John Edward Simpson

Doctor John Edward Simpson was *Titanic*'s Second and Third Class doctor and Assistant Surgeon.

John Edward Simpson was born on 1st of March 1875 in Belfast. His mother was Elizabeth Simpson, née Crickard and his father was John Simpson, a doctor. Edward had 5 siblings, all sisters. He studied at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and then later he was schooled at the Royal University of Ireland. At Queen's University he got a medical degree.

in 1905 he married Annie Edith Peters of Astley, Lancashire. the wedding took place just outside Manchester. They went on to live in Hornsbury. In 1907, their only child, John Ralph Peters, was born in London.

In 1911, he had been serving for many years in the Royal Army, achieving the ranks of Lieutenant and then Captain of the Royal Army Medical Corps. On 9 April 1912 he wrote a letter to his Regiment (1st Volunteer Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge's Own [Middlesex Regiment]), noting that he won't be able to carry out his duties for some time, and at some point he had gone out to sea because he had health issues. He thought being at sea could make him feel better. He was with the P&O Steamship Company as a medical officer before joining the White Star Line.

On the 6th of April 1912, he enlisted on Titanic. He had been working as assistant surgeon on the *Olympic* just before that.

He had an exhausting train trip from Liverpool to Southampton, where he boarded. He wrote his mother a day before Titanic set sail to let her know everything went well but that, before arriving in Queenstown, six dollars were missing from his opened cabin trunk. He thought they must have been stolen. He liked his accomodation, because there was way more room for him than in the one on his previous vessel.

On April 14, Titanic hit an iceberg.

Shortly after midnight, two stewardesses, May Sloan and Evelyn Marsden had a feeling of unease. Simpson came across them and told them the Mail Room was taking on water. Marsden became very nervous hearing this new, and started crying. Upon that, Edward took the two women to his cabin and gave them a glass of whiskey to calm them down and to bring them courage. He was stern with Marsden, and said she should stop crying. Asking Sloan if she was afraid, she said she was fine and smiled. That was more like it, he thought. "That's the language of a real Ulsterwoman!"

When Fifth Officer Lowe was lowering lifeboat 14, Simpson handed him a flashflight as he thought he could have some use for this tool. He was certainly right and probably didn't realise that he contributed indirectly to the saving of some people more than an hour later. Survivors that had landed into the sea when the ship finally submerged were picked up by some boats. Lowe organised a search for survivors and that flashlight really helped; it made the search for any sign of life a lot easier.

At a late time during the sinking, when the bow was deep into the water, he encountered a sweating Officer Lightoller who tried his hardest to get boats launched, despite wearing only a payama underneath his uniform in this cold night, he felt really hot. Edward remarked: "Hey Lights, are you so warm now?" Dr O'Loughlin, Purser Herbert McElroy and Assistant Purser Reginald Barker were also in the vicinity, as Lightoller later reported. They all had to laugh at the always cheerful Simpson.

He didn't survive the disaster. He has a grave, but his body couldn't be found.

## Sources

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5vlARsUBAI
2. Titanic' ©1996 (second print, 1998) *Edward P. De Groot*
3. 'De Titanic, de ware verhalen' ©2012 *Edward P. De Groot*
4. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/john-edward-simpson.html