Mr Arthur John Priest

(Public Record Office, Courtesy of Senan Molony, Ireland)

Mr Arthur John Priest 1 was born in Southampton on 31 August 1889. 2

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, he gave his address as 27 Lower Canal Walk, (Southampton). He transferred from the Asturias. As a Fireman he received monthly wages of £6.3

Priest was rescued, probably in lifeboat 15.4

Along with Stewardess Violet Jessop, Priest was on board the Olympic when she collided with the HMS Hawke, and also aboard the Britannic when she hit a mine and sank in 1916.5

Priest also survived the World War I losses of the Alcantara and Donegal. He once claimed that he was forced to retire from the sea by these disasters because no one wished to sail with him.6

After the first world war Priest was listed as living with his wife Annie at 17 Briton Street, Southampton.7

He died in Southampton from pneumonia in 1937.8

Documents
Crew Particulars of Engagement

References

1. i. Register of Seamen (PRO London, BT 350) #380560
   ii. Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259)
   iii. Donald Hyslop, Alastair Forsyth and Sheila Jemima (1997) Titanic Voices: Memories from the Fateful Voyage, Sutton Publishing, Southampton City Council. ISBN 0 7509 1436 X.
   Note: Hyslop et al. (1997) give his name as "Frank Priest". The Register of Seaman, now in the Southampton Archives, contains a photograph of Priest.
2. i. Register of Seamen, op. cit.;
   ii. Agreement and Account of Crew, op. cit.
   Note: In the Agreement he gave his age as 24.
3. Agreement and Account of Crew, op. cit.
4. Peter Engberg-Klarström, Correspondence with Editor
5. i. John P. Eaton & Charles A. Haas (1994) Titanic: Triumph & Tragedy, 2nd ed. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1 85260 493 X
   ii. John Eaton & Charles Haas (1992) Titanic: Destination Disaster, Patrick Stevens Ltd. ISBN 1 85260 534 0 ;
   Iii Hyslop et al. (1997) op. cit.
6. Eaton & Haas (1992) op. cit.
   
7. Register of Seamen, op. cit.
8. i. General Register Office Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths
   ii. Peter Engberg-Klarström, Correspondence with Editor
   Iii Eaton & Haas (1992) op. cit.
   iv. Iii Eaton & Haas (1994) op. cit.
   Note: Eaton & Haas (1992) and (1994) give his date of death as 1935

Contributors
Peter Engberg-Klarström, Sweden
Brian Ticehurst, UK
Bill Wormstedt, USA

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