Tag Archives: George Beauchamp

Letter to Lady Duff Gordon auctioned off;incredible story of man who survived Titanic & Lusitania sinkings

Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff Gordon(circa 1916 or earlier by Arnold Genthe)
Photo:Public Domain (Arnold Genthe Collection,US Library of Congress digital id agc.7a15137)

Titanic survivors Lady Duff Gordon and her husband Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon were criticized when it was learned the lifeboat they were in had only twelve people. There were unsubstantiated allegations they had bribed the crew not to go back and get survivors. It was disproved in the British inquiry.

A letter criticizing Lady Duff Gordon was auctioned off recently by RR Auction for $11,875. The auction house estimated it would fetch $6,000 at the online bidding that concluded in Boston last Friday. The name of the buyer was not released.
Source: First Class Couple On Titanic Are Shamed For Leaving The Sinking Ship On A Lifeboat Less Than Half Full (Maritime Herald,23 April 2019)
http://www.maritimeherald.com/2019/first-class-couple-on-titanic-are-shamed-for-leaving-the-sinking-ship-on-a-lifeboat-less-than-half-full/

George Beauchamp was a lucky man. As fireman stoker on Titanic, he survived and testified at the British inquiry. Then he signed on Lusitania which was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915. After that, his family says, he had enough of big ships. He worked on trawlers and other ships after that. His family is paying tribute to him 75 years after he died.

“His great granddaughter, Susan Norton, said she’s proud of him and the “part he played in saving the lives of some passengers.”

Source:The extraordinary story of sailor who survived both Titanic and Lusitania disasters (The Independent,23 April 2019)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/titanic-rms-lusitania-sailor-survivor-george-beauchamp-family-a8882561.html