Mr John Wesley Woodward was born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England on 11 September 1879.
He was the youngest child of Joseph Woodward (b. 1834) and Martha Barnett (b. 1839), both Staffordshire natives who had married in 1862; his father was an iron moulder and a manager at the holloware foundry in West Bromwich.
He had eight known siblings: Martha (b. 1860), Mary Barnett (b. 1863), Joseph (b. 1865), Thomas William (1869-1947), Frederick John (b. 1870), Herbert Edward (1872-1949), Samuel Arthur (1874-1959) and Roland Ernest (1877-1893).
He appears on the 1881 census living with his family at 24 Hawkes Lane in West Bromwich; his father died in 1884 and the remainder of the family show up on the 1891 census living at 26 Hawkes Lane and an 11-year-old John is described as a scholar. The family later moved to Oxford where his brother Thomas was a tenor in the Magdalen College Choir and also worked as a lay preacher; they appear on the 1901 census living at 265 Cowley Road and John is by now described as a musician.
A gifted cellist and licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, Woodward's services were much sought after as part of an ensemble, soloist and teacher, alike. He first came to prominence when he moved to Dorset and became a member of the Eastbourne Municipal Orchestra before joining the Von Leer Orchestra at the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne and latterly the Duke of Devonshire's Eastbourne Orchestra.
... [His] cello playing was always marked by refinement and musicianship; on several occasion he exhibited brilliant qualities as a solo excentant; but he excelled rather as an orchestral player than as a soloist. His orchestral playing was uniformly sound, steady and reliable; while these same invaluable qualities, conjoined with much natural taste and a cultured style, enable him to appear to utmost advantage in chamber music. He was a through and conscientious musician, whose playing, whether in solos or concerted work, was always interesting and always enjoyable... (Eastbourne Gazette, 24 April 1912)
A keen amateur photographer and with a deep interest in engineering, Woodward would often spend hours of his spare time in a workshop creating motors and other appliances. When the Duke of Devonshire's Eastbourne Orchestra folded around 1909 he sought employment with the White Star Line. His first ship was the Olympic and he was aboard that vessel at the time of her collision with HMS Hawke. At the time of that incident he and an acquaintance had been sat playing draughts in their cabin which happened to be directly adjacent to the point of impact with the other ship; such was their lack of alarm at this that they both continued to play their game.
Woodward spent the winter months of 1911 serving aboard Caronia on the Liverpool to New York run before commencing a series of Mediterranean voyages to Alexandria. Despite enjoying his time working at sea and all the new acquaintances he met he intended to make the next journey his last and as such was seeking an appointment with the Devonshire Park Orchestra. His decision to chose land-based work may have been to do with the fact that he had become engaged to a lady from London, although the identity of his fiancée is unknown. He lived with his mother at The Firs on Windmill Road in Headington, Oxfordshire.
Woodward had taken his best cello with him for the first time for the Titanic's maiden voyage and on his return was due to perform at the May dinner of Magdalen College, Oxford where his brother was a tenor in the choir.
Woodward and all the other musicians died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
His estate, worth £1195, 3s, 5d, was administered to his mother on 6 June 1912.
Remembered on numerous memorials, he is memorialised on a small unadorned brass plaque in All Saints Church, Lime Walk, Headington which bears the inscription:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF
JOHN WESLEY WOODWARD
BANDSMAN ON THE S.S. TITANIC
WHO WITH HIS COMRADES
NOBLY PERFORMED HIS DUTY TO THE LAST
WHEN THE SHIP SANK
AFTER COLLISION WITH AN ICEBERG
ON APRIL 15 1912.
BORN SEPT: 11, 1879.
"NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.
His mother continued to reside in Headington, Oxfordshire and later passed away in 1926 aged 87.
Woodward was also mentioned on a family memorial in Heath Lane Cemetery in West Bromwich; the original sandstone monument fell into a poor state of disrepair over the years and through the kind efforts of local residents and the Black County Housing Group the memorial was replaced in 2012.
I have clicked newsgroups, but in fact found you from a feature in the 'Oxford Mail' (local evening newspaper) that sang your praises. Your website is so clever, and easy to use. I have been trying to find out where in Windmill Road the Titanic cellist John Wesley Woodward lived, as there is no record of any houses called 1 and 2 The Firs, which is where you say he lived. Where did you get all your information? Only one criticism: you keep spelling Magdalen College with an 'e' at the end in the entry for John Wesley Woodward; it only has an 'e' if it is in Cambridge. Stephanie...
did you know that john wesley woodward (cellist with the band) has a memorial headstone in heath lane cemetery west bromwich w mids that is quietly crumbling away and will soon be illegible.
Hello Mickey, Thank you for posting your concern about the Woodward headstone. There are, unfortunately, several examples of crumbling gravestones that I have seen in my considerable Titanic/Lusitania headstone search. I hope that the instinct that called you to bring this fact to light, will also call you to transcribe the inscription on the stone and post it here before it is lost forever. I am sure that Phil Hind will add it to his biography. Thanks
Well bugger me, I never knew John Woodward was born in West Bromwich. I knew about the three Davis brothers and James Lester but this one seems to have passed me by. Thanks Mickey, I'll pay a visit to West Brom, only "up the road" the next time I have a day off. Cheers, Boz
Woodward headstone in heath lane cemetery west bromwich reads as follows;in loving memory of joseph woodward, roland ernest son of above fell asleep 11 september 1893, also john wesley woodward beloved son of above who went down with the titanic playing nearer my god to thee april 15th 1912 aged 32 yrs. The rest of the stone is already illegible
Shelley, On Saturday I tried to locate the memorial to Titanic musician John Wesley Woodward in West Bromwich. I walked about three miles in boiling hot sunshine before arriving at the gates of Heath Lane Cemetery. I took one look and decided that maybe today wasn't the day I was going to find it. The cemetery was huge and I didn't have a clue where to start looking. Another try this weekend, a bit better prepared. Cheers, Boz
When my wife and I spent a few days in Eastbourne, Sussex, last summer I noticed in the bandstand a memorial to John Wesley Woodward, one of the musicians on the Titanic. There is not much information on him in the biography section and I thought I would investigate his background. I don't want to re-invent the wheel so I would be interested to hear if more is known of him. Brian (Ticehurst) is, I believe, the expert on memorials so I would grateful, if he sees this, if he would comment. Brian, We did take some photos or do you have some?
Ernie - Hi, Reference Mr. Woodward I have just added the below to Mr. W's Biography - please read it all and remember 'you did ask'. By the way I do have plenty of photographs thanks. Best regards Brian Woodward, Jack Wesley. Lived at The Firs, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxfordshire. Occupation - Orchestra (Pianist). (From Titanic Memorials World-wide - Where They are Located) Named on the Musicians Memorial at the Old Library site, London Road, Southampton. also named on the St Marys Church Musicians Memorial, St Marys, Southampton. also he is mentioned on a plaque in the lobby...
Brian You don't know too much about him then!! I am joking of course. The memorial at Eastbourne is suffering a bit due to it's proximity to the sea and being made of cast-iron panels. My impression was that it was not as well cared for as the Southampton memorials. I got as far as finding John Woodward on the 1881, 1891, and 1901 census's this PM so I am glad I checked before doing anymore. Those newspaper articles are a mine of information. Thanks very much for the information, both my children are musicians, my daughter, is a professional baroque chamber music player. ...
There is a memorial grave stone in heath lane cemetery west bromwich west midlands .for john wesley woodward
Re: Family history relates that JWW was the father of Laura Ellen, conceived when he was playing in a string quartet in a Buxton hotel. He is therefore very likely to be my maternal grandfather, and his own family may wish to know that he has descendants. They may also wish to confirm the veracity of this statement by checking any genealogical data, or records of his whereabouts at the appropriate time.
John Wesley Woodward, the cellist in the Titanic's orchestra, is sometimes depicted in films such as A Night to Remember as a monocle-wearer, and I am wondering if this is accurate. The only picture that I can find does, indeed, appear to show him wearing a monocle in his right eye?
Here's a clearer version to remove all doubt, Stanley.
Thank you Bob. I think the actor who portrayed John Woodward in A Night to Remember wore a monocle, and indeed looked very much like the real John Wesley Woodward.
Ii is the most memorable scene from every Titanic movie ever made, the string ensemble who took their instruments on to the deck and heroically played on as the waves lapped around their ankles. It's not just artistic licence from Hollywood directors there are plenty of eyewitness accounts to vouch for the fact that it actually happened when the ship went down in 1912 But for one Bristol teenager the scene is particularly poignant. For 13 year old Charlotte Woodward discovered just last year that her own great great uncle was the cellist with the doomed ensemble. John Wesley Woodward...