Ernest James Crease

Who was Ernest James Crease?

Ernest James Crease was a 20 (twenty) year-old American tinsmith who tragically lost his life aboard the RMS Titanic. Born on April 10, 1892, in Cleveland, Ohio, Crease was a third-class passenger on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic, embarking at Southampton with dreams of returning to his birthplace in the United States.

Early Life and Family

A Transatlantic Family History

Ernest James Crease was born into a family with strong ties to both England and America. His parents, Alfred Joseph Crease (born 1862) and Florence Peters (born 1867), were English immigrants hailing from Dorset and Somerset respectively. They married on October 6, 1888, in Surbiton, Surrey, with Alfred described as a soldier at the time.

The Crease family’s journey across the Atlantic was marked by several moves:

1889: Ernest’s elder sister Jessie was born in London
Early 1890s: The family emigrated to the USA, settling in Cleveland, Ohio
1892: Ernest was born in Cleveland on April 10
Late 1890s: The family moved to Bronx, New York
Early 1900s: They returned to England
1904: Youngest sibling Harold was born in Yorkshire

Ernest was one of five known siblings:

Jessie Mabel (1889-1975)
Ernest James (1892-1912)
Percival Alfred (1895-1987)
Ruth Evelyn (born 1899)
Harold Francis (1904-1983)

Sadly, another sibling died in infancy.

Life in England and the Return to America

A Young Worker in Bristol

By 1911, the Crease family had settled in Bristol, England. The census that year shows them living at 28 Regent Street, Spring Street, Bedminster. At this time, Ernest, now 19 (nineteen) years old, was working as a tobacco factory labourer, contributing to the family’s income.

The Fateful Decision to Return

In 1910, an event occurred that would ultimately lead to Ernest’s presence on the Titanic. Rowland Edwin Stanley, an in-law from Cleveland, arrived to stay with relatives in England. Rowland’s brother Albert had married Ernest’s sister Jessie Mabel in Cleveland on November 12, 1910.

This family connection provided Ernest with an opportunity. When Rowland decided to return to Ohio, Ernest chose to accompany him, perhaps seeing it as a chance to explore new opportunities in the land of his birth.

The Titanic Journey

Embarking on a Tragic Voyage

Ernest and Rowland boarded the Titanic at Southampton as third-class passengers. Ernest’s ticket, number 3464, cost £8, 3s, 2d (equivalent to about £900 or $1,100 in 2023). On the passenger manifest, Ernest described his occupation as a tinsmith, suggesting he had acquired new skills since his days as a tobacco factory worker.

The Fateful Night

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink. As third-class passengers, Ernest and Rowland would have faced significant challenges in reaching the lifeboats. Tragically, both young men were lost in the disaster. Their bodies, if recovered, were never identified.

Legacy and Family Aftermath

The Family’s Return to America

In the years following the tragedy, the Crease family made their way back to Ohio. Ernest’s mother Florence and his youngest brother Harold crossed the Atlantic aboard the Imperator in 1920, perhaps fulfilling the journey Ernest had hoped to make.

Family Dispersal

It is believed that Ernest’s parents later divorced, as there is no sign of his father Alfred on the 1930 or 1940 Ohio censuses with the family. By 1940, Florence Crease was living with her married daughter Jessie, now Mrs. Cephus John Wadge.

Final Resting Places

Florence Crease, Ernest’s mother, died on January 7, 1956, in Bowling Green Wood, Ohio. She was buried in Old Maplewood cemetery, North Baltimore, Wood County, Ohio. Ernest’s sister Jessie Wadge (née Crease) passed away in Lorain, Ohio in 1975 and was laid to rest with her husband in Knollwood cemetery, Mayfield Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

A Life Cut Short

Ernest James Crease’s story is a poignant reminder of the human cost of the Titanic disaster. At just 20 (twenty) years old, he embarked on a journey of hope and opportunity, only to have his life tragically cut short. His tale, like those of many Titanic victims, serves as a lasting memorial to the dreams and aspirations that were lost on that fateful night in April 1912.