Fred Hartnell

Mr Fred Hartnell was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 17 October 1890.

He was the son of James John Baker Hartnell (b. 1858), a hotel porter from Hampshire, and Julia Sarah Taylor (b. 1854), a native of Chelmsford, Essex, the couple having married in Southampton in 1884.

He had five siblings: John William (1885-1963), Thomas James (1887-1976), Jack (1888-1966), Charlie (1893-1970) and Nora "Pansy" (b. 1895).

Fred and his family appear on the 1891 census living at 32 Princes Road, Freemantle, Southampton but within the next few years resettled in Dover, Kent, appearing there on the 1901 census as residents of 3 Clarence Street; his mother had passed away just a few months previous in the latter half of 1900. His father remarried later in 1901 to Alice Maude Parker (b. 1867), a native of Farnborough, Kent, and this match gave Fred three half-siblings: Joe (b. 1903), Phil (1905-1990) and Mildred (1908-1992, later Mrs James Mayor).

Fred and his family returned to Southampton around 1907 where his father began working at the Star Hotel; by the time of the 1911 census they were residents of 19 Harcourt Road, Bitterne Park although Fred was absent and presumably at sea.

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, Hartnell gave his address as 25 Harcourt Road, Southampton. His previous ship was the Oceanic and as a saloon steward he received monthly wages of £3, 15s. He was reportedly acquainted with steward John Charman who, prior to joining Titanic, had worked at the Star Hotel as a waiter alongside Fred's father.

Hartnell survived the sinking, probably in boat 13 (some say 15). He was not called to testify at either the British or American Inquiries into the sinking.

Fred returned to Southampton and continued working at sea and served throughout the duration of World War I in the merchant service. By February 1919 he was working aboard Olympic and in August 1919 he was serving as a saloon steward aboard Canopic.

Fred died of cancer on 26 June 1920 ¹ in Southampton aged 29 and was buried in Hollybrook Cemetery. He left behind a widow, Fanny.²

His father and stepmother later ran the Burton Ale House in St Mary's Southampton; James Hartnell died on 2 March 1929. Fred's last known surviving direct sibling Thomas died in Bournemouth in 1976. His brother Jack, who had lived in Canada since 1909, died in Haney, British Columbia on 14 September 1966. His last known surviving half-sibling was his sister Mildred who died in Chichester on 24 February 1992.

A later photo of Fred Hartnell (c.1919)
(National Archives CR10 collection, courtesy of Mike Poirier)