How Many Ships Did Captain Edward John Smith Sail?

Edward John Smith, born on 27 January 1850 in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England, was a British sea captain and naval officer who joined the White Star Line in 1880. He served as the master of numerous White Star Line vessels and began working on boats as a teenager. In 1875, he earned a masters certificate, which was required to serve as captain. In 1880, he became a junior officer with the White Star Line, and seven Captain Edward J. Smith played a role in one of the most famous disasters at sea in history, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

Smith served as captain of the ocean liner Titanic, going down with the ship when she sank on her maiden voyage. He had 43 years of experience at sea at the time Smith took command of Titanic. He served as Captain of the Baltic from March 27, 1887, Majestic from 1895, and Adriatic from April 1907 until May 15, 1911. Smith was to retire after the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but died when the ship sank.

Smith was the Commodore of the White Star lines, meaning he was the Senior most experienced officer at sea. He had commanded numerous ships of the White Star Fleet and was the Senior most famous for his role at the helm of the Titanic, the disastrous last voyage in his successful career at sea. By 1887, he was Captain of the RMS Republic and served during the Boer War (1899-1902), earning him the Reserve Decoration (RD).

Smith’s knowledge of the Titanic’s doomed fate and its 20 lifeboats with a total capacity of 1,178, led him to command several other ships, including the first Republic, the Coptic, Majestic, Baltic, Adriatic, and Olympic.


📹 The Story of Captain Smith – How Did He Become Captain of RMS Titanic?

At the helm was Captain Edward J Smith, the Commodore of the White Star Line. Here was the grandest ship with the wealthiest …


Did the captain of the Titanic cry?

If you are asking if Captain Smith cried when the Titanic was sinking, it is probably doubtful. He was certainly very busy issuing orders and trying to save the passengers and crew – his primary and last duty. Smith may have shed a tear when he knew all was lost and the ship was going down.

Edward John Smith died
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How many ships did Edward England capture?

After some time, England and his crew captured a larger brig or frigate named the Pearl. Taking the ship as their own, they renamed it the Royal James (after James Stuart, alluding to the Jacobitism of England or his crew) and in the spring of 1719 went off in search of plunder in Africa. Between the Gambia River and the Cape Coast, the pirates seized and looted ten ships. Two of these they kept as prizes, granting them to Captains Robert Lane and Richard Sample, who left England to sail for the Caribbean. After looting the ten ships, England made John Taylor the captain of his next prize, the Victory. After looting two additional ships, England and the crew decided to make port in a small African town. However, the pirates grew increasingly belligerent and conflicts arose with the locals over the treatment of women. Soon a fight broke out, resulting in the pirates burning the entire town and departing.

By 1720, England had reached the Indian Ocean, where he met with fellow pirate Captain Oliver la Buse. England captured a thirty-four gun Dutch ship, which he named Fancy in honour of English pirate Henry Every, and he made the Fancy his new flagship. England decided to attack an East Indiaman under the command of James Macrae, the Cassandra, near the island of Comoros. A long and bloody battle ensued, and both ships ran aground. Macrae and his surviving crew escaped and hid on the island for ten days. Finally Macrae, who was injured, tired, and hungry, went aboard England’s consort the Victory, hoping for mercy, and surrendered to the pirates. The cargo of the Cassandra was valued at £75,000. Ninety of the Fancy’s crew died in the attack on the Cassandra. England had a good nature and unusual kindness, in that he did not believe in torturing captives unless they could not otherwise be persuaded. England ordered Macrae’s life spared, and the pirates kept the Cassandra and gave the heavily damaged Fancy to Macrae. England’s quartermaster, John Taylor, who was now captain of the Victory, resented this choice, and only agreed after England got him drunk.England then captured a small English ship near Cochin, the drunk captain reporting a false rumour that Macrae was preparing a fleet to chase the pirates. This enraged the pirates, particularly Taylor, who had wanted to kill Macrae. Around this time, Taylor organised a vote to remove England from command. The new captain – a former member of the Fancy crew named Jasper Seator – marooned England and three others on the coast of Mauritius, before taking Cassandra and Victory north in the hunt for more prizes. Seator died in 1721, with Cassandra eventually passing to Taylor who took her to the Caribbean.

England and his three companions were put ashore without adequate provisions, and were forced to scavenge. After about four months, the men built a small boat and managed to sail to the pirate haven of St. Augustine’s Bay in Madagascar.

How did the captain of the Titanic die
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How many ships did John Smith have?

In 1606, Smith became involved with the Virginia Company of London’s plan to colonize Virginia for profit, and King James had already granted a charter. The expedition set sail on Discovery, Susan Constant, and Godspeed on 20 December 1606. His page was a 12-year-old boy named Samuel Collier.

During the voyage, Smith was charged with mutiny, and Captain Christopher Newport (in charge of the three ships) had planned to execute him. These events happened approximately when the expedition stopped in the Canary Islands for resupply of water and provisions. Smith was under arrest for most of the trip. However, they landed at Cape Henry on 26 April 1607 and unsealed orders from the Virginia Company designating Smith as one of the leaders of the new colony, thus sparing him from the gallows.

By the summer of 1607, the colonists were still living in temporary housing. The search for a suitable site ended on 14 May 1607 when Captain Edward Maria Wingfield, president of the council, chose the Jamestown site as the location for the colony. After the four-month ocean trip, their food stores were sufficient only for each to have a cup or two of grain-meal per day, and someone died almost every day due to swampy conditions and widespread disease. By September, more than 60 had died of the 104 who left England.

In early January 1608, nearly 100 new settlers arrived with Captain Newport on the First Supply, but the village was set on fire through carelessness. That winter, the James River froze over, and the settlers were forced to live in the burned ruins. During this time, they wasted much of the three months that Newport and his crew were in port loading their ships with iron pyrite (fool’s gold). Food supplies ran low, although the Native Americans brought some food, and Smith wrote that “more than half of us died”. Smith spent the following summer exploring Chesapeake Bay waterways and producing a map that was of great value to Virginia explorers for more than a century.

Captain Edward Smith last words
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How many ships did England have in 1700?

The Royal Navy’s Size Throughout HistoryYearCarriersBattleships and Large Amphibious Craft170001271800012718100152193949.

Throughout the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras the Royal Navy boasted the largest and most powerful fleet in the world. From protecting the Empire’s trade routes to projecting Britain’s interests abroad, the ‘Senior Service’ has played a pivotal role in the nation’s history.

But how does the current strength of the Royal Navy compare with the days of Empire?

Pulling data from a number of different sources and using some nifty data visualisation tools, we’ve been able to paint a picture of how the strength of the Royal Navy has ebbed and flowed as far back as 1650.

Why did Captain Smith go down with the Titanic
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How many ship captains are there?

Employers. Ship’s captains work for companies that have cruise lines, ferries, sightseeing boats, fishing boats, tugboats, and freighters. There are 15,840 ship and boat captains and operators employed in the United States, according to the Department of Labor. About 21 percent of all water transportation workers are employed in inland transportation; 19 percent work in deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation; and the remainder are employed in scenic and sightseeing water transportation, in government agencies, or in support activities for water transportation.

Starting Out. Many ship’s captains receive training through maritime academies and by starting out as deckhands on ships. They must meet specific requirements, including a certain amount of sea time, to receive a license to work in the United States. Each state issues ship captain licenses and the requirements vary by state. Many states will also allow ship captains to work in the state if they have captain’s or ship master’s licensing from the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a small, highly competitive field. Those with maritime education, appropriate certification and licensing, and experience in the field improve their job prospects.

Advancement Prospects. Deckhands with years of experience advance to higher levels, from third mate to chief’s mate. They become a ship’s captain after meeting work requirements and passing the licensing exam. Once in the job, ship’s captains may advance by changing to different types of ships. If they work for a small, scenic water transportation company, they may explore working for larger ships. Those who work in inland transportation may decide to work for ships that travel overseas. They may advance by securing different licenses to operate large vessels with large passenger and cargo capacities. They may also start their own companies, such as a fishing boat or sightseeing boat company.

Did Captain Smith have children
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How many ships did Queen Elizabeth have?

From there, she made her own maritime history. Queen Elizabeth II christened 21 ships during her lifetime, more than anyone else in the nation’s history. She officiated for five Cunard ocean liners, two of P&O Cruises’ ships, and a mini-armada of Royal Navy craft, not to mention her own Royal Yacht.

On November 30 1944, Princess Elizabeth launched her first ship – HMS Vanguard – Britain’s biggest and fastest battleship; three years later, for her last public engagement before her wedding to Lieutenant Mountbatten, she returned to Clydebank to launch Cunard’s Caronia. As Queen, the ships she launched include some of the most celebrated in recent maritime history.

The Queen’s Fleet. Caronia, 1947. Built specifically for transatlantic crossings and leisurely warm-weather cruising, Cunard’s Caronia, would be affectionately nicknamed the “Green Goddess” due to her distinctive livery of four shades of green, similar to Liverpool’s trams. At the launch on October 30 1947 in Clydebank, the Princess and her future husband, Lieutenant Mountbatten, were greeted by a crowd of 30,000 spectators in “wild fashion” according to a local newspaper.

What was Captain Cook’s second ship called?

Cook’s Second Voyage To The Pacific James Cook was appointed to command a ship called Resolution, which left Plymouth on 18 July, 1772. Tobias Furneaux commanded the ship Adventure, which went with Resolution, but returned earlier.

Edward Smith cause of death
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Who ordered the Titanic to go faster?

During the congressional investigations, some passengers testified that during the voyage they heard Ismay pressuring Captain Smith to increase the speed of Titanic in order to arrive in New York ahead of schedule and generate some free press about the new liner. The book The White Star Line: An Illustrated History by Paul Louden-Brown states that this was unlikely, and that Ismay’s record does not support the notion that he had any motive to do so.

Ismay was widely vilified in the United States after the sinking of Titanic due to the hostility shown in the yellow press controlled by William Randolph Hearst, who had fallen out with Ismay.

Following from the Hearst press depiction of Ismay, every subsequent film about Titanic has depicted Ismay as a villain, starting with the 1943 Nazi propaganda film Titanic where he is depicted as a corrupt British businessman who forces Captain Smith to sail Titanic recklessly at full speed into ice-infested waters in order to set a transatlantic speed record. A similar portrayal followed in the 1996 miniseries Titanic. In James Cameron’s 1997 film, Ismay is often villainized due to the film’s inclusion of a scene based on the eyewitness account of First Class passenger Elizabeth Lines, who after the sinking stated in a deposition that she overheard Ismay urging Captain Smith to arrive in New York ahead of schedule in order to beat the transatlantic crossing time of Titanic’s sister, RMSOlympic. The scene takes place in the exact location, day, and time that Lines recalled overhearing Ismay and Smith’s alleged conversation, with the character of Elizabeth Lines seen in the background, but does not specify it is Olympic’s crossing time that Ismay is hoping to beat.

How old was the captain of the Titanic
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How many ships did Captain Cook sail?

Abstract. Four ships were selected for Captain James Cook’s three voyages between 1768 and 1780, the Endeavour, Resolution, Adventure and Discovery. The ships were not fighting naval ships, but north-east colliers purchased specifically for Cooks’ exploration. This paper explores the origin of the collier, explaining that the sturdy ships, possessing a large capacity and flat bottom, were well suited to such expeditions. The Admiralty process of selecting, rigging and adjusting these four ships for purpose is described.

Filed under: Atlantic | James Cook | Other (Eighteenth C) | Pacific Subjects include: Science & Exploration | Shipbuilding & Design.

How old was Captain Smith when he died
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How old was Captain Smith when he died on the Titanic?

15 April 1912 – the date of Captain Smith’s death (he died when the ship sank).

62 – Smith’s age at the time of his death. Some believe he intended to retire after completing Titanic’s return trip, although the White Star Line had plans for Smith to command Gigantic on her maiden voyage.

Family Life. 13 January 1887 – the date of Smith’s marriage to Sarah Eleanor Pennington, a farmer’s daughter from Winwick in Cheshire, at St Oswald’s Church in the village.

02 April 1898 – the date their daughter was born, Helen Melville Smith (Helen was born in Waterloo, Liverpool although the Smiths were then living in Southampton). Helen was the couples’ only child.

Did Edward Smith survive the Titanic
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What ship did Edward John Smith go down with?

Edward John Smith RD RNR (27 January 1850 – 15 April 1912) was a British sea captain and naval officer. In 1880, he joined the White Star Line as an officer, beginning a long career in the British Merchant Navy. Smith went on to serve as the master of numerous White Star Line vessels. During the Second Boer War, he served in the Royal Naval Reserve, transporting British Imperial troops to the Cape Colony. Smith served as captain of the ocean liner Titanic, and went down with the ship when she sank on her maiden voyage.

Edward John Smith was born on 27 January 1850 on Well Street, Hanley, Staffordshire, England to Edward Smith, a potter, and Catherine Hancock, born Marsh, who married on 2 August 1841 in Shelton, Staffordshire.(citation needed) His parents later owned a shop.

Smith attended the British School in Etruria, Staffordshire, until the age of 13 when he left and operated a steam hammer at the Etruria Forge. In 1867, he went to Liverpool at the age of 17 in the footsteps of his half-brother Joseph Hancock, a captain on a sailing ship. He began his apprenticeship on Senator Weber, owned by A Gibson & Co. of Liverpool.


📹 “The Story of Captain Smith & The Titanic” – British Documentary

The 173rd Birthday of Titanic Captain Edward Smith. BORN: Edward John Smith 27 January 1850 Hanley, Staffordshire, England …


How Many Ships Did Captain Edward John Smith Sail
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Debbie Green

I am a school teacher who was bitten by the travel bug many decades ago. My husband Billy has come along for the ride and now shares my dream to travel the world with our three children.The kids Pollyanna, 13, Cooper, 12 and Tommy 9 are in love with plane trips (thank goodness) and discovering new places, experiences and of course Disneyland.

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