CHRONOLOGY

1873

28 February

1888

31 July

1 August

1892

30 September

3 October

1893

7 August
 

1895

27 February

23 February

12 May

1896

29 July

28 September

1897

3 April

1899

2 May

undated

1900

undated

1901

undated

1903

June
 

1904

undated
 

August

1905

January

1906

February

April

May

1907

May
 

2 September

1911

May

xxx

1912

24 March

9 April

14 April

15 April
 

1941

21 April

 

William McMaster Murdoch born in Dalbeattie (Scotland)

 

Signs indentures for an apprenticeship in sail

Joins the barque Charles Cotesworth

x

Apprenticeship terminates

Passes examination for the Certificate of Competency as 2nd Mate

xxx

Signs on as 2nd Mate aboard full-rigger Iquique. Master of this vessel is his father, Captain Samuel Murdoch.

 

Discharged from Iquique

Passes the examination for the Certificate of Competency as 1st Mate

Signs on as 1st Mate aboard the barque St. Cuthbert

 

Discharged from St. Cuthbert

Passes the examination for the Certificate of Competency as Extra Master

xx

Signs on as 1st mate aboard the 4-masted barque Lydgate

 

Discharged from Lydgate

Joins White Star Line and serves as 4th officer aboard Medic

 

Promoted to Medic's 3rd officer

xx

Transferred to Runic, serves as 2nd officer

 

Transferred to Arabic, takes part in the maiden voyage and continues to serve as 2nd officer

xxxx

Transferred to Celtic, is listed as her 1st officer for the voyages terminating in July and August

Transferred to Germanic, continues to serve as 1st officer

 

Joins Oceanic as 2nd officer

 

Transferred to Celtic for two voyages, serves as 1st officer

Transferred to Oceanic, again 2nd officer

Promoted to Oceanic's 1st officer

 

Transferred to Adriatic, continues to serve as 1st officer, takes part in Adriatic's maiden voyage

Marries Ada Florence Banks, a New Zealander teacher. They settle in Southampton


Transferred to Olympic, maintains rank as 1st officer, takes part in Olympic's maiden voyage

xxx


Signs on as Chief Officer aboard Titanic, maintains this rank until 9 April

Signs on as 1st officer aboard Titanic for her maiden voyage

Titanic strikes iceberg during his watch

Titanic sinks after collision with an iceberg; Murdoch was one of the 1,496 people who perish in the disaster. His body was never recovered.

 

Ada Florence Murdoch dies in Christchurch, New Zealand. The marriage remained childless.

© Susanne Störmer, July 2006

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