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Lawrence Beesley - Titanic Second Class Passenger

Mr Lawrence Beesley was a school science teacher making his way across the Atlantic abroad Titanic in second class. He was intending to visit the United States, and to then to go on visit his brother in Toronto, Canada.

Lawrence Beesley was born on New Year’s Eve 1877 in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. He married Gertrude Cecile Macbeth in 1901, and they had a son Alec, born in 1903. Sadly his wife died in 1906.

He boarded Titanic at Southampton on 10th April 1912, and occupied cabin D56. Prior to Titanic leaving port he was lucky enough to be able to tour the first class areas aboard the ship, including a visit to Titanic’s gymnasium.

At 11.40pm, the time Titanic collided with the iceberg, on 14th April 1912, Lawrence Beesley was in his cabin reading. He asked a steward what had happened but the steward reassured him that it was nothing.

As the ship was sinking, from, the A deck promenade deck, he was able to join Lifeboat 13.

He was safely rescued by Carpathia, and safely landed in New York.

In 1912 a book written by Lawrence Beesley about the sinking of Titanic was published, it was called The Loss of Titanic – Its story and its lessons.

He visited the set of the1958 Titanic film A Night to Remember as it was being filmed, and attended its premier in London on 1st July 1958.

Lawrence Beesley died on 14th February 1967.

In the 1979 Titanic television movie, Lawrence Beesley is featured as a major character played by David Warner, who later played Spicer Lovejoy, Cal's valet, in the 1997 Titanic film.

Related pages - Titanic's Second Class Passengers, All Titanic Pages

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