Arthur John Priest

Arthur Priest
John Priest c. 1912
Born Arthur John Priest
(1887-08-31)August 31, 1887
Southampton
Died February 11, 1937(1937-02-11) (aged 49)
Southampton
Cause of death Pneumonia
Resting place Saint John Churchyard in Membury
Occupation
  • Stoker

Arthur John Priest (born August 31, 1887, in Southampton, died 11 February 1937 in Southampton) was an English fireman and Stoker who was most notable for surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic,[1] and while also working as a stoker, who survived the sinking of no fewer than four notable ships, including the HMHS Asturias, the RMS Alcantara (1913), the HMHS Britannic and several other ships, that were involved in ship collisions.[2] Priest eventually gained the moniker the unsinkable stoker.[2]

Life

Priest was the son of Harry Priest, a labourer and his wife Elizabeth Garner, and was one of twelve children. In 1915, Priest married Annie Martin, née Hampton in Birkenhead and had three children, called Arthur John, George and Frederick Harry. The family lived for a number of years at 17 Briton Street, Southampton.[3]

Priest worked as a stoker, working in the bowels of steam-powered ships. He was considered a part of the black gang,[2] which consisted of six firemen, two trimmers, and a 'peggy', with a total of 27 men. It was considered back-breaking work, often done stripped to the waist due to the sustained and intense heat of the furnaces. Priest is known for surviving five ship sinkings and one collision. The ships he voyaged on included the HMHS Asturias 1907, RMS Olympic 1911, RMS Titanic 1912, RMS Alcantara 1916, HMHS Britannic 1916 and SS Donegal 1917. Accidents and sinkings at this time were relatively common. On the Titanic alone, more than 600 tons of coal per day had to be shovelled into the furnaces to maintain an even speed for the ship.

Life was not pleasant for Priest and he seem to have a string of bad luck on ships. After surviving the sinking of five ships in total and one major collision. Priest finally retired from the sea and left his job as a stoker aboard ships. He lived out the rest of his days on dry land in Southampton, England with his wife Annie. This retirement seem to be forced, since he once claimed that "no wished to sail with him after these disasters."[4] It is likely he had a son also by the name of "John Arthur Priest, that was born in 1917 only to die three years later. He might have also had two sisters named Nellie Priest and Emma Priest,"[5] but this is unconfirmed. Other then his amazing survival stories, not too much more is known about him. It is unknown what he did for a living after leaving the sea behind forever. We also do not know much about his wife or any other members of his family. Yet, we do know that "he died at his Southampton home at the age of 50 from pneumonia with his wife Annie at his side in 1937. He was buried at Saint John Churchyard in Membury, England."[6] History has given him the nickname of the unsinkable stoker, a name that is very fitting for his amazing stories of survival at sea.[2]

References

  1. ↑ C. Brian Kelly (7 October 2014). Best Little Stories from World War I: Nearly 100 True Stories. Sourcebooks. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-4022-9344-3. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Titanic's unsinkable stoker". BBC Northern Ireland. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Mr Arthur John Priest". Encyclopedia Titanica. 2018 Encyclopedia Titanica. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Arthur John Priest : Titanic Survivor". Encyclopedia Titanica. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  5. ↑ "Arthur John Priest". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  6. ↑ "Titanic and Other White Star Line Ships - Arthur John Priest". www.titanic-whitestarships.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
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