Henry Reginald Lee

Notes

1. As per the 1911 census, 13 High Street, Fareham was the home of a Mr Charles Mellish and his family.
2. "F. Martin" signed on to the Adriatic on in May 1911, citing his address as 5 Coronado Road, Gosport.
3. For many years his family sought to uncover whether or not he had been on Titanic. It was not until recent years that records surfaced showing Henry Lee had indeed been on Titanic, serving as F. Martin on various other ships, giving corresponding addresses, birthdates, previous ships, including matching handwriting, providing clear-cut evidence that he had not been lying.

References and Sources

Credits

Comment and discuss

1. Uhhhhhhhhh...1909 Ernie? A typo maybe?
2. Good evening Nigel. Firstly I must correct your statement that HRL being a lookout was not quoted in your family. Firstly, I have a copy of a letter sent by Robin Gardiner dated 13.02 1998 stating that a granddaughter of HRL - Patricia Thomas - had written to him correcting his book that the real name of Reginald Robinson Lee was in fact Henry Reginald Lee. She also wrote to a cousin in Australia in Nov. 2003 and to another cousin in Portsmouth -Myra Lee- and the content of both letters confirm that she believed that HRL was a lookout. So Nigel, that particular part of the legend was well entrenched in your part of the family. Other facts that do not add up: He told his grandson Robert Pierson that he jumped from the stern of the ship as it was sinking. However, when he was interviewed at the premier of a Night To Remember, he stated that he climbed into a lifeboat "after saving several bell boys and child passengers" The Titanic only carried three bell boys (see this web... Read full post
3. Earlier this year I was able to purchase a couple of pages of the 1911 census. It was indeed £45 which is a huge amount for a couple of bits of paper, but sometimes you just have to know!!! I didn't know the address but I did have a rough idea of where the people were. Easily done, I spend so much time researching the past I am always putting 18XX instead of 20XX usually on really important stuff too.
4. >>>Uhhhhhhhhh...1909 Ernie? A typo maybe?

   
5. Ernie, Look here: Both times when you typed 1909 you should have typed 2009.
6. >>What will us genealogists do then?
7. Thanks for the link, Lester and for pointing out my error. To do it twice; how daft can you get? Please don't answer that. Apologies to Michael and Emma.

   
8. >>To do it twice; how daft can you get?

   
9. Hello David, >>Firstly I must correct your statement that HRL being a lookout was not quoted in your family.>when he was interviewed at the premier of a Night To Remember, he stated that he climbed into a lifeboat "after saving several bell boys and child passengers" >Firstly, I have a copy of a letter sent by Robin Gardiner dated 13.02 1998 stating that a granddaughter of HRL - Patricia Thomas - had written to him correcting his book that the real name of Reginald Robinson Lee was in fact Henry Reginald Lee. >and to another cousin in Portsmouth -Myra Lee- >The ridiculous story that he told his grandson Roy Lee, that the fingers of the swimmers clinging onto the side of the lifeboat had to be chopped off to save the lifeboat, hardly adds to his credibility.>if he was supposedly working a one way ticket; why then did he not just stay out there? >In short Nigel, nothing about HRL adds up, but I am still leaving the door ajar in the event that something tangible might come along.
10. Hello Nigel again. The letter that I mentioned before, sent by Pat Thomas to Robin Gardiner attempting to correct his book, was dated 25.11.1995. >> I said that prior to about 1996 the general view was that he was a steward or a cook. The lookout idea was a later one.> Yes, and pulling the Countess of Rothes from the water
11. Nigel: Another update for you should you wish to access the 1911 census. I have just obtained a copy of the birth certificate of Dorothy Lee, the second child of Mary and Henry Reginald Lee. She was born on 22nd April 1911 around the time that the census was taking place. She was born at No.5 Coronado Road in Alverstoke and still there when her birth was registered by Mary Lee on 11th June 1911. Henry's occupation was given as " Passenger steward on steamship" If Henry was at home for the census, it might well state what ship he was serving on. But at least you now have an address to enable you to request a copy of the census, as this is crucial when applying. Happy searching Nigel.......Dave.
12. Wow, thanks for that information, have whizzed of my £45 to the records office ! That certainly ties in with with some family member's views of him being a Steward on a ship. I think it would be too much to hope for that there would be a ship name on the census, but will keep searching. Unless he was making his occupation up (not beyond belief) 7 days after the sinking, then there should be some records on the Maritime registry. Kew is not far from me, so may make a trip. Thanks again.
13. Got my years mixed up, obviously ! So a year before the sinking he was a ship's steward. Interesting.
14. "Dorothy Lee, the second child" ... Turns out Dorothy was the third child, and my grandfather, Reginald, was not the eldest as previously thought. Mabel Olive Victoria Lee was born in March 1906. She died in September 1911. Census give no information about HR Lee's ships, other than he was a Steward for a Private Steam Liner company.
15. He signed onto the Titanic on 6th April 1912, as “F Martin” of 13,High Street, Fareham. His age was given as 29, and previous ship the Adriatic. He survived, was paid expenses to attend the British Hearing (£6 8shillings and sixpence !) but wasn’t called to testify. And that is about as much as we seem to know about him. We have recently obtained the Seamen’s record (CR10) from the 4th Register of Seamen for him. This gives his D.O.B as 28th June 1882 in Portsmouth, and a full name of “Frank Edward Martin”. He is rated as a Steward, and there is a photograph. Searches for his birth records throw up nothing, and the census in 1911 doesn’t either. He was not living at 13, High Street (it was occupied by a carter called Charles Mellish and family), nor is there a similarly aged Frank Martin with any seafaring occupation in the Hampshire area around that time. There are two Crews Agreements from the Adriatic in 1911 that show F Martin, again as a scullion. On 29th ... Read full post

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