It was a long time ago now, and I admit, the story is even foggier today than it was then. However, I have to believe, it’s a family rumor worth repeating. After all, how many families have even the remotest connection to that ill-fated ship, The Titanic??
And believe me, my connection to both is definitley remote. But...
The story was handed down by an "almost-passenger," Reginald Lucking, or rather in this case handed down to me by his daughter, Lois. "Reg" was married to my cousin Juanita, and the tale has been a family 'ice-breaker' for decades.
I first "heard" it via an old email chain sent out twenty-five years ago. Cousin Lois gave me a version of events that I’ve been trying to reconcile ever since. Was it true? Was any part of it true?
It kinda starts with her grandfather, Philip Lucking, a gardner who came to the States. Old Phil wanted his family to join him.
In the interest of fair reporting, here is exactly what Lois told me then:
"So I will tell you this story as best I can. I need to get out the audio tape to get the story straight....I will tell you this story as she remembers it. The tape is of Daddy's last remaining sister, Winifred Lucking."
"In 1912, the year of the Titanic's ccrossing of the Atlantic Ocean, Daddy [Reg] was 11. He was the third eldest of seven children, Tom, Evelyn, Reg, Winifred, Amy, Hilda, Harold - children of Philip John Lucking and Agnes Seymour of Muggerhanger, Bedfordshire, England. Grandpa Lucking [Phillip shown above] was a head groundsman for English estates. Some of the estate owners also owned estates in the U.S.. Grabdpa worked for one who also was a part owner of a shipping line. Grandpa worked over here [U.S.], and sent for the family. He or Grandma Lucking wanted the Titanic. The other one [grandparent?] wanted "which one had already made at least one crossing." [per Lois: "... that's the fuzzy part of the story']. The decison to sail on the other ship probably had to do with a better price on the tickets.
While they were at sea, there were radio reports of the Titanic's trouble. Uncle Tom, the oldest, who had a lifelong interest in radio was allowed in the radio room and heard some of the broadcasts. Freddy [Winifed] didn't remember that, but I think Daddy [Reg?] told us that.
So the reason I am here is because they didn't go out on the Titanic. You should call Winifred and wish her a happy birthday. She will be 95, but will thrilled to hear from you."
The 95-Year-Old Witness
It was the year 2000, not too long after we’d stopped partying like it was 1999. Lois told me to call Reg’s sister, Winifred, if I wanted the full story. I'd only met the effervescent Reggie once or twice as a kid, and he and Juanita were long gone. I wasn't sure what to say to a woman I'd never met, but Lois said I needed to hurry.
Winifred was, after all, turning ninety-five.
When the phone rang on that frosty February morning, I was greeted by an equally bright, wonderfully British Winifred Lucking. Her version differed a bit—she implied tickets had been lost or "gambled" along the way. But hearing that Titanic tale told with an authentic Edwardian flavor was awesome.
True or not, I never imagined having a phone call with an "almost-passenger."
2025: Fact-Checking the Legend
Fast forward to today. With better technology and access to digital archives, I decided to take another crack at the mystery. I started with the "ubiquitous gardener," Philip John Lucking. I found his "Declaration of Intent" showing he was already established in Greens Farms, Connecticut, by early 1912.
Then, I found the "smoking gun": the ship’s manifest for the SS Minnewaska.
It's how the rest of Phil's family arrived.
Here is what the "algorithm" of history revealed:
The Departure: Agnes and the seven children departed London on March 30, 1912—a full two weeks before the Titanic sank. They arrived on April 10 - five days before the Titanic sank.
The Financial Gambit: They weren't just being "frugal." By choosing the Minnewaska, they traveled as "Cabin" passengers (Middle Class) for roughly the price of "Steerage" (Third Class) on the Titanic. Philp knew that his family would be more comfortable on the slower and grantedly less glamorous Minnewaska.
Tickets lost or gambled away - likely not. "A better buy" on a different ship during the same time frame sounds more accurate.
The "One Crossing" Rule: Lois was right—the Minnewaska was a vetted, "One-Class" ship that had been crossing since 1909. They traded the glamour of a maiden voyage for the safety of a proven workhorse.
The Shared Ocean: The Minnewaska arrived in New York on April 10, 1912.
A Ghostly Intersection
The two ships effectively swapped places.
The SS Minnewaska arrived at Pier 58 (part of the famous Chelsea Piers) in New York at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, April 10, 1912.
According to the Port of New York shipping news for that day, the Minnewaska was one of the few liners arriving from London. While the "First Class" list for the Minnewaska featured high-society names like Violet Asquith (daughter of the British Prime Minister), the Lucking family was listed in the "Cabin" manifest—the sweet spot Philip chose to give his seven children a comfortable, dignified arrival.
On the exact morning the Titanic was pulling away from the dock in England to start its first and last journey, the Luckings were pulling into New York harbor to start their new lives.
So I guess technically they were "at sea" at the exact same time.
This explains why 13-year-old Thomas Lucking heard those wireless reports.
The airwaves would have been thick with news of the Titanic's grand departure that day. When the news of the sinking hit five days later, the family was already safely ensconced in Connecticut.
If Reg and Winifred had been on the Titanic instead of the Minnewaska, they would have been in the middle of the Atlantic on a Sunday night, April 14, 1912. Because they were "Steerage" price-equivalent passengers, they likely would have been in the lower cabins of the ship when the impact occurred at 11:40 PM. - And they would have been trapped with the rest of the throng.
I guess being frugal paid off.
The legend isn't necessarily a falsehood; it’s a memory of a perfectly timed escape. Sometimes things don’t make sense when you are out to sea in your memories, but the documents don't lie.
Gotta watch out for those fake icebergs.
Rest in peace, Winifred.
It's still an amazing tale.
☮
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