Herbert Fuller Chaffe was an american First Class passenger of the RMS Titanic who died during the sinking
Biography[]
Early years[]
Herbert was born on November 20th, 1865 in Sharon, Litchfield County, Connecticut as the son of Eben Whitney Chaffee and Amanda Fuller Chaffee. His father came to Dakota in 1875 where he founded the bonanza-farming business "Amenia"
Herbert was educated in the common schools in Sharon, a seminary in New York, and the Williston Seminary, a scientific school in Easthampton, Massachusetts. In 1885 he graduated from Williston Seminary. In 1887, he entered Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio where he studied at the Conservatory of Music. He enrolled for 2 years but probably moved to North Dakota to help run the family firm as he did not graduate. While at Oberlin he met his future wife Carrie Constance Toogood.
H. F. Chaffee at Williston Seminary. Second from left
They were married on on December 21th, 1887 and a son was born on September 28th, 1888. Earlier that year they had moved to North Dakota where Herbert took charge of the family farming business and eventually became the chief executive officer of the family business.
At its greatest extent, the business controlled 42,000 acres of prime farmland, 34 grain elevators, a grain-trading firm, and three company towns with dozens of smaller company-owned businesses. He continued in business in North Dakota, purchasing the interests of the remaining investors of the Amenia & Sharon Land Company in 1893.
Mrs. Chaffe gave birth to five more children: Dorothy Adelia Chaffee (b. June 15th, 1890), Herbert Lawrence Chaffee (b. June 24th, 1892), Esther Carolyn Chaffee (b. May 10th, 1895; d. January 10th, 1899), Florence Adele Chaffee (b. June 2nd 1900), and Lester Fuller Chaffee (b. October 30th,1902).
Herbert & Carrie and Family 1903. From left to right: standing at back: Florence, Dorothy, Herbert Lawrence. Seated: Herbert, Lester, Carrie, Eben
Titanic[]
Herbert and his wife boarded the Titanic as First Class passengers (ticket no. 5734, £61, 3s, 6d) at Southampton on April 10th, 1912. Whilst aboard they occupied cabin E-31
On the evening of April 14th, 1912, Herbert and his wife were having dinner with several other passengers on the Titanic about four hours before the collision. When the passengers were seated, Bruce Ismay, the ship owner, and Thomas Andrews, the ship builder, stopped by the table, asking for comments on the ship and the voyage to which Herbert replied “Nothing forgotten,” and “and exceptional staff. I hope they are well rewarded.". During this conversation, he raised concern about the ship's engines and speed saying "It seems to be a shame to be running this ship so hard before the engines are fully broken in." before he turned facing Ismay directly and said “Especially, as I hear, when there are icebergs in the area.”
Before Mr. Ismay could answer, Carrie broke in “Is there such a need for such a terrible speed?” to which Ismay replied “I am quite certain that the Captain and his crew know their business,”. Later, the couple walked to the bow to view the sunset.
Later that night, the Titanic struck an iceberg on her starboard side on 11:40 P. M. As Titanic was sinking, he managed to put his wife in a lifeboat (possibly lifeboat 11 or lifeboat 4). As the boat was slowly being lowered into the sea, Carrie looked up to him, still standing at the rails, and asked why he wasn't also getting into the boat as there was room for more people. He replied: "I will see you later dear." Herbert turned and disappeared into the crowd and was never seen again.
Herbert died with the rest of the passengers who didn't make it to a lifeboat and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
After his death[]
After his untimely death at age 46, appraisers valued Herbert Chaffee’s estate at $1,228,118.15. To keep that large block of property together so as not to upset the financial status of the Amenia and Sharon Land Company, his estate was formed into a holding company, the H.F.Chaffee Company. Its officers were his wife Carrie, his son Herbert Laurance, his daughter Dorothy Stroud, and her husband Peter Stroud. Walter Reed was elected president and general manager of the parent company, A&S Land Co., replacing the deceased, and Carrie Toogood Chaffee was made vice-president.
The White Star Line, owners of the Titanic, paid 27% of the $251,000 claim that the family of H.F. Chaffee had filed against it. In addition, Herbert carried a considerable sum of personal life insurance, almost $150,000, the largest of anyone aboard the RMS Titanic, with his family as benefactors. The Land Company also carried a policy on his life, for which they collected $50,020.84.