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Wallace Henry Hartley (1878 - 1912)

Wallace Henry Hartley
Born in Colne, Lancashire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
[spouse(s) unknown]
Died at age 33 in At Seamap
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Profile last modified | Created 12 Dec 2015
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The RMS Titanic.
Wallace Hartley was a passenger on the RMS Titanic.
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Contents

Biography

Notables Project
Wallace Hartley is Notable.

Born in 1878 in Burnley, Lancashire, he was the son of Albion Hartley[1] and Elizabeth (Foulds) Hartley[2]

Hartley was the leader of the band that played "until the end" as the Titanic sank. It is said that their music, or simply the fact that "the band played on" helped keep passengers calm as lifeboats were loaded, saving countless lives. He and the other members of the band went down with the ship. His body was later recovered floating in the open ocean. He was given a hero's burial in Lancashire, England at Keighley Road Cemetery.[1] Findagrave.com lists his burial location as "Colne Cemetery" in Colne[3][4]

His violin was also recovered and sent to his fiancée, Maria Robinson. It was later sold at auction for 1.5 million dollars.[5]

Last residence listed as Surrey side, West Park St, Dewsbury, England[6]

Early Life

Colne was a town in Lancashire at the heart of the cotton industry. Although Wallace’s birth was registered in the District of Burnley, most subsequent sources show his birth as Colne, Lancashire as Colne fell within the Burnley Union Registration District.

In 1881 he can be seen aged 3 in the household of his father Albion, his mother Elizabeth and his older sister Mary E aged 3. His father was the manager of the cotton mill indicating the family held a position a status in the town[7]

By 1891 Wallace was still living in Colne with his parents and older sister but now has two younger siblings, Elizabeth G aged 4 and Conrad R aged 1. By this time his father was working in the insurance business. In this census record Wallace has been mistranscribed as Walter H by the census taker[8]

In 1901 Wallace is now 22 and is a professional musician. He is still living in the household of his Father and Mother. The family have relocated to Almondbury near Huddersfield in Yorkshire. His elder Sister Mary is no longer in the household, neither is Young Conrad. Elizabeth G is now 14 and Wallace has another younger sibling Hilda M aged 6. A gentleman named Herbert Shipley is visiting the family, assumedly a colleague of Wallace’s as he is also a professional musician[9]

Will was filed 21 May 1912 Wakefield Registry[10]Albion Hartley listed as insurance superintendent, effects L656 17s 4d

Departure

23 Mar 1912
Liverpool, England[11]

Death

15 Apr 1912
At Sea, on the Titanic[6]

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 Wikipedia: Wallace Hartley, accessed 12 Dec 2015.
  2. HARTLEY, WALLACE HENRY Mothers Maiden Name. FOULDS. GRO Reference: 1878 S Quarter in THE BURNLEY UNION Volume 08E Page 294
  3. Find A Grave: Memorial #7980, accessed 12 Dec 2015
  4. Titanic Fatality Reports. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia Archives. Coroner Identification Number:224, Page Number:4
  5. "JFK's Brain." Brad Meltzer's Lost History, Season 1 Episode 3, H2, 14 Nov 2014.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea. BT 334/52 and 334/53. The National Archives, Surrey, England.
  7. "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q275-XVNM : 13 December 2017), Albion Hartley, Colne, Lancashire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 11, Piece/Folio 4163/47, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,179.
  8. "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QTGT-NN2 : 6 May 2019), Walter H Hartley in household of Albion Hartley, Colne, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Lancashire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
  9. "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9PL-WHQ : 21 May 2019), Wallace H Hartley in household of Albion Hartley, Almondbury, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Almondbury subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
  10. Death Date: 15 Apr 1912, Death Place:Yorkshire, England, Probate Date:21 May 1912, Registry: WakefieldCalendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England © Crown copyright.
  11. Ship Name:Mauretania, Shipping line:Cunard Line, Official Number:124093, Master:W S Turner, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960




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Comments: 7

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hi uhm Hannah,

wallace Hartley is my great great great great grandfather so i think were related 😁

posted by Angela Hartley
Hi Angela, Wallace is also my grandad a few generations down the line. You don't by any chance know my dad Paul Hartley do you ?
posted by Paige Hartley
Go for it, Lizzie. It'd be great to have him connected!
posted by Eowyn Langholf
Hi,

I’m not a member of the Project, but if nobody objects I would like to try and connect Wallace to the Global Tree. I also have a friend, a Hartley from Colne who would like to know if/how he is connected to Wallace and I’ve said I can try to help :-) Lizzie

I’m his great great great neice I think and when he left on the Titanic he brought his family to Liverpool and we now live on the Wirral so if he lives near there that could help?
posted by Hannah Hartley
I’m his great great great neice I think and when he left on the Titanic he brought his family to Liverpool and we now live on the Wirral so if he lives near there that could help?
posted by Hannah Hartley
I’m his great great great neice I think and when he left on the Titanic he brought his family to Liverpool and we now live on the Wirral so if he lives near there that could help?
posted by Hannah Hartley

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