Denzil John Jarvis

Who was Mr Denzil John Jarvis?

Mr Denzil John Jarvis was a prominent Welsh engineer and businessman who perished in the Titanic disaster on April 15, 1912 at the age of 46 (forty-six). He was a second-class passenger aboard the ill-fated ship, traveling on business with important patents and prototypes.

Early Life and Family

Denzil John Jarvis was born on June 17, 1865 at the Lion Inn in Caerleon, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was baptized on July 5, 1865 at Llangattock, Caerleon. His parents were Matthew George Jarvis, a carpenter and innkeeper originally from Hay, Breconshire, and Elizabeth Powis from Wigmore, Herefordshire.

The Jarvis family was large and mobile:

• Denzil had an older brother, George Oscar, born in 1860
• A sister, Penelope, died in infancy
• The family moved to Birmingham in 1867, where another son Matthew was born
• They settled in Leicester by 1868, where they remained for 20 years
• At least 15 children were born to Matthew and Elizabeth, with 5 dying in infancy

Education and Early Career

Denzil showed ambition and talent from a young age:

• At 14, he became apprenticed to his father in the family carpentry business
• He pursued further education, gaining qualifications in:
  • Freehand drawing
  • Building construction drawing and design
• He won a first-class award in building construction

This combination of practical skills and formal education would serve Denzil well in his future endeavors.

Marriage and Family Life

On February 7, 1889, Denzil married Margaret Burrows at St. Saviours Church in Leicester. Margaret, born September 19, 1869, came from a notable family herself - her nephew would become the renowned composer Benjamin Burrows.

The couple had three children:

1. Margaret Annie (born March 13, 1890, died in infancy)
2. Denzil (born July 1, 1893)
3. Wellesley (born August 15, 1895)

Business Ventures and Innovations

Denzil’s career was marked by continuous growth and innovation:

1. He started his own business, Denzil John Jarvis and Co., specializing in shop fittings and shop front construction.
2. In 1893, he expanded by moving to larger premises and merging with his father’s business.
3. From 1895, he collaborated with his brother-in-law Joseph Wadkin in woodworking machinery manufacturing.
4. After a devastating fire in 1899, Denzil joined Wadkin full-time as a managing partner.

Patents and Inventions

Denzil was a prolific inventor, with several patents to his name:

• Patent 690732 (1902): A new design for a glazing bar
• Patent 692295 (1902): Apparatus for providing bars with extruding material
• Patent 885408 (1908): A ‘woodworking machine’

He also collaborated on a carburettor patent (1,011,960) with engineer Alexander George Ionedes in 1911.

The Titanic Journey

On April 10, 1912, Denzil boarded the Titanic at Southampton. Key details of his journey include:

• Ticket number: 237565
• Cabin: Unknown
• Ticket price: £13 (second class)

His business trip had two main objectives:

1. To present the prototype carburettor (Ionedes’ patent) to Henry Ford and General Motors in Detroit.
2. To pursue legal action against a company in Grand Rapids, Michigan for patent infringement.

Final Moments and Legacy

There are two known sightings of Denzil on the Titanic:

1. On the afternoon of April 14, asking Steward Kellard about describing the carburettor patent on the Baggage Declaration Slip.
2. In the second-class smokers’ lounge, commenting on the iceberg’s size to survivor Lawrence Beesley.

Tragically, Denzil did not survive the sinking, and his body was never identified. His death had far-reaching consequences:

• His estate of £7,704 16s 8d was administered to his widow on May 30, 1913.
• The British Titanic relief fund granted his parents a weekly pension of 7 shillings.
• A memorial service in Leicester drew large crowds, demonstrating his esteem in the community.

Denzil John Jarvis’s life, though cut short, was one of innovation, entrepreneurship, and family dedication. His legacy lived on through his patents, his company Wadkins, and his descendants, leaving an indelible mark on early 20th-century engineering and manufacturing.