Titanic Trimmer Mr H. Brewer was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England around 1882.
When he signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, he gave his address as 27 Palmerston Road, (Southampton). His previous ship had been the St Paul and as a trimmer, he could expect monthly wages of £5, 10s.
H. Brewer died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.
The Titanic Relief fund gave compensation to a dependent child listed as Henry Matt Brewer.
These are the known facts about H Brewer, his exact identity is currently uncertain.
A Harry Brewer was married to Edith Wordon (probably a "common law" arrangement as there is no official record of their marriage). Edith was born in Lambeth, London on 24 January 1894. She appears on the 1911 census as a domestic servant and bottle washer lodging at 21 Houndwell Gardens, All Saints, Southampton.
Edith was pregnant at the time of the sinking, she gave birth to a son on 6 July 1912, Harry Marks Brewer, at the time her address was given as 33 Endle Street, Southampton. In the birth certificate for this child, the father is given as Harry Brewer, ship's trimmer (deceased).
Edith Brewer was remarried on 16 February 1913 to William Edward James Prewitt (5 April 1888-31 January 1981), a Southampton born boilermaker. The couple later lived at 92 Manor Road, Itchen and would have four children whilst living in Southampton: Dorothy Edith Alexandra Victoria (30 October 1914-30 May 1946), Reginald William George (1918-25 July 1937), Ronald Hector (16 March 1920-15 June 2010) and Joseph Roland Harold Clifford (17 November 1923-February 1985).
In the 1921 census, the family are shown living at 21 College Street, Southampton, a four-room house shared with another family.
The family left England on 23 October 1925 on board the White Star steamer Doric bound for Québec. They appear to have lived in Canada for some time in Welland, Ontario and Edith and William had another child, a son named Vernon Lincoln Edward (27 March 1928-2 April 2001). The entire family crossed into the USA 30 November 1928 and initially settled in New York, appearing on the 1930 census living in Tonawanda, Erie before showing up on the 1940 census living in Manhattan.
Edith Prewitt, née Wordon, formerly Brewer, was widowed in 1981. She herself passed away in Madison, Florida on 29 May 1991.
Her son Harry Marks Brewer also settled in Florida. He died on 1 September 2001.
The descendants of Harry Marks Brewer's half-siblings recall family stories of him being the son of a Titanic victim and that he was always their mother's favourite,
It seems likely that Harry Marks Brewer was the son of the Titanic victim and that therefore H. Brewer's name was Harry. But the different name in the relief fund is a mystery. The absence of the mother from the relief fund papers may be explained by her having quickly remarried and therefore was not considered dependent.
Comment and discuss
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This is the family story as it has been passed to me form my grandparents, Edith and William Prewitt, now deceased and my father, Ronald Prewitt, very much alive as of11/25/2005 born 3/16/1920. I spoke with him this evening to verify a fine point in the family story. It seems that Henry Brewer crew #806was listed in the official record as widowed. This may not be quite accurate for he had either a new wife or was quite busy before the sailing. On the dock in Southampton a young woman, with child waved goodbye as Titanic sailed into history. She, Edith later gave birth to a son, Harry Brewer. She later met a merchant seamen in Southampton, William Prewitt. This is the part I called my father about. He told me that when his father, William Prewitt married Edith, her name was Brewer. He verified this from paperwork when he arrived in the U.S. from Southampton in the '30's. Her maiden name was Walden. I knew Harry Brewer very well and spent a lot of time with him in my youth. The story...
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Your father Ronald Prewitt is my husbands cousin, Peter Prewitt born 12/12/30. William was I believe the eldest son of William Edward Prewitt and Kate Osborne. Peter was the third child of Alfred Frederick Prewitt 1897-1941, who I believe was in America between 1926 and 1930, possibly with his brother.
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My Grandmas first husband went down on the Titanic..."Henry Brewer" he was a stoker..who had a son out of wedlock.."Harry Brewer" my step uncle... I guess if the Titanic didnt sink...I would not be here..
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Not all accidents have bad results. There is not much biographical info on Henry Brewer, other than than he was 30 years old when he died aboard the RMS Titanic. How about filling in some of the gaps in his story? Some of us Titanic buffs and armchair historians would be interested. A stoker's life was tough, full of hard work and long hours under arduous, dangerous and unhealthy conditions.
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This is the coolest, Edith Wordon was my granny, she passed away in Florida in the 90s, William in the 80s also with Wm. Prewitt her husband my Grandad, i heard stories about the titanic first hand from them, my Grandad was on the ship also before its maiden voyage - think, if the Titanic didn't sink, i wouldn't be here!
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My Granny's first husband "Harry Brewer" sunk on titanic, if it didnt sink, i wouldnt be here
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