Captain edward john smith titanic biography history

(1850-1912)

Who Was Edward J. Smith?

Captain Edward J. Smith, captain of the luxury vessel Titanic, played a role in one of the most famous disasters at sea in history when it sank in 1912.

A Sailor's Life

Edward J.

Smith was born on January 27, 1850, in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The son of a potter and later a grocer, he attended a school in Etruria, which was supported by the Wedgwood pottery works. Smith stopped going to school around the age of 12.

Captain edward john smith biography

Beginning his life on the sea as a teenager, he signed on to the crew of the Senator Weber in 1867.

For years, Smith rose up the ranks and qualifications, earning certificates as a second mate in 1871, a first mate in 1873, and a master in 1875.

The first vessel he commanded was the Lizzie Fennell, a 1,000-ton ship that moved goods to and from South America. Smith made the leap to passenger vessels in 1880 when he went to work for the White Star Line. By 1885, he was the first officer of the Repu