Albert Joseph Denbuoy

Mr Albert Joseph Denbuoy was born in St Sampson, Guernsey in the Channel Islands on 24 April 1886.

He was the son of Alfred Louis Denbuoy (b. 1858) and Selina Nicolle (b. 1862). His father was born in Jersey to French parents whilst his mother hailed from Vale, Guernsey from a family of farmers and they had married around 1881 and went on to have fourteen children with nine living past infancy. Albert's known siblings were: Cecilia (b. 1882), Joseph F (b. 1884), Maria (b. 1888), Selina (b. 1889), Florence (b. 1890), Alfred (b. 1893), Peter James (b. 1897), Amy Ella (b. 1898) and twins Cecil and Reginald (b. 1903).

The 1891 census shows Albert, known as Bert, and his family living at Rise (?) Lane, St Sampson and his father was described as a mason and his mother a grocer. Still at the same address by the time of the 1901 census, his father was now a fruit grower and Bert his assistant. The family are shown on the 1911 census living at Les Sauvages, St Sampson, Bert still unmarried and still working as a fruit farmer. He was a keen footballer.

Bert boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a second class passenger together with his friends, brothers Clifford Jefferys and Ernest Jefferys  (ticket number C.A. 31029 which cost £31, 10s). He was travelling to Elizabeth, New Jersey, to stay at the home of Peter and Lillian Renouf, the latter being the Jefferys brothers' sister. His friend Joseph Duquemin was travelling in third class and on board ship he would have also been acquainted with Lawrence Gavey, Emily Rugg and Lillian Bentham, among others.

On the night of the sinking Bert is believed to have been in the smoking room with Peter Renouf and the Jefferys brothers when the collision occurred.  Aware of the unfolding disaster he went to the cabin shared by Emily Rugg and Lillian Bentham to alert them of the danger and later accompanied them to the boat deck.

Albert Denbuoy died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.

He is remembered on the family headstone in St Sampsons churchyard, St Sampson, Bailiwick of Guernsey.