George William Beauchamp was born in Totton, Eling, Hampshire, England on 9 March 1888. He was the son of George Beauchamp (b. 1850) and Maria Jane Walton (b. 1857). His father was from Langley, Wiltshire and his mother from Millbrook, Hampshire and they had married in Eling in 1882.
George was one of six children born to his parents, two dying in infancy. His siblings were: Emma Jane (b. 1883), Nellie Blanche (b. 1884), Fanny Elizabeth (b. 1890), John Frederick (b. 1892) and Annie (b. 1897).
George first appears on the 1891 census living in Totton, Eling, Hampshire. His father is described as a labourer. On the 1901 census the family are living in Redbridge Lane, Millbrook and his father is now described as a sawyer in the railway works. By the time of the 1911 census George is absent, already having commenced a career at sea since leaving school, working for various Lines, including the Union Castle Line. His parents and younger brother John are listed at Redbridge Road, Millbrook on the 1911 census.
When George signed on to the Titanic he gave his address as Redbridge Road, Millbrook and his previous ship as the Kinfauns Castle. As a fireman he could expect to earn monthly wages of £6.
At the time of the collision George was on duty and described the impact a being like a "roar of thunder." He was then ordered to shut the dampers just as the watertight doors began to close off. After a few minutes he was ordered to draw the fires by which point water was starting to come into the stokehold around his feet. George made his way topside and positioned himself on the aft starboard boatdeck where he assisted women and children into the boats. He was ordered into lifeboat 13 when asked by an officer if he could handle an oar. He described the difficulty in getting boat 13 clear of the ship due to the discharge from the ship's exhaust. George's boat was later picked up by the Carpathia around 9.30 am.
George was later called to testify at the British enquiry into the disaster.
''....I went on the starboard side near No. 13 boat and stood there. It was quite full and held 60 to 70 people.
Raymond Asquith: Where any male passengers in the boat?
-Yes; but I can't say how many.
-Who took charge of the boat?
-I think it was Barrett, the leading stoker. (Br. Report, p. 30)
Charles Hendrickson (left), George William Beauchamp (centre) at the British Inquiry
(Courtesy of Paul Lee)
George Beauchamp continued to work at sea into the 1920s and beyond and later served on the Cape Mail boats for the Union Line as a leading fireman. Upon leaving the sea he worked at the docks in Southampton and latterly with Kennedy's Builders Merchants in Commercial Road where he befriended Titanic survivor Bertram Vere Dean.
George never married and spent the last few years of his life living at the Woolpack Inn in Redbridge, Southampton where he was reportedly a popular figure with the regulars. He died on 5 April 1965 aged 77 and he was cremated at South Stoneham Crematorium three days later.
Comment and discuss
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There was a William Beauchamp who was a 3rd class passenger aboard Lusitania. No connection to George Beauchamp from Titanic. Also the Daily Mail article is showing the wrong person. George Beauchamp is standing directly next to the one with the red cycle.
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The George Beachamp from Hull is not the same George Beachamp that was on the Titanic. Encyclopaedia Titanica has the real George Beachamp totally correct. My parents kept the Woolpack inn in Redbridge Southampton where he was a regular until he actually moved with us. He was a lovely quiet old man who enjoyed the company every evening of our customers who were fellow villagers. he died at the Woolpack in1965.
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Wrong George Beachamp. The real...
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If you knew George Beachamp personally, then how old are you now Marney? If I may ask?
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This is interesting :) Did Mr Beachamp ever speak at all of his time on the Titanic that you can recall ? And did he ever bring along any fellow Titanic survivors from the engineering department in for a pint ?
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This is interesting :) Did Mr Beachamp ever speak at all of his time on the Titanic that you can recall ? And did he ever bring...
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Thanks Marney. You say that Beachamp lived with your family at the inn - did he ever have flashbacks or nightmares about what he saw and heard that night in April 1912 ? That's interesting that Fred Fleet was also was a visitor. Do you remember if he ever said anything at all that stands out for you ? You might find this article on Fleet's last few years interesting, although very sad, reading. Just out of curiosity how do you pronounce "Beachamp" ? Is it "Beech-amp" or "Bo-champ" or "Bu - champ" ?
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I am 74 now I knew George Beachamp from when I was 7 to 19 when he died in my home. The Woolpack inn
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I never knew of him having nightmares or flashback but if he did I am sure my mother wouldn’t not have told me .. I never met Fred fleet as I was either at school or work when he came . It was always daytime visits. Years later when I become more interested in the titanic I asked my if she had heard Fred fleet mention the titanic she said what stayed in her...
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Thanks for sharing that with everyone on ET Marney ;) It's nice to know that George Beachamp was a lovely old man who befriended you. Thanks also for clearing up how to pronounce his name properly. I don't know if you had already seen this or not but you can read for free, your dear friend George Beachamp's entire testimony given at the British enquiry here: It's a shame you never got to meet Fred Fleet in person, he was also supposed to be a nice old fellow who was happy to answer questions about the Titanic although still haunted by the night. It's terrible how his life ended in the way it did. It's interesting Fleet said to your mother "if only we had glasses". The consensus is that binoculars would have made no difference to Fleet and Lee's ability to spot the ice that night. Poor old Fleet probably...
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Thank you all. As usual the newspaper article is full of sensation and very little fact.
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