Thomas Andrews (Titanic) Family Grave and Obelisk Comber

I've stopped off in Comber to visit the Thomas Andrews family grave and memorial monument found in the graveyard at the side of the town's Non-Subscribing Presbyterian church at the end of Windmill lane just off High Street.
'When the collision occurred Mr. Andrews descended into the engine room to investigate the damage. After a long absence he appeared on deck and with Capt. Smith began to instruct the passengers to put on life preservers and come on deck as quickly as possible. ~ The Sun; New York, 25 April 1912'

Just beyond First Comber is Windmill Lane, leading to Windmill Hill, so called because there was once a windmill there. Make your way down the lane and though the gates of the Non-Subscribing Church. The church was due to open in 1839, but in January of that year disaster struck on the night of the Big Wind. The top blew off the windmill on to the roof of the newly-built church causing severe damage.
The graveyard which was consecrated in 1863. Here you will find the graves of John Miller and of Thomas Andrews of Ardara and his family, including John Miller Andrews the Prime Minister and his son John Lawson Ormrod (JLO) Andrews (1903-86).
Thomas Andrews Jr was from a prominent family in Comber (pronounced Cumber) involved in local politics and business; the Andrews family operated a flax mill in Comber for many decades. The eldest son of Thomas Senior and Eliza (nee Pirrie), John Andrews, would later serve as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland between 1940 and 1943. Their third son, James, was Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1937 to 1951. Thomas, their second son, unlike his brothers went into industry, serving as a premium apprentice at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.

Thomas Andrews spent five years working in all the departments of the shipyard before finishing his apprenticeship in the drawing office. He became part of the drawing office in November 1892, and after rising through a number of managerial positions reached the position of Managing Director in March 1907, while still maintaining his position as head of the yard's designing department. He was ultimately responsible for some of finest ships built for the White Star Line, including the Oceanic (II), Adriatic (II), Olympic and Titanic. Thomas Andrews would lose his life in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was not identified.
The Sun newspaper in New York reported that "the last seen of him he was on deck A throwing steamer chairs overboard, some of which saved the lives of passengers struggling in the water" and also that "the third and fourth officers said that they saw him after the collision doing everything that was possible to assist in the rescue of the passengers without any regard to the danger in which he himself stood. Perhaps the most enduring image of Thomas Andrews, memorably reproduced in the 1958 film 'A Night to Remember' is a sighting by a steward of him alone in deep thought in the First Class Smoking Room.

Thomas Andrews is remembered on the family grave in Comber's Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Churchyard. The family grave is in obelisk form carved from poilshed granite, standing on a square base, rising in a tapered column and surmounted by a cruciform pediment with moulded cornice. A granite urn is mounted atop the pediment. Each side of the obelisk carries an inscription to members of the Andrews family. The northern face of the grave obelisk carries an inscription to Thomas Andrews Sr and his wife, Eliza, parents of Thomas Andrews Jr.

[andybrown]

another brilliant video.very interesting indeed mate.

[susandhifaoui]

very interesting. thank you for posting. do you know if the family home in Belfast is open to the public as a museum? seems as though I remember seeing this grand former family home; sorry i can't recall where I saw the video snippet of it, as it has been some time ago. would make a very interesting museum.