Mr Frans Olof Carlsson, 33, was born 29 September 1878 in Glava, Arvika, Värmland County, Sweden.
His father was the late Karl Magnus Nilsson, a skipper and farmer born 18 September 1835 in Glava parish, Värmland, and his mother Karolina (nee Magnusdotter; born 2 April 1833 in Glava.1 His occupation was noted as 'mate sailing vessel' and he was said to have come to the USA in 1902. He had a sister and an aunt in Arvika, Sweden and a half-sister in Brooklyn, Mrs Caroline Carlsson.
In April 1912 he was to join the American Line's St Louis but because of the coal strike the ship was stuck in Southampton so the company gave him a first class ticket back to New York on Titanic.
Carlsson died in the sinking, his body, if recovered, was never identified. Land that he owned in Elmhurst, Long Island went to his heirs.
''In an attempt to clear up the estate of Frank Olaf Carlson, who perished in the Titanic disaster of 14 April last, Public Administrator Randolph White of Queens County, from his office in Jamaica is sending enquiries to banks in Manhattan and Brooklyn to get at trace of Carlson's various accounts.; Adminstrator White having learned that he had accounts in several financial institutions.
Before shipping on the Titanic, Carlson had been third officer on the steamship St. Louis of the American Line. Carlson had friends in Elmhurst, where he is said to have owned some property. They have found mortgages and a deed belonging to the dead man, personal effects worth about $3,000 and a bankbook showing that he had an account in the Seamen's Savings Bank. He is also believed to have had accounts in the Emigrants industrial Bank and the National Bank. In the latter institution, it is said that a portion of his father's estate, amounting to about $10,000 was deposited to his credit last March. Administrator White is also seeking to trace a sister of the dead man, who is said to live in Europe, and a stepsister who is believed to be in Manhattan.'' - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 29 July 1912, p. 7
Memorial to Frans Olof Carlsson
(Courtesy of Peter Engberg)
Hello, Is it true that Mr. Carlson boarded Titanic? He is mentioned on the ET passenger list, but I've heard some contradictory stories about this. I thought Mr. Carlson planned to embark Titanic in Cherbourg. He didn't took the Train Transatlantique from Paris, but went to Cherbourg with his own car. He had some car trouble and came late for boarding: Titanic was allready on her way to Queenstown. His name appeared on the list of lost. Therefor his family tried many times to get his name of that list, but from some reason it was mentioned many times again. Hope someone could help me, ...
Dear Rollie, Frans Olov Carlsson was indeed a Titanic passenger. He was going to America to be a ship's officer on one of the American Line's ships. He was 33 years of age, and was from Värmland, a province in the west of Sweden. There is a memorial plaque in his parish church. The Frank Carlson who had an American family was probably one of the numerous people who later claimed they were going to sail on the Titanic but didn't Best regards, Peter Engberg-Klarström
Hi Peter, Thank you very much for this information. Now I know there were two Carlsons. One from Sweden and one from America. Greetings Rollie
Rollie, Your information about Mr Carlson possibly missing the Titanic at Cherbourg coincides with information I have about a male passenger who had car trouble and missed the ship at Southampton. His family spent the next sixty five years trying to prove he did not die on Titanic. I don't recall his name, but I'll look it up and get back with you. Norm Olsen
Hi Norm, I'm looking forward to that information
Rollie, Just to let you know, I'm looking through the books. As soon as I find it I'll let you know. Just wanted to keep in touch so you didn't think I forgot. Norm
Hello Norm, I'll stay patience... Greetings Rollie!
Rollie, Norm Olsen here. You were right on Carlson. He was going to Cherbourg to board Titanic. He is Frank Carlson, an American visiting France, and hoping to catch the Titanic for home. His car broke down and as we say "he missed the boat". His name remained on the passenger list and when he didn't show on the Carpathia, he was listed as a casualty. Sixty years later his family was still trying to correct the error. Imagine if he passed away during that time, which I believe he did, the legal problems of his will. Somehow I had Southampton as the port he was boarding at. Oh well. ...
Rollie, I forgot to post the reference to my informaton on Mr Carlson. This comes from Walter Lord's The Night Lives On, page 36, first paragraph. Norm
Hi Norm, Thanks for the information. So there was a Mr Carlson who "missed the boat". The one who was on board is another Carlson. I believe that our Mr Carlson was a second officer of some ship. But I don't know which ship. Happy New Year to you too
Hi Rollie and Norm, Rollie, The info on Carlsson on this site says: he was first mate on the liner St. Louis. Norm, I see you have two separate discussion going on this subject; but now understand that the person with the car was Walter Lord's Frank Carlson? Perhaps you could ask Phil to combine the two Carlson discussions as one. Lester
Rollie, Norm Olsen again. I just looked over the ET passenger list of Carlssons. Mr. Frans Carlsson lived in New York and was First Mate on the American Lines liner SS St. Louis which had to be laid up due to the coal strike. The company gave him a first class ticket on RMS Titanic to get home to New York. He boarded at Southampton and died in the sinking. Then there are two other Carlssons listed, all who boarded at Southampton and died in the sinking. One that stood out to me was Mr August Sigfrid Carlsson, who is believed to have died in the sinking, but was not declared dead until 8...
Hi Norm, I don't think that A.S Carlsson is the man who missed the boat. A Dutch source says it was Mr Frank Olof Carlson who had car trouble. But that name is also strange. It could be possible that there was a Mr Frank Olof Carlson, but I wonder if that name is a kind of wrong interpretation of Mr Frans Olof Carlsson who indeed boarded the Titanic and is listed on the passenger list. Is it so that the whole story about that "due car trouble boat missed Carslon" is untrue because of this? I think Walter Lord is very confusing. He told about several other people (like a Mr Belford)...
I am a descendent of this first class passenger. I currently live in Ohio. My relation is through my maternal grandmother born in Sweden. Just interested in locating other family members.
Hello Alexandra, Lots of luck with your search. It is only recently that I learned that Captain Carlsson had been a passenger. In The Night Lives On Walter Lord said (11.3 k) That was before I heard of Captain Frans Carlsson: first mate on the liner St Louis stuck in Southampton because of the coal strike and concluded that he and Frank Carlson "traveller" were not one and the same person and that the White Star Passenger List...
Hi Alexandra, I also accept that Frans Olof Carlsson and Walter Lord's "Frank", as described in TNLO, were two diffrent people. The former's image was printed in contemporaneous issues of the Daily Mirror. I have no doubt that Frans Olof Carlsson was a 1st class passenger and victim of the sinking. Best Regards, Ben
There is a plaque of rememberance in honour of Captain Carlsson in his home parish in Glava, Värmland County, Sweden. Best regards, Peter
Wow. I never received these entries until now( a year late). Yes I know about the plaque. My Mormor has a photo of it from the church. That is her hometown. Thanks Peter, I was hoping there was more info than what I already knew.
Alexandra, As I am doing research on Swedish (as well as Finnish, Danish and Norwegian) passengers, both for my own enjoyment, but also for the website Titanic Norden, would you mind contacting me? Perhaps there is something you could contribute with? I would very much appreciate it. Best Regards, Maritha
Oh, I forgot, if you do want to contact me, please do so by sending an email to