George Henry Chitty and Archibald Chitty,

69 Bevois Valley Road: Lost

George Henry Chitty was born in 1862 in Reigate, Surrey, the son of Thomas Chitty and Ellen Butler and one of seven children. In April 1880 George married Juliette (Julia) Walden in the parish of Hound. George’s occupation was a member of the Army Services Corps. By 1891 they were living at Mount Place (now Wyndham Place) in Blechynden with their three children, Jessie (born 1882), Archibald George (born 1884) and Elizabeth (born 1890). George’s occupation was a baker. Jessie had been born in Netley, while Archibald had been born in Aldershot, which suggests George may have been stationed in these places while in the Army Service Corps. On the 1901 census, George is living at 66 Earl’s Road in

Portswood with his wife Julia and a relative who is listed as a boarder, Samuel John Chitty. None of their children are living with them at this time. George still gave his occupation as a baker. When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as 69 Bevois Valley Road, Southampton (see photograph, above – 69 is the house next to the pub). He gave his age as 44 although census and other records show him to have been about 50. As an assistant baker he received monthly wages of £4 10s. His last ship had been the Oceanic. Archibald does not appear on the 1901 census – he was 17 years old and may have been away at sea. In 1911 he was living in a house called Clovelly in Newton Road, Bitterne with his married elder sister Jessica (Jessie) and her husband George Carpenter, whom she had married at South Stoneham in 1909. George Carpenter also worked on ships, for the American Line, and his last ship had been the St Louis. Archibald had been working on the White Star’s Adriatic. On signing on to the Titanic in April 1912, Archibald gave his age as 28 and his address as 69 Bevois Valley Road, the same address as his father. As a Steward he was paid £3 15s a month. His last ship had also been the Oceanic. Both George and Archibald Chitty died in the sinking and their bodies were never identified. The following notice appeared in the local press, and reveals that Archibald was a former member of the Gordon Boys and that George had been a sergeant in the Army Service Corps.

No dependents are listed in the relief fund records. George’s wife Julia Chitty had died in South Stoneham parish in 1909. Both George and Archibald are mentioned on the family grave in the Old Cemetery on the

Common. The inscription reads: ‘George Henry Chitty who lost his life through the foundering of the SS Titanic April 15th 1912 (Also their children) Archibald George who lost his life through the foundering of the SS Titanic April 15th 1912 Aged 28 years.’