List of Bodies

In the process of searching for, recovering, identifying and forwarding the remains of those lost on the Titanic, various official records were created in 1912, and have survived. We are pleased to present below an alphabetical list of those lost, constructed from two printed documents created at the time, which are scarcely known and have seldom been seen before. Each name on the alphabetical list below, including the long run of unidentified bodies, has also been linked electronically to its corresponding file in the Fatality Reports available elsewhere on this website.

The first printed document used in compiling the artificial list below is the 'Disposition of Bodies ex Titanic Recovered up to May 13, 1912.' It has been scanned for this website so that online visitors can experience visually the appearance of the original. The document was constructed in two sections, 'List of Bodies Identified and Disposition of Same,' and 'List of Bodies Unidentified and Disposition of Same.' Although the listing is incomplete — there are various gaps in the numbering sequence — the document is nevertheless significant.

The printed 'Disposition of Bodies' contains 23 pages and lists 328 bodies found at the disaster site and either buried at sea or brought back to Halifax. The document is arranged in alphabetical order by surname for those identified, followed by a lengthy list of the unknown. Information recorded for each body includes name of the individual (if known), distinguishing physical features and notations regarding clothing and personal effects found on the body (if unidentified) and details concerning final disposition of the remains. Printed and bound, there were probably several copies of the document, which was no doubt prepared by the Provincial Secretary's Office in Halifax for the White Star Line in New York City.

Two additional body numbers have been added to the alphabetical list below, namely #329, picked up by the CGS Montmagny, and #330, retrieved by the SS Algerine. As well, body #4, initially unidentified and later named as 'Baby Paulsson,' is now corrected in the electronic version to 'Sidney Leslie Goodwin,' his identity conclusively proved in 2003 by DNA investigation.

The Nova Scotia Archives also holds a second, equally rare list of Titanic victims, published on or about 4 May 1912. This has been used as well in creating the artificial alphabetical list, and a digital copy is available on this website. This slightly earlier version is titled 'Record of Bodies and Effects (Passengers and Crew SS Titanic) Recovered by Cable Steamer MacKay-Bennett, Including Bodies Buried at Sea and Bodies Delivered at Morgue in Halifax, NS: Details Compiled from Records of the Mackay-Bennett [up to May 3, 1912].'

The print version of this earlier list stops at body #306, but includes two typed pages added loosely at the end for numbers 307 - 330, namely those bodies retrieved by the CS Minia, CGS Montmagny and SS Algerine. Numbers 324, 325 and 326 were not used, for unknown reasons, although the Fatality Reports include a file for #326, an unidentified body.

The list printed on or about 4 May 1912 is likely the more complete of the two, but only because of the two additional loose pages. The 80-page copy scanned for presentation here also includes unique annotations in red and occasionally black ink, inserted at the time by an unknown hand.