Key facts about Thomas William Jones
- Specialist research places Jones’s birth in Cemaes, Anglesey, on November 15, 1877, although Titanic crew records listed him as 32.
- He had Royal Navy and merchant-service experience and had served for years on ships including Majestic and Oceanic.
- Jones helped prepare the boats after the collision and was placed in charge of Lifeboat 8.
- Captain Smith ordered him to row toward a distant light, land the passengers and return to Titanic.
- Jones testified before the United States Senate and remained in contact with the Countess of Rothes for decades.
A Welsh seaman with years of experience
Thomas William Jones was born in the coastal village of Cemaes on Anglesey, Wales. Specialist research gives his birth date as November 15, 1877, although his naval records and Titanic paperwork contain different age information. He came from a seafaring family and went to sea young.
Jones served in the Royal Navy and later in the merchant service. He worked aboard Majestic for several years and had recently served on Oceanic before joining Titanic at Southampton on April 6, 1912. As an able seaman he earned £5 a month. His job placed him among the deck crew expected to handle boats, ropes and other seamanship duties in an emergency.
He heard the collision from the forecastle area
In his Senate testimony, Jones said he was in the forecastle area when he heard a noise like a ship moving through loose ice. He went outside, saw ice on deck and then heard water rushing below. He also saw firemen coming up from the lower parts of the ship.
Soon an order sent the crew to the bridge and Jones was put to work preparing lifeboats. He first worked on a collapsible boat and then on his assigned boat, No. 8. The testimony is valuable because it follows the emergency from a working seaman’s position rather than from a passenger cabin or dining room.
Captain Smith sent Lifeboat 8 toward a distant light
Jones said Lifeboat 8 was already swung out and partly loaded when he returned with a lamp. Captain Edward Smith asked whether the plug was in place and repeatedly called for more women. Jones estimated that the boat eventually carried about 35 women plus several crew members, although other witnesses gave lower totals and the exact number remains disputed.
Smith ordered Jones to row toward a light visible on the horizon, land the passengers and return to Titanic. The light proved much farther away than it appeared. Jones told the Senate that he rowed toward it for about two hours before daylight came and the light disappeared. When Carpathia was sighted, the boat turned toward the rescue ship.
The Countess of Rothes worked beside the crew
Noël, Countess of Rothes, was one of the first class passengers in Lifeboat 8. Jones needed someone to steer while he rowed and put her at the tiller. In a newspaper interview soon after the disaster, he praised her calm manner and the work she did in the boat.
Gladys Cherry, the Countess’s cousin, later wrote Jones a letter praising the way he handled the boat. She also shared his regret that they had not returned to the people in the water after Titanic sank. Jones and the Countess remained in contact long afterward. She gave him an engraved silver watch, and he later sent her the brass number 8 from the lifeboat mounted on wood.
Senate testimony and a long life at sea
Jones gave evidence to the United States Senate inquiry on April 25, 1912. He described the boat drill held before Titanic left Southampton, the collision, the loading of Lifeboat 8, Captain Smith’s orders and his belief that the boat could safely have carried many more people.
He continued working at sea after Titanic and married Clara Elizabeth Moulton in 1916. They had three children. Jones later worked around Liverpool, including on a lightship, and continued corresponding with the Countess of Rothes until her death in 1956. Thomas Jones died in Liverpool in June 1967. His ashes were scattered at Anfield Cemetery and Crematorium.
Sources used for this biography
Jones left unusually detailed evidence. His Senate testimony provides a contemporary account of his work aboard Titanic and Lifeboat 8, while later biographical research traces his naval career, family and long friendship with the Countess of Rothes.
- U.S. Senate Inquiry: testimony of Thomas Jones Contemporary testimony about boat drill, the collision, Lifeboat 8, Captain Smith’s orders and the distant light.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Thomas William Jones Birth research, naval and merchant-service career, Titanic service, Lifeboat 8, family and later life.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Thomas Jones on Titanic?
Thomas William Jones was a Welsh able seaman and member of Titanic’s deck crew.
Which lifeboat was Thomas Jones in?
He was placed in charge of Lifeboat 8 on the port side.
What did Captain Smith tell Thomas Jones to do?
Jones testified that Captain Smith told him to row toward a distant light, land the passengers and return to Titanic.
Who steered Lifeboat 8?
Noël, Countess of Rothes, took the tiller while Jones and others rowed.
Did Thomas Jones testify at the Titanic inquiry?
Yes. He gave evidence to the United States Senate inquiry on April 25, 1912.