Edward Smith (sea captain)

**Edward John "E. J." Smith** (27 January 1850 – 15 April 1912) was an English sea captain. He was the captain of the R.M.S Titanic, which sank when it struck an iceberg. Smith was to retire after the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but died when the ship sank.

Smith was born on 27 January 1850 in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. He was married to Sarah Eleanor Pennington from 1887 until his death in 1912. They had one daughter.

In September 1911, _Titanic_’s sister ship _Olympic_ was hit by the HMS _Hawke_, but the two ships did not sink. Smith was officially named **Edward John**.

At 62 years old April 1912, Smith took command of the RMS _Titanic._

Shortly after 11:40 p.m. local time, Smith was informed by First Officer William Murdoch that the _Titanic_ struck the iceberg. Smith knew within minutes that the ship was doomed and many passengers were likely to die. During the evacuation, Captain Smith did all in his power to prevent panic among the crew and passengers, and did his best to assist in the evacuation. Major Arthur Godfrey Peuchen of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club said: “He was doing everything in his power to get women in these boats, and to see that they were lowered properly. I thought he was doing his duty in regard to the lowering of the boats".

Robert Williams Daniel, a first class passenger also said:
- _Captain Smith was the biggest hero I ever saw.  He stood on the bridge and shouted through a megaphone, trying to make himself heard._

Just minutes before the ship started its final plunge, Smith was still busy releasing the _Titanic_'s crew from their duties. He went to the Marconi operators room and released Junior Marconi Officer Harold Bride and senior wireless operator John "Jack" Phillips from their duties. He then carried out a final tour of the deck, telling crew members: "Now it's every man for himself." Steward Edward Brown saw the captain approach with a megaphone in his hand and heard him say "Well boys, do your best for the women and children, and look out for yourselves.” He saw the Captain walk onto the bridge alone, just seconds before the ship started sinking entirely. This was the last known reliable sighting of Smith. A few minutes later, Trimmer Samuel Hemming found the bridge apparently empty. The lights went out and the structural failure caused _Titanic_ to break in two pieces. Another five minutes later,  _Titanic_ sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Smith died that night along with around 1,500 others, and his body was never recovered.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, there remain conflicting accounts of his death. Some claimed to have seen Smith in the water swimming towards a lifeboat, or near the capsized collapsible lifeboat "B", while others claimed they saw him shoot himself with a pistol. Still other accounts describe him entering the wheelhouse on the bridge and died there when it was engulfed.  The actual details of how Smith died will likely remain uncertain.

In the 1997 film, “Titanic”, as the musicians stopped playing “Near My God To Thee”, and as the wheelhouse was submerged, the wheelhouse windows shattered from the pressure, and Smith was drowned after he clung to his wheel.

Smith has been played by many actors during documentaries, movies, television series, or plays. The most well known actors to play Captain Smith are George C. Scott and Bernard Hill.

A large copper statue of the captain was unveiled in July 1914 in Lichfield, England. The location of the statue was criticised at first as Smith had no relation to Lichfield. People of Hansley (the town where he was born) quoted saying they didn't want to be entirely associated to him, as he could be vilified (made to look evil) by press and it would not be a good appearance for the town.

## Other websites

- One of Stoke-on-Trent Museums' Local Heroes
- Captain Smith on Titanic-Titanic.com
- Edward Smith at Find a Grave