Titanic

Camden Post-Telegram * April 20, 1912 – CAMDEN [New Jersey, USA]
MAN MOURNS BROTHERS ON TITANIC

Edgar and Fred. Giles Were Bound for This City From England to Make Home With Their Brother William, Who Hourly Expects Word That His Aged Father is Dead. Bound for this city from England to make their home here with their brother, Edgar and Fred Giles went down to their death on the Titanic.Almost crazed through the disaster, the brother, William Giles, of 435 Pine street, is momentarily expecting a cablegram from Porthleven, Cornwall, Eng., announcing the death of his father, William, who has been in very poor health for a long time.“I am very much afraid for father and mother,” said Mr. Giles, to-day, as he sat with bowed head in the parlor of the home of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Luce, with whom he boards. “There were eight boys of us and when things got dull in our home town my brother Richard and I came to this city. Richard had been here four years and when mother wrote that father was very poorly he decided to go home and see the old folks.“He sailed from New York on March 23, on the Olympic. As things were not looking very well at home it was decided that Edgar and Fred should come to this city to my home and make a new start.“Edgar was twenty and Fred twenty-two and on Monday I received a letter stating that they had booked second-class passage on the Titanic and that they were due to arrive in New York on Wednesday of this week. In the letter they asked that I meet them when the boat landed.“I made the necessary arrangements and thought no more of it until I returned from my position at the American Dredging Company that night and picked up the evening paper only to read that the Titanic had rammed an iceberg. The paper stated that all were saved and yet I had a strange feeling that all was not well.“The papers next day confirmed my suspicions and what I endured until the passenger list of those saved was printed and then confirmed later no man will ever know. On Wednesday of this week came a letter penned by my dear mother Mary. Imagine my feelings when I opened it and read that Edgar and Fred had left home to take the steamer and that she hoped and prayed that ere her letter reached me the two boys would be safe and sound in my home.“That they went down to their death is a certainty, but out of all the gloom there is a consolation that they died like brave men. I have done everything in my power to get some cheering information. I hoped against hope, but when the Carpathia docked without them on Thursday night all hope fled.“Even now I see their smiling faces when they were little fellows at home in Porthleven and although that makes the loss seem all the harder to bear, I can only hope that the terrible blow will not take my dear father and mother from me.”
Edgar Giles
Mr Edgar Giles, 21, was born in Porthleven, Cornwall sometime after 1891. He was the son of William H Giles (farm/general worker) and Mary Cornish Giles (née Andrewartha). Initially the family lived in the village of Manaccan, Cornwall, later moving to live in Wheal Unity Road (now Unity Road) in the town of Porthleven, Cornwall.Edgar was a brother of Albert, James (Jim), William Henry (k/a Henry), Lily, Richard (k/a Dick) John Frances, Norman, Frederick Edward (k/a Fred) and Edward. The nine boys were well known in Porthleven for their singing. Edgar worked for Mr Wells of the post establishment in Porthleven. In 1910 Edgar’s elder brother, John Frances Giles emigrated to America, where he set up home at 435 Pine Street, Camden, New Jersey where he worked as a professional horse trainer. A couple of years later Edgar and his brother Frederick decided to join him there.For their journey both Edgar and Frederick travelled on Titanic, boarding at Southampton. They had been due to travel on Oceanic but the coal strike had forced the change to Titanic. They traveled second class. Edgar’s ticket (No. 28133) cost him £11 10s.Edgar Giles died in the sinking, his body, if recovered, was never identified.Sources
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
Mary Wensel, USA (Grandaughter of John Francis Giles)Acknowledgements
Steve Coombes, UK
Chris Dohany, USA
Brian Ticehurst, UK
Lyn Wonnacott
Frederick Edgar Giles
Mr. Frederick Edward Giles. (k/a Fred) Fred Giles was born in Porthleven, Cornwall sometime after 1891. He was the son of William H. Giles (farm/general worker) and Mary Cornish Giles (née Andrewartha).Fred worked as a carpenter in Porthleven. In 1910 Fred’s elder brother, John Frances Giles emigrated to America, where he set up home at 435 Pine Street, Camden, New Jersey where he worked as a professional horse trainer. A couple of years later Fred and his brother Edgar decided to join him there. For their journey both Fred and Edgar traveled on Titanic, boarding at Southampton. They had been due to travel on Oceanic but the coal strike had forced the change to Titanic. They traveled second class. Fred’s ticket (No. 28134) had cost him £11 10s.Fred died in the sinking, his body, if recovered, was never identified.Sources
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
Mary Wensel, USA (Grandaughter of John Giles)Acknowledgements
Steve Coombes, UK
Chris Dohany, USA
Brian Ticehurst, UK
John Francis Giles moved to Delaware County, Pennsylvania where he worked around horses as a groom for many years, residing at Glen Riddle in 1917 and by 1930 in Middletown Township. By 1942 Mr. Giles was living at and working at Kimberton Farms in Phoenixville, East Vincent Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was last a resident of Leola in Lancaster County. John Giles passed away in May of 1983.

World War II Draft card – John Francis Borlace GILES