Mr Samuel James Rule

Mr Samuel James Rule Samuel Rule, 50, was born in Hayle, Cornwall, the son of Richard Rule (master mariner) and Mary Rule. He had at least 2 brothers, one a master mariner (it is this brother, Captain Rule, aged 72 in 1912, who visited Samuel at Plymouth dock after Samuel Returned to Britain after the sinking), the other, Frederick (born 1859), a Tailor.

In 1881 Samuel was living at Clifton Terrace, Phillack near Hayle with his parents and younger brother Frederick. Samuel first went to sea aged 14 as a ship's steward.

In 1912 Rule lived at Athenlay Rd, Southampton and signed onto the Titanic as a Bath Steward. He was rescued in lifeboat 15.

'I was asleep when the cessation of the engines woke me'... 'The shock was so great, and I heard no crash, but the engines were going full speed astern, and I knew something was wrong. I got up and went upstairs, but as there was no commotion I went back and dressed. A few minutes later a messenger came down and said we all had to leave our cabins, that all had to be served with lifebelts, and the cabins were to be locked. I assisted in getting up some provisions and when I got on deck I saw they were preparing to lower the boats. Though placed on the boat deck , the provisions were never used. Mr Murdoch was in charge of my side of the ship - the starboard - and he directed the getting away of the boats without confusion. I helped to lower the boats - all the odd numbers were on my side - and I was told to get into No. 15 as one of the crew.
St Ives Times, 3 May 1912

Samuel Rule was brought back to England with other crew members on board SS Lapland which docked at Plymouth on 29 April 1912. After a night's enforced stay by the Board of Trade he was released the following day at 1.30pm. He returned to Southampton on the 6pm train from Plymouth.

Rule was a witness at the British Inquiry and was called on the sixth day, 10 May 1912, to answer 302 questions.

Notes
According to his age on the 1881 census (27) he would have been born in 1854, however he is shown as 50 on Titanic which would have made his birth year 1862. The census date is likely to be the more accurate, the sign on sheets contain many mistakes particularly the ages given by crew men.

References and Sources
British Census 1881
United States Senate, Washington 1912. n° 806, Crew List
Wreck Commissioners' Court, Proceedings before the Right Hon. Lord Mersey on a Formal Investigation Ordered by the Board of Trade into the Loss of the S.S. Titanic

Credits
Steve Coombes, UK
Chris Dohany, USA
Brian Ticehurst, UK
Bill Wormstedt, USA

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Summary
Born: 1854
Born in Hayle Cornwall England
Age: 58 years
Last Residence: at 81 Atherley Road Southampton Hampshire England   - Map
Occupation: Bath Room Steward
Last Ship: Olympic
Victualling crew
First Embarked: Belfast on Monday 1st April 1912
Rescued
Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912

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