Mr Eustace Horatius Blann

Eustace Horatius Blann was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England in late 1890 and his birth was registered in the first quarter of 1891 in Christchurch. He was the son of Horace Blann (1864-1936) and Margaret Susannah Richards (1863-1935). His father was originally from Steyning, Sussex and his mother from Winchester, Hampshire and they were married in Winchester in 1885.

Eustace was one of ten children born to his parents, with eight living past infancy: Horace Archibald Victor (b. 1887), Cecil Augustus (b. 1889), Reginald Norman (b. 1892), Arthur Francis (b. 1893), Olive Gertrude (b. 1896), Ivor Maurice (b. 1897), Lionel Rupert (b. 1901) and Hubert Cyril (b. 1902).

Eustace first appear on the 1891 census as 5-month-old when he and his family were listed as living at Wyndham Road, Springbourne, Christchurch, Hampshire and his father was listed as a grocer's porter. The family moved to Southampton around 1897 and appear on the 1901 census living at 99 Pound Street, Shirley. The family are still at this address for the 1911 census, with a 20-year-old Eustace being described as a ship's fireman and his father as a carpenter's labourer.

When Blann signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, he gave his address as 99 Pound Street, Shirley, Southampton and his last ship as the Danube. As a fireman he could expect monthly wages of £6.

Following the collision on 14 April 1912, Eustace Blann reportedly appeared in the crew's quarters with a large lump of ice from the iceberg, exclaiming "Look what I found on deck!"

Eustace Blann, who was unmarried, died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. The following death notice appeared in the Hampshire Independent (unknown date):

BLANN--On April 15th, on the s.s. Titanic, third son of Horace and Margaret Blann, of Shirley, Southampton, aged 21 years. Deeply Mourned.

Eustace's parents continued to live in Southampton. His mother passed away in 1935 and his father is 1936. His last surviving sibling Lionel Rupert died in Southampton in 1974.

References and Sources

Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259)
United States Senate, Washington 1912. n° 806, Crew List
Hermann Söldner (ed.) (2000) RMS Titanic: Passenger and Crew List 10 April 1912-15 April 1912. ä wie Ärger Verlag.
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
Don Lynch & Ken Marschall (1992) Titanic: An Illustrated History. London, Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0 340 56271 4