Captain Edward J. Smith
Sea Captain.
Jesuit tempore co-adjator.
Due to retire after the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic. See note below.
15 Apr 1912 - Captained RMS Titanic
20 Sep 1911 - Captain of RMS Olympic when it collided with the HMS Hawke. Smith held responsible for the collission and White Star Line incurred all costs.
Died 15 Apr 1912, from suicide by drowning. Age 62.
Note: ‘Jesuit tempore co-adjator.’ This means that he was not a priest, but he was a Jesuit of the short robe. Jesuits are not necessarily priests. Those who are not priests serve the order through their profession. Anyone could be a Jesuit, and their identity would not be known. Edward Smith served the Jesuit Order in his profession as a sea captain.
Captain Smith was due to retire after the maiden voyage. The previous year, Captain Smith was found to be to blame for a costly collission between RMS Olympic and HMS Hawke, requiring White Star Line to cover the cost of both damaged ships.
[1] - FYI - Wiki - Edward Smith
[2] They Didn’t Listen, They Didn’t Know by Olwen Davies - reference to Co-Adjactor
[3] - Find a Grave - Edward John Smith
[4] - BBC Article, Captain Edward Smith on his “retirement” journey
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