Mr John Hall ("Henry") Lovell

Mr John Hall Lovell, was born in about 1892 in the Bratton Clovelly / Northlew area of west Devon. He was the son Mr John Lovell (farmer) and Mrs Annie Hall Lovell (nee Wivell) and brother to Elsie, Leonard, William, Ernest and Mabel. He was known as Jack and his second christian name, Hall was the maiden name of his maternal grandmother. Some sources give his middle name as Henry.

He moved to Lower Gorhuish, Northlew, Devon with his family when young and as an adult he farmed in the area of Ashbury, Devon. His brother, Leonard Lovell emigrated about 1909, initially to Calumet, Michigan and then on to Lakefield, Ontario. It was partly his encouragement that led John Lovell to travel to the USA on Titanic. John Lovell was related through an uncle (William James Braund) to Lewis Richard Braund of Bridgerule, Devon who had also left England at the turn of the century to farm in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He had returned to his family home to encourage his brother, Owen Harris Braund to return with him to Canada along with other relatives, Messrs Samuel and William Dennis and John Henry Perkin.

They all boarded the Titanic at Southampton as third class passengers. John Hall Lovell's ticket was #21173 and cost £7 5s.

Two postcards sent by John Hall Lovell to Halwill in Devon survive, one posted from Southampton to his uncle, Mr William Wivell, the other from Queenstown to his aunt, Miss Beatrice Wivell. The first reads:

• 'Dear Uncle, Just writing a few lines to let you know that I have got to Southampton all right. We got at Southampton about 7.30 in the evening and we all lodge at the Alliance Hotel, I could not sleep that night I am not downhearted yet I am happy. J Lovell'

The second reads:

• 'I am sending you a postcard of the Titanic. We started from Southampton about 12 o'clock last Wed. Sleep well the first night. I been on ship one and half I am not sea sick yet. I am enjoying myself fine. Good bye. J H Lovell'

Lovell died in the sinking, his body, if recovered, was never identified.

Acknowledgements
Steve Coombes, UK
Chris Dohany, USA
Brian Ticehurst, UK

Travelling Companions
Mr John Henry Perkin distant cousin
Mr Lewis Richard Braund distant cousin