Our Titanic Pets

[Shelley Dziedzic]

A while back we had a thread on animals aboard Titanic from the canary to the Gamin de Pycombe dog. I seem to remember Eva Hart telling me about a French bulldog she petted, and of course who has not heard of Kitty Astor the Airdale and the Myth of Rigel the Newfoundland-which I would like to believe might have a grain of truth in it. These were all passenger pets, but I wonder if anyone else here has had a beloved pet with a Titanic name? One always, of course, runs the risk of offending someone who thinks it might be dreadful bad taste to call a mere animal after a human being, but I have had a menagerie of beloved pets over the past 30 years ranging from Murdoch the goat, Rigel the black lab, Mrs. Candee the glamorous rabbit, two Kitty Astors, Clinch and Archie(little ducks who sadly drowned),a great golden tiger cat who liked to smoke cigars named Archie Butt, a plucky tiny kitten named Carpathia (this suggested by Frank Aks)a magnificent white anglo-arab gelding called Jack Binns after the celebrated Republic wirelessman and the last of the line still around, Harold Bride a.k.a. "Sparks" who is 18 and very spry. I was always glad to know Clarence Moore's foxhounds were sent on another ship, and a few of Titanic's pets made it to the lifeboat mostly because they were so tiny and could fit in a muff or under a coat. Some accounts tell of J.J.'s beloved Airdale Kitty racing up and down the deck at the end, and standing by the rail with her master. Friday was a sad day for me, having to put down my best friend, one of Kitty Astor's pups, Percywags at age 13-he was a terrier too. I expect there must be many animal lovers out there who understand this-and I wondered if anyone had a similar menagerie. Here is funny old Archie Butt, born in a stable bucket. He had impeccable manners-and did indeed puff a cigar when he could get one!

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Jack Binns lived to be over 30, which is venerable for a horse. At horse shows we would have to explain all about who Jack Binns was, which inevitably led to Titanic talk. Poor Jack died of a torsion on All Saints Day, 2000 with a storm raging off the Atlantic coast nearby. He was a great jumper and dressage horse with a wall full of trophies and ribbons as shrine of proof these days. No nobler beast than this. Makes me recall the real Archie Butt, his superb horsemanship and his famous shipment of mules to the Philippines.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Thinking to start a breeding kennel for wirehaired fox terriers about 15 years ago, I purchased one little pup duly registered with the AKC as "Titanic's Kitty Astor" who earned her CD in obedience and Canine Good Citizen for nursing home visiting, and provided a great litter of 4 lovely pups. The last of her pups, Percy, was put down on Friday-here they are watching the telly in happier times, Now, with only Harold Bride for comfort I'm thinking again of an Airdale terrier.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I've never had a pet named after a Titanic personality, but the mice certainly consider the 11 cats in our house a Titanic disaster!!!

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Eleven cats? I'm buying stock in kitty litter! What a good thing Captain Smith left his Irish wolfhound home. Somewhere I read what this dog's name was but I can't remember it.

 

[Paul Rogers]

Shelley,

I don't think the dog's name has come to light, although there's a theory that the dog's nickname was 'Boris'. (I initially wondered why a dog would need a nickname, but apparently it might have been a pedigree, and posh dogs need posh names, allegedly.)

There's an old thread on E-T on this topic

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Lucy Duff Gordon loved Pekingese and Chow-Chows but she also had an Airedale, named Bobbie.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

"During the voyage Mrs Nellie Hocking and Edwina Trout, Second class passengers, were disturbed by the sound of a rooster crowing, and both of them took it as a harbinger of bad luck."

"Incidentally the Titanic had her own pet in the shape of the ship's cat, which stewardess Violet Jessop said was called Jenny. Ship's cats were common in that period because of the presence of rats. While the ship was being stored at Southampton, Jenny presented her keepers with a litter of kittens."
(All quotes reproduced from
The Animals on board the Titanic by
Loannis Georgiou, Atlantic Daily Bulletin)
I also seem to remember some fancy French breed of chickens aboard. My last rooster was named Leviathan for the ship of the same name. He lasted a long time as a bachelor but met with a violent end when he discovered the neighbor's hen house. Kitty Astor pointed out the remaining black feathers. Single life was safer. I hope the Titanic cat tale is true.

 

[i_wanna_be_pretty14]

I have three goldfish that I named William McMaster Murdoch, Charles Herbert Lightoller, and James Paul Moody. So they were named after the first, second, and sixth officers.

Although Moody and Lights keep eating each other's tails off. And Murdoch keeps hiding behind a plant..... awww.......

---Kelly.

 

[i_wanna_be_pretty14]

I am sad to announce that my goldfish, Moody, died.

My mother bought a new fish hoping I'd never notice, but I did notice. It was a bit obvious when I saw a plastic bag in the tank, along with a fish inside it. And tht fish looked nothing like the other one.

I was quite sad. Moody was my favorite. Now we named that new one after Archibald Gracie. it was the first name that came to mind.

---Kelly.

 

[Kimberly Ann Yoxtheimer]

Kelly,

Sorry to hear of the passing of your favorite fish, Moody. Though his arrival was unexpected, hopefully Col. Gracie will bring enjoyment as well. Take care.

Kim Y.

 

[George Pastarmatzis]

Hello all! In Cameron's Titanic, we see first class female passengers taking their dogs up into the B-deck entrance along with the rest passengers. Is that accurate? Would the other passengers get annoyed with this? Could one have his/her pet in a stateroom? Wasn't that noisy? Thank you!!!

 

[Vitezslav Ivicic]

By the way. it's the D-Deck entrance and I think it was accurate, because some of the passengers had their pets in staterooms or they could give them in the kennels on G-Deck. I know that J. J. Astor had his dog in the stateroom.

 

[George Pastarmatzis]

Sorry for the B -deck, you are correct, it was D -deck. However, I could not stand a dog barking right next door on a ship. The walls were not at all sound proof. Thanks!

 

[Martin Williams]

Helen Bishop's dog, Frou-Frou, slept with his mistress in her first-class cabin. I've always thought that it was rather sad that she left him behind when she and Mr Bishop took to the boats.

I understand that three other first-class passengers - Elizabeth Rothschild, Henry Sleeper Harper and Margaret Hays - also managed to save their pets. I assume that these little chaps 'roomed' on the upper decks too, since I've never read of anybody going down to collect his or her dog from the kennels before abandoning ship.

George - several of the issues you've raised on the board over the past few weeks have already been explored pretty thoroughly on previous occasions. It is always worth 'reading back' on some of the longer threads to ensure that the same ground isn't gone over time and time again!