The tragic Sunderland bridegroom who married on April 4 and went missing on the Titanic on April 15

A Sunderland man was among the tragic souls who perished in the Titanic disaster - 11 days after he got married.

Local historian Derek Holcroft has uncovered the story of Charles Sedgwick as well as many other local connections.

The newly married Sunderland man who was ‘unaccounted for’

Charles had just been married when he sailed on Titanic for a new job in Mexico.

He was an electrical engineer and had been working at Hylton Road power station in Sunderland before moving to Blackpool.

He got married in Liverpool on April 4, sailed on Titanic, and his wife Adelaide was due to sail from Liverpool a few days later to join him.

After the sinking of the Titanic, he was reported in newspapers as ‘unaccounted for’.

The Sunderland Daily Echo’s own story of his death read: “The greatest sympathy is felt for the young widow in her sad bereavement.”

But his story is one of many which show that Sunderland had significant links to Titanic.

Ship’s captain spotted bodies in the water

One Sunderland man was the captain of a liner called the Gibraltar from the Lamport and Holt line.

The Gibraltar sailed passed the scene of the disaster - not knowing the Titanic had sunk - because the ship had no radio equipment on board.

The crew spotted seven bodies in the water. There were six men and one child of about four years.

A report in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette said in 1912: “At the time, no one on the Gibraltar knew of the disaster, the vessel having left Middlesbrough three days before the Titanic hit the iceberg, and not having wireless equipment on board.”

Sunderland ship’s crew spotted Titanic hours before disaster struck

A Sunderland-based steamship may well have been the last vessel to see the Titanic before she struck the iceberg.

The steamship Portland was carrying timber from Mobile Alabama to Grimsby when its officers spotted the Titanic at about 4pm on the afternoon before the tragedy.

Unlike Titanic, the Portland found so much ice that it changed course to take a southerly route.

The Portland was another ship which did not have wireless on board, and it could not send or receive any messages.

The Portland spent 28 days navigating and changing course to avoid the ice.

Fate saved a Sunderland man from tragedy

One Sunderland man had a narrow escape from the tragedy.

Mr A. Donovan had intended to be on board the ship.

But the Norfolk Street resident had to leave for America before Easter and left on another passenger steamer.

“But for this unforeseen change in his plans Mr Donovan would certainly have been a passenger the ill-fated liner,” said the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on April 17, 1912.

Our thanks to Derek for his contributions. He has provided us with many stories of Sunderland’s past, including;

The Sunderland man who saved Queen Victoria from an assassination attempt.

The Bletchey Park codebreaker.

The Sunderland man who won honours for helping to develop radar.

Tell us if your family had links to the Titanic by emailing [email protected]