Taylors, Lambert-Williams, Crosbys

[Ben Holme]

Hi everyone,
In the newspaper article at the bottm of Elmer Taylor's ET biography it mentions that his dinner party consisted of six people. If Elmer and Juliet Taylor and Fletcher Lambert-Williams made up three, who were the others?
I would put my money on the Crosbys as they refered to eachother in subsequent disaster accounts and boarded the same lifeboat.
The two who perished would therefore be Capt. Crosby and Lambert Williams.

I am very interested in new passenger connections and any other suggestions or confirmation of my theory would be most appreciated

Regards

Ben

 

[Charles Provost]

Yes, they were the Crosbies. I also remember that Fletcher Williams was very interested in Harriette Crosby. He asked her hand for a dance or something of that effect. I'll have to read further and see what I can find.

 

[Charles Provost]

Yes, they were the Crosbies. I also remember that Fletcher Williams was very interested in Harriette Crosby. If I'm not mistaken, he even asked her hand for a dance or something of that effect. I'll have to read further and see what I can find.

 

[Charles Provost]

Sorry for the double post. The second post is the best one, though. I've corrected some errors.

 

[Ben Holme]

Charles:

Thanks for your help. For some reason I had a vague idea that the Crosbys dined with the Hays'as Charles Hays and Capt. Crosby went to the smoking room afterwards.
It's interesting about Fletcher Lambert-Williams and Harriette Crosby. Were they the same age group? Didn't he also take a shine to the Countess of Rothes?
Is it likely that he died in his cabin, C-128?

Ben

 

[Geoff Whitfield]

Hello Ben & Charles. Question! When you read Taylor's autobiography he starts off with a very gushing attitude towards the Crosbys. Meeting up with them and dining with them during the voyage.
However, following their rescue his remarks become quite caustic towards Mrs Crosby in particular, stating that she was more upset at having lost some of her finery and hairpieces than her husband. He also referred to her as "rather vulgar" or words to that effect. Why the sudden change? If, as I believe, the Taylors were in lifeboat number 7 together with the Crosbys, what took place to sour the relationship?
Did Mrs Crosby perchance confront Taylor for being rescued when her own husband was lost? Any ideas would be most welcome.
Regards

Geoff

 

[Ben Holme]

Hi Geoff,
Interesting question. I would also place them both in boat #7. However, if perchance they were in boat #5 friction could have occured. Many of the boat #5 occupants appealed to 3rd Officer Pitman not to return to the wreck. If they were in #5 perhaps the Taylors were the chief exponents of this plea.
Although Catherine Crosby was shivering in the boat, she may have scorned people who were not in favour of returning to the wreck where her husband was drowning.
Or else it was Mrs. Crosby who reacted surprisingly to the loss of her husband.

Just some ideas

Regards
Ben

 

[Giff Crosby]

Can anybody pin down whether the Crosbys were on boat 7 or boat 5? Thanks.

 

[Ben Holme]

Dear Giff,

I'm of the opinion that Catherine and Harriette Crosby survived in boat #7. In Catherine's account, she mentions that an "officer" wrapped a sail around her to prevent her shivering. There were no officers on boat #7 and the only officer on boat #5 (3rd Officer Pitman) made no reference to the incident at the US Inquiry. She also mentioned there being "two officers" present in the boat. I believe she is refering here to the two *lookouts* in the boat, Hogg and Jewell. Her comment, if referring to boat #5, would have made no sense as there were several memebers of the crew in that boat.

In addition to this, a count was made shortly after the boat touched the water. Several known boat #7 occupants, including Dickinson and Helen Bishop recalled that 28 heads were counted. If the Crosbys were in boat #5, there wouldn't be enough "heads" to make 28.

I had previously surmised that the Crosby lifeboat number could be ascertained from the account of their shipboard companions, Elmer and Juliet Taylor. However, there is little sufficient evidence to suggest they escaped on the same boat. Indeed, recent evidence would suggest that they escaped on boat #5, contrary to what Elmer Taylor had said previously in his private memoirs written the 1940s.

Hope this helps,

Regards,
Ben