London - Downshire House

Downshire House Berkley Square London

Downshire House, 24 Berkley Square, was the London residence of Lord Pirrie, Chairman of the Harland And Wolf Shipyard.  

Berkley Square London

In July 1907, Bruce Ismay, Chairman of the White Start Line, dined  with Lord Pirrie. The topic at dinner was the White Start Lines rivals on the Atlantic Crossing, ,Cunard, newset ships the Lusitania and the Mauretania. The question as how would the White Star Line compete with Cunard.

Lord Pirrie                                                   Bruce Ismay

After dinner, Ismay and Bruce discussed the construction of three sister ships. The White Star Line looked to provide the most luxurious and comfortable accommodation, primarly aimed at wealthy passengers, though all three would have to be capable of significant speed. As a result, these three ships would make the White Star Line once again prominent on the Trans-Atlantic route.

The chosen names ascribed the three ships would signify might and powerful,t he biggest the world had ever seen; the Titanic, Olympic and Gigantic (would be actually named Britannic).


The Olympic and the Titanic would be nearly one and a half times larger than Mauretania and the Lusitania. Rough drawings were made of the three ships which envisaged three funnelled ships each with two or three masts. The final plans added a forth "dummy funnel" for ventilation but the ships would only have two masts.

Titanic Sketch - three funnels

Downshire House Berkley Square London
February 2019

London - Oceanic House - Maiden Voyage

White Star's London Office , Oceanic House, was situated in Cockspur Street near to Trafalgar Square. Oceanic House was constructed between 1903 and 1906, the prestigious area being the location of rival companies, Cunard, P & O and Hamburg American Line.

Oceanic House 1 Cockspur Street London

Oceanic House White Star Line London Office

Oceanic House White Star Line London Office Ticket Office

Tickets for Titanic's maiden voyage to New York could be purchased at the London Ticket Office. The cost of a Third Class ticket in 1912 was 7 pounds 9 shillings and zero pennies, A skilled mans wage in 1912 was £100. The value of a ticket, £7.45. is equivalent to £594. 95 today.

Oceanic House White Star Line London Office Ticket Office

Titanic Third Class Ticket

Oceanic House in 2019 is a Grade II listed building which was converted into a luxury apartment block in 2017.

Oceanic House 1 Cockspur Street London

London - Oceanic House - News of Sinking

 When the Titanic struck the iceberg it was 02:40 in London. The initial SOS calls and reports were in the early hours of the morning and as the first editions of the newspapers were being published, the SS Carpathia had yet to arrive at the location of Titanic. 

The reports received were conflicting and confusing, as information arrived from various sources. Some accounts stated that Titanic was under tow to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Reuters reported that Titanic had sank with no loss of life, as did the Daily Mirror.

As the day progressed the true scale of the disaster unfolded and by the evening the London Evening News was reporting the great loss of life.

Outside the White Star Line Offices at Oceanic House, just off Trafalgar Square, newsboy Ned Parfett was selling the newspaper holding a poster proclaiming the disaster.

Ned Parfett newsboy outside Oceanic House

IJ outside Oceanic House