The grave of J Bruce Ismay at Putney Vale Cemetery

Image: © Marathon Taken: 11 Mar 2020

Bordered on two sides by Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath, Putney Vale Cemetery was opened in 1891 and the crematorium in 1938. Putney Vale's only rival in the London area for the number of famous people buried or cremated here is Golders Green Crematorium. Among those whose funerals were held here were Arthur Askey, Stanley Baker, James Beck of Dad's Army, Howard Carter who discovered Tutankhamun, James Hunt who won the Formula One Drivers' Championship, Hattie Jacques, J Bruce Ismay who was a passenger on the Titanic and Chairman of the White Star Line, Daniel Massey, Bobby Moore, Kenneth More, Jon Pertwee, Roy Plomley of Desert Island Discs, Nyree Dawn Porter, Joan Sims and Vesta Tilley. Joseph Bruce Ismay was born in Liverpool on 12th December 1862. He was the eldest son of Thomas Henry Ismay, the owner of the White Star steamship company. He was educated at Elstree and Harrow. In 1888, he married Julia Florence Schieffelin of New York, the heiress to a pharmaceutical fortune. Upon the death of his father in 1899, Bruce gained control of the White Star Line but, within three years, was forced to sell to J. Pierpoint Morgan, although he remained as Chairman. As such, he was on board the Titanic and his role was subject to much scrutiny and condemnation afterwards as he managed to get into one of the lifeboats and was saved. Ismay never recovered from the public reaction to the disaster and died on 17th October 1937. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17694824 and https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/j-bruce-ismay.html

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