Mr Stephen Hold

Mr Stephen Hold, 44, was born in Porthoustock, Cornwall on 24 January 1868. He was the son of Stephen Hold, a Warrant Officer in the Royal Navy and Anna Maria Hold (née Connor) of St Mawes. He was brother to Henrietta, Arthur and Emma.

The family moved to Devonport, Plymouth in about 1873 and at the time of the 1881 census were living with Stephen's two unmarried aunts, Lavinia Mary Connor and Henrietta Connor at 7 Albert Road where his aunts ran a Stationer and Tobacconist shop. His father had died in the period 1876-1881 and his mother was shown as in receipt of a pension, presumably from the Navy.

Stephen moved to live in Sacramento, California when young, this was likely by 1881 as he does not appear on the Devon census in Devonport with his family for that year. In Sacramento he lived at 630 M Street (later renamed Capitol Mall.) and worked as a chauffeur for a W H Bradley. He returned to his home village of Porthoustock in 1909 to visit family. During his holiday, on 18 October 1909, he married Annie Margaret Hill at the St Keverne parish church. The marriage certificate shows his occupation as hotel clerk. His wife, Annie, also of Porthoustock was the grand-daughter of James Hill, the coxswain of the Porthoustock Lifeboat. They returned to live in Sacramento where he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and had also been a president of the Order of the Sons of St George.

According to an article in a San Francisco newspaper of 16 April 1912 they returned to Cornwall in November 1911 after receiving word that his father-in-law was ill. Another report suggests that their visit was due to the illness of his grandfather who was living in Porthoustock. For at least some of their time in England they stayed at 31 St Georges Terrace, Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, the likely home by then of his mother. A card sent to his employer in April 1912 indicated that he and his wife were to arrive back in Sacramento shortly. Interestingly this card was posted in Liverpool which may indicate they were due to sail from that port but had their passage switched to Titanic due to the coal strikes. They embarked Titanic at Southampton and travelled second class under ticket number 26707 costing £26 0s for them both.

Stephen was lost in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. He left $4000 in his will to Annie

Notes
From the 1881 Census: Mother: Anna Maria born St Mawes, Cornwall 1845 (widow, aged 36 in 1881). Siblings: Henrietta Hold born St Keverne CWL (pupil teacher, aged 14 1881); Arthur W Hold born Devonport, Devon (scholar, aged 8); Emma Hold (aged 13).

Sources
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
British Census 1881

Acknowledgements
Stephen Coombes, UK
Chris Dohany, USA
Homer Thiel, USA
Brian Ticehurst, UK
Geoff Whitfield, UK

Travelling Companions (on same ticket)
Mrs Annie Margaret Hold