Now and Then ©
John Kerrigan 2005
Locations in
Orrell Park Station
These watches belonged to Thomas
& Ada Hewitt. They lived in 96
Devonfield Road in the Orrell Park area of Liverpool. The watches were gifts to
each other on their wedding day in 1902.
You may be able to see that Mrs Hewitt is wearing hers on her shirt in this photo. The back of Tom's watch was engraved with, 'From Ada to Tom 16-9-02'.
As part of his journey from home to his ship he would take the train from Orrell Park into Liverpool city centre, each time taken to the station by Ada and their son and daughter.
On his last train journey from Orrell Park station, on his way to Southampton to meet up with Titanic, he waved to his family until they were out of sight After the disaster, Ada wondered whether he had had a premonition as it was the only time he had waved to them like that – maybe he did.
When Titanic sank, after hitting an iceberg at 11:40pm on
14th April 1912,
Tom was one of over 1500 people
who lost their lives.
Tom's body was recovered, but Ada was now a widow with two children to raise and could not afford to have him shipped back to Liverpool. He is believed to be buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia (on the east coast of Canada).
It is said that Thomas managed to pass his watch to a stewardess who
was leaving Titanic.
TITANIC
She later returned it to Ada and their two children in Devonfield Road, Orrell Park, Liverpool.
The watch is now in the Maritime Museum Liverpool
Further Information hyperlinks:
E-mail address john-kerrigan@blueyonder.co.uk
Updated :
For Map of Orrell Park Station –
junction of Orrell Lane and Moss Lane