The Titanic:
A first look at the passengers
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Background 1: A first look at the passengers

The passenger data file contains a wealth of interesting, intriguing and sometimes puzzling information. In fact there is so much data that it is difficult to know where to begin, and having begun it is hard to continue looking for broad issues without becoming enticed down some particular path of investigation. Despite these comments, Background 1 is designed to allow the user to look at some of the broader issues raised by the passenger data file – the finer points will follow later.

The White Star line was, in reality, an American owned company - a fact that was not common knowledge even in 1912 and the carrying of emigrants to the United States was as profitable a business as transporting the millionaires, their servants and their families to holiday destinations.

The Titanic was constructed in an era of contrasts and definite classes in society. The wealthy crossed the Atlantic so regularly that they came to know each other well and often had the same stewards and stewardesses. The Titanic carried some of the most well known Americans of the time. The middle classes probably only ever made one trip in their lifetime and the lower classes almost certainly only made one trip – and that was probably one way only.

The Titanic carried a wide cross section of humanity and the passenger data file provides a fascinating glimpse of the Edwardian era.

The wealthy were always accompanied by their attendants - servants, nurses, maids and chauffeurs. In fact there were so many on these Transatlantic liners that special lounges were provided to save other passengers the embarrassment of accidentally ‘befriending’ someone else’s attendant!

The second and third class passengers were made up of a wide variety of nationalities with a wide variety of occupations - some travelling to the United States to start a new life in the ‘New World’ and others returning from visiting relatives in Europe.

Investigation 1: A first look at the passengers

Use the passenger data file to find the different nationalities and the relative numbers present in the passenger list:

  1. What nationalities are represented?
  2. What are the relative numbers of each nationality?
  3. Is there a relationship between class and nationality?

In general it can be assumed that any wealthy person was likely to travel first class, so this subset of the passengers can be examined to discover something of the world of the Edwardian wealthy. Remember however that the servants were not regarded as 1st, 2nd or 3rd class passengers.

  1. Locate as many servants as you can - now locate their employers.
  2. Can you discover who had the largest number of servants on board?

As mentioned above, some employees did travel on their own tickets - listing the occupations of all of the passengers will provide clues as to which to concentrate on.

  1. Can you discover any servants who did travel as ‘real’ passengers?
In some cases whole families were migrating to the new world - these can usually be located because words like ‘father’ , ‘mother’ , ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ have been used in the comment field.
  1. What family groups can you find in the passenger list?
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