Edward Arthur Dorking (June 18, 1893 – April 12, 1954) was a passenger on RMS ''Titanic'' and a survivor from the

sinking Shipwrecking is any event causing a ship to wreck, such as a collision causing the ship to sink; the stranding of a ship on rocks, land or shoal; poor maintenance, resulting in a lack of seaworthiness; or the destruction of a ship either intent ...

. Originally from England, he toured the United States and Canada with a vaudeville show. He then fought in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, surviving both. He died in prison in 1954.

Biography

Edward Arthur Dorking was born on June 18, 1893, in Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England, the son of Edward Arthur Dorkings (b. 1867), a policeman, and Florence Derby (b. 1876). Dorking boarded the Titanic at Southampton on April 10, 1912, as a Third Class passenger. He was emigrating to the United States to live with his uncle and aunt, Fred and Violet Cooke, in

Oglesby, Illinois Oglesby is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,712 at the 2020 census, down from 3,791 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Oglesby was a center for mining co ...

. He survived the sinking swimming for 35 minutes to lifeboat B and was later rescued by the ''Carpathia''. He testified before the United States investigating committee and the British investigation. According to his relatives, Dorking was openly gay and that was the reason why the family was sending him off to the United States. After the sinking Dorking appeared on theaters with a tour of the Sullivan & Considine circuit, talking about the experience, like at

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality in Larimer County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The population was 169,810 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, an i ...

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

Ogden, Utah Ogden ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the United States Census ...

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

Decatur, Illinois Decatur ( ) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in the 2020 census, it is the largest city in Rock Island County and the List of municipalities in Illinois, ninth-most populous in Illinois outside ...

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

, and Vancouver. He described his profession as "Vaudeville". According to him, none of the victims was to receive damages from the White Star company, and that was the reason why he was touring the theaters, to repay what he had lost. Dorking enlisted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

in 1917 and was discharged in 1919. After

he moved to Los Angeles, apparently after a run-in with the police in Chicago. In 1933 he was still living in Los Angeles and with his military pension entered a soldier's home in Sawtelle, Los Angeles. He was drafted in 1942 to fight in

. Estranged from his family, Dorking spent his final days in prison on Terminal Island,

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...

, and died on April 12, 1954, three days before the forty-second anniversary of the ''Titanics sinking. In 2024, British theatremaker Russell Lucas made a show about Edward's life called 'Third Class'.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorkings, Edward Arthur 1893 births 1954 deaths Military personnel from the London Borough of Hackney Military personnel from California RMS Titanic survivors United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II American people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in California detention English gay men Gay military personnel American LGBTQ military personnel English emigrants to the United States 20th-century English LGBTQ people 20th-century American LGBTQ people American gay men United States Army soldiers