William Mintram

Mr William Mintram was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 10 February 1866.

He was the son of William Mintram (b. 1841), a labourer, and Adelaide Elizabeth Light (b. 1844), both natives of Hampshire. His known siblings were Ann (b. 1869), George (b. 1870), Rosina (1873-1876), Emma (b. 1874) and Alice Rosetta (1881-1882).

The 1871 census shows William and his family living at 15 Three Field Lane, St Mary, Southampton. They later lived in the poor King's Street area of St Mary's, Southampton and it was with here that William grew up. On 30 September 1882, whilst still a teenager, William stabbed and wounded one George Barton at the Victory Inn on East Street and was given one month's hard labour at Winchester Castle. He went on to have further brushes with the law for drunkenness and for assaulting a police officer, events occurring between 1893 and 1901.

He was married on 16 August 1886 to Eliza Mary Rose Veal (b. 11 October 1868) and together they had five children: Rosina May (1887-1969, later Mrs Walter Hurst), William (1889-1970), Eliza May (b. 1890, later Mrs John Humphrey Jones), Charles Thomas (1893-1986) and George (1897-1956).

Mintram and his family appear on the 1891 census as residents of 3 Middle Street, Southampton and he was described as a seaman. By the time of the 1901 census they lived at 63 Winton Street, Southampton.

William was often away at sea and whilst at home the relationship between he and his wife was tempestuous, with both perhaps being fond of alcohol. On 18 October 1902 Mintram returned home intoxicated; awaiting him, besides his supper, was his wife and son William; a crowd soon gathered outside the house as a result of the noise of quarrel happening within. According to the boy's evidence Mintram arrived home and proceeded to slap his wife in the face and, following a short interval, took a knife and stabbed her in the back, causing her death. According to Mintram's own testimony his wife kept nagging him when he complained that she had pawned the boy's shoes in order to pay for alcohol; his wife then rushed at him and he remembered no more. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to twelve years of penal servitude. On the 1911 census he was still in incarceration at the Portland Convict Prison, Dorset and he was described as a widowed lime burner. It appears he was released around late 1911 or early 1912.

When he signed onto the Titanic Mintram gave his address as 15 Chapel Road, Southampton, the address of his daughter Rosina Hurst and her family. His previous ship was the Oceanic and as a fireman he received wages of £6. Also serving aboard was his son-in-law Walter Hurst, Rosina's husband.

William and Walter met each other shortly before the Titanic went down. William had managed to find a lifejacket but Hurst had not, so William gave his lifejacket to his son-in-law.

William Mintram died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified. His son-in-law Walter was able to survive aboard collapsible B.