Frederick Dent Ray (June 20, 1879 – January 15, 1977) was one of the last remaining male survivors of the and was one of the longest living among the surviving crew.
Early life
Frederick Dent Ray was born in
Southwark
Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on June 20, 1879. He was the son of Charles Adolphus Hopson Ray (1847-1913) and Sarah Newport (1848-1919). In 1908, he was married in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
to Annie Beatrice Burt (b.1855) and they remained childless.
Aboard ''Titanic''
Aged 32, Ray boarded the on April 10, 1912, as a first-class saloon steward for a monthly wage of £3 15p after being redirected from the ship .
On Sunday, April 14, 1912, his shift ended at 9 pm and he went to room 3 on E-deck ,where he slept with 27 others. Awoken by the collision, he first thought it was a problem in the engine room, and he began to drift back to sleep when two stewards arrived to tell people to prepare and go to the lifeboats.
After assisting recalcitrant passengers into Lifeboats 9 and 11, Mr. Ray boarded the half-full Lifeboat 13. As the boat was lowered into the water, a wrapped infant was tossed down to Ray, who caught the child and brought it to safety.
Ray survived the sinking and made it to the ship . He returned home to his wife, who was in North Wales for recuperation from ill health.
Later life
Frederick's wife Annie died in 1952. He was remarried a few months later to Rose Mary Ray, née Lawrence (b. 4 December 1890). They spent some time in
Maidstone, Kent
Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with ...
, before settling in
Billericay
Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon, Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin and constitutes a commuter town east of Central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces. It is ...
,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, where he spent the rest of his life.
Death
Frederick died in Basildon Hospital on 15 January 1977 following complications from fracturing his hip and was later cremated. Aged 97 years, 6 months and 26 days, he became the longest living among the surviving crew, and his death left only two remaining crewmen, Frank Prentice and Sidney Daniels.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Frederick Dent
1879 births
1977 deaths
People from Southwark
RMS Titanic survivors
Sailors from London