Mr Frank Painter was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 16 May 1883.
He was the youngest son of Edward Henry David Painter (1843-1911), a bricklayer, and Fanny Diaper (1837-1922), Southampton natives who were married in 1869, his older siblings were: Henry David (1870-1940), Amelia (1872-1873), George (1874-1877), Alfred (1976-1876), William James (1877-1943) and twins Thomas John and Edwin Mark (b. 1880).
He first appears on the 1891 census living at 20 Cross Street, St Mary, Southampton and by the time of the 1901 census he and his family are residing at 9 Popes Buildings, Southampton and Frank is described as a general labourer.
His twin brothers Edwin and Thomas were tragically drowned in 1907 when a home-made boat they were sailing, sank on the River Itchen.
He was married to Elizabeth Jane Grant (b. 1881 in Totton) on 16 July 1906, he signed his name on the marriage certificate with a cross.
Frank and Elizabeth went on to have two children: Elsie Doris (1907-1926) and Frederick Frank (1909-1974). Although absent from the 1911 census, Frank's wife and children were shown living at 27 Morpeth Terrace, Mortimer Road, Itchen.
When Frank signed on to the Titanic, on 10 April 1912, he gave his address as 10 Bridge Road, Southampton and his previous ship as the Olympic. As with his marriage certificate, his name was filled in by someone else and he marked his signature with a cross. As a fireman, he could expect to earn monthly wages of £6, 10s. It is through that he and fellow fireman Charles Painter were loosely related.1
Frank Painter was lost in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
His widow Elizabeth never remarried and remained living in Southampton. In 1926, she lost her daughter Elsie aged just 19. Elizabeth herself died in 1969 aged 88. Her son Frederick died in Crosby, Liverpool in 1974.
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