Titanic and Swansea Cenotaph Connection

Last week I set a question. What was the connection between the R.M.S. Titanic and Swansea Cenotaph.

This is my answer, however, if you have a different answer feel free to drop me a line.

Starting with 1912. R.M.S. Titanic set sails on her maiden voyage from Southampton on the 10th April, only to sink 5 days later after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, with a loss of at least 1,5000 people.

One of those person to lose his life was the American millionaire John Jacob Astor.

Astor was a prominent member of the Astor Family.

Another sad case with the Titanic story, is the paperboy, Ned Parfett.

Ned's fame rose when he was photographed, with the papers, Evening Post, he was selling with the headlines "Titanic Disaster Great Loss of Life". Ned lived at Cromwell Road, Waterloo

Sadly by 1918, near the end of the war, on the 29th October 1918, whilst at the Quartermaster stores' collecting clothes before going on leave, a shell landed killing all those inside. He was awarded in 1916 the Military Medal. He is buried in a British Cemetery.

Moving on to the Swansea Cenotaph. The Foundation Stone laid on 1st July 1922 by Field Marshal Haig.

The inscription reads

THIS STONE WAS LAID BY/ F.M. EARL HAIG OF BEMERSYDE
K.T. G.C.B. O.M G.C.V.O K.C.I.E.
ON THE FIRST DAY OF JULY 1922
UNDER THIS STONE LIES THE KINGS SHILLING
PLACED BY MRS FEWINGS REPRESENTING THE WAR WIDOWS.

We have to look at Haig's family for the connection. Haig's daughter, Irene Freesia Janet Augusta Haig, born 1919. Irene married Gavin Astor. For me to illustrate this clearer we have to go back to John Jacob Astor, 1763-1848, Gavin's 4x great grandfather.

Jacob Jacob Astor, had to sons, John Jacob Astor, 1791-1869 and William Backhouse Astor 1792-1875. It is from this line we go forward

William had two sons, John Jacob Astor 1822-1890 and William Backhouse Astor 1830-1892.

John Jacob Astor, 1822-1890, son William Waldor Astor, 1848-1919, son John Jacob Astor 1886-1971, son Gavin Astor 1918-1984. Husband of Haig.

The other line

William Backhouse Astor, 1830-1892, son John Jacob Astor, 1864-1912

Hope this makes interesting reading