# Titles



## Stuart Douglas (Apr 14, 2015)

Hi

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question but I'm currently writing a novel which is, in part, based on the maiden vovyage of the RMS Oceanic in 1899, and while there is a fair amount information out there about the passenger side of the ship, there's precious little about the area I'm interested in - the Engine Room.

Specifically, can anyone shed any light on the ranks in the engine room in a 19th century liner and how men working there would have addressed one another?

Thanks in advance

Stuart


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

HI Stuart,

Have a look in the directory section under engine room and click on the "Events in the Titanic engine room" which I posted. You, hopefully, will find the info you need. Admittedly Titanic was rather bigger than Oceanic but were owned by the same shipping line.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Stuart Douglas said:


> Hi
> 
> I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question but I'm currently writing a novel which is, in part, based on the maiden vovyage of the RMS Oceanic in 1899, and while there is a fair amount information out there about the passenger side of the ship, there's precious little about the area I'm interested in - the Engine Room.
> 
> ...


Not specifically White Star related but I have a copy of a letter belonging to an ancient lunchtime walking partner (almost certainly now dead). It was from his father to his then fiancee (later his wife) around 1912. He was a carpenter on a passenger ship. Two things always strike me when I read it. He marked ALL time onboard by bells (we still retained this in 'my time' with seven bell meals but only in this regard) and that he had thought nothing of Australian beer.

(His son told me that he had later been sunk on April 1st and that the German U boat had machine gunned the lifeboats. In later life he was a carter for (if I remember correctly) the Douglas Sawmillls which he could manage despite the arm wounded during the the sinking.

Please don't forget the Leckies - like the plumbers on Titanic they were all lost too!


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## Chillytoes (Dec 9, 2006)

There is a book which covers this topic very well - "*Down Amongst The Black Gang. The World and Workplace of RMS Titanic's Stokers.*" by Richard P. de Kerbrech.
Whilst the focus might be on Titanic (don't let that put you off!) there much about the organisation of the whole engine room staff. Lots of good pictures.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Cunard c.1893

Engineering Department on LUCANIA & CAMPANIA

Named in commemorative book 'ENGINEERING' published 1893.

1 Chief Engineer
21 Engineers
2 Refrigerating Engineer
1 Dock Engineer
8 Electricians
2 Storkeepers
1 'donkey' man
18 Greasers
9 Leading Firemen
75 Firemen
75 Trimmers

Total: 195 men.

I doubt there is any differences from what we might know...in the last century as:

Chief Engineer
2nd Engineer
3rd
4th
Junior 

Another excellent book... 'SHIPS' Published 1936

Chief Engineer, Second Engineer and Chief Refrigerating Engineer, Third Engineer and Second Refrigerating Engineer, Third Engineer and Third Refrigerating Engineer. Junior.... Boilermakers, Electricians .

There also additional (from the 1936 list)

Second Chief Engineer
Junior Second Engineer
Junior Third Engineer
Junior Fourth Engineer.


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## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

The title gentlemen and good morning comes to mind?? Or if the Bl--dy thing or a person does not perform well, or as well as expected then as in my day, I would expect some anglo saxon phrases coming to the fore, of which the masters of this site list or eradicate with caution, as I said we are all gentlemen and ladies.


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## Stuart Douglas (Apr 14, 2015)

Thank you everybody - the best thing about the internet is having access to the sort of knowledgeable people who clearly frequent this forum.


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## Stuart Douglas (Apr 14, 2015)

Varley said:


> Not specifically White Star related but I have a copy of a letter belonging to an ancient lunchtime walking partner (almost certainly now dead). It was from his father to his then fiancee (later his wife) around 1912. He was a carpenter on a passenger ship. Two things always strike me when I read it. He marked ALL time onboard by bells (we still retained this in 'my time' with seven bell meals but only in this regard) and that he had thought nothing of Australian beer.
> 
> (His son told me that he had later been sunk on April 1st and that the German U boat had machine gunned the lifeboats. In later life he was a carter for (if I remember correctly) the Douglas Sawmillls which he could manage despite the arm wounded during the the sinking.
> 
> Please don't forget the Leckies - like the plumbers on Titanic they were all lost too!


My father was a spark in the Navy back in the day, so don't worry I won't!


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