Tales of a Titanic Family

Based on the archives and family photographs of the Percival White and son Richard Frasar White family, this book presents some interesting new information about two first-class passengers.

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I received my order of William Russo's Tales of a Titanic Family a few days ago. It is about the background and family life of Titanic passengers Percival & Richard White, father and son, my favourite Titanic passengers. They were travelling First Class, befriended several others including the mother and daughter pair of Elizabeth and Mary Lines, Ida Hippach and her daughter Gertrude and so on. After the ship collided with the iceberg, the men alerted the Lines ladies and escorted them to Lifeboat #9 before stepping back themselves to help others even though they would have been allowed into that starboard lifeboat if they had tried to get in. Both men went down with the Titanic.

I have an e-mail from another source that Elizabeth and Mary Lines always said that they owed their lives to the Whites.

The book reveals the Whites' family life, properties, friendships etc. Even a preliminary fast reading gives the odd feeling that the two men were ahead of their times in terms of thinking, planning etc. A splendid combination of old world courtesy and modern forward thinking.

I know that a biographical book like this is not everyone's cup of tea but still, I would highly recommend it.

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I would love to read that.
For me the most fascinating thing about Titanic is the people.
Thanks for sharing!

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For a few years now Titanic victims Percival Wayland White and his son Richard Frasar White - father and son from First Class - have been my favourite passengers. My opinion about them positively increased after I read William Russo's book Tales Of A Titanic Family. The Whites come across as a family ahead of their times and despite being rich and successful had none of the false airs and graces sometimes attributed to the multi-millionaires of that era.

On board the Titanic, the Whites shared First Class cabin D-26 and befriended the mother and daughter pair of Elizabeth and Mary Lines who were in D-28 and very likely their dining table companions. After the Titanic struck the iceberg and the danger became evident, the men knocked on the Lines' door and alerted them, advising the women to wear warm clothes and don life vests. Afterwards, the Whites escorted the two women to the boat deck, saw then safely on board Lifeboat #9 and stepped back onto the deck, even though they could have also got into that starboard lifeboat themselves. Later, there are accounts of the Whites helping other passengers onto lifeboats but never making attempts to force themselves into any.

I would recommend Russo's book quite highly. It gives quite an interesting picture of life and times of that bygone era through the eyes of a good family.

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Thanks Arun. Nice to read about these selfless passengers.

Fellow first class traveler, Frank Browne, almost certainly met Percival White aboard the RMS Titanic and had a short exchange with him. When they met the second time, Browne took White’s photo standing outside the First Class Gymnasium. Check the result here: Titanic outdoor gym.

You can find the account of their meeting in the book: Father Browne’s Titanic Album.

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Thank you Mark. I have Father Browne's book and it is an excellent and memorable piece of work.

If you are interested in the White family, I strongly suggest that you get William Russo's book Tales of a Titanic Family. It is independently published and so the only paper copy available is somewhat basic but quite sturdy and readable. There is also a Kindle edition, if you fancy that.

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