Identification of drowned passengers

[joyce haras]

Hi, l am new to your group. My grand mother, born 1881, used to tell me stories about the Titanic disaster. I've read many books and seen all the films, but l can find no stories about one of the things she told me. She said that coffins were lined up (l can't remember where) containing some of the poor unidentified passengers. People who had had relatives or friends on-board went to see if they could identify their loved ones. Has anyone else heard this story? Regards Joyce

 

[Harland Duzen]

Hello joyce haras, Welcome to ET!

Following the CS Mackay Bennett return from picking up bodies of the Titanic's passengers and crew from the North Atlantic, the ship docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Mayflower Curling Club was rigged up with coffins and officials where relatives could come to identify and then take home for proper burial.

Hope this info helps.

Mayflower Curling Club - Wikipedia

CS Mackay-Bennett - Wikipedia

 

[joyce haras]

Thank you so much. All these years I've wondered if l had imagined my grand mother telling me about the unidentified people. So helpful, l really appreciate your kind reply. Regards Joyce

 

[Michael Rodrigues]

Hi, l am new to your group. My grand mother, born 1881, used to tell me stories about the Titanic disaster. I've read many books and seen all the films, but l can find no stories about one of the things she told me. She said that coffins were lined up (l can't remember where) containing some of the poor unidentified passengers. People who had had relatives or friends on-board went to see if they could identify their loved ones. Has anyone else heard this story? Regards Joyce

Joyce, Where was your grandmother living at the time; the states? Canada? Where I go on vacation for years; (Old Orchard Beach, Maine), they had an exhibit back in the 1990s',at the museum at the top of the hill.The sign said; "Titanic exhibit must see, Old Orchard Beach's role" Supposedly hundreds of bodies washed up on the beaches from Maine all the way to Cape Cod.Old Orchard Beach had the most. Do you or does anyone else who might be reading this know anything about this? I tried looking through newspapers on-line hoping to find something, but I had no luck.

 

[Harland Duzen]

Michael Rodrigues, I'm afraid this might be a myth as all the bodies ever recovered were found by the CS Mackay Bennett or other ships at sea.

There were reports of pieces of wreckage or life-jackets washing up on beaches in the North American Area but these were mostly hoaxes.

Weirdly, there is a report of a message in a bottle thrown off the ship by a passenger somehow managing to cross the Atlantic Ocean and washing up in Ireland.

Titanic letter displayed in Cork

Jeremiah Burke : Titanic Victim

 

[joyce haras]

Joyce, Where was your grandmother living at the time; the states? Canada? Where I go on vacation for years; (Old Orchard Beach, Maine), they had an exhibit back in the 1990s',at the museum at the top of the hill.The sign said; "Titanic exhibit must see, Old Orchard Beach's role" Supposedly hundreds of bodies washed up on the beaches from Maine all the way to Cape Cod.Old Orchard Beach had the most. Do you or does anyone else who might be reading this know anything about this? I tried looking through newspapers on-line hoping to find something, but I had no luck.

Hi Michael, my grandmother lived in England. Thankyou for your reply. Regards Joyce

 

[joyce haras]

Michael Rodrigues, I'm afraid this might be a myth as all the bodies ever recovered were found by the CS Mackay Bennett or other ships at sea.

There were reports of pieces of wreckage or life-jackets washing up on beaches in the North American Area but these were mostly hoaxes.

Weirdly, there is a report of a message in a bottle thrown off the ship by a passenger somehow managing to cross the Atlantic Ocean and washing up in Ireland.

Titanic letter displayed in Cork

Jeremiah Burke : Titanic Victim

Thankyou Martin for your reply. Regards Joyce