[Benjamin]

More than 200,000 records relating to the Titanic have been published online to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking on 15 April.

The documents provide information about survivors and the 1,500 people who died, including a number of wills and hundreds of coroner inquest files.

The collection has been gathered by the subscription-based family history website Ancestry.co.uk.

However, access to the Titanic records collection is free until 31 May 2012.

The Titanic, which was built in Belfast, sank in the Atlantic Ocean after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage to New York.

The records include the ship's official passenger list, which shows the names, ages and occupations of those on board the ill-fated liner.

It also details the nationalities, positions and addresses of the ship's crew which had more than 900 members.

The last will and testament of Titanic's captain, Edward J Smith, is among the documents which can be accessed online.


The will of Edward John Smith is included in the online collection
The wills of wealthy American businessmen Benjamin Guggenheim and John Jacob Astor can also be viewed on the site.

All three men lost their lives in the disaster.

Members of the public can search through more than 329 coroner inquest files and records of the 330 bodies that were recovered at sea.

Images of the grave headstones of 121 passengers have also been published.

The website also has a passenger list from the Carpathia, the vessel which rescued more than 700 people from Titanic.

Ancestry.co.uk content manager, Miriam Silverman, told the Press Association: "Over the generations, many families may have heard rumours that they had an ancestor aboard the Titanic, or even lost the evidence proving it.

"We're very pleased to be able to offer access to these valuable records for free, enabling thousands to uncover the story of their ancestor's tragic voyage."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17650525

[Jords]

wow

Titanic is probably the biggest accidental tragedy theres been.

[Benjamin]

I wonder if I had an ancestor aboard the Titanic. I've never thought to check before.

[Livia]

There are lots of other disasters at sea that never get a mention. The liner Lusitania was torpedoed by the Germans in 1915 and 1200 people died... for instance. I suppose because the Titanic was described as 'unsinkable' it was all the more shocking.

When I lived in London I found a gravestone in my local churchyard in memory of two local men who had died on the Titanic. Obviously, coming from Newham they weren't going to have been first class passengers... I researched them and found they had gone to school together, signed up together - one as a storeman and one a waiter - and ultimately died together. Such a fascinating mixture of stories.

[Marc]

My entire family was on the Titantic, it was so when I got the phonecall ah/

But in all seriousness, all this Titantic stuff is really annoying atm

[Marc]

They have a bloody piece of mooring rope.. a tiny tiny piece of rope.

[InOne]

I apparently had a relative on the Titanic, wonder if I'll be able to find out properly.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Livia

There are lots of other disasters at sea that never get a mention. The liner Lusitania was torpedoed by the Germans in 1915 and 1200 people died... for instance. I suppose because the Titanic was described as 'unsinkable' it was all the more shocking.

When I lived in London I found a gravestone in my local churchyard in memory of two local men who had died on the Titanic. Obviously, coming from Newham they weren't going to have been first class passengers... I researched them and found they had gone to school together, signed up together - one as a storeman and one a waiter - and ultimately died together. Such a fascinating mixture of stories.

..although I'm a bit Titaniced out atm...I find 'people stories' fascinating

[Benjamin]

I'm interested in the gravestones. I find gravestones fascinating as I can draw so much inspiration from them when I imagine the persons life and story.

[Marc]

Bit morbid Ben

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Marc

Bit morbid Ben

Not really, from a creative perspective gravestones can be very inspirational.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by ukturtle

Not really, from a creative perspective gravestones can be very inspirational.

Yeah, quite morbid.

[Ammi]

...graveyards are one of the most peaceful and thought provoking places to be...for inspiration...not morbid at all....I love reading the headstones..trying to imagine their lives....

[Marc]

yeah i know, just trying to tease ben

sexual tension and all that

[Livia]

Originally Posted by ukturtle

Not really, from a creative perspective gravestones can be very inspirational.

I love old graveyards. The most melancholy one I've seen is the graveyard of St Mary's Church in Whitby. The wind and the salt has eroded most of the words away and they look like they're melting.

I love Victorians gravestones. They had such an open approach to death. They never talked about sex but were perfectly comfortable with death, whereas we talk about sex all the time and can't talk about death.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Marc

yeah i know, just trying to tease ben

sexual tension and all that

LOL.

-feels teased-

I think it's because of my father and brothers' gravestones that I have this obsession with graveyards and gravestones.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by ukturtle

Not really, from a creative perspective gravestones can be very inspirational.

I agree, as a teen I collected epitaphs...Wrote them in a book there were some brilliant ones
Thanks for posting this ...How amazing would it be to actually have a family link to this peice of history?
My dads family lived in kent at the time so who knows?...