Joseph Pierre Duquemin

[Arun Vajpey]

I do have some information about Joseph, which has been passed down through the family.

Hi Rebecca. Good to know that you are Joseph Duquemin's relative. You say that you have some information about him, but does that include what he did after the disaster?

I am interested in his rescue experience. I believe Duquemin swam to Collapsible D and then helped Frederick Hoyt on board, despite objections from others. In gratitude for saving his life, Hoyt apparently helped Duquemin to get a job in America afterwards. If you have details about that, I'll be grateful of you could share it with us please.

 

[Rebecca Sarre]

Roger and Phil,

All of the Duquemin info is correct but the real interesting tidbit is that Duquemin's relocation to Stamford, Connecticut, from Albion, New York, was influenced by Frederick Hoyt, a fellow survivor who escaped in collapsible D.

Although it has never been confirmed, Joseph Duquemin may very well have been the one to haul Mr. Hoyt into the boat from the icy water, and his actions were rewarded by the latter. The Hoyt family was prominent in Stamford, Connecticut. Of course, there also remains the possibility that the two men simply met in boat D, and became friendly with one another. Personally, I believe Duquemin was of some assistance to Hoyt and the yacht designer was obliged to offer assistance to the young man and a job was secured in Stamford.

Amazing stuff.....

Mike

Hello Mike

I have looked through old newspaper articles and memories of my late grandfather, who was Joseph Duquemin’s youngest brother. It mentions that Frederick Hoyt may have helped him secure employment on arrival in America but although it appears as if Frederick was pulled from the sea it is unknown whether it was by Joseph; indeed it appears that he pulled out a fellow Channel Islander from Jersey, Walter Williams, so there may be some confusion. Unfortunately Joseph very rarely spoke of his experience of the Titanic with his family, but the fact the Joseph, who had a small boat for fishing in Guernsey, could row, that could be the reason that Frederick Hoyt offered help.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Frederick was pulled from the sea it is unknown whether it was by Joseph; indeed it appears that he pulled out a fellow Channel Islander from Jersey, Walter Williams, so there may be some confusion.

Everything points to the likelihood that the man whom Joseph Duquemin pulled on board Collapsible D was Frederick Hoyt. Mrs Hoyt was already on board and had probably given-up on her husband till he followed Duquemin by jumping into the water and swimming across. There has been suggestion that the other occupants were not too keen on pulling survivors out of the sea and if Duquemin managed to persuade them to help Hoyt, it would be a very definite reason for the wealthy Connecticut couple to be grateful to Duquemin. He was originally going to Albion, New York but then got a job in Stamford, Connecticut.

Not sure how the Walter Williams story started. First of all, Williams himself was born and grew-up in Southampton and lived there all his life, and so he was NOT a Channel Islander at all. But he married Eva Landick from St Helier, Jersey. Also, Walter Williams was a crew member, a Second Class saloon steward. The chances that he knew the Third Class passenger Joseph Duquemin are very small. In any case, Williams was almost certainly rescued on Lifeboat #13; I have not seen any account that places him in Collapsible D.

The confusion might be due to the fact that Duquemin was travelling with Howard Williams, another Guernsey man. Duquemin and Williams are supposed to have jumped into the water together to try and swim towards Collapsible D but the latter never made it and is believed to have drowned and NOT died on the lifeboat. Therefore, Howard Williams was not the survivor whom Duquemin helped out of the water and into the boat. It was Frederick Hoyt.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

I did a bit more browsing and checking and it transpires that the confusion arose from post #11 of this thread, from Brian Ticehurst more than 17 years ago. I have a feeling that Mr Ticehurst might not have had all the information to hand at the time.

Mr. Joseph Duquemin, of Portgrat, Vale, a quarryman, aged about 30. He accompanied Mr. Williams, one of the supposed victims of the disaster.

True, but it was Howard Williams, a carman and fellow passenger also from Guernsey (like Duquemin) and NOT Walter Williams, the second class saloon steward. Howard Williams definitely died in the disaster while Walter Williams definitely survived (on Lifeboat #13)

Bert's friend Joseph Duquemin, was doing his best to help the women and children. At one point he took off his overcoat and wrapped it round a shivering seven-year-old-girl. Both of them Denbuoy and Duquemin, worked together until they were waist deep in water. By that time all the boats had left.
Finally Joseph Duquemin turned to his friend and said 'I'm off'. He swam away from the deck and headed for the last lifeboat but Bert Denbuoy hesitated. When he started to follow, the suction from the sinking ship dragged him under.

Albert Denbuoy, also from Guernsey, was also known to Joseph Duquemin but unlike the latter and Howard Williams, Denbuoy was travelling in Second Class. There is no evidence that he was with Duquemin helping other passengers towards the end; that man was the aforementioned Howard Williams and although he jumped with Duquemin, the suction dragged him under and he was lost. Duquemin managed to swim and reach Collapsible D.

He also helped someone else out of the icy water. Hearing a cry for help, Joseph hoisted another swimmer aboard. The rest of the passengers were so angry that they threatened to throw them both back in the sea. The man he had saved turned out to be one of the Jersey Crew members, Walter Williams.

As discussed before, the man who Duquemin helped out of the water into Collapsible D was Frederick Hoyt and NOT Walter Williams. Walter Williams had already left the sinking Titanic almost 30 minutes earlier on Lifeboat #13; and he was NOT a "Jersey crew member". Walter Williams was born, grew-up, lived and died in Southampton. His only Jersey connection was his wife Emily Eva Landick, who was from St Helier.

In later life Joseph Duquemin suffered cruelly. He complained of pains in his legs and had to have first the right one and then the left one amputated, leaving him a sick man. This fatal injury stemmed from the tragic night of April 15th, 1912.

Duquemin died almost 38 years after surviving the Titanic and to my medical trained mind it seems more than a little presumptive to assume that his leg pains and eventual amputation were the result of any injury that stemmed from his Titanic experience. The leg pains and amputation suggest poor circulation to the legs and a recognized problem among heavy smokers. I would like to know if Mr Duquemin was one.

 

[Maid Phoebe]

someone may wish to update ... his son Joseph passed away Jan 12 2023.