Rowland Winser (G. Evans)

Mr Rowland Winser was born in East Grinstead, Sussex, England in the second half of 1876 and he was baptised on 23 August that year.

One of five children, he was the son of Albert Arthur Winser¹ (1846-1902), a watchmaker, and Emily Day (1842-1903), East Grinstead natives who had married in 1873.

His siblings were: Albert James (b. 1873), Emily Kate (b. 1875), Francis James (b. 1879) and Frederick Albert (b. 1882).

Winser first appears on the 1881 census living at 14 London Road, East Grinstead with his family where his maternal grandmother Mary Day (b. 1803) was also living. On the 1891 census the family are at the same address, his father then described as a jeweller, and with a 14-year-old Rowland still at school.

Rowland was married in Basingstoke, Hampshire in late 1899 to Jessie Annie Hibberd (b. 30 September 1878), a native of that town and the daughter of Tom and Ellen, the latter née Mylard. 

The couple would have five children: Jessica Ellen (1900-1982, later Mrs William Charles Street), Gwendolen (1902-1934, later Mrs Raymond George Mitchell), Rowland Hibberd (1905-1975), Norman Eric (1907-1982) and Jack (1910-1994). The couple’s first three children were born in East Grinstead whilst the two younger children were born in Surrey and Berkshire, respectively.

Rowland, his wife and first child appear on the 1901 census residing at 214 London Road, East Grinstead and he was described, like his father before him, as a watchmaker and jeweller. Following that the family moved to Reading, Berkshire where Mr Winser carried on a jeweller’s business based at Queen Victoria Street. Towards the beginning of 1911 the family relocated to Southampton where Rowland began working at sea, later serving on the maiden voyage of Olympic.

By the time of the 1911 census Rowland was not recorded and presumably at sea; his was recorded as a visitor to 127 Denys Road, Southampton, with her youngest children at the home of her sister Edith Mary, Mrs James Law.

Having previously served aboard the Majestic when he signed-on to the Titanic on 4 April 1912, Winser gave his address as 2 Nightingale Grove, Southampton, an address belonging to his brother-in-law James Law as per the 1912 street directory. For the voyage he travelled under the pseudonym G. Evans ² for reasons not known and as a third class steward he received monthly wages of £3, 15s.

Rowland Winser died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His widow Jessie Annie Winser never remarried and remained in Southampton where she passed away on 6 August 1961 aged 82.