Stephen Weart Blackwell - Titanic First Class Passenger
Mr Stephen Weart Blackwell was an American, 45 year old, first class passenger travelling aboard Titanic with his friend, Washington Augustus Roebling II, on their way home to Trenton, New Jersey after completing a tour of Europe. He boarded Titanic at Southampton and occupied the Boat Deck cabin T.
Stephen Blackwell was born on Thursday 6th September 1866, the son of a former State Senator of Mercer County. He was involved in his father’s grocery wholesale business, and he had married Emily Thomas Blackwell in 1901. Sadly Emily Blackwell died of typhoid fever in December 1906.
Early in 1912, Stephen Blackwell and his friend Washington Augustus Roebling II sailed to Europe for a pleasure trip lasting for a couple of months. They took along with them Washington Roebling’s car, which was a Fiat, along with his chauffer Frank Stanley.
It is said that on their voyage from America to Europe they met Caroline Bonnell, who would later, along with her family, make the return journey on Titanic. Stephen Blackwell and Washington Roebling are also said to have met up with them while in France.
As it would turn out, fortunately for him, Frank Stanley, their chauffer, become ill and sailed home a little early along with their car. Had he not become ill there would probably have been a Fiat car, along with the Renault in or once in the wreck.
Little is known about Stephen Blackwell during the sinking, but Caroline Bonnell said she last saw him after the collision in the smoking room. He and Washington Roebling did not survive the disaster. Their bodies are not known to have been recovered.
After the sinking there was much talk about Stephen Blackwell and Washington Roebling in their local newspapers; an early report, not knowing how serious the accident had been, supposes them as being safe, but as time passed so did the hope that they had survived, before it was confirmed that they were not aboard Carpathia. It was reported that a number of social occasions were cancelled in part due to his and Washington Roebling’s death.
On Saturday 27th April 1912, a memorial service for Stephen Blackwell was held at St Michael’s Church, Trenton, New Jersey.
His estate was reported to have been left to his father, Jonathan Blackwell, and his brothers, William and Harry Blackwell. Included in his estate was an accident insurance policy that paid out $33,000 for the Titanic disaster.
Related pages - Titanic's First Class Passengers, All Titanic Pages