Titanic

1848

20 April

Father George Edward Lowe, born in Chester

1856

24 March

Mother Emma Harriet Quick born

1878

Older brother George Ernest Lowe born

1879

Older sister Ada Florence born

1882

21 November

Harold Godfrey Lowe born in Eglwys Rhos, Conwy, Wales

c. 1883/84

Younger sister Annie May born

1884

20 September

Younger brother Edgar Reginald born

1885

16 April

Ellen (Nellie) Mario Whitehouse born

c.1896

At 14, Lowe runs away from his home in Barmouth

c.1898

Starts working aboard a schooner on the Welsh coast.

c. 1900

Works on the Merrion Loss, ordinary seaman

1900

28/05 - 30/10

William Keith, ordinary seaman, Ireland/Wales

1901

22/01 - 18/06

British Queen, OS

21/06 - 04/040/1902

Cortez, AB, Iquique

1902

20/05 - 28/01/1903

Balasore, OS

1903

11/03- 27/05/1904

Ormsary - Australia

1904

27/05 - 06/08

On Drill Royal Navy Reserve

06/08 - 21/11

SS Prometheus (Alfred Holt line)

10 November

Collision involving SS Prometheus (Alfred Holt line) in Amsterdam, with the Pectan.

1905

01/03

Board of Trade Inquiry witness, for collision involving SS Prometheus (Alfred Holt line)

05/03 - 12/10

SS Telemachus (Alfred Holt line), AB, to Seattle via Japan

01/06

Sits for Second Mates certificate, fails

1906

17/02 - 06/05

SS Justin (J.R.Ellerman line)

29/05 - 23/07

SS Fabian (J.R.Ellerman line), Mediterranean ports

20/08

Passes Second Mates certificate

03/10 - 03/12

SS Ardeola, (Yeoward Brothers), Third officer, Canary Islands

19/12 - 15/03/1907

SS Chama, 4th Officer, (Elder Dempster), West Africa

1907

06/07 - 15/04/1908

SS Bonny, Third Officer, (Elder Dempster), West Africa

1908

20/07

Sits for First Mate's Certificate - Fails

29/07

Sits for First Mate's Certificate - Passes

09/09

SS Madeira, Second Officer, (Elder Dempster), West Africa

17/12

SS Oron, (Elder Dempster), West Africa

1909

1/06 - 14/08/1910

SS Addah, (Elder Dempster), West Africa

1910

26/10

Sits for Master's Certificate - fails

7/11

Sits for Master's Certificate - passes

10/12 - 18/03/1911

SS Zaria (Elder Dempster), West Africa

1911

8th April

Joins the White Star Line

22/04 - 19/09

SS Tropic, Third Officer, White Star Line, Australia

22/09 - 21/02/1912

SS Belgic, Third Officer, White Star Line, Australia

1912

24/03

Assigned to RMS Titanic, Fifth Officer, White Star Line, New York

26 March

Lowe reported to White Star's Liverpool offices at nine o'clock in the morning

27 March

Travels to board Titanic at Belfast

2 April

During Titanic's sea trials, Lowe was "instructed by Mr. Murdoch, the then Chief Officer of the ship" to "look at the boats at Belfast and see that they were all there".

10 April

Lowe assists in the lowering of two of the starboard lifeboats to satisfy the Board of Trade that Titanic met safety regulations.

Noon Titanic departs - Lowe was on the bridge, relaying messages to various parts of the ship by telephone.

14 April

8pm Sixth officer Moody relieves Fifth officer Lowe.

11.40pm Lowe is asleep in his quarters when the ship hits the iceberg. He remains asleep through the collision, but wakes up 30 minutes later.

15 April

12.30am Third Officer Pitman charges Lowe with loading lifeboat No. 5.

1.25am Lowe takes command of lifeboat 14

c.2.45am Lowe is the only officer to return to look for survivors after the sinking. In total there were four men taken out of the water, one of whom dies later that night.

Lifeboat 14, with Lowe in charge, is rescued by the Carpathia

18 April

Carpathia reaches New York

24 April

Lowe gives evidence at Senate Inquiry

2 May

Lowe boards the Adriatic on to return to England

11 May

Arrives in Liverpool, UK

22 May

Gives evidence at the British Inquiry

21 June

Upon his return to his home town of Barmouth 1,300 people attend a reception held in his honor at the Picture Pavilion. He is presented with a commemorative gold watch.

03/08 - 01/12

RMS Medic, Third Officer, White Star Line, Australia

20/12 - 12/04/1913

SS Gothic, Third Officer, White Star Line, Australia

1913

09/07 - 26/02/1914

SS Cornishman, Second Officer, Montreal - 6 voyages

September

Harold married Ellen Marion Whitehouse

1914

March

Sub-Lieutenant, HMS Hogue, RNR training

03/04

Sub-Lieutenant, HMS Excellent, RNR training

06/04

Sub-Lieutenant, HMS Victory, RNR training

20 November

Daughter Florence Josephine Edge born

1915

20/07

Promoted to Lieutenant

1916

02/01 - 30/03/1917

Lieutenant HMS Donegal, RNR patrolling

21 March

Son Harold William George born

1917

01/04

Lieutenant, HMS Victory

17/05 - 10/06

Lieutenant, HMS Suffolk

1919

20/11 - 29/12

SS Tucoman, First Officer (Frederick Leyland), Portland

1920

09/01 - 26/04

SS Cedric, 2nd Officer, (White Star Line), New York (2 voyages)

18/08 - 08/04

SS Dominion, First Officer, (Dominion Line), Quebec, Montreal, New York and Portland

1921

13 May

Initiated as a freemason, St Trillo Lodge

12/11 - 26/11

HMS Defiance, Lieutenant, Torpedo School Ship

26/11

HMS Vivid, Lieutenant, Torpedo School Ship

1922

13/05 - 27/12

SS Gallic, Chief Officer, White Star Line, Australia and New Zealand (7 voyages)

1923

20/11

Promoted to Commander RNR

1925

03/04 - 24/05

SS Canada, First Officer and Chief Officer (Leyland Line), Portland, Maine and Montreal (2 voyages)

01/08 - 09/08

SS Suevic First Officer, White Star Line, Glasgow

14/08 - 15/08/1926

SS Regina, Second Officer, Leyland Line, Montreal and New York - 11 voyages

1927

29/01 - 12/12

SS Ceramic, Second Officer, White Star Line, Australia, 2 voyages

1928

04/02 - 28/02

SS Regina, Second Officer, White Star Line, New York

03/03 - 26/03

SS Baltic Second Officer, White Star Line, New York

19/4 - 22/6

SS Laurentic, White Star Line, Canada

27/07 - 13/11/1930

SS Doric Second Officer/First Officer, White Star Line, Canada

1931

26 May

Retires from the White Star Line

1932

November

Elected to Deganwy Ward of Conwy Borough council, for 2 terms

1937

19 November

Almost dies when falling into river at Deganwy

1939

During World War II he volunteers his home as a sector post and serves as an Air Raid Warden 

1942

Suffers a stroke and begins using a wheelchair.

1944

12 May

Harold Lowe dies aged 61, of hypertension

16 May

Lowe's funeral takes place and his body is buried at Llandrillo-yn-Rhos churchyard in Rhos-on-Sea in North Wales.

1947

Wife Ellen "Nellie" Lowe dies

2004

A menu of the first meal ever served aboard Titanic, which Lowe had sent to his fiancée when the ship was docked in Ireland, sells for £51,000, breaking the record for auctioned Titanic memorabilia at the time.

2012

A slate plaque in Lowe's memory is hung on the centennial anniversary of Titanic's sinking in Barmouth, Gwynedd, Wales.

2020

20 June

A large number of Lowe's belongings are sold at an auction at Henry Aldridge & Son, including his whistle, telescope, artwork and bicorn hat