Titanic anniversary: Piecing together story of ship's captain

 By Kevin Leonard, BBC News


Captain Edward Smith
Titanic captain Edward Smith died when the ship sank

The actions of the Titanic's captain on its fateful voyage 100 years ago have inspired numerous colourful accounts, but for one man with a closer link to events than most, they will only ever tell part of the story.

Depending on which version of events you believe, in the time leading up to the ship sinking, Captain Edward Smith may have been heroically rescuing a child, hiding away in his quarters, or just doing his job.

There are also his celebrated, but possibly apocryphal, last words to his crew: "Be British".

Regardless of fact and fiction, it is fair to say a number of colourful stories have attached themselves to his last hours.

However, for 39-year-old Spencer Smith, who is related to the captain through his great-grandmother on his father's side, there is another story waiting to be told that may offer a different perspective.

Mr Smith, who is from Wrexham and now lives in Newtown, Powys, says few details about the captain's life away from the oceans were passed through the family.

But through family research, he now hopes to find out a different side to the experienced seaman.

"It's very emotive for me and I've always felt the same sort of way," he said.

Titanic
More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage

"The more you find out about the finer detail, the more you find out about him as a person.

"What did he do all day? What was he like as a person?"

He is working with his family, particularly his father, to help put more flesh on the bones.

He hopes the real Captain Smith will emerge, one that may be different from the myths and hyperbole of the Titanic story.

Mr Smith, an archaeologist with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, said his family had always told him about the link with Captain Smith.

"I was told from a small child who he was - we've always known," he said.

"All we were told was that we were related.

"There was no fuss made about who he was or what he did. He did his job and died doing his job."


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