Percy Robert Pook was an Assistant Second Class Pantry Steward on the RMS Titanic. He did not survive the sinking.
Life[]
Percy Pook was born in Torquay, Devon, England, on March 25th, 1876. His parents were Henry Pook (1843-November 5th, 1908), a house decorator, organist, and choirmaster at a local church, and Kate Manley (1850-1926). Both Percy's parents were also born and raised in Torquay, England. The two of them married in 1872 in Torquay. At four months old, Percy was baptized at St. Mark's Church in Torquay, which was the same place of worship where his father was employed as the organist and choirmaster.
In total, Henry and Kate Pook had nine children, of which Percy was the fourth. His siblings were Henry James (born 1873), Annie (born 1874), Clara (born 1875), Florence (born 1877), Maud (1878-1947), Reginald Octavious (1880-1959), Nina Kate (November 10th, 1884-1964), and Dorothy Eveline (January 18th, 1891-1970). All of his siblings were also born in Torquay. They were a Christian family.
Percy would first appear on the 1881 English census living with his family in Torquay. His father, Henry, then 38, was still employed as a house decorator, while his mother Kate, 30, had no listed occupation. At the time, Percy and some of his siblings - Henry, Annie, Clara, Florence, and Maud - were all listed as scholars, attending Warberry Church Primary School. His brother Reginald was not yet attending school as he was too young. Also living at the family's residence was Emily Dart, a fourteen-year-old girl from Torquay, who was employed as a domestic servant for the family. Since the Pooks had a servant, they were rather well-off.
By 1891, Percy had left school and was working as a grocer's assistant. At the age of 15, he was still residing with his family at Vane Hill Road, Torquay. His father was no longer working as a house decorator by the time of the 1891 census: he was only listed as a church's organist and choir master. His brother Henry, 18, and sister Annie, 17, had also left school and were working as a draper's cashier and an apprentice dressmaker. Percy's sister Clara was a year older than him, but had no listed occupation at the time, meaning that she had either stayed in school or had not found a job at the time. All of his younger siblings, minus Dorothy who was a few months old, were in school. They no longer employed a domestic servant.
In another ten years, Percy and all of his siblings minus Henry, who was working as a musician in Ashton, were still living at home. However, the family was no longer living in Torquay, but 33 miles away on Alexandra Road in Plymouth, England. Percy, 25, was still working as a grocer's assistant. His father, 58, was once again working as a house decorator. It is unclear if he began to work at a new church as an organist or choirmaster once the Pooks left Torquay. His sisters Clara and Florence were both working as dressmakers, while his brother Reginald was a clerk. Tragedy had struck the previous year when Annie's husband, Reginald George Charles Tilbury (1875-1900) passed away at an early age. This left Annie as a young widow; she was living at home, unemployed. Percy's three youngest siblings attended school, while a nephew, Reginald Pook, 2, stayed home. It seems most probable that this was Annie's son, but it is unclear.
Another tragedy would strike the Pook family when Percy's father, Henry, died at the age of November 5th, 1908, at the age of 65 in Plymouth. After his death, the responsibility to provide for his mother and siblings Annie and Dorothy, fell upon him. It can be assumed that this is around the time when he would resign from his job as a grocer's assistant and begin life at sea. Percy is not listed anywhere on the 1911 English census as he was out working at sea at the time. His widowed mother, Kate, 60, and sisters Annie, Florence, and Dorothy were all living at the family's home in Plymouth. None of the ladies were employed when the census was taken.
It is not known when Mr. Pook exactly began to work for the White Star Line shipping company. However, it is known he was aboard the RMS Olympic when it almost collided with the HMS Hawke in 1911, working within the ship's Victualling department. Roughly a year later, Percy would work aboard the Olympic's sister-ship: the RMS Titanic.
Working on the Titanic[]
On April 4th, 1912, Percy Pook, then 36 years old, signed on to work aboard the RMS Titanic for her Maiden Voyage to New York. Mr. Pook was to work as an Assistant Second Class Pantry Steward aboard the liner, which would result in the pay of £3 15s. Unlike the majority of those in the Victualling Department, Percy would not be able to make tips on top of his monthly income. His previous ship was listed as the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic, and his last residence as 22 Chantry Road, Southampton. A few days before Percy boarded the ship, his sister, Nina, apparently had multiple dreams of a ship sinking beneath the waves of an ocean, and lifeboats being lowered from the vessel. It is known that she shared these dreams with her husband, George Sydney Tratt, but it seems as if they did not alert her brother of these dreams. Percy would board the Titanic at Southampton, and it would leave port on April 10th.
During the voyage, Percy was led by Chief Second Class Pantry Steward, Wilfred Seward, and worked alongside fellow assistants Alfred Harding and John Longmuir. The workplace of both the First and Second Class Pantry Stewards was in the First and Second Class Galley on D Deck, which was responsible for the meals of both First and Second Class. However, while the Pantrymen from both classes worked in the same area, they did not work together; they had to focus on the class they were assigned to.
The duties of Percy and the other pantry stewards are somewhat vague. What is known is that they were in charge of the movement and quality of the Titanic's pantries and the goods within them. They were also responsible for the final touches on dishes, and perhaps even plating in some situations. Pantry Stewards also made hot drinks when they were ordered by passengers, such as tea and coffee. When meals were not taking place in the Dining Saloon, it's possible that Percy and the other Pantry Stewards helped the chefs with the preparation of ingredients, but not with the cooking of meals.
When not working, Percy's berth was on E Deck in Scotland Road. He shared a room with the other two Assistant Pantry Stewards of the Second Class, Alfred Harding and John Longmuir, 12 Bedroom Stewards, the Deck Steward, the Smoke Room Steward, the Library Steward, and two cleaning/boots stewards. All of these men were employed in Second Class.
Percy's actions on the night of the Titanic's sinking are unknown. It can be assumed that he was able to make it to the Boat Deck where he assisted with the evacuation of the doomed liner. Percy Pook did not survive the sinking of the Titanic. His body was never recovered. He never married nor had any children of his own.
Aftermath[]
A month after the death of Mr. Pook aboard the Titanic, the following article was posted by the Torquay Directory on May 15th about his sister's, Nina's, dreams:
"One of the stewards on board the Titanic was a son of the late organist and choirmaster of a church in Torquay. He leaves an aged widowed mother, who was dependent upon him. His sister narrates a strange dream. She says that for several nights prior to the disaster she dreamed of a wreck at sea. She saw people lowered into boats, persons struggling in the water, and a ship going round and round, and many other details which afterwards her husband saw narrated in the papers. The dream anticipated events in actual detail. The husband, who heard the story almost daily, said that he hoped nothing was going to happen to his brother-in-law at sea."
Percy's widowed mother, Kate, likely struggled after his death as he was the one who supported her financially. At the time of his death, she was 61 or 62 years of age. One of Percy's eight siblings would have taken up the responsibility of providing for their mother after he was gone. At an unknown date, Kate would leave Plymouth and move to London, England. It was there in London where she passed away at 75 or 76 in 1926.