Frederick Blainey Shellard

Who was Mr Frederick Blainey Shellard?

Mr Frederick Blainey Shellard was a 55-year-old English painter and decorator who tragically lost his life in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Born in Bristol in 1857, Shellard had emigrated to America with his family in 1907 but returned to England in late 1911 for a visit. He was a third-class passenger on the Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage, traveling back to his home in Troy, New York.

Early Life and Family

Frederick Blainey Shellard was born on April 3, 1857, in St Nicholas, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. He was baptized two years later on May 15, 1859. His parents were:

Father: Stephen Shellard (1820-1886), a pattern maker
Mother: Martha Blainey (1819-1863)

Shellard came from a large family, being one of eleven children. His siblings included:

Eliza Ann (b. 1843)
Maria (b. 1845)
Martha (b. 1847)
Jane Elizabeth (b. 1849)
William (b. 1850)
Louisa Mary (b. 1852)
Stephen (b. 1854)
Annie Elizabeth (b. 1855)
Emily Jane (b. 1859)
Walter (b. 1860)

After his mother’s death in 1863, his father remarried Sarah Ann Toomer (1829-1917) in 1865. From this union, Frederick gained four half-siblings:

Henry (b. 1866)
Arthur (b. 1869)
Edward Josiah (b. 1871)
Thomas Henry (b. 1875)

Career and Marriage

As a young man, Frederick followed in his father’s footsteps. By the age of 14, he was working as a carpenter, and later became a pattern maker like his father. However, he eventually transitioned to become a painter and decorator, the profession he held at the time of his death.

On December 25, 1882, Frederick married Mary Harriet Greenham (b. 1854) at St Paul’s Church in Bristol. Mary was originally from Bridport, Dorset, and was the daughter of William and Charlotte Greenham.

The couple had five children:

Edith Emily (b. 1884, later Mrs. Sidney John Jenkins)
Gertrude Maud (1886-1969, later Mrs. John Michael Dudden)
Frederick William (1890-1962)
Ernest (1892-1967)
Reginald John (1896-1969)

Move to America

In 1907, the Shellard family decided to emigrate to America. Frederick left Britain first, sailing aboard the Cymric on April 12, 1907. His wife and children (except for daughter Emily) followed later, departing on August 10, 1907, aboard the Philadelphia. The family settled in Troy, Rensselaer, New York, where they built a new life.

The Fateful Titanic Journey

In December 1911, Frederick Shellard returned to Bristol to visit his brothers and sisters. For his return journey to America, he booked passage on the RMS Titanic, embarking at Southampton. He traveled with his friend, Thomas James Everett, who was also originally from Bristol. Both men were third-class passengers, sharing ticket number 6212, which cost £15 2s.

Interestingly, Shellard and Everett had initially been scheduled to travel on the Philadelphia but were transferred to the Titanic due to coal strikes. Some newspaper accounts suggest that they may have deliberately delayed their journey to sail on the Titanic’s maiden voyage, though this was apparently unknown to Shellard’s family in New York.

The Tragedy and Its Aftermath

Frederick Shellard perished in the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. He was 55 (fifty-five) years old. His body, if recovered, was never identified.

The news of Shellard’s death reached his family in a heartbreaking way. As reported in the Albany Evening Journal on April 26, 1912:

Mrs Shellard did not know that he was to sail on the Titanic, but on Tuesday she received a newspaper from Bristol which listed her husband as among the passengers. Then she wrote to the White Star line in New York, and has just received word that Shellard does not appear among the list of saved.

His family received a payment of $987.69 from American sources as compensation for their loss.

Legacy

Frederick Shellard’s widow, Harriet, never remarried and continued to live in Troy, New York. Tragically, she was killed in an automobile accident on September 23, 1922, ten years after losing her husband. She was buried in Elmwood Hill Cemetery in Troy, with Frederick’s name commemorated on her headstone.

The four Shellard children who had come to America all married and raised families, remaining in New York. They too are buried in Elmwood Hill Cemetery, a poignant reminder of a family deeply affected by one of the most famous maritime disasters in history.

Frederick Blainey Shellard’s story serves as a touching example of the many individual tragedies that made up the larger catastrophe of the Titanic. His journey from Bristol to Troy, cut short by fate, represents the dreams and aspirations of many immigrants seeking a better life in America, only to have those dreams shattered by the “unsinkable” ship’s tragic end.