The first and fateful last voyage of The Titanic is well known. Having departed Southampton en route to New York she hit an iceberg south of Newfoundland in the early morning of 15th April 1912 and sank within a few hours. Over 1500 died in the disaster.
There was a plan for The Titanic to visit Liverpool on her delivery from the shipyards of Harland and Wolff in Belfast but was prevented by bad weather in the Irish Sea. Despite never visiting the city The Titanic had many links to Liverpool. The owners of Titanic were The White Star Line and her port of registry was Liverpool.
As a result she had this painted on the stern along with her name. The offices of The White Star line were in Albion House which stands on the corner of James Street and The Strand. Now a grade II listed building it was built in the late 1890s but needed some restoration following the bombings of Liverpool in the Second World War. This building became the source of news about the disaster and updates and casualty lists were read from the lower balcony to the masses gathered outside. The building today is a hotel.
The White Star public house on Rainford Gardens close to Mathew Street is named after the White Star Line and is an interesting place to visit as not only does it have this association with The Titanic but also with The Beatles. There is some interesting memorabilia to see on the walls.
Many of the crew of The Titanic were from Liverpool and its neighbouring towns including the captain, Edward John Smith, who lived for forty years in Waterloo, north of the city. His time here is commemorated by a blue plaque on Marine Crescent in the town. There is also a memorial to him in Liverpools’s Anglican Cathedral in the form of a stained glass window.
The Philharmonic Hall on Hope Street is home to a memorial plaque dedicated to the members of the ships band, including viola player John Frederick Preston Clarke, who carried on playing as the ship sank. Interestingly the plaque gives the date as 14th April 1912 even though the ship sank in the early hours of the 15th. The plaque can be viewed in the entrance hall.
Across the road from Albion House on St Nicholas Place at the Pier Head is the memorial to the 244 engine room heroes that died on The Titanic that night. Designed by Sir William Goscombe John it stands 48 feet tall and was unveiled in 1916.
Following loses at sea during the First World War it has been dedicated to all the marine engine room heroes.
It is a remarkable monument and is sadly often overlooked by visitors to the city as it is at the far end of the Pier Head.
The Maritime Museum at The Royal Albert Dock houses a small but fascinating exhibition about The Titanic and its links to Liverpool. Located on the second floor of the museum entry is free and it is a very informative and at times touching exhibition. It’s compact and can easily be visited if you have a spare hour or so or indeed as part of a more comprehensive visit to the museum.
The story of that fateful voyage of The Titanic continues to fascinate both young and old. A visit to the maritime museum along with some of the other Titanic related locations in the city is time well spent on a trip to Liverpool.