Who Redeemeth thy life from Destruction

1916 Coming Home

In 1916, the Reverend John Stuart Holden arrived home having crossed the Atlantic from New York, arriving safely  in Plymouth, England. Earlier that year,  the Liverpool born Clergyman had made the reverse journey  from the UK to the East Coast. In fact on many occasion, historical records show him to travel to Boston or New York. Aboard, the Britannic on 25 July 1931, the Adriatic on 6 Jan 1929 and the Oceanic on 23 Jul 1908. All in all he travelled  back and forth between the Amercia’s  on many occasions.  One such crossing would stay in his memory much more until his death in 1934.

2 days after Sinking
The Times ran the story
on page 9

Reverend Holden, had been the vicar of St Paul’s Church, Portman Square, London and he would make regular trips to New York to deliver sermons or to Preach  along with others at conferences in New York City. On one such journey,  hewas preparing for his departure to America   to speak at the Christian Conservation Congress (a six-day convention opening at Carnegie Hall April 20 of that year) when his plans were interrupted by his wife’s sudden illness. On April 9, one day before sailing, the Rev. Holden postponed his trip to stay at his wife’s side.

Later, the Reverend Holden would frame his ticket along with writing of his own hand ‘ Who Redeemeth thy life from Destruction’. Reverend Holden had the ticket mounted and kept it above his desk until his death

On April 11^th 2011, in Liverpool’s ‘Merseyside Maritime Museum’ the Ticket will once again be at the centre of attention as it again goes on display as being the only surviving first class ticket of the of the now infamous Southampton to New York crossing departing England on 10^th April 1912. The ship of course was the RMS Titanic .

Did your family cross the Atlantic ?, would you like to know more about their past?

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