Master William Rowe Richards

(Courtesy of Jeannette Francis, UK)

Master William (Willy) Rowe Richards, 3, was born at 6 St Mary' s St. Penzance Cornwall on 1 April, 1909. The eldest son of Mr Sibley Richards and Emily Richards (née Hocking). He was named after his maternal grandfather.

He travelled second class on Titanic with his mother and brother, Sibley George Richards, bound for Akron, Ohio, to rejoin his father.

He survived the sinking in lifeboat 4 and returned to West Cornwall in 1914 with his parents and brother. He continued to live in West Cornwall and on 26 May, 1929 at High Steet Chapel, he married Melva Hicks (born 17 May, 1909). They had three children, George Hocking Richards, named after his fathers uncle who perished on the Titanic, Mavis Richards and Jeannette Richards. William and Melva divorced and William remarried January 1973. He named his bungalow Carpathia.

William Rowe Richards died on 9 January, 1988 and was interred in Longstone Cemetery, Carbis Bay, Cornwall. Melva (his first wife) outlived him by just 4 months and died on there wedding anniversary 26 May, 1988. George his son died August 1998 but his two daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren all live in West Cornwall.

Courtesy: Steve Coombes, UK

Available Documents
St. Ives Times & Express (Cornwall), 22 January, 1988, Obituary
General Register Office Certified Copy of an Entry of Death

References
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States Immigration Officer At Port Of Arrival (Date: 18th-19th June 1912, Ship: Carpathia) - National Archives, NWCTB 85 T715 Vol 4183

Contributors
Stephen Coombes, UK
Chris Dohany, USA
Jeannette Francis, UK
Phillip Gowan, USA
Brian Ticehurst, UK
Geoff Whitfield, UK
Homer Thiel, USA

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