Titanic victims in Halifax graveyards

by Blair Beed

Tells the intriguing and little known story of why 150 of the passengers and crew of the SS Titanic were buried in the port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Using official reports and newspaper articles an outline of life onboard the ship and in society of 1912, is given.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

161 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something changed in me when I saw the film Titanic and I saw it in the cinema more than once. This has triggered an obsession with anything Titanic related. I’ve got different films about it, from the made for TV movie to the animated movie aimed at a younger audience. I must have in the region of 150 books by now, and I also have a copy of the script somewhere. I’ve also been to see the Titanic Quarter in Belfast and was at the memorial service on the anniversary. I have a Titanic tattoo, and it’s also on my bucket list to visit the cemeteries in Halifax, as I also love walking around graveyards. (I also want to visit Prince Edward Island at some point, but this is not Titanic related.)

Since visiting Halifax is a pipe dream, this book is the closest I’m going to get to actually seeing the three cemeteries. This is a very difficult book to get a hold of - Amazon doesn’t have it for sale and nor do any sellers, but it’s worth hunting down, as I managed to source a copy elsewhere. It may be easier to get it in Halifax however I was lucky enough that when I received my copy, it was signed by the author (don’t get my started on why people get rid of signed copies of books.)

This is a very informative book, although as you can imagine, it’s heavily reliant on lists. There are black and white photos scattered throughout and various excerpts from newspapers. The book is broken up into different sections and obviously starts on the history of the Titanic and the sinking. This then goes into detail of the survivors on the Carpathia and the recovery of the victims.

It then goes further into detail, with which bodies were buried at sea, which bodies were taken to Halifax but then transported to other destinations, as per family requests and which were buried in one of the three Halifax cemeteries. There are descriptions of each body, as well as the number that was assigned to them at the time of the recovery. These went into such detail, such as if a body had false teeth/scars/tattoos, what clothing was found on the body, the effects that were also found and the approximate age (quite often considerably wrong, depending on the condition of the body)/height/weight. These can get quite tedious and can really only be read short sections at a time - not a book you would read all at once.

Some of the intriguing facts that the author stated was that the Titanic was carrying seven MILLION pieces of mail at the time of sinking; burials started in Halifax on the 3rd of May and finished on the 6th June 1912 and that some unidentifiable bodies have been identified by the Titanic Society, due to the description of the bodies/effects listed.

There are three cemeteries in Halifax that have sections dedicated to the victims, again, with lists included and often photos of the gravestones. There is the Baron de Hirsch cemetery, which was for burials for anyone who was deemed to be Hebrew (although as the author rightly points out, two of the identified bodies should not have been buried here.) There are 10 graves, but 8 remain unidentified. The Mount Olivet cemetery has 19 graves, again with a few unidentified bodies and the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, with 121 graves. There is a layout of the graveyards towards the back of the book.

There is also a brief section about the musicians of the Titanic and the never ending argument about what music was played as the ship sank. It doesn’t go into a great amount of detail but there are other books that deal more with the musicians on the Titanic.

There’s a brief mention of how the graveyards are maintained and DNA testing on previously unidentified remains - unfortunately, this was not successful, due to the deterioration of the remains and quite heartbreaking for those involved and potential family members.

If you can grab this book, it is definitely worth tracking down, even if you do have to pay over the RRP, as it does shed some light on an aspect to the Titanic that I previously knew little about. My copy is from 2006 (first published in 2001) so it does seem that it’s either out of print now or had a very limited print run, or is only available in Halifax.

[Raelene]

I’m not giving this a rating because it’s just not the type of book that should be reviewed that way, in my opinion. Its lists and descriptions about people whose lives were lost in a tragic event and I’d rather leave off a star rating and just share my thoughts instead.

Technically I had some issues with it, such as I didn’t love the formatting at times, and there were moments that some things seemed to be repeated. However I am so glad that this book exists, and that I read it.

I feel like having this book as a guide while visiting the cemeteries in Halifax would be a really special experience. To not just see their gravesite but to read who they are. I hope that one day I get to visit Halifax to do so.

[Huguette Larochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a great book. I wish i can visit this place.
i read so many books about the titanic.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Titanic Victims in Halifax Graveyards" is a painstakingly researched account of the effort to collect, identify, and bury (in some fashion) the dead of the great shipwreck. What's good is that the book does delve, with detail, into a part of the Titanic story that is usually a few lines in any history of the wreck. The extent of information provided about the victims--a seemingly endless list of notes from the undertaking team cataloguing personal effects, age, hair color, and gender--might come off alternately as dry and fascinating, as it drills in again the breadth of the tragedy. While this book isn't a literary marvel, it is a truly interesting resource and no doubt invaluable for those doing further research into the sinking.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-have for anyone interested in TITANIC passengers or the role of Halifax in the recovery operations, or for those planning a visit to the cemeteries. Note: I reread the 2001 edition of this important volume, which I purchased during a trip to Halifax soon after its publication. Since then, there have been two updates—I will be adding the most recent (2012) to my collection and will update my review then.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books regarding the Titanic and I would say this one answers many questions those books don’t regarding the victims of the sinking. This is a great guide especially if you get a chance to visit the Halifax graveyards. It’s a shame so many are still unidentified after all these years. It makes you wonder if enough was done to find the identities of those recovered since a record was kept of a description of each body and its belongings. A sad tale but worth the read.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched, Titanic Victims in Halifax Graveyards tells the story of the victims who were pulled from the seas in the aftermath of the tragic sinking of the SS Titanic. Very well done and a must-read for anyone interested in the events that took place in April 1912 and their aftermath.

[Marie]

I was intrigued after reading the description of Titanic Victims in Halifax Graveyards so I decided to enter the first-reads giveaway and to my surprise I was a winner! Interested in reading this book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives one a more personal look at the victims of this famous tragedy. Thanks to Goodreads and the author for the opportunity to read this book for free as a draw winner.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a more personal look/at the victims of the Titanic disaster. A must-read for Titanophiles (Titanic aficionados).