Joseph Bell, Chief Engineer on the R.M.S. Titanic

• 1895.  Born 21st August Tottenham London
• 1901.  Census 31st March recorded as ‘visitor’ aged 5 with William & Jane Lowthian, Kettering, Northants.
• 1908.  Boarder aged 12 Grosvenor College Carlisle.
• 1911.  Census 2nd April aged 15 Grosvenor College Carlisle.
• 1911.  Began apprenticeship Harland & Wolff Belfast.
• 1917.  Completes apprenticeship  in summer of 1917 at Harland & Wolff.
• 1919.  Began Merchant Marine career in September as 4th Engineer with SS Adriatic aged 24.
• 1920.  Arrived New York 8th February as a passenger, home address Stockton Heath Warrington.
• 1921.  February SS Persic. Married [1] Marjorie Sybil Dykes Robson, Somercotes Derby 6th July aged 25
• 1922.  April SS Dakotian.
• 1924.  February SS Dakarian.  June SS Scythian.
• 1926.  Death of Mrs Bell 13th November Alfreton Derbys.
• 1928.  July SS Minnewaska Married [2] Martha Hannah Lewis Lambeth 21st July aged 32
• 1929.  May SS Almeda Star, July SS Highland Rover, October SS Highland Piper.
• 1930.  April MV Dunster Grange, June SS Baltonia.
• 1942.  Death 19th February aged 46 at Edgware, London, cause of death Bronchopneumonia.1943.  Last known ship on which he served, SS Baltonia  home port of London. While on convoy MKS-7 on the Seville-Gibralter-Belfast Lough route on the 7th February 1943, SS Baltonia with a cargo of 1215 tons of sour oranges, ran into a minefield laid by U-118 [Werner Czygan] and sunk with the loss of 11dead & 51 survivors.

The last letter from Joseph to his  son Frank Bell was sold yesterday, the 18th of October 2014 at Auction.  The letter was sold at above the estimated price for the sum of £24000.00 GBP.  The vendor and purchaser are unknown, but it is to be hoped that one day the letter will be available for all to see in a UK museum.

In addition many other items were sold at auction, including a First Class lunch menu from Titanic dated the 12th of April 1912, it was sold for the staggering sum of £60000.00 GBP.  The menu had belonged to Elise Lurette, a French born maid who was a Titanic survivor.