Titanic and Swansea Cenotaph Connection
What is the connection between the R.M.S. Titanic and the Swansea Cenotpah?
This is my answer; however, if you have a different answer, feel free to drop me a line.
Starting with 1912. R.M.S. Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton on the 10th April, only to sink 5 days later after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, with a loss of at least 1,5000 people.
One of the passengers to lose his life was the American millionaire John Jacob Astor.
Astor was a prominent member of the Astor Family.
Another sad case in the Titanic story is the paperboy, Ned Parfett.
Ned's fame rose when he was photographed with the Evening Post newspapers he was selling. The newspapers headlines read, "Titanic Disaster Great Loss of Life". Ned lived at Cromwell Road, Waterloo
Sadly, in 1918, near the end of the war, on the 29th of October 1918, whilst at the Quartermaster Stores collecting clothes before going on leave, a shell landed, killing all those inside. He was awarded 1916 the Military Medal. He is buried in a British Cemetery.
Moving on to the Swansea Cenotaph. The Foundation Stone was laid on 1st July 1922 by Field Marshal Haig.
The inscription reads
We have to look at Haig's family for the connection. Haig's daughter, Irene Freesia Janet Augusta Haig, was born in 1919. Irene married Gavin Astor. For me to illustrate this clearly, we have to go back to John Jacob Astor, 1763-1848, Gavin's 4x great grandfather.
Jacob Jacob Astor had two sons, John Jacob Astor (1791-1869) and William Backhouse Astor (1792-1875). It is from this line we go forward
William had two sons, John Jacob Astor 1822-1890 and William Backhouse Astor 1830-1892.
John Jacob Astor, (1822-1890); son William Waldor Astor, (1848-1919); son John Jacob Astor (1886-1971), son Gavin Astor (1918-1984). Husband of Irene Freesia Janet Augusta Haig.
The other line
William Backhouse Astor, (1830-1892), son John Jacob Astor, (1864-1912)
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