Thomas Drake Martinez Cardeza - Titanic First Class Passenger
Mr Thomas Drake Martinez Cardeza was a 36 year old first class passenger travelling home to the United States, to Germantown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, aboard Titanic with his mother Charlotte Cardeza, accompanied by his servant Gustave Lesueur and by his mother’s maid Anna Ward. They boarded Titanic when she called at Cherbourg, France on 10th April 1912.
Aboard Titanic, located on the starboard side of the ship, he and his mother occupied suite B51, B53, B55, one of the two most luxurious and expensive suites on the entire ship, complete with its own private promenade deck, bathroom and sitting room. The other of these suites, on the other side of the ship, was occupied by Joseph Bruce Ismay, the Managing Director of the White Star Line.
Thomas Cardeza, the son of James and Charlotte Cardeza, was born on 10th May 1875. At some point in his life, possibly in 1899, he married Mary Racine (born in France on 27th March 1880). It is said that Thomas Cardeza and his mother were returning home after having been on safari in Africa and hunting in Hungary.
As Titanic was sinking, Thomas Cardeza, his mother and their servants were all able to escape from the starboard side boat deck of Titanic into Lifeboat 3, which was lowered away at around 12:55am. All aboard Lifeboat 3 were rescued by RMS Carpathia and taken to New York.
Thomas Cardeza died aged 77, at home on 6th June 1952.
Related pages - Titanic's First Class Passengers, All Titanic Pages