Mr James Hart was born in Didsbury, Manchester, Lancashire, England in the latter half of 1858.
He was the son of James Hart (b. 1823), a beer retailer, and his wife Maria, née Windus (b. 1829). His father hailed from Kent and his mother from Hampshire and they had married in St Thomas' Church, Winchester on 22 December 1851. He had three known siblings: Maria (b. 1853), Mary Ann (b. 1854) and George (b. 1857).
James and his family appear on the 1861 census living at an unidentifiable address in Rusholme, Lancashire. His movements over the next years are unknown, but when he shows up on the 1911 census he was lodging at 51 College Street, St Mary, Southampton and was described as an unmarried ship's fireman.
When he signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, James gave his address as 51 College Street, (Southampton) and his previous ship as the Olympic. As a fireman he could expect to earn monthly wages of £6.
James Hart died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
A few weeks after the disaster the press reported that a man named Thomas Hart who had been missing for some time turned up on his mother's doorstep claiming to have had his discharge book stolen and that another man, identity unknown, had boarded the Titanic under his name and been lost.
Read the full story in Senan Molony's article The Hart of the Matter.
Comment and discuss
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Hi. I was wondering if anyone here has thought about who died in Thomas Hart's place. Hart, you may recall, was a fireman who passed out drunk in a bar and had his discharge book stolen from him. Using that book, someone signed onto the Titanic under Hart's name and presumably drowned when the ship sank. The real Hart was initially thought a fatality until he showed up a few weeks later alive and well, and told his story. I speculate that perhaps Lee McCubbin might have been "Hart," if there's anything to the McCubbin story. McCubbin wrote his mother a postcard saying he had got a post on the Titanic, but he does not appear on the crew list. Perhaps McCubbin was lying to his mother, or the story was a hoax, but there may be something to it. And if McCubbin was never heard of again after April 1912, I think it at least deserves some consideration. Any comments? Or different candidates?
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As for the alleged Thomas Hart, the person who died on the Titanic was in fact a James Hart (obituary appeared in the Southampton Echo shortly after the sinking). Peter
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Hello Peter, I agree that the Thomas Hart from Liverpool was not the Hart associated with Titanic. I have always understood that the Hart who died was named Thomas. I read his signature as T. Hart and all the 1912 documentation I have also reads T. Hart. Hart's dependants are named in the Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund booklet of March 1913 as: Skilton, Maria . Do you have a copy of the obituary as it is not included in: Titanic Victims and Survivors: An index of death notices in Southampton local newspapers, complied by Veronica Green. Regards, Lester
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Lester, I have it copied somewhere, but there should be no problem finding that particular obituary, since it appeared along with the other ones within a few weeks after the disaster. The name ''James'' is clearly stated along with his age (I believe he was about 50 or so). Peter
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Hello Peter, I am not able to search the Southampton newspapers, so a copy if you can locate it would be appreciated. Regards, Lester
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Lester, he was 51 at the time of death. I shall have to search for the actual obituary (I don't know where it might be right now). I will post the information as soon as I find it. Peter
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Hello Peter, Thank you that would be appreciated. Regards, Lester
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Lester, I have only found a note that I took from the Southampton Daily Echo, April 1913, where families remembered their lost Titanic-relatives, and James Hart, 51 College Street was remembered by mother, brother Thomas et. al. I have got the full text somewhere, but by the look of things in my ''Titanic Archive'' this could take several years to find, I am afraid. File and forget. If/when I find the piece of information, I will surely post it (I don't do much Titanic research any longer, I am afraid). Peter
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Hello Peter, Thank you for that. Appreciated. Hopefully one day soon you will find the full text. Regards, Lester
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