James Robert Wyeth was a Fireman on the Titanic.
Background[]
James Robert Wyeth began life as a child of a father from Basingstoke and a mother from Southampton, where he had been born on the 7th of November 1886. His father was a blue collar worker named James Wyeth, who had pledged his vows to Kezia Barrett in 1879 when they had the first of their off-spring, Beatrice. Four other siblings had come before James. Mathilda was their second daughter since 1880, before Frederick was given life in 1881, the brother of Arthur, begotten in 1883. He had a sister in 1884: Elizabeth Harriet. Following James were two brothers and a sister. Richard William was welcomed in 1889, preceeding 1890’s Edith Maud. Edward Charles was the last to bless the family in 1892.
In 1891, the family’s address could be found in South Stoneham. Only two years after giving birth to her latest child, Kezia Wyeth was gone forever. The death of his wife meant that James senior was a single parent, but he didn’t get himself a new missus.
By 1901, his son and namesake was a longshore laborer and his family now had moved to Saint Mary’s, Southampton.
Since 1907, he would be sailing with both Cunard and White Star Line as well as the Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd, or Royal Dutch Lloyd in English. He had operated on vessels such as RMS Majestic, RMS Caronia and SS Orania.
In October 1910, James made the promise for life to Isabella Annie Cox, a Yeovil girl. She stemmed from the Somerset region and in 1911, she and James had made home in Southampton. James would be doing stoker jobs on ocean liners. Their love produced one daughter, Gladys Lily Beryl, being gifted life in April 1912, just before James was with the Maiden Voyage of White Star Line’s latest creation.
Titanic[]
Before Titanic, he had found work on the sistership, Olympic. He was just back from a trip with this impressive giant when he was contracted on April 6 in Southampton. He would work as a Fireman and was assigned to the second watch group. These men would be at their post between 4:00 P.M. till 8:00 P.M and 4:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. They would sleep on the D-Deck at the starboard Firemen’s Berths.
Departure day was April 10. Titanic’s crew and passengers boarded and baggage was lifted onboard. After noon, the tugboats came to get her into the right direction. The very first trip would get her via the ports of Cherbourg and Queenstown, were more passengers and crew would be taken to the open Atlantic Ocean. The destiny would be New York.
On April 14, something serious happened to Titanic. It was a starlit night when the ship was in a dangerous icefields. Although the lookouts should in theory have had 11 miles of sight ahead of them, they had failed to catch sight of an iceberg until she was less than a minute away from Titanic. Titanic ran 22,5 knots and was getting closer fast. With three strikes on the bell and a telephone call to the bridge, lookout Frederick Fleet made the Officers aware of something in front of the bow.
A turning manouvre to port was attempted but the ship only changed direction seconds before impacting the iceberg with a glancing blow on starboard side. Her engines had been reversed as well but it couldn’t stop the ship from been damaged and cracks appeared below sea level. The first 6 forward compartments started to flood. James would be free at that moment.
On April 15, midnight, Titanic’s captain John Edward Smith contemplated with Thomas Andrews what the best course of action would be. Andrews made no bones about it. The ship was in danger of foundering, perhaps as soon as in two hours. Through Smith, quietly, an evacuation came off the ground.
Later into the evacuation, Titanic’s bow became very heavy with the seawater filling it. It ploughed ever deeper into the water. At some point, she only had 2 lifeboats which were taken as the water pushed Titanic’s bridge down and soon engufled more and more of the Boat Deck. Many minutes later, Titanic’s other half was sticking out of the water, pointing diagonally upwards and she split into two sections.
At 2:20 A.M. both parts of Titanic were lost forever.
As some Firemen were determined to stick to the bunkers that were still dry, still feeding them to ensure the survival of others, they died a proud death, helping the Engineering Crew and Electricians to keep the sinking rate as slow as possible and the lights and electricity working. We couldn’t know if Wyeth was with them. Several Firemen were aware that Titanic would founder and saved their hyde in the lifeboats while making themselves useful as rowers. Most souls that Titanic took that night, ended up in freezing waters, which would be a struggle and not last long. James Wyeth was one of at least 1500 deceased.
After his death[]
Sadly for Isabelle and James’ other loved ones, there wouldn’t be a body to bury. Most of the souls that perished that night, were lost to the sea forever.
Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund put their signature on donation made for Isabelle and Gladys Wyeth. James Robert Wyeth would be Isabelle’s last husband. On 31 October 1923, she had to endure further heartbreak. Gladys was cruelly taken out of her life and she was just 11.
On 22 September 1950, Isabelle Wyeth’s life ended.