A family connection sparked decades of research and a hunt for the truth
Clifford Ismay(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
For generations of locals, the “streaky bacon” building on Liverpool’s waterfront is a symbol of the city’s connection to the world famous Titanic. For Cliff Ismay, though, the former headquarters of the White Star Line holds a much more personal link to history – and to an ancestor whose reputation he is fighting to restore.
With the building now back in use as The White Star Hotel, and with regular tours now underway to showcase its links with the ill-fated liner, Cliff is preparing for a fresh uptick in interest in Titanic and in Bruce Ismay – the so-called “coward” of the disaster.
“There’s something in the whole story of the Titanic which sparks people’s interest, even all these decades later,” admits Cliff, a retired electrical engineer who has spent years researching the events of the night of April 15, 1912.
“Whether that’s about the class discrimination the Titanic illustrated or immigration to America, the opulence of the liners of the day or just the history of the time – an age of chivalry – the fascination never really seems to wane,” he explains.
“I think the individual stories of those on board are compelling too – the band, the engineers who stayed at their posts to keep the lights on for as long as possible. They really resonate and they’re something we can relate to.”
Bruce Ismay(Image: Cheape Faimly archive)
But it is the story of Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star shipping line and vilified Titanic survivor, which most touches Cliff, who is related to him as a fifth cousin once removed.
“I first knew about the family connection when I was eight. The film A Night to Remember, about the sinking, was on the TV and I was watching it with my dad,” recalls Cliff, now 70 and living in Cumbria.
“I remember saying ‘Wow, look at that big ship’ and he replied ‘Do you know what, son? You’re actually related to the man that owned that ship.’
“Of course, Bruce never actually owned the Titanic – but that was good enough for an eight-year-old!”
The RMS Titanic leaves Belfast, Northern Ireland, for sea trials in 1912(Image: Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
It was other people’s reactions to his surname which later set him off on a quest for the truth about what really happened the night the magnificent ocean liner sank on her maiden voyage with the loss of 1,500 passengers and crew.
“I used to meet people, on a business or social level, introduce myself and they’d often ask me: ‘Are you related to the coward of the Titanic?’ “
That reputation emerged in the wake of the disaster, news of which rocked the country. It was sealed by stories of Bruce Ismay allegedly dressing as a woman to escape the sinking ship or jumping into one of the first lifeboats to leave.
“That’s how he’s been portrayed down the years in films and books – as a villain – but I wanted to know the truth,” says Cliff, who has written a book on his ancestor.
“I don’t think he was a hero but he was no coward either. During my own research I found he was responsible for actually saving lives as he patrolled the boat deck boats, both starboard and port sides, encouraging women and children to get into the lifeboats.
“When he did get off in a lifeboat he didn’t take the place of any woman or child – there were six spare seats.
The White Star Line Hotel(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“He was made into a villain but I suspect that’s because many people felt that as chairman he should have gone down with the ship. But he wasn’t a crew member – he was just a passenger.”
Now the corridors and rooms which Bruce Ismay would have known and occupied more than 100 years ago are once again available to the public to see after the White Star Hotel opened its doors in May.
There are also guided tours available and a major Titanic exhibition is planned on-site for early next year.
In-house historian, Jonathan Wild, says the tours are something that were always on the cards.
Jonathon Wild, the in-house historian at the White Star Line Hotel(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“We get people popping in all the time wanting to look around. We try to oblige but as a working hotel you can’t have folk wandering around so we thought we would formalise things and so far it’s gone really well.
“The hour-long experience takes in all floors of the building as well as balconies and hidden areas, bringing to life the stories of those who lived and worked in the former shipping headquarters.
“It’s a wonderful building. I love the Grand Hall – that was the first class passenger ticket office; guests are always blown away by the stories this place contains.”
Owner Chris Carline says there has been global interest in the Grade 1 listed building since the hotel opened.
He adds: “And lots of younger people are fascinated with the Titanic. It’s a story which goes on and on. I’ve always been enamoured with it so this is a long-term passion project for me.”
The White Star Line Hotel(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Meanwhile Cliff, who has stood in what was Bruce Ismay’s office in the past, is planning a return trip to the White Star Hotel from his home in Workington. “I do feel connected to my ancestor so it will be nice to go back,” he admits.
“I’ve got to know him and I think he was a very shy man, a stickler for timekeeping but not the arrogant, trumped up chap he’s been painted as. I think we could have shared a few pints together.”
● Understanding, J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Called the Coward of Titanic by Cliff Ismay.