it reached the Nab lightship, southeast of Bembridge, at which point he would disembark.
At noon, tugs eased Titanic away from her berth and under Bowyer, pilotage the Titanic began her journey down the River Test but came too close to the moored RMS Oceanic which laid quayside and the SS New York, which was moored to the Oceanic outboard in the river. Titanic’s increased displacement of tonnage caused the New York to be dragged in towards Titanic.
Captain Edward John Smith was on the bridge and stepped in to give a new order in manoeuvring Titanic, thus preventing an actual collision. After an hour's delay and assistance from tugboats, Titanic finally departed Southampton and slowly wound her way though the Solent.
Titanic stopped briefly at the Saint Helen Pilot Boarding Area and Bowyer disembarked from Titanic's starboard side into a rowing boat, which was photographed by Father Browne as it is picked up by by the Ketch pilot vessel, heading back to Southampton.
At the time of the sinking of Titanic, Alderman Henry Bowyer, J.P. was the Mayor of Southampton and a relative of George. Alderman had been a harbor pilot too, and had reached many ranks in the military. In the aftermath of grief that consumed the town following the White Star liner’s sinking, Alderman Bowyer orchestrated a Mayor’s Appeal which raised £41,000 towards a fund for the relief of those who suffered from the loss of life.
Later life[]
Bowyer served during World War 1. He was on the Vigilant when it was blown up by a mine in 1917 with the loss of six of its crew, as well as eight pilots.
He still lived in Southampton in the 1920s whilst he was a pilot on several other White Star Line vessels.
George retired to Barton-on-Sea, a coastline area almost directly opposite the Isle of Wight. A year after retiring in 1929, George Bowyer wrote and published a book entitled "Lively Ahoy - Reminiscences of 58 years in the Trinity House Pilotage Service (1930). The book has become a rare and expensive item but disappointingly, his memoirs omitted the most significant events of his life, with no mention of either Olympic or Titanic incidents. Titanic had become a taboo subject in the offices of its owner, the White Star Line, and was spoken of discreetly, if at all, on Southampton’s streets, few of which escaped association with the most infamous disaster in maritime history. It seems that Bowyer bowed to this pressure and did not include it.
Sadly the Bowyer's son Stanley died in 1933 at the age of only 44.
He became widowed when Emma passed away on the 15th of February 1944, aged 84. He passed soon after her, on June 21, 1945. He was 86 and was buried next to his son, together with his wife in All Saints Churchyard, Milford-on-Sea, New Forest District.
In Popular Culture[]
A Night to Remember (1958)[]
George Bowyer appeared briefly in A Night to Remember (1958), he appeared on the day of Titanic's departure at Southampton. He is seen on the bridge and greets Captain Smith.
S.O.S. Titanic (1979)[]
| “ |
Mr Bowyer, we’re in your expert hands until we reach the Nab. May we have your orders? We have a rendezvous this evening in France. |
” |
—Captain Edward John Smith, S.O.S. Titanic | ||
In S.O.S. Titanic, Bowyer also appeared briefly, where he got orders from Captain Smith, then he thanked him.
Sources[]
https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L4LD-KN8/george-william-bowyer-1860-1945