For some reason I have a heaviness on my heart that I cannot shake off. I have long been fascinated with the Titanic, I have countless books and many and varied newspaper cuttings (whenever I see something in the paper I always cut it out and paste it in a scrapbook I have).
I'll never forget the sense of shock I felt when I found a familiar name on the list of crew that went down with the ship. George B. Ede... who was a third class steward. I don't know if he is a part of my family, he was born and lived in Southampton (not a town I've ever heard we have a connection to) but the name Ede is so very rare that a part of me holds out hope that he is. He was only 22 when he perished with over 1,500 other souls; men, women and children (of all classes). I often wonder if he faced death with quiet courage or did he fight until the end? I wonder if he prayed to God for a quick end, or for help to arrive and save those left behind?
The last survivor of the tragedy died in 2010 (98 years to the day that the Titanic was sent down the slipway and launched into the water in Belfast, 31st May 2009). Her name was Millvina Dean and she was only nine weeks old when she was placed into a lifeboat with her mother and older brother... for the first eight years of her life she didn't even know she had been on board the ship. Of course her father died that night "women and children first" being the order of the day.
For some reason it is an event that I am so very drawn to, there is just "something" that connects me to it and I have no idea just what that is. Maybe there is a tenuous family link through a lowly third class steward, I have no idea. I just know that the Titanic, her story and her tragedy hold a tiny piece of my heart... and always will.
To all those that have now gone I say God bless you all... wherever you may be :o(
The pictures at the top of this entry are 1. An actual photograph of the ship, 2. an artists impression of the ship by Ken Marschall. 3. (below) the pennant of The White Star Line, owners of the ship.
