Mr Joseph Bell, 51, was born in May 1861 at Maryport, Cumberland and educated in Carlisle. He served an apprenticeship at Robert Stephenson & Co., Newcastle upon Tyne and commenced his seagoing career in 1883 with the Lamport & Holt Line of Liverpool. In 1885 he joined the White Star line and served on many vessels trading on the company`s New Zealand and New York services. At the age of 30 he was promoted to Chief Engineer on the Coptic and he served aboard the Olympic before being transferred to the Titanic. He was a member of the Institute of Marine Engineers and of the Royal Naval Reserve and he “stood-by” the Titanic during her construction in Belfast. He lived in Liverpool and had a temporary address in Southampton. Bell died in the sinking leaving a widow and four children, two boys and two girls; the eldest boy, 16½ years old, had recently commenced an apprenticeship at Harland & Wolff and accompanied his father aboard Titanic when the ship sailed from Belfast to Southampton.