Date of birth: 4th November 1857 Place of birth: Weymouth, Nova Scotia Marital status: Married Age: 54 (in 1912) Spouse: Laleah Abigail Haines Children: Thomas Wayland (1880–1963), William Judson (1885–1948), Lilly Gladys(1887–1959), David Arnold (1889–1954), Hazel Olive (1893–1894), Margherita (1894–1973), Edgar William (1897–1976), Albert Ernest (1902–1984) Crew position: Chief Officer (Carpathia, 1912) Date of death: 21 April 1936 (age 78)
In 1839, Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, and the next year formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company in Glasgow with shipowner Sir George Burns together with Robert Napier, the famous Scottish steamship engine designer and builder, to operate the line's four pioneer paddle steamers on the Liverpool–Halifax–Boston route. For most of the next 30 years, Cunard held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870s Cunard fell behind its rivals, the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To meet this competition, in 1879 the firm was reorganised as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, to raise capital. In 1919, Cunard relocated its British homeport from Liverpool to Southampton, to better cater for travellers from London.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Chief Officer Thomas Hankinson - Death and Legacy
32 Brookfield-avenue, Crosby, Liverpool (left hand side) - the Hankinson family home (Google Maps)
On the 21st of April 1936 Hankinson passed away at the age of 78, for reasons presently unknown. The unidentified Digby newspaper used as a basis for the Encyclopedia Titanica short biography mentions that "Commander T. W. Hankinson, R.D.R.N.R, after a comparatively short illness, passed away at his home in Great Crosby, in his 79th year, May[sic], 1936."
According to his probate his last recorded address was 32 Brookfield-avenue, Great Crosby and on the 2nd of July his probate was released to his second oldest son "William Judson Hankinson master mariner" and youngest son "Edgar William Hankinson bank official. Effects £1633 Os. 7d."
In an interesting coincidence, only a few months later his oldest son, Thomas Hankinson, was listed as traveling aboard his father's previous ship, the RMS Laconia, bound for Boston and New York, departing on the 15th of August 1936. He is recorded as a 56 year old passenger from 32 Brookfield ave, Crosby, and recorded as a "Clerk" with wife Josephine "housewife."
Hankinson's wife, Laleah Abigail died 8 years later on the 20th of January 1944, aged 85.
Grave
Thomas Hankinson was buried at Kirkdale Cemetry in Liverpool (Section: G5, Plot: 553), along with his mother and 1 year old daughter. The inscription on the medium white stone, straight top, square shoulders, scroll façade grave reads:
In
loving memory of
my dear mother, aged 68.
Also daughter, Hazel Olive, aged 1.
Also
Commander Thomas William HANKINSON,
R.D., R.N.R.,
son of the above,
who died 21st April 1936, aged 78 years.
Also Laleah Abigail,
beloved wife of the above,
who died 20th Jan. 1944, aged 85 years.
Also
Commander William Judson HANKINSON
R.D., R.N.R.,
son of the above, died 13th Nov. 1948.
HANKINSON
Hankinson family grave (Image courtesy of Robert Anderson/Findagrave.com )
The Hankinson family plot, in which his mother and 1 year old daughter are buried. With the inscription reading: "In Loving memory of my dear mother, aged 68, also Hazel Olive aged 1." Image courtesy of Robert Anderson/Findagrave.com (Click image to enlarge)
As of 2021 the grave is sadly lying flat on its face.
As of 2021 the grave is sadly lying flat on its face. (Image courtesy of Robert Anderson/Findagrave.com )
Medals and artifacts
The medals the father Thomas Hankinson received for his efforts aboard the Carpathia have as far as known remained within the family.
His granddaughter Josephine Hearne from Bromsgrove, UK, was quoted in a 2006 BBC article:
Her family have medals and a citation that was presented to her grandfather for his role in the rescue.
"In the family we still have the medals that were awarded to my grandfather, and they are still in their original cases.
"I have the silver one from the Liverpool Shipwrecking Humane Society, and only eight of those were awarded.
"With that goes the citation that now hangs in my hall, and used to hang in my Grandfather’s hall when I was a child, so I’ve been familiar with it all my life."
The gold medal given to Chief Officer Hankinson (BBC/Josephine Hearne)
Josephine Hearne passed away in 2013 according to the Housman Society newsletter of February 2013:
Josephine Hearne was a Bromsgrove member of the Society and with husband Karl was a regular supporter of local events. Her untimely death occurred in January from heart failure. Because of her family’s involvement in the Titanic tragedy in she wrote in 1998 an article ‘The Titanic’s Connection with Bromsgrove and the West Midlands’ for the Bromsgrove Society’s Rousler and last year gave a talk on the subject. She was involved in the church and charitable work. Our sympathies go to her two daughters, Charmian and Juliet and husband Karl. (https://www.housman-society.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/37-housman-newsletter.pdf)
Her husband was Karl Hearne who was a much respected headteacher at Kings Norton Boys' School and who died in July 2022.
The group photograph of Rostron and officers owned by Hankinson - who is seated on the right. (Credit: Neilan Symondson)
According to a Facebook post in April 2025 by Neilan Symondson on the White Stars, Black Seas group, the Hankinson artifacts are still remaining in the family, having been left in the family house. Symondson wrote in regards to a group photograph of Rostron and his officers with the loving cup:
My wife great uncle was Chief Officer on Carpathia at the time, sitting next to Rostron with bushy moustache. Her parents eventually lived in his house in Crosby Liverpool, these photos amongst his original memorabilia, his belongings chest he took on board, trophy awarded to the Captain for the efforts by the crew to rescue Titanic survivors.
In other posts he also showed a photograph of "an award from the Liverpool shipwreck and humane society." He mentions that "another of his possessions including we have an old timber box with rope handles and his name on.", concluding it "must have been like a suitcase for his clothes."
Hankinson's Liverpool Shipwreck Humane Society certificate (Credit: Neilan Symondson)
Hankinson's "Record of Cunards ships in WW1 including Carpathia. (Credit: Neilan Symondson)
