Unsinkable: A Wallace Hartley Story

Birth of a Legend

June 7th, 1878
Colne, Lancashire, England

"It's a boy!" Elizabeth said as she looked down at her newborn baby boy. She comfortably cradled in her arms, keeping him warm. He had a white, cotton, blanket wrapped around his tiny naked body.

The gas lamp, hanging on the wall alongside both sides of the bed, continued to burn and emit light. Albion, Elizabeth's husband, sat in a chair next to the bed, admiring the beauty of his newborn son.

He cried and whined. He moved unsteadily around in his blanket. Elizabeth and Albion tried their very best to keep him as calm as possible.

"I have an idea for a name," Albion said.

"And what's that dear?"

"Wallace for his first name. Henry for his middle name. What do you think?"

"I love that name," Elizabeth said as she looked down at him with the biggest smile on her face. She was still breathing heavily, along with sweating a lot as well.

"Welcome to the World, my Wallace Henry Hartley. I can already see you making a big difference in this time and future."

"He's going to grow up to be an icon one day. I can feel it," Albion said.

"That'll be our son one day."

10 Years Later
September 1, 1888

"Wallace?" Albion said as he walked into Wallace's bedroom. He was still asleep.

Albion silently walked over to his bed and took a seat at the end of it. He reached up to the gas lantern hanging on the wall just over his bed. He twisted it to ignite the flame. Light began shining, lighting up everything in the corner of the bedroom.

"Wake up, son," Albion said as he set his hand down on his shoulder and gently shook him. He squirmed around for a moment before opening his eyes.

His rubbed his eyes clean of crust and fluttered them. He looked up at his father.

"Good morning," Albion said. "Ready for your first day of school as a third grader?"

"Yes papa. I will be downstairs in a minute," Wallace said as he threw the covers off of him. He was still wearing his white, cotton, gown his mother had sown for him for his birthday.

Albion walked over to the door. Before he closed the door he smiled at his precious, young man.

"You mustn't be late. We don't want to upset your mother."

"I understand Papa," Wallace responded as Albion shook his head and gently shut the bedroom door. He then walked away down the stairs and went into the kitchen.

Once Wallace was all dressed, he sat down on his bed to put on his shoes. He tied the laces to both shoes as best as he could. He buttoned up his brown vest and put his hat on. After that, he brushed his clothing free of wrinkles and proceeded on to go downstairs.

"Good morning, Wallace," Elizabeth said as she prepared a plate of freshly cooked breakfast for him. He takes a seat at the small, rounded wooden table. He takes his hat off and sets it down on the tabletop.

Albion, Wallace's father took a seat next to him. Elizabeth brought over two full plates of breakfast.

"Eggs, bacon, seasoned potato skins, and toast to finish," Elizabeth said as she set the two plates down in front of Albion and Wallace.

She went back to the counter to grab her plate. Once back at the table, she took a seat. She grabbed her fabric cloth and set it down on her lap neatly.