Encyclopedia Titanica

John Henry Hesketh

John Henry Hesketh
John Henry Hesketh

John Henry (Harry) Hesketh was born in Kirkdale, Lancashire, England on 28 January 1879.

He was the son of Henry Hesketh (1848-1919), a railway engine driver, and Mary Griffith (1849-1926), Lancashire natives who had married in St George's Church, Everton on 1 October 1871. One of seven surviving children (from a total of eight) born to his parents, John's siblings were: Mary Louisa Ellen (b. 1873), Frances Jane (b. 1875), Charlotte Eleanor (b. 1876), Thomas Griffith (b. 1881), Josephine Taylor (b. 1887) and Gertrude Adelaide (b. 1890).

He first appears on the 1881 census living at 24 Croylands Street in Kirkdale. By the time of the 1901 census he was described as a marine engineer and still living with his family, then at 26 Barlow Lane in Kirkdale.

Hesketh had been apprenticed as an engineer from the age of 14 before joining the White Star Line, commencing his seafaring career as Sixth Engineer aboard the Afric. He latterly served aboard a number of the company's vessels, including Cedric, Persic, Medic and Laurentic and was involved in the salvage of the Seuvic following that ship's grounding. He had responsibility for the refrigeration machinery aboard the Majestic and was instrumental in improving the quality of the refrigerated cargo provision offered by White Star. He was the youngest acting Second Engineer in the company. By the time of the 1911 census John was still living with his family, by now at 80 Garnett Avenue, Kirkdale. He was unmarried.

When he signed on to the Titanic's maiden voyage on 9 April 1912, he gave his address as 80 Garnett Avenue [Liverpool] and his previous ship as the Olympic. As a second engineer he could expect monthly wages of £18.

Hesketh was in Boiler Room 6 when the Titanic struck the iceberg and he barely managed to shut the dampers (shutting off the flow of air to the fires) when he heard a sound like a gunshot. He and leading stoker Frederick Barrett were suddenly hit by a jet of icy water and they ran aft and managed to clamber through the doorway of the tunnel into boiler-room 5 as the watertight door closed. The remaining men including Fireman George Beauchamp raked the fires before escaping to safety.

John Henry Hesketh died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His estate at death was worth £447,10s and was administered to his father Henry on 8 July 1912.

References and Sources

Photo coutesy of Gunter Babler
Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259)
Dr. Robert D. Ballard & Rick Archbold (1987) The Discovery of the Titanic: Exploring the Greatest of all Lost Ships. Hodder & Stoughton / Madison Books. ISBN 0 340 41265 8
Walter Lord (1976) A Night to Remember. London, Penguin. ISBN 0 14 004757 3
Hermann Söldner (ed.) (2000) RMS Titanic: Passenger and Crew List 10 April 1912-15 April 1912. ä wie Ärger Verlag.
Institute of Marine Engineers Commemorative Booklet

Newspaper Articles

Daily Sketch (26 April 1912) The Heroic Engineers Who Went Down To A Man
Daily Sketch (8 May 1912) Graphic Story Told By Leading Stoker.
A graphic story was told by Frederick Barrett a leading stoker.

Comment and discuss

  1. Chris Hughes

    Chris Hughes

    Dave, I don't think it's a reprint. I saw it last night when I checked to see if the 1992 brochure was still available. The content is probably similar. I'm interested in getting a copy so I'll ask them. Chris
  2. Chris Hughes

    Chris Hughes

    I haven’t managed to contact the owner of the FAG website yet but I have found a paper copy of an email he sent me in October 2001. I’d forgotten that he actually met the owner of his copy of the photograph. This is what he says: “Helen’s maiden name was Hesketh, when I met her, her married name was Tufford or Tifford (widow), she told me that her family was originally from the town of Sydenham. When I met her she was living in Yorkshire in the town of South Elmsall near the Doncaster area”. Herb goes on to say that on the back of his photo it has “E.J.Pritchett 84 Kirkdale Sydenham Photo # 1219-3”. On this email I have written that Kirkdale is a High Street in Sydenham. I’m trying to trace this person using the ancestry website but so far she’s not showing up in telephone directories or in births, marriages or deaths under any of the above names. I seem to recall that Herb’s copy of the photograph also has ‘Uncle James’ written on the back but... Read full post
  3. Michael Cundiff

    Michael Cundiff

    If you will read my initital post of obtaing the cabinet photo, the information of which I shared, you will find the precise information in your post above. Michael Cundiff NV, USA
  4. Chris Hughes

    Chris Hughes

    Thank you Michael, I did read your initial post.
  5. Chris Hughes

    Chris Hughes

    John Henry Hesketh and his brother Thomas Griffith Hesketh died unmarried with no issue that we are aware of. They had 5 sisters: Mary L E Hesketh 1873 - 1961 m. B J Molyneux = 2 x Molyneux Frances J Hesketh 1875 - m. A D Hooper = no issue Charlotte E Hesketh 1876 - m. S Leyland = 2 x Leyland Josephine T Hesketh 1887 - 1962 m. F J Downey = 1 x Downey Gertrude A Hesketh 1890 - m. J Jones = 2 x Jones There is no connection to a Helen Hesketh or Tufford. This is a Lancashire family going back to the 1500s and beyond. In the late 1890s, 1920s most of the above moved over to the Birkenhead area. There is no connection whatsoever to Sydenham so I'm afraid I will remain mystified.
  6. Chris Hughes

    Chris Hughes

    Dear Christine, Reference your e-mail of 25th February, the Titanic Centenary Booklet is a modest publication which pays tribute to the Engineering Staff, all of whom perished, but also draws attention to the legacy of safety measures which resulted from the disaster. Some of the photographs,letters and descriptions from the 80th Anniversary brochure are repeated but new material includes photographs of the Titanic Memorials at Belfast, Liverpool and Cobh in addition to Southampton. The objective of the publication is twofold;- Firstly, to remind us of the ultimate sacrifice of the Titanic Engineers and the continuing importance of Marine Engineers in world trade today. Secondly, to raise funds for the Guild of Benevolence as it enters a second century of assisting Marine Engineers and their dependents who suffer hardship. Should you decide to order a copy of the new booklet please advise address details for despatch and if you could send a cheque, made payable to the... Read full post
  7. Michael Cundiff

    Michael Cundiff

    Hi Chris: Just wanted to say thanks for your dilligent research efforts. Just today I learned that the gentleman from Canada, who my recently deceased friend of Carson Art & Antiques, aquired the alleged *Hesketh* image from is first name of Herb. I searched in vain for a business card which had his last name penned...to no avail! I thought another avenue of approach may be to identify the sailors attire of which the lad is wearing? Michael Cundiff NV, USA
  8. Jennifer Sullivan

    Jennifer Sullivan

    I'm not saying I definitely have a connection, but my family are all from the Liverpool area and surnames include Hesketh and Griffith. I've only just started my family tree on ancestry, so would be interesting to see if it is coincidence or not.
  9. Christine Hughes

    Christine Hughes

    Neil, Deborah, I understand that the date on the back of this photograph is 2nd May 1905. On this date, John Henry Hesketh was on board SS Afric which was approaching Cape Town. The uniform is entirely wrong for his rank which was 2nd Engineer at that time. It has been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is not Engineer Hesketh.
  10. Christine Hughes

    Christine Hughes

    Yep, Herb Rickarts. I know you bought in good faith.
  11. Christine Hughes

    Christine Hughes

    Michael, I have sent you the Afric crew list but I'm posting it here because I don't want people to have any doubts. I was in contact with Herb Rickarts or Rickards some years ago because he was displaying the photograph on findagrave. On findagrave he mentioned the Hesketh family of Sydenham, Kent. There has never been any branch of our family there. I think he was constructing a provenence for the picture that he already intended to try and sell. He removed the picture from findagrave. When I found out that he'd sold the picture as being 'James' Hesketh of Titanic, I complained to findagrave and Herb Rickarts is no longer a contributer to that site that I'm aware of. Incidentally, Hesketh was first recorded inaccurately as 'James' in documents relating to the Titanic Relief Fund.
  12. Jennifer Sullivan

    Jennifer Sullivan

    Hi Neil. My Nanny was a Hesketh born and raised in Liverpool. My mum has been tracing our family tree for years and recently found a blood link to John Henry Hesketh. I can't remember the exact link off the top of my head, but have it written down at home. Liverpool Maritime Museum is an amazing display. A definite must for anyone visiting the area. Jenny

Showing 14 posts of 59 total. View all.

Open Thread Leave a Reply

Titanic Crew Summary

Name: Mr John Henry Hesketh
Age: 33 years 2 months and 18 days (Male)
Nationality: English
Marital Status: Single
Last Residence: at 80 Garrett Avenue Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Last Ship: Olympic
Embarked: Belfast on Tuesday 9th April 1912
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

Page Options

Watch this page

Improve this Biography

If you have any corrections or something to add please  get in touch