Monday 22 July, 2002 16:00 BST
Unemployment in Southampton | |
|  | Interior of the Belvedere Arms. Many crew members were recruited through word of mouth.
Titanic Voices, p59 Oral History Archive |
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The great liners like Titanic may have carried the rich and famous across the Atlantic in the lap of luxury, but for many of the crew members, working on board ment an escape from grinding poverty in the native Southampton.
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"The Largest ship in the world went to sea from Southampton harbour on the tenth of April, 1912. People spoke of the tenth of April as a great day in the history of Southampton, for many fathers of families had found employment on the Titanic, many women's faces were lightened because the shadow of need and poverty had been banished from their homes."
Titanic From Rare Historical Reports
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This was a time of social unrest there was already a strong Trade Union in the area with a great deal of support from within the docks itself. 1911 was a particularly busy period for the Trade Union in Southampton.
"In almost every street numbers of working men were aimlessly about idle. Men went out in the early morning to look for work, pulling their belts tighter to make up for the lack of breakfast while their children went to school cold and with their hunger only partly satisfied."
Titanic Voices, p18 |
"In early June the coal porters were the first to strike. They quickly won their claim, but on the day they went back the seamen came out ….The seamen were striking in their efforts to get uniform wages for all ports, for a minimum wage, and above all, union recognition from employers."
Southampton Working People p28 |
Many of the ships crew came from Newtown, Northam and St. Marys' known for providing a strong and reliable work force.
A man's trade often relied on work provided by the ports of Southampton.
(1912) Mar 5th. "The floods are still rising the children are unable to get to school - the lower parts of the cottages are under water".
"Mar 14th, 22 free meals given today. The distress is daily becoming more acute, owing to stagnation caused by the coal strike."
Northam Girls' School log book 1898-1914 |
 | Saloon Steward
Jack Stagg
Southampton
Maritime Museum |
The shipping industry in one form or another provided the main work for a city famous for its trading routes.
The White Star Line brought a great deal of employment to the area at a time when work was very uncertain and you were only paid for the time you were on board ship.
"When a ship docked in those days the men…
the crew were paid off. Well if the ship was in for two or three weeks they were put ashore and there was no unemployment benefit ..."
Alfred Fanstone` Titanic Voices` p56 |
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