Robert James Bateman was born in Bristol, England. He met and married Emily Hall Bateman in Britton on February 9, 1880. It is said he was returning to Jacksonville, Florida where he was the founder of the Central City Mission.

Mission- Jacksonville, Florida (Cowart Collection)

Bateman was returning from England when the Titanic Ship hit an iceberg and sunk on April 14,1912.  People were relegated to getting on life boats to save their lives.  Because the ship was deemed “unsinkable”, the White Star Line did not put enough life boats on the ship. Bateman is said to have stayed behind, lead the band in the song “Nearer My God to Thee” as the ship went down. 1,523 people lost their lives on that fateful night in the North Atlantic Ocean.

There is evidence that he gave his Bible to Aida Balls, his sister-in-law. His Bible was put on display in the Baxter Seminary Library in the 1940’s and later is said to have been put on display at the Titanic Museum in Tennessee. It is now at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.

Titanic Museum Display

Bateman’s lifeless body was returned to his wife in Jacksonville. His service was held at the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida  on May 12, 1912.   Bateman( 1860-1912) is buried at Evergreen Cemetery off of Main Street in Jacksonville, Florida.  There are five memorials tied to the Titanic at Evergreen Cemetery.

Bateman found by the Mackay-Bennett group

Bateman was known as a true Christian with many articles quoting his love of Christ and desire that people be saved.

Notes in Bateman’s Bible (J. Cowart collection)

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources:  Florida Baptist Historical Society, Voice of the Martyrs, Cowart, Old newspapers in public domain, Scottishrite.org, Evergreen Cemetery, Personal visit to Evergreen.

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