Titanic at Queenstown

Titanic at Queenstown. . , , As well as those who boarded Titanic from Queenstown there were also those who disembarked here., In addition to the 123 passengers who boarded here at Queenstown there were a number of passengers who left Titanic. Some were scheduled to disembark but one was not. There were 7 passengers scheduled to disembark, amongst them, Father Frank Browne and there was one crew member who was not scheduled to disembark, his name was John Coffey. These were the lucky ones whose maiden voyage on board Titanic ended safely here at Queenstown., Father Frank Browne SJ 1880–1960 , Father Frank Brown SJ was born in Sundays Well here in Cork in 1880. He was a nephew of the then Bishop of Cloyne Robert Browne whose Cathedral was in Queenstown (now Cobh). His grandfather James Hegarty was Lord Mayor of Cork., Frank Browne was a keen photographer and was given the gift of a ticket for passage on Titanic from Southampton to Queenstown via Cherbourg by his uncle, Bishop Browne., Frank Browne took many photographs during the voyage and as a result has provided us with the only photographic record in existence of Titanic’s crew and passengers and life on board during that two day period 10th an 11th of April 1912 while on board from Southampton to Queenstown travelling as a First Class passenger., Frank Browne although offered passage from Queenstown onwards to New York followed instructions from his superior in the Jesuit Order to “Get off that ship” and therefore disembarked at Queenstown., Experts who have worked on the Titanic images of Father Browne describe them as the best pictures of Titanic the world will ever have seen. His vast collection of photographs was discovered in a basement 25 years after his death. In recent times the Titanic photographs were consulted by Movie Director James Cameron to recreate scenes in the hit film Titanic which starred Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet., Father Browne also served as Chaplain to the Irish Guards during the First World War and for bravery was awarded The Military Cross by Britain, Croix de Guerre by France and was also decorated by the King of Belgium., John Coffey, Stoker, Titanic , John Coffey was a crew member on board Titanic. He was aged about 24 years and a had a lucky escape when he left Titanic at Queenstown. John Coffey was a stoker on Titanic with the difficult job of constantly shovelling coal into the ships furnaces. He was scheduled to complete the round trip to New York and back., John Coffey was a native of Queenstown (Cobh). As Mail bags were coming on board he seized his chance and slipped out to the Tender moored alongside. He hid amongst the Mail Bags until the Tender finished servicing the Titanic and returned to the quayside in Queenstown where he promptly slipped ashore. This practice was known as “Jumping Ship.”, Coffey reunited with his family in Queenstown as Titanic sailed on and into the History books. There is very limited information available on John Coffey but he was still in Queenstown after Titanic was reported lost. At the time his name made world news headlines, however his story changed somewhat in that he was reported as saying he got off Titanic as he had a strange feeling about the ship and its voyage to New York and that he was not happy on board., John Coffey was not the only crew member who was fortunate. Some other crew members in Southampton had delayed too long drinking in ‘The Grapes’. The officer in charge of the gangway refused them entry to the ship when they came rushing down quayside and inadvertently helped to save their lives., Look for the man in the Bowler Hat. He is standing on the balcony, next to the arched window and he is looking out to sea. , You are standing in his footsteps.