Mr Erik Gustaf Lind - Edward Lingrey - (variously Åkerlind, Lindeberg or Lindeberg-Lind) was born in Gryt, Södermanland, Sweden on 18 June 1869.
His parents were Per Erik (1832-1908), a landowner, and Eva Johanna Bernhardina (nee Tigerschiöld; 1838-1921) Åkerlind. His parents had married 3 December 1868 at Boxtorp, Södermanlands County, Sweden. He had at least five brothers; Per Edvard, b. 11 January 1872, Johan Bernhard, b. 21 November 1873, Knut Hugo, b. 28 December 1875, Ernst Wiktor, b. 20 March 1878, and Carl Uno, b. 1 June 1881.
He had come to the USA 7 July 1887 and it seems he had been made a naturalized citizen of the USA in 1892 at Dorchester, Massachusetts. He later lived in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1909 It seems he returned to Sweden to buy back the manor in Jordanstorp, Sörmland, Sweden that his father had lost. He then married Elsa Teresia Dubois (née Karsten; b. 14 February 1868 in Klara parish, Stockholm), who already had a son, Åke Raoul (b. 20 June 1904 in Umeå. Their marriage took place 19 June 1909, the day after he had returned to Sweden from the USA.
(Photo courtesy of Peter Engberg-Klarström)
Also living at Jordanstorp were August Balthazar Carl Jakob Lagercrantz, a former Captain of the Royal Navy, and his wife Annie Elisabeth (nee Johnson) as well as Erik Lind's mother Eva Johanna Bernhardina Åkerlind. There were seven servants living at Jordanstorp; Edith Eugenia Eklund, a maid, Ingeborg Maria Johansson, a maid, Anna Maria Kristina Olsson, a maid, Ester Emilia Sedvall, cook, Elin Johanna Hörnström, 'servant,' Elin Elisabeth Myrberg, a servant, and Elna Sofia Karlsson, a servant.
The rebuilding and repair of the manor and some unsuccessful investments led to the loss of his fortune and he fell into the hands of loan shark Jean Jansson. To save himself from his debts Lind decided to return to USA and build up a new fortune.
On the passenger list, he went under the pseudonym Edward Lingrey, possibly to avoid the loan shark, Jansson.
He boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a first class passenger and died in the sinking.
Mauritz Håkan Björnstrom-Steffanson related that when he had jumped from the ship Lind had done the same, but Björnström had the fortune to land in collapsible D, while Lind disappeared. His body was never found.
When damages were claimed White Star refused to admit that he had been onboard. After five years, following assurances from Björnstrom-Steffanson to the Notarius Publicus in New York that Lingrey and Lind was the same person, the damage claims were finally paid.
On the Titanic, he wrote a letter to his wife:
'My darling little Elsa
Before I leave this part of the Globe, I hereby send you my warm and loving regards.
You have no idea how enormous this boat is, and you would never have guessed how luxurious it is! The first trip and believe it or not she can accomodate 5,000 passengers. - I hope the envelope does not tell which boat I am travelling on. Remember Elsa my darling that you are not supposed to tell anybody. Poor little darling perhaps another note or something to that effect has come to you but I hardly think so. You know who they were. Perhaps some villain thinks that Auntie K. could help, but do they get to know something else, they will probably calm down. I hope I will remain healthy, so you can be assured that I will see to it that everything is settled and done. I will now write every day and when we go ashore I shall send it all to you.
May God protect you and our little Putte and may you remain healthy.
Send my love to mother with a thousand kisses your own Lonely Erik.''
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Lind served in the US Navy, but not as a Commander, nor did he make it his career. He enlisted at New York as "Erik Gustave Lind" on 28 May 1898 and served in collier USS Scipio, yacht USS Stranger and station ship USS Lancaster. Honorably discharged with the rank of Ensign on 2 December 1898.
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