Mr George Quincy Clifford was born in Kingston, Plymouth, Massachusetts on 20 November 1871.
He was the son of Lowell Quincy Clifford (b. 1849) and Ellen M. Lamb (b. 1843). His father, a stonemason, was native to Massachusetts whilst his mother was Canadian by birth. They had married in Kingston on 29 June 1870 and had four sons, of whom George was the eldest. His brothers were: Charles Luther (b. 1873), Chester Winslow (1876-1878) and Henry Newland (1879-1895).
George first appears on the 1880 census living with his family in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1912 he was a resident of Stoughton, Massachusetts, and president of the George E. Belcher Last Company of the same town. He was married in Vermont on 17 August 1899 to Margaret Good, née Brainard (b. 27 May 1868). Margaret was a widow from Warren, Massachusetts and had first been married in 1885 to Arthur J. Good. (b. 1857) and had a daughter Gertrude Madeline (1886-1952, later Mrs William Wallace MacArthur).
In the winter of 1912, and before his planned combined business and pleasure trip to Europe, Mr Clifford took out $50,000 worth of extra life insurance on his person.
On 20 February 1912, George Clifford sailed from Boston aboard the Megantic, another White Star liner, accompanied by his two travelling companions: Walter Chamberlain Porter, President of the Samuel Porter Last Manufacturing Co, Worcester, and John Edward Maguire of the Dunbar Pattern Co, Brockton. While they were abroad, the three businessmen visited the flourishing trade centres of England, Germany, France, Austria and other European countries, mixing business with short pleasure excursions.
Unfortunately, Mr Clifford learned from a telegram upon his immediate arrival in Europe, that his mother had also passed away while he was crossing the Atlantic Ocean on 23 February. He was informed that her estate was being held in probate awaiting his return as a beneficiary. In one of Walter Porter's last letters to his family and business partner in Worcester, he wrote that himself and John Maguire had been in fine health throughout the trip and that it had been a very successful one overall. However, he mentioned, George Clifford had been in very poor health for the three weeks prior. Mr Porter wrote that he was happy they had been assured by the White Star people that the Titanic would sail on schedule from Southampton on April 10 (amid concerns arising from the coal strike). He also said that he wished it were an immediate departure instead of ten days from then (Porter's last letter was dated 31 March 1912).
The three men boarded the Titanic in Southampton as first class passengers. Mr Clifford shared ticket number 110465 (£52) with Mr Porter and occupied cabin A14. Mr Porter occupied cabin C110. Mr Maguire occupied the cabin next to Mr Porter's, C108. All three men perished in the tragedy. Mr Porter's body was discovered after the sinking by the MacKay Bennett (#207) in a remarkably good condition. Neither Mr Maguire's nor Mr Clifford's bodies were ever found.
After Mr Clifford's tragic death and due to his prior purchase of extra insurance, the total amount of his insurance policies reached $110,000.00. In addition, his estate was valued at $150,000.00. During his lifetime, Mr Clifford had been a member of several Boston and Brockton area clubs.
His brother Charles died on 24 November 1913. His widowed father was remarried in 1914 to Helen E. Sprague (b. 1870) but died only two years later on 16 August 1916.
George's widow Margaret never remarried following his loss. She died in Brockton, Massachusetts on 22 February 1927 and was buried in Union Cemetery.
Comment and discuss
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I'm trying to find out any information on first class passenger George Quincy Clifford. He was not a survivor. he was from Stoughton, Ma. I have not been able to find much information. Any help will be appreciated.
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Unfortunately, I have to retire in a few short minutes, but I have a Boston, Massachusetts newspaper which does provide some information on him (the picture seen on his biography in this Web Site was one extracted from this newspaper). I will delve into as much as I can on him for you, and I wish you luck in your search for more information!
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Hi! I believe it sais that Mr Cliffors was in A14. This is not true. I contribute to the cabin allocations of this site, and although the new list is still being revised, I can tell you that Mr Clifford was in C110, with a good friend of his, Mr Porter. Daniel.
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From Stoughton Public Library, Stoughton MA I got sent some newspaper articles about Titanic passenger Geo Q Clifford who drowned. In an article I read that Mr. Clifford sent hundreds of postcards during his stay in Europe to the Belcher last Co. where he worked. I wrote to one of the Belchers in Stoughton two years ago if he had seen such cards. He replied that he had not seen any, but he told me he was born 15 april 1912. I did not ask to buy any cards from him but he told me he would not sell if he had had any.
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Two years ago the public library in Stoughton, MA sent me copies of some newspaper articles about him, which had been in the local papers there in April 1912. I read that Geo Q. Clifford had stayed in many European countries prior during winter 1912. He had sent hundreds of postcards to friends, ralatives, and to the firm Belcher where he worked. I was curious to try to find out if any of those cards still existed. I wrote to Mr John A. Belcher asking if he knew anything about those postcards. I got a surprice when I got the answer: "No I do not have any Titanic material and would not sell if I had it. George Belcher & Co. went out of business years ago. I was born at 2.40 in the morning April 15 1912" I think it is a peculiar coincidence. Any of you living in Massachusets might perhaps like to have a talk with him?
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Hi Arne, I, for one, would be fascinated to read those postcards, should they turn up. I am only sorry that you have come to a temporary dead end. Clifford would certainly have made numerous references to his poor health which beleagured his enjoyment of his business and pleasure trip to England, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and other countries, and which undoubtedly prompted his decision to take out $50,000 extra life ensurance shortly before he booked passage on Titanic for the return trip to Stoughton. Clifford's friend and work colleague, Walter Chamberlain Porter (who would later become a fellow Titanic victim) wrote several letters to his wife, Elizabeth, and to his business partner, Walter E. Bigelow in which he related that while he and John Maguire (another Massachusetts businessman) had enjoyed good health, George Clifford "had been in very poor health during the last three weeks". Not only does this effectively explain his reason for taking out extra life...
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Ben, Very interesting info! Clifford's poor health may then explain why Porter shared a room with him, rather than the three men booking a cabin each. Porter probably looked after and assisted Clifford in case something happened or he needed attention. Daniel.
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Good observation there, Daniel. I hadn't considered the relevence of the rather unusual cabin situation to the above. I agree that Porter and Maguire would probably have fulfilled similar roles to Beattie and McCaffry in looking after their equally ill companion, Hugo Ross. Glad the above was of interest. Cheers, Ben
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The information about Mr. Clifford I found in a long article in Stoughton Sentinel April 27 1912. It was Mrs Geo E. Belcher who got sent several hundreds postcards from him. Also Frank T. Youngquist of the firm C.R. Hillberg & Co. received a postcard mailed from Holland. And this is about his insurance, which Ben mentioned: "Mr. Clifford made most through preparations for his trip abroad and with keen business sence, left a will prior to his departure and also put his business affairs in good shape and took out large accident insurance for the trip." In addition to the library in Stoughton. the Historical society in that town has material about him.
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