Encyclopedia Titanica

James Adamson Toshack

James Adamson Toshack
James Adamson Toshack

Mr James Adamson Toshack1, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 27 November 1881. He was the son of James Adamson Toshack (b. 1851), an iron turner, and Mary Murray (b. 1855).

His father was native to Lasswade near Edinburgh, Midlothian and his mother was from Dumfries, Dumfriesshire and they had married around 1878, producing two children of whom James was the only survivor. The family possibly settled in Liverpool in the 1880s but their whereabouts around this time is uncertain.

James was married in West Derby, Liverpool in late 1909 to Phoebe Jones (b. 1885), a native of Liverpool, but they would have no children.

The couple appear on the 1911 census as lodgers living at Brae Burn, 23 Hanley Road, Southampton, the home of Titanic crewmen Arthur and Benjamin McMicken. James is described as a steward but his birthplace is erroneously listed as Bootle (Lancashire).

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as 103 Malmesbury Road, (Southampton). His last ship had been the Olympic. As a saloon steward he received monthly wages of £3 15s.

Toshack died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. The following death notice appeared in the Southern Daily Echo (28 April 1912):

TOSHACK--April 15th, at sea, in the disaster of the Titanic, James Toshack, 30, dearly beloved husband of Phoebe Toshack, of 103 Malmesbury-road, Southampton. Sadly missed by his sorrowing wife. "Safe in the arms of Jesus."

His widow Phoebe was remarried in early 1913 to John R. Parker. She died in Liverpool in 1936.

Notes

  1. His name was given as James Addison Toshack in his marriage record.

References and Sources

Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259)
Hermann Söldner (ed.) (2000) RMS Titanic: Passenger and Crew List 10 April 1912-15 April 1912. ä wie Ärger Verlag.
United States Senate, Washington 1912. n° 806, Crew List
Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
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Comment and discuss

  1. Matteo Eyre

    From what i have read on a different site there was a First Class Saloon Steward by the name of Mr James A Yoshack aboard the Titanic. Yoshack was apparently born in Southampton in 1881 and joined the ship there. He was not to survive the sinking. I just noticed that there is nothing about him listed in the victualling department of this site and wondered if anyone knew anything else about him Cheers Guys Matteo :)
  2. Bob Godfrey

    This name was mis-spelled as Yoshack in a list compiled for the US Inquiry. It's actually James Addison Toshack. And he was a Scot, born in Edinburgh.
  3. Matteo Eyre

    Ah right, i thought it to be a bit odd there being a James A Toshack and a James A Yoshack,were any other crew members misinterpreted?? i have read about a fireman who had his discharge book stolen and therefore wasn't on the voyage but the name continues to allude me Cheers Bob Matteo :)
  4. Bob Godfrey

    The stolen discharge book belonged to Thomas Hart. The true identity of the man who died using that name has never been established. In the lists of crew and passengers cobbled together in New York for the first Inquiry a great many people had their names mis-spelled. That's why it's best to use the original signing-on sheets and ticket lists.
  5. Matteo Eyre

    Oh right, i remember reading it somewhere, possibly in the boom Voices from the Titanic but i wasn't sure, cheers, my guess is that the ones used here are the right ones?? Also i don't know if you know anything about the copyright rules do you?? i know that i asked on the other page just wondered if you knew anything about it?? Cheers Bob Matteo :)
  6. Bob Godfrey

    Yes, I know the basics of copyright. But it's a very complex body of law, difficult to understand and to enforce, and what applies in one country may not apply in another. What you want to know, I think, is whether specific pieces of information can be copyright. And the answer to that is generally no. If you write a biography of Captain Smith, for instance, it will contain lots of factual information. If I then write a biography of the same person, it will contain mostly the same information, because we've both written factual accounts and the facts don't change. So that's acceptable. If, however, I write my book in the same style, with the same structure, and large sections of text which are almost identical, then it would be obvious to any reader that I had copied elements of your work. And if I did that without your permission you would have a case against me. None of us own factual information which is 'in the public domain', but the way in which we use it is individual... Read full post
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Titanic Crew Summary

Name: Mr James Adamson Toshack
Age: 30 years 4 months and 18 days (Male)
Nationality: Scottish
Marital Status: Married to Phoebe Jones
Last Residence: at 103 Malmesbury Road Southampton, Hampshire, England
Last Ship: Olympic
Embarked: Southampton on Thursday 4th April 1912
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

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