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John Frederick Preston Clarke - Titanic Second Class Passenger

John Frederick Preston Clarke was aboard the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic as one of the ship’s musicians, known as Titanic’s band or orchestra, aboard the ship to entertain the passengers during the voyage. As Titanic’s musicians were not considered to be part of the ship’s crew, he was accommodated aboard the ship as a second class passenger.

He boarded Titanic at Southampton with Titanic’s other musicians, Georges Alexandre Krins, John Wesley Woodward, John Law Hume, William Theodore Brailey, Percy Cornelius Taylor, Roger Marie Bricoux and Wallace Henry Hartley.

John Frederick Preston Clarke was born on 28th July 1883 in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, United Kingdom.

As Titanic was sinking and the lifeboats were being lowered, Titanic’s band played on the boat deck.

Along with the other band members aboard Titanic, John Frederick Preston Clarke died during the disaster.

His body, listed as body number 202, was recovered from the sea by the Mackay-Bennet.

A 1912 document concerning the recovery of his body held at the Nova Scotia Archives says that he had the following clothing: a grey overcoat, grey muffler, uniform green facing, green socks. The document then also notes him having the following effects with him: a diamond pin, gold watch, keys, knife, sovereign case, £2, scissors pocketbook, memo book, 8/6, and a gold ring marked "J.F.P.C".

He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Mount Olivet Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery, where a total of 19 Titanic victims were laid to rest.

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

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