A Bristol Man aboard the Titanic

On 14 April 1912, the White Star liner ss Titanic struck an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic. Within hours she sank to the bottom of the ocean. Of 2,200 passengers, only about 700 survived. Most of the crew, officers, seamen, firemen, trimmers, engineers, stewards, cooks, waiters, bakers, and famously, the ship’s orchestra, all perished.

The Rev Robert J. Bateman, an ordained Baptist minister, of Jacksonville USA stood on deck as his sister-in-law Mrs Ada Balls entered a lifeboat.

‘If I don’t see you again in this World’ he called to her, ‘I will in the next.’ Then as the boat jerked and began to sink into the sea he took off his necktie and tossed it to Ada as a keepsake.

Ada survived. Robert did not. Though he had made his home in the USA, he was once ‘one of ours’. In the census of 1881 he is listed at Oldbury Court Road, Stapleton with his parents:

• Charles Bateman, head, married, cabinet maker, aged 58, born in Mangotsfield, Glos.
• Hester Bateman, wife, also 58, born Mangotsfield
• Robert James Bateman, son, married, aged 21, ‘Evangelist (Missionary)’, born in Bristol
• Emily Jane Bateman, daughter, married, also aged 21, born London
• Lilian Emily Bateman, daughter, aged 11 weeks (b. 1881) Stapleton.

Though Emily Jane is recorded as ‘daughter’ rather than daughter-in-law, she is Robert’s wife, born Emily Hall; Lilian is their baby daughter.  The little girl, also recorded elsewhere as ‘Laura’ sadly died before her third birthday. Robert and Emily had two other children born in England, Ernest and Daisy, before they migrated to Toronto, Canada where their next daughter, Mabel, was born in 1890. They subsequently moved to the USA where they had three more children. They are recorded variously at Jacksonville, Florida, Baltimore, Maryland and St Louis, Missouri.   Throughout this peripatetic life Robert is always recorded as a Minister, but also followed his occupation as a stonemason, being involved in works at Key West, Florida and St Louis.

Known as “a fiery evangelist” Robert returned home to Bristol to arrange a headstone for his mother’s grave in Downend. He preached at a revival meeting on Easter Sunday 1912 at the Evangel Mission Hall in Two Mile Hill, Kingswood:

Advertised in the Western Daily Press 6 April 1912

When he left he was escorted to Staple Hill railway station by the Mission’s famous brass band which led a procession of two hundred or so people.

When the time came to depart for USA he persuaded his widowed sister-in-law Ada Balls to accompany him. They boarded the Titanic at Southampton on 10 April 1912 with second class tickets 1166 and 28551 at a cost of £12.10s.0d and £13 respectively.

On the night of the disaster, they had organised a prayer meeting at which half a dozen people prayed and sang hymns (a rather different affair than the rollicking lower-deck party portrayed in the most recent Oscar-winning film!) and then retired quietly to bed. Mrs Balls was suddenly awakened by her cabin-mate, Mrs Jerwan, who told her there had been an accident. No whit alarmed (the ship was ‘unsinkable’ after all!) Ada turned over and went back to sleep. She was only aroused from her torpor when Robert appeared, demanding urgently that she accompany him up on deck.

Robert’s body, clad in black frock-coat and trousers was recovered by the vessel Mackay-Bennett. His personal effects included a gold watch, a Masonic charm, glasses, a knife, a fountain pen, a pipe lighter, gold studs and cuff links, and just under £5 in coins, including sovereigns. He was brought home to his family and was interred at Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville.

Just a few weeks after the previous ‘Farewell Service’ weeks later the Congregation of the Evangel Mission assembled again, now for a Memorial Service held for Robert which was conducted by ‘his former companion’ Mr J.H. Cozens. The service began with his favourite hymn ‘Tell me the Old, Old Story’ and then the band played ‘Lead Kindly Light’. Prayers were offered by Mr G.S. Smith and the address was given by Mr R.S. Bennett of Staple Hill with solos by Mr W. Burbey. The mourners included relatives Mrs C. Bateman and daughters, Mr & Mrs Lovell, Mr & Mrs Long, Mr & Mrs Kyght, Mr & Mrs Smith, Mr & Mrs Jefferies & Mrs Ball.

Ada Balls

Ada Balls settled in the USA where her sons later joined her. She remarried and lived to be 92. In later years she gave the occasional interview about her experiences. Reputedly, she retained her cockney accent until the last.

I suspect many others who are getting on in years have a ‘bucket list’. A visit to ‘The Titanic Experience’ in Belfast was on mine, and was ticked off in 2018. I can thoroughly recommend it to all, from the deafening hammering of the shipbuilders to the fantastic holograms – which included one of two ladies in a double cabin – from which Mrs Ada Balls and Mrs Jerwan came readily to life before my eyes! On the quay beside the exhibition is moored the tender ss Nomadic, by which passengers were ferried from the dock to the ship. Sign in and if the lady on the door notices you come from Bristol you are sure to get an enormous Irish welcome with much hand-shaking, even a hug, and excited talk about ‘our sister in kind’, ss Great Britain!

Sources:

• ‘Encyclopaedia Titanica’ website for victims and survivors.
• ‘A Night to Remember’ by Walter Lord, on which the previous Titanic film was based.
• Gloucestershire Places of Worship.
• Western Daily Press 6.4.1912, 1.5.1912

An article similar to this appeared in BAFHS Journal No. 178, Dec 2019.