encyclopedia titanica

Mr Herbert Gifford Harvey : Titanic Engineering Crew

Summary
Born: Sunday 3rd February 1878
Age: 34 years
Marital Status: Single.
Last Residence: at 49 Obelisk Road Woolston Hampshire England
Occupation: Junior Assistant 2nd. Engineer
Last Ship: Olympic
Engine crew
First Embarked: Belfast
Died in the sinking.
Body Not Recovered

Related Images

Grave or Memorial
Various Memorials

Mr Herbert Gifford Harvey

Born in Belfast on February 3rd, 1878, being the son of the late Mr. J. Thompson Harvey, of Messrs. Lawther and Harvey, ship owners, Belfast. He was educated at the Belfast Royal Academy and Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, and his apprenticeship was served in the locomotive works of the old Belfast and Northern Counties Railway, (now a branch of the Midland Railway). At the call for volunteers during the South African War in 1899 he was one of the first to join the 46th Company Imperial Yeomanry, with whom he was in the Lindley disaster* and afterwards being attached to one of the regular regiments, he was in several engagements, gaining the Queen's Medal with three clasps and King's medal with one clasp.

On his return from South Africa he spent some time with the shore staff of Messrs. Harland & Wolff, Ltd., and then joined Messrs. Lawther, Latta & Co., managing owners for the Nitrate Producers Steamship Co., Ltd., serving with this company for eighteen months, and leaving their vessel the Juanita North to join the White Star Line.

He was appointed assistant third engineer of the White Star Line Teutonic in 1907, becoming later assistant second engineer. In the Olympic he was assistant third engineer, being later transferred to the Titanic as junior assistant second. He held a first class certificate. Mr. Harvey was a Freemason and engaged to be married.

* Lindley disaster. Lindley was a town in South Africa named after Daniel Lindley, (1801-1888) who was the American son of the president of Philadelphia College and who went to South Africa in 1833, being ordained in the Dutch Reformed Church in 1843.
The town was the centre of Boer resistance in The Orange Free State. The Boers were driven out of the town by the British in May or June 1900. Once the town had been cleared they realised that it was not of any great importance anyway and abandoned it shortly afterwards. Later, the Boers moved back in. It all seems to have been rather a waste of time as there were heavy casualties on both sides.

Acknowledgements
Denis Griffiths, UK
Brian Ticehurst, UK