Monthly Archives: April 2025

Yesterday afternoon (13th April) guide Graham Linecar took a group of 25 members of the public as well as few FoSOC member on a longer walk around the Old Cemetery, talking about the Titanic graves. The weather was not on his side but he did manage to show quite a few graves before rain intervened and the walk was abandon. For those that stayed came back to the Non-Conformist Chapel to look at the display and chat about what they had seen. Even though the walk was abandon the group extremely pleased with what Graham had told them. Well done Graham. Photos Bruce Larner

At the former Non Conformist chapel in the cemetery, on Sunday morning of the 13th April, now used by FoSOC as their ‘centre’, Geoff Watts gave a free talk about ‘RMS Titanic and Southampton’. This concentrated specifically on how the coming to Southampton of the ship, and its subsequent loss, affected the town. With many images, Geoff took us through places, locations and buildings that can still be seen and some of the people involved in the tragedy. The talk was well received and we were joined by some descendants of people involved, providing additional interest to the subject. Keep a look out for our next free talk at the chapel!

Yesterday (12th) two FoSOC guides Lizzie O’Sullivan and Val Ferguson took the first ‘Survivors’ walk. Nineteen people were on the walk and it was very well received. Below is just three of the graves that were visited. The walk started at Frederick William Scott a greaser born in Southampton in 1883 who did survive the sinking of the Titanic and later had to answer 400 question at the British enquiry into the disaster. Unfortuanltey, three year he died in an explosion on the S.S Marguerite a steamship from Dover to Southampton and is buried in the Old Cemetery. Arthur Priest, a Fireman on board the Titanic, who was born in Southampton in 1887, who also survived the sinking of the ‘Donegal, Asturias and was on the ‘Olympic’ when she had the collision with the ‘Hawke’, his nickname was ‘unsinkable stoker’. … Continue reading →

With all the sunshine and lovely warm weather the U.K has been having, the Old Cemetery has blossomed ….with crocuses, snowdrops, Daffodils and Muscari Armeniacum (Blue grape hyacinth) to names but a few.. Photos attached