Arthur Godfrey Peuchen
Encyclopedia
Arthur Godfrey Peuchen was a Canadian
businessman and RMS Titanic survivor.
, Quebec
, Peuchen was the son of a railroad contractor; his grandfather managed the London, Brighton and Midlands Railway. He was educated in private schools. In 1888 he entered military life and became a lieutenant of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
. Peuchen moved up the ranks and in 1911 was marshalling officer at the coronation
of George V
.
In 1897 Peuchen perfected plans for extracting useful chemicals from coarse hardwoods and waste woods, the principal products being acetic acid
, acetate of lime, acetone
, methanol
and formaldehyde
. The dyeing industries used the acids, formaldehyde was used by wheat growers in Canada, and acetone was used to manufacture high explosives like cordite
. Peuchen subsequently became president of Standard Chemical, Iron & Lumber Company of Canada, Ltd. The company had many plants and facilities in Canada as well as refineries located in Montreal
, London
, France
and Germany
. Because some company facilities were located abroad, Peuchen often traveled to Europe by ship.
Peuchen owned a yacht named Vreda which crossed the Atlantic under its own canvas and was, for a time, Vice-Commodore and Rear-Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.
as a first-class passenger on his fortieth transatlantic voyage. He reportedly was concerned that Captain Smith was in command, because he thought Smith to be a poor commander and also that Smith was too old. On the night Titanic sank, Peuchen saw that Lifeboat 6
, the boat which contained Quartermaster Robert Hichens and Molly Brown
, was poorly manned and came forward to Second Officer Lightoller
, saying he was a yachtsman. Captain Smith was standing nearby and suggested Peuchen go down to the Promenade Deck, so he could break a window and climb into Lifeboat 6. Lightoller replied, however, that Peuchen could slide down the ropes to enter the boat if he was as good a sailor as he claimed. Peuchen then took a rope, swung off the ship, and climbed hand-under-hand down to Lifeboat 6. He was the only male passenger that Lightoller would allow into a lifeboat that night. He later claimed he did not realize Titanic was doomed until he viewed the ship from the lifeboat.
Because Peuchen was a military officer, he came under scrutiny for allowing Hichens to prevent the boat's occupants from going back for survivors and for tolerating the verbal abuse Hichens reportedly gave. Peuchen was also criticized for exaggerating his own role, and did not recognize the pivotal role Margaret (Mrs J J) Brown played in leading the lifeboat's occupants in rowing and in raising morale. It is possible that Peuchen, as a yachtsman, may have thought that second-guessing an officer in charge would encourage mutiny.
Peuchen publicly blasted Captain Smith and the crew of Titanic, claiming their seamanship to be substandard; however, his official testimony at the United States Senate
inquiry into the disaster was tempered somewhat from interviews he gave in the days after the rescue.
In 1987, Peuchen's wallet was recovered from the area around the remains of Titanic; streetcar tickets, a traveler's cheque
, and his calling card
were found inside.
began, Peuchen retired from Standard Chemical to command the Home Battalion of the Queen's Own Rifles.
In later years, Peuchen's standing slipped greatly, as a man who survived both the sinking of Titanic and World War I. He made bad investments and lost much of his money during the 1920s. Peuchen died in Toronto and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman and RMS Titanic survivor.
Early life
Born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Peuchen was the son of a railroad contractor; his grandfather managed the London, Brighton and Midlands Railway. He was educated in private schools. In 1888 he entered military life and became a lieutenant of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
. Peuchen moved up the ranks and in 1911 was marshalling officer at the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
In 1897 Peuchen perfected plans for extracting useful chemicals from coarse hardwoods and waste woods, the principal products being acetic acid
Acetic acid
Acetic acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CO2H . It is a colourless liquid that when undiluted is also called glacial acetic acid. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar , and has a distinctive sour taste and pungent smell...
, acetate of lime, acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
, methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
and formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
. The dyeing industries used the acids, formaldehyde was used by wheat growers in Canada, and acetone was used to manufacture high explosives like cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
. Peuchen subsequently became president of Standard Chemical, Iron & Lumber Company of Canada, Ltd. The company had many plants and facilities in Canada as well as refineries located in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Because some company facilities were located abroad, Peuchen often traveled to Europe by ship.
Peuchen owned a yacht named Vreda which crossed the Atlantic under its own canvas and was, for a time, Vice-Commodore and Rear-Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.
Titanic
Peuchen boarded Titanic at SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
as a first-class passenger on his fortieth transatlantic voyage. He reportedly was concerned that Captain Smith was in command, because he thought Smith to be a poor commander and also that Smith was too old. On the night Titanic sank, Peuchen saw that Lifeboat 6
Titanic Lifeboat No. 6
Titanic Lifeboat No. 6 was the third lifeboat to be launched during the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. Well-known for being the lifeboat that carried "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", No...
, the boat which contained Quartermaster Robert Hichens and Molly Brown
Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown was an American socialite, philanthropist, and activist who became famous due to her involvement with the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, after exhorting the crew of lifeboat 6 to return to look for survivors. It is unclear whether any survivors were found after life boat 6...
, was poorly manned and came forward to Second Officer Lightoller
Charles Lightoller
Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller DSC & Bar, RD, RNR was the second mate on board the , and the most senior officer to survive the disaster...
, saying he was a yachtsman. Captain Smith was standing nearby and suggested Peuchen go down to the Promenade Deck, so he could break a window and climb into Lifeboat 6. Lightoller replied, however, that Peuchen could slide down the ropes to enter the boat if he was as good a sailor as he claimed. Peuchen then took a rope, swung off the ship, and climbed hand-under-hand down to Lifeboat 6. He was the only male passenger that Lightoller would allow into a lifeboat that night. He later claimed he did not realize Titanic was doomed until he viewed the ship from the lifeboat.
Because Peuchen was a military officer, he came under scrutiny for allowing Hichens to prevent the boat's occupants from going back for survivors and for tolerating the verbal abuse Hichens reportedly gave. Peuchen was also criticized for exaggerating his own role, and did not recognize the pivotal role Margaret (Mrs J J) Brown played in leading the lifeboat's occupants in rowing and in raising morale. It is possible that Peuchen, as a yachtsman, may have thought that second-guessing an officer in charge would encourage mutiny.
Peuchen publicly blasted Captain Smith and the crew of Titanic, claiming their seamanship to be substandard; however, his official testimony at the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
inquiry into the disaster was tempered somewhat from interviews he gave in the days after the rescue.
In 1987, Peuchen's wallet was recovered from the area around the remains of Titanic; streetcar tickets, a traveler's cheque
Traveler's cheque
A traveler's cheque is a preprinted, fixed-amount cheque designed to allow the person signing it to make an unconditional payment to someone else as a result of having paid the issuer for that privilege.- Usage :As traveler's cheques can usually be replaced if lost or stolen A traveler's cheque...
, and his calling card
Business card
Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company affiliation and contact information such as street addresses, telephone...
were found inside.
Later years
In Toronto, Peuchen was deemed a coward largely because of his self-serving attitude, and speculation gathered that his expected promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel in The Queen's Own Rifles would not be awarded. Despite the publicity, the promotion was made on May 21, 1912, and he also received the Officer's Long Service Decoration. When World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began, Peuchen retired from Standard Chemical to command the Home Battalion of the Queen's Own Rifles.
In later years, Peuchen's standing slipped greatly, as a man who survived both the sinking of Titanic and World War I. He made bad investments and lost much of his money during the 1920s. Peuchen died in Toronto and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.In the early 19th century, the only authorized cemeteries within the city of Toronto were limited to the members of either the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England...
.
Portrayels
- Robert Ayres (actor)Robert Ayres (actor)Robert Ayres was an American film, stage and television actor.-Selected filmography:* The Black Widow * Delayed Action * A Prize of Gold * It's Never Too Late...
(1958) (A Night to Remember)
External links
- Middletown, Jesse Edgar. The Municipality of Toronto - A History. Dominion Publishing, 1923.
- http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/234/Encyclopedia TitanicaEncyclopedia TitanicaEncyclopedia Titanica is an online reference work containing extensive and constantly-updated information on the . The website, a nonprofit endeavor, is a database of passenger and crew biographies, deck plans, and articles submitted by historians or Titanic enthusiasts...
biography]