The Deaths of Third Class Titanic Passengers of a Family of 8

L.M.Reid is an Irish writer who has published many history articles online and in magazines.

The Goodwin Family Died on the Titanic

On 10^th April 1912 Frederick and Augusta Goodwin and their six children all boarded the new ship the Titanic at Southampton in England. They were third class passengers on its maiden voyage to New York. The Goodwin children who died were: Lillian 16, Charles 14, William 11, Jessie 10, Harold 9 and baby Sidney 19 months old.

Frederick and Augusta Goodwin

Frederick Goodwin had lived all his life in England. But his brother Thomas and sister had emigrated to New York years earlier. Thomas Goodwin had recently visited Frederick and told the family about his life in America and the opportunities there for Frederick and his growing children.

Emigrating to America

So when a job opportunity came up in New York for Frederick at a power station the family decided to take a chance and emigrate to America. They did not have a lot of money to spare so booked third class tickets on a small steamer ship bound for America. This cost forty six pounds and eighteen shillings for the family.

Frederick’s brother Thomas Goodwin and his widowed sister in America lent the family money and they had found a house and furnished it for the whole family ready for when they arrived in New York.

The Coal Strike

There was a coal strike in England that month in 1912. The sailing on the steamer that the Goodwin family was booked on had to be cancelled. They had their tickets transferred to the new luxury liner the Titanic.

Accommodation on Board

The Titanic was a new luxury passenger ship that the White Star Line had built. It was the biggest passenger ship in the world at the time in 1912. There was a lot of publicity around the maiden voyage of the Titanic.

Many high society and rich passengers booked first class tickets for the voyage from England to America. They were not travelling on the Titanic to emigrate but to enjoy the historical event of the first trip of the new Titanic Luxury Liner. Others in first class and second class used the ship as a means of travelling home to America from business trips, long holidays and as honeymoons for those who were just married.

The Goodman family had lived first in Fulham in London England. Then the family had moved to Watson's Court, High Street Melksham in Wiltshire England. This is where they were living when they decided to immigrate to America in 1912. Frederick was an Electrical Engineer. His older brother Thomas had already immigrated to Niagara Falls in New York.

First Class Accommodation

First class passengers enjoyed large cabins on the upper decks with bedrooms and their own sitting rooms. Some first class passengers had servants with them. It was usually those servants that looked after the children that were accommodated in first class cabins.

First class passengers also had private decks to enjoy the journey from. Their own dining rooms, reading and games rooms and smoking rooms.

Second Class Accommodation

Second class passengers also had very comfortable cabins. These passengers too had their own designated area for dining and recreation.

Third Class Accommodation

Third class passengers too had their own designated area on the ship that they could use. They were excluded from both first class and second class areas in the ship. Their cabins were basic but comfortable. Their areas for dining and recreation were a lot smaller but the third class passengers still had better accommodation than other ships that sailed from Europe to America in 1912.

Class Barriers

All three classes of accommodation on the Titanic were segregated by doors and barriers. These were in place on the ship as a physical barrier. But in 1912 class distinction was accepted as normal by everyone. The passengers would not enter in an area that was not of their class.

Third Class Passengers

All single male and female passengers were separated in to different cabins. Young single men who were emigrating to America had to share a cabin. The same was true for single female passengers.

The Titanic Hits the Iceberg

So it was then that the night of Sunday 14^th April at 11.40 pm when the Titanic hit the iceberg that Frederick Goodwin and his family were probably in their cabin in the stern of the ship. Also sleeping with his mother was baby Sidney Goodwin.

A Minor Collision

When the ship hit the iceberg all the passengers on board were told it was only a minor incident. Anyone who had left their cabins to see what was happening was told to go back there as it would soon be sorted out.

Most of the passengers including first and second class believed the crew and went back to their cabins or whatever they were doing in the communal areas at the time. A large amount of ice was seen on the deck of the ship.

Playing with the Ice

The passengers were in a jovial mood and welcomed the excitement. Those who were still up and enjoying the many activities on board got into the high spirits on board by either watching others having fun or playing around with the ice on deck themselves.

When the Captain was told that the unsinkable ship the Titanic was about to sink he ordered all lifeboats to be prepared. Then the crew woke up those passengers who were asleep and told everyone not to worry but that they needed to go on deck with their life jackets on.

First and Second Class Passengers Only

Third class passengers were told to get their life jackets ready but to stay in their cabins until it was time for them to go on deck.

When the water started to become visible on the floors of the 3^rd class landings and then in their cabins the passengers were still down in third class areas. Some of them had tried to get up on deck but they were stopped by the crew. They were told there was plenty of time and plenty of lifeboats and they had to wait until it was their turn.

Lifeboats

The Titanic had more lifeboats on board than was legally required for the trip. This unfortunately was not enough to get everyone off the Titanic safely. It was women and children first in to the lifeboats when the first and second class passengers were on deck. A lot of them refused to go at first because they still could not believe the Titanic was about to sink.

The small boats that were hanging on the side of the enormous ship looked dangerous and many thought it was unnecessary to take the risk of boarding these boats and spending the night on the freezing cold open sea. But once the situation became clear to the passengers that the Titanic was indeed sinking the mood changed and women and children got into the lifeboats.

Fear and Panic

Crew members were also in the boats to sail them and take charge of the passengers. There had been no lifeboat drill on the Titanic after she sailed. So there was chaos and confusion from both crew and passengers. Lots of the too few lifeboats on board left the Titanic with many empty places. Some of the men tried to get on the boats too but were held back by the crew.

While this was going on a lot of the third class passengers were still trying to reach the decks where the lifeboats were. When they did get there a lot of them were gone.

Of the 329 First Class Passengers on Board 199 Survived

There were 285 second class passengers on board and 119 survived. There were 899 crew on the Titanic but only 214 survived. But there were 710 third class passengers and only 174 survived. Of the 2,223 men women and children who sailed on the Titanic on her maiden voyage on 10^th April only 706 survived after it sank on 15^th April 1912.

The Unknown Child

One of the ships that was sent out from Canada to recover the bodies of those who died when the Titanic sank was the Mackay-Bennett. On 17^th April 1912 the fourth body that the crew pulled out of the water was that of the toddler Sidney Goodwin. The only body that was recovered from the Goodwin family was Sidney who was 19 months old when he died.

Funeral of Sidney Goodwin

When no one came to identify or claim the body of the Sidney the sailors on board the Mackay-Bennett arranged for his burial. So on 4^th May 1912 the body of Sidney was buried at Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada. The sailors were so affected by the death of the young child that they escorted the tiny white coffin to the funeral.

Our Babe

They had earlier bought a copper pendent with the words Our Babe inscribed on it. A large headstone was also purchased by the sailors. On this headstone is inscribed the words The Unknown Child. The body in the grave of the Unknown child was positively identified through DNA testing to be that of Sidney Goodwin in July 2007.

Other Titanic Stories by L.M.Reid

• Mrs Rice and her 5 sons died on the Titanic
• Douglas Spedden age 6 survived on the Titanic but died age 9
• Why this Irish couple ran away to America on board the Titanic

  
  

Sources

Mr Frederick Joseph Goodwin Encyclopedia Titanicia

The Unknownd Child Wikipedia

The Goodwin Family Died on the Titanic by Tim Malton

The Irish Aboard Titanic by Senan Molony

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.

Spirit of the Titanic by Nicola Pierce.

Discovering Titanic - The story of the most famous ship wreck by Ben Hubbard

On Board RMS Titanic : Memories of the Maiden Voyage by George Behe.

Titanic: In A New Light by Dr Joseph MacInnis.

Titanic : The Tragic Story of the Ill-fated Ocean Liner by Rupert Matthews.

Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax by Alan Ruffman.

Titanic Belfast Museum

Southampton's Titanic Story

Titanic Experience Cobh

Nova Scotia Museum Halifax

Titanic Historical Society Museum

Comments

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on February 07, 2020:

Hello Breanna, good luck with your homework project on the Titanic

breanna on January 21, 2020:

I need to do a page for my class about it.

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on December 30, 2018:

Hello Jerome, you might be. They had family in England and America

Jerome Goodwin on December 21, 2018:

My last name is Goodwin I wonder if we were related somehow?

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on November 13, 2018:

Thanks for your comments. The Titanic story lives on because of the personal stories of those who sailed on her.

Larry Slawson from North Carolina on October 03, 2018:

Very interesting read! Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed.

Jennifer on February 09, 2017:

Thank you for this article, impressive!

Third class passengers seem the hardest to find information on. Middle Class and Upper Class passengers seem to be the most focused on. So this is a refreshing change!

Nancy on November 06, 2015:

I saw little Sidney's shoes at the maritime museum in Halifax while there in September. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to see his grave. The museum devotes quite a bit of space to the sinking of the Titanic. I did not know that the dead were brought to Halifax while the survivors were taken to New York City.

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on March 06, 2014:

Hello Donna I do not know if the Goodwin family tree is online, sorry. The surname Goodwin is correct for this family that died on the Titanic

Donna (Goodwin) Mann on March 01, 2014:

I am intrigued of course with this story after spending time in England with Goodwin relatives. Unfortunately, I've never taken the time to make family tree connections. Does anyone know if Frederick and Augusta Goodwin's family tree is online?

Is there an error with the spelling of Goodwin as in Goodman or was that the usage of the sir name in that era?

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on August 25, 2013:

Yes very sad Valeria especially because a lot of the families with children should have been on another ship only for a strike

valeria gonzalez on July 08, 2013:

that is sad bless those people that died 100 years ago

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on April 17, 2012:

Teri Goodwin, yes it is possible that you could be related. In those times a lot of families were very large so I am sure the Goodwin family had cousins etc in America too.

Teri Goodwin on April 16, 2012:

This was an amazing story for my husband and I to read. The first thing we thought of was, Are we in some way related to the Goodwin Family. What are the chances? The brother that made it to New York could have been. We know very little about them. Thanks for this beautifully told tragic story!

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on April 14, 2012:

Alconin, yes that is what is so sad about a lot of the families who died in third class, they would have been terrified and apart.

It is exactly 100 years ago as I write this because it is 2.20 am here on 15th April, that is weird.

May they all rest in Peace.

Aurelio Locsin from Orange County, CA on April 14, 2012:

This is so tragic, especially that they probably spent their last moments apart. I keep wondering what would have happened if they had take the steamer instead. They probably would have had hundreds of descendants in the U.S. by now, watching the Titanic commemorations on TV. Voting this Up and Interesting.

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on April 13, 2012:

What makes this family's story even more upsetting is the fact that the family would have died apart.

As they were third class passengers they had to sleep in different cabins.

Mr Goodwin and his older sons would have been at one end of the ship while Mrs Goodwin, her daughters and baby son were at the other end when the iceberg hit.

CaseyLu thanks for your votes and sharing

CassyLu1981 from Spring Lake, NC on April 13, 2012:

Hard to believe it's been 100 years almost since the Titanic sank :( Wonderful information on it. Very interesting read. Shared and voted up.

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on February 26, 2012:

The Titanic was a tragedy of over confidence and pride. The unsinkable ship sank and caused so much horror for those men women and children in their last hours of life.

Wand Souj. That is very sad about your great Uncle who died on the Titanic. Generations of his future family were also lost. Yes most third class passengers were doomed from the start

Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment.

WandSouj on January 14, 2012:

Very interesting read. My grandfather used to talk about how his uncle died on the Titanic while trying to resettle in America. He would have been the first of our family over here. Unfortunately, he was in third class so I can only imagine the horrors he had to endure.

Thanks for all the info =)

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on November 22, 2011:

ABC thanks for reading and your comment, glad it helped in your reseach

A,B,C,1,2.3 on November 21, 2011:

this information was great for my research report on the godwin family

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on September 08, 2011:

Thank you every one for reading and your comments.

ZVdP thanks for pointing out the errors in the article, I appreciate you taking the time.

ZVdP on August 25, 2011:

A couple of errors in your fist class accommodation section:

-A couple of 1st class passengers had servants with them, not most.

-only 4 out of the 400 or so staterooms had their own sitting room

-Not all staterooms had a private bathroom, actually only quite a few had that luxury (and if one paid extra for that).

Amy DeMarco from Chicago on July 23, 2011:

Thank you for sharing this story. I feel so sad for this family and all the other lives that were lost. The third class deserved better treatment. Even with a tragedy as big as this, their lives were still deemed as not very important. It's very disturbing to me. This story was very touching. Voted up.

Bob Marley on July 02, 2011:

it made me cry, he was only a baby and he wasn't even meant to go on the titanic! it was all because of a strike! it really puts things in perspective :(

Alfred Skapi on April 27, 2011:

I red the fact about the researches and finding of "Unknow baby"- Sidney Leslie Goodwin. Being very interested about the story and facts I red this comprehensive and very interesting information that attracted me. It pull me to that real time of April 1912.

markn on March 30, 2011:

I became interested in Titanic history after I read a recently released book called The Band that Played On, about the 8 musicians who gave their lives playing music to keep people calm while the ship was sinking. Here's a link to the Amazon page: http://dld.bz/SM8u. So I applaud the effort made here to detail the lives of this family. It's easy to get caught up in the more "glamorous" events of the actual sinking and forget about the lives of the people who died.

kafsoa on March 24, 2011:

A big effort is made here! I'm impressed! Though I've heared a lot of stories about people who were on board, but I still like to read more about it. Thanks Viking

India Arnold from Northern, California on March 23, 2011:

A very comprehensive read. I have long been intrigued by the story and history behind the Titanic sinking. Your work here is really well presented, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

K9

Christine from Dublin on March 22, 2011:

Hi Viking

Such a sad story and so many souls lost. Shame about the greed and the gap between the different classes but unfortunaltly things have not much changed. There is still and probably always will be a large gap between the rich and the poor.

Maybe one day that gap with be broken. One has to dream and never give up hope.

Thank you for such a good read and for keeping the story of the Titanic alive.

Ps... Loved the film 'The Titanic' It is one of my Son's favourite films too...

Well done and keep up the good work...

Garlic Angel :-)

jandee from Liverpool.U.K on March 20, 2011:

Hello Viking, How beautifully you told the story.So harrowingly sad. The utterly uncaring attitude of the 'Boss Class'towards the country's majority -the working class,thank you,jandee