© Nicholas Jardine-Patterson

Mr George Patchett was born in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England on 11 October 1892.

He was the son of George Henry Patchett (b. 1859), a boot-maker and later a castrator, and Eliza Rebecca Pratt (b. 1857), both Wollaston natives who were married in 1879.

George was one of five surviving children from a total of eight and his known siblings were: Annie Elizabeth (b. 1880), Emma (b. 1882), William (b. 1884), Henry (b. 1888), Elizabeth (b. 1890) and Annie (b. 1896).

He first appears on the 1901 census living with his family at Hinwick Road, Wollaston and he would still be present there by the time of the 1911 census when he was described as an unmarried boot factory pressman.

George and his friend and close neighbour John Garfirth, also a boot worker decided to emigrate to Berlin, Ontario where George's elder brother William had found them both employment. Indeed, it was reported that young Patchett was so eager to emigrate that he purchased a ticket in October of 1911. 

Both men were originally supposed to have travelled from Liverpool aboard the Empress of Ireland on 5 April 1912 but their attempts to join that ship were hampered by the coal strikes; their train, which they were due to catch at Wellingborough Station ran late and they were informed that it would run no further than Manchester. Bitterly disappointed, the two men fetched their luggage and returned home, making plans to transfer their passage to another ship, Titanic. Before leaving home young George, who had never been away from his hometown overnight before leaving for Wellingborough on 4 April, showed his mother a photograph of Titanic. She immediately had reservations and stated:

"I don't want you to go by that boat. It's too big..."

The men boarded Titanic at Southampton on 10 April 1912 as third class passengers (joint ticket number 358585 which cost £14, 10s). 

George Patchett died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified. His friend John Garfirth was also among the lost.

Both of George's parents continued to reside in Wollaston; his father passed away in 1941 and his mother in 1946. His brother William remained in Ontario where he married and raised a family; he died in 1962.