Bertram Frank Dean

Who was Mr Bertram Frank Dean?

Mr Bertram Frank Dean was a 25 (twenty-five) year-old English farmer and public house owner who tragically lost his life in the Titanic disaster. Born in London on June 30, 1886, Dean was a third-class passenger on the ill-fated ship, embarking on a journey to start a new life with his family in Wichita, Kansas.

Early Life and Family

Bertram Frank Dean was born in the bustling city of London in 1886. While details of his early life are scarce, we know that he grew up to become an enterprising young man. By the age of 25, he had already established himself as a public house owner, running the business alongside his wife, Eva Georgette Light.

Marriage and Children

Dean’s personal life was marked by his marriage to Eva Georgette Light, who was several years his senior. The couple had two children:

• Bertram Vere, born in 1910
• Eliza Gladys “Millvina”, born in 1912

Little Millvina, just a few months old at the time of the Titanic’s voyage, would later become known as the youngest passenger on the ship and the last surviving passenger of the Titanic disaster.

The Decision to Emigrate

A New Life in America

In 1912, Bertram made a life-changing decision to emigrate to the United States. His chosen destination was Wichita, Kansas, where he had both family and friends awaiting their arrival. The Deans had several compelling reasons for this move:

1. A house was already prepared for them in Wichita
2. Bertram hoped to open a tobacconist shop
3. The promise of new opportunities in America

To fund this new chapter in their lives, Bertram took the significant step of selling their public house in England.

Booking Passage on the Titanic

With their plans set, Bertram purchased third-class tickets for his family’s transatlantic journey. The ticket details were as follows:

Interestingly, the Dean family was not originally scheduled to sail on the Titanic. They had booked passage on another White Star Line ship, possibly the Adriatic. However, due to a coal strike affecting sailings, they were transferred to the Titanic - a fateful change that would alter the course of their lives forever.

The Titanic Journey

Embarking at Southampton

On April 10, 1912, the Dean family boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton, filled with hope and excitement for their new life in America. Little did they know that this would be Bertram’s final voyage.

The Night of the Sinking

On the tragic night of April 14-15, 1912, Bertram Dean’s quick thinking and selfless actions would save his family, though he would not survive to see the result. The sequence of events unfolded as follows:

1. Bertram was alerted to the danger by the actual collision with the iceberg.
2. He left the cabin to investigate the situation.
3. Upon realizing the severity of the danger, he returned to the cabin.
4. Bertram instructed his wife, Ettie (Eva), to dress the sleeping children and bring them up on deck.

At the lifeboats, Bertram made the ultimate sacrifice. He helped his wife and children into a lifeboat, assuring Eva that he would follow later on another boat. Tragically, this was the last time his family would see him alive.

Legacy and Impact

Bertram Frank Dean’s life was cut short at the young age of 25 (twenty-five), but his legacy lives on through his family’s survival story. His quick actions and selfless decision to ensure his family’s safety first exemplify the bravery shown by many during the Titanic disaster.

While his body was never identified, if recovered, Bertram’s memory is preserved through his descendants and the broader narrative of the Titanic’s history. His daughter, Millvina Dean, would go on to become a notable figure in Titanic history, keeping the story of her family’s tragedy and survival alive for future generations.

Bertram Frank Dean’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the Titanic disaster and the countless dreams of a better life that were tragically cut short on that fateful night in April 1912.