In the crew under an assumed name?

[Ossian]

The published biography of an ancestor of mine, Ommanney of Sheffield, says that one of the family members died on the Titanic. By a process of elimination, this must surely refer to Frederick Watson Ommanney - whose probate record does indeed record that he died at sea, 12 April 1912. But I can't find him in the lists, among passengers or crew.

Perhaps Ommanney's background provides the explanation. He had been Master of the Elder-Dempster liner Dahomey which beached in the Bahamas in December 1908, and his certificate had been suspended. Was Ommanney perhaps working on the Titanic under an assumed name?

Can anyone help? Were there any Englishmen of doubtful provenance among the crew? Or am I looking at the wrong list?

More details, and sources of the above, are on my blog at The Ommanney Genealogy Blog: A Titanic mystery: the fate of Frederick Watson Ommanney (1864-1912)

Thank you
Nick

 

[Ossian]

[edit for typo] ...I meant 14 April, obviously.

 

[X----- X-------]

Ossain/Nick -- am I right in saying Frederick married an Alice Abbott in Liverpool in the year of 1905??

The answer to your questions is yes. Some of the Crew did go under a psuedonym and in some cases their true identity is proving to be a hard nut to crack. One prime example focuses upon F. Saunders age 21 years as he is perhaps the biggest annoyance of trying to solve his true identity. I found all the correct names of the other three Saunders but this one is a real headache from start to finish.

I don't want to sound too optimistic, or even, give the impression of a disappointing response, but all the Crew Probate reports I possess clearly state virtually all Crew with a Will and Probate is listed as died on the 15th of April 1912 at sea. The only known date of the 14th of April that is quoted by the inscription can be found on a headstone of one of the many Titanic connections at Southampton's Old Cemetery on The Common.

Otherwise I have nothing else to share only to suggest and if I was in your shoes, I would aim my inquiries at the local newspaper covering that area, and check the deaths column for further clues that will invariably solve and provide the answers to your mystery.

Good luck

A.W.

 

[Ossian]

Andrew

Thank you for this. Yes, he did marry Alice Abbott. Does that help, or did you look him up outside the context of the Titanic?

Nick

 

[X----- X-------]

Yes I did the honors by checking first and comparing the name's with the Relief Fund which usually does help but doesn't necessary help your cause as nothing was printed on paper to confirm she was a future dependent.Try and get hold of the Probate report which should give you further information of the place where Alice was last residing. Ordering on the U.K., web-site makes life a lot easier compared to the old practice where you had to submit an order form and wait for weeks on end. The order period usually takes about 10 days to deliver at your e-mail address. Hidden papers of this magnitude are a great benefit, and assist further with the system of cross referencing with the aim of putting closure to your investigation.

 

[david lee]

My great uncle Henry Reginald Lee, a scullion on the Titanic and a survivor, had assumed the identity of a Frank Martin to join the crew. A possible explanation of why he did this, was maybe because in an era of high unemployment, even a minor disiplinary offence could have put a put a black mark on his papers and render him unemployable. No doubt Frank Martin would sold him/loaned him his papers for a price.