
John Wesley Woodward was, like his fellow musicians, praised as a hero.
John Wesley Woodward was an English musician and a cellist in the Titanic band.
Early life[]
John Wesley Woodward was born in West Bromwich on 11 September 1879. He was the youngest of ten children born to parents Joseph and Martha Woodward. The family lived at 24 Hawkes Lane, Hill Top and his father was manager of the Hollowware Iron Foundry close by. John had several brothers, Joseph, Thomas, Frederick, Herbert, Samuel and Roland plus sisters Mary and Martha. By 1895, his father Joseph as well as his brothers Joseph and Roland had all died. Sometime after, the remaining family moved to Oxford, settling in Headington. Brother Thomas went on to become a well-known tenor singer with Magdalen College Choir, Oxford.
Known to all as Wesley, he became a professional musician, playing in Oxford, and Eastbourne. In Eastbourne he played the cello both at the Grand Hotel and in the local orchestra. While in Eastbourne he joined the White Star Line musicians, playing on transatlantic ships.
Titanic[]
On 10 April 1912 he boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton for her maiden Transatlantic voyage. He took his best cello with him for the occasion. He and his seven colleagues traveled in Second Class. They were under the employment of agentship C.N. Black so they weren't part of the Titanic's crew. In the middle aft part of the ship, on E-Deck, they had their own cabin, simply marked 'E'. The Orchestra would often split up in a trio and quintet and was led by bandmaster Wallace Hartley. They played for the First and Second Class, on occasions such as lunch and dinner or a special party. They were often found in the public spaces such as Dining Saloons or Lounges.
On 14 April 1912, the ship hit an iceberg and she started to founder. On April 15 after midnight, it was confirmed by the commanding crew that she would not stay afloat and they had to evacuate. During the evacuation, the eight musicians were roused and ordered to play upbeat tunes in order to make the First Class passengers feel at ease as to prevent a panic. They initially played Alexander's Ragtime Band at 12:15 A.M. in the First Class Lounge, as witnessed by Jack B. Thayer jr and Fourth Officer Boxhall. The passengers didn't pay a lot of attention to them.
John Woodward and the other musicians famously continued to play to the bitter end as the Titanic sank. Their final tune was, according to some survivor accounts, "Nearer My God To Thee". Others persisted that it had been 'Songe D'Automne'. All members of the band, including his friend Jock Hume died. Wesley's body was never recovered.
Legacy[]
A memorial plaque was erected to Woodward on the promenade in Eastbourne, depicting the Titanic as she went down.
Sources[]
- 'Titanic' ©1996 (second print, 1998) Edward P. De Groot