Fr Ernest Courtenay Carter
Revd Ernest Courtenay Carter, 54, was born in Compton, Berkshire on 17 February 1858, the son of George Carter.
Ernest Carter was educated at Charterhouse and Leamington College. In 1880 he went to Oxford to study at St. John's College [1]. He graduated with a BA in 1884 [2]. From 1885 to 1888 he was Assistant Master at Godolphin School, Hammersmith, London and in that year took holy orders being made deacon and taking up a position as curate of Christ Church, Mayfair. He was made priest in 1889. Between 1889 and 1896 he was curate of Chieveley and in 1989 moved to the East end of London to be vicar of St Jude, Whitchapel. Between 1910 and 1911 he waspresident at Sion College.
Ernest Carter married Lilian Hughes in 1890. It was with her that he boarded the Titanic as a second Class passenger, at Southampton (ticket number 244252, £26).
During the voyage Revd. Carter was troubled by a cold and Marion Wright, whom the couple had befriended, found some medication that helped him.
On the evening of 14 April, Revd. Carter presided over a hymn service for about a hundred passengers in the second class dining saloon, he preceded each hymn with a history of the hymn and its author. Douglas Norman sat at the piano and Marion Wright sang a solo of "Lead Kindly Light". Among the other hymns sung were Eternal Father, Strong to Save (also known as "For those in peril on the Sea"), On the Ressurection Morning, There is a Green Hill Far Away (for which Marion Wright again sang solo), the final hymn was Now the Day is Over. Around ten o'clock the steward began to lay out coffee and refreshments and Rev Carter drew the proceedings to a close by thanking the Purser for the use of the Saloon and added that the ship was unusually steady and how everyone was looking forward to their arrival in new York. 'It is' he said 'the first time that there have been hymns sung on this boat on a Sunday evening, but we trust and pray it won't be the last.'
But it was and Rev and Mrs Carter died in the sinking. Their bodies, if recovered, were never identified.
Notes
1. In 1881 he was lodging at Dudley Cottage, Kingston Road, St Giles, Oxford
2. From the St. John's College, Oxford Register:
1881-2 Michaelmas Term
Carter, Ernest Coutenay (matric. MT 1880 as a non-collegiate student, migrated to St. John's College. 1881); b.17 Feb 1858, s. of George Carter, clerk in H.O.
Educ. Charterhouse; Leamington Coll. BA 1884. H.O. (d.1888; p.1889): Asst. master, Godolphin S., Hammersmith 1885-8; C. Christ Church, Mayfair (1888-9); Chieveley 1889-96; V. St Jude, Whitechapel 1898; Pres. Sion Coll. 1910-11.
M. 1890 Lilian Hughes.
Lost in the sinking of the Titanic 15 Apr 1912
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References and Sources
Oxford Magazine, 2 May 1912, Vol.XXX, No. 17, Article
North Berks Herald, 4 May 1912, Article
British Census 1881
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
Marriages, births, deaths and injuries that have occurred on board during the voyage (PRO London, BT 100/259-260)
Names and Descriptions of British Passengers Embarked at the Port of Southampton, 10 April 1912 (PRO London, BT 27/780B)
St. John's College Register, Oxford
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