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1814
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May 10th
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Grandfather Captain James Murdoch born
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1838
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Mother Jane "Jeannie" Muirhead McMaster born
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1840
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January 27th
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Captain James Murdoch marries Agnes Cumming
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1843
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Father Samuel Murdoch is born
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1864
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December 14th
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Samuel Murdoch marries Jane "Jeannie" Muirhead McMaster at St Michael's Church in Liverpool
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1869
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Samuel Murdoch and wife Jane Muirhead lose 4 year old daughter Mary McMaster in an infant death.
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1873
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February 28th
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William is born to Samuel and Jane at “Sunnyside”, Dalbeattie, Scotland
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March 18th
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Birth registered in the Dalbeattie Registration Office
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Cousins James Cumming of Kippford and William Black of Palnackie born
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1887
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Graduates from Dalbeattie High School with a Diploma
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1888
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July 31st
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Began four year apprenticeship aboard Charles Cosworth. First destination: San Francisco.
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1889 - 1890
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Apprentice aboard Charles Cosworth to Portland,Oregon.
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1890 - 1891
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Apprentice aboard Charles Cosworth to Valparaiso.
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1891 - 1892
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Apprentice aboard Charles Cosworth to Iquique.
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1892
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October 12th
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Successfully passes the examination for his 2nd mate's certificate .
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1893
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August 7th
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Signs on to Iquiqe, as second officer. with father as captain. Sailed from Rotterdam to Frederikstad (Sweden) and then to Cape Town, Newcastle, Antofagasta and Iquique.
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1894
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While aboard the Iquique - met the apprentice Stanley Lord on board the Naiad at Rotterdam.
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1895
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March 23rd
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Murdoch passes his 1st mate's certificate
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1895
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May 12th
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First Mate on Saint Cuthbert. Sails from Ipswich to Mauritius, and from there to Newport (Wales) via Newcastle, Callao and Hamburg (Germany).
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1896
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September 28th
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Gains Extra Master’s Certificate N° 025780 - Liverpool
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1897 – 1899
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April 3rd
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First Mate Lydgate. Sails from New York to Shanghai, then to Portland, Oregon, afterwards to Tsientin (China), from there to Portland, Oregon again and finally to Antwerp (Belgium).
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1899
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Boer War. Trained as Lieutenant in Royal Naval Reserve qualifying to become White Star Line steamship officer
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1899 – 1900
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June 30th
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Begins working for White Star Line
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1900
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April 17th
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Grandfather Captain James Murdoch dies at his home in Kippford aged 85
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August 3rd
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Medic signs as Fourth Officer for the maiden voyage
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1901
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April
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Cousin, John Murdoch, a captain, dies at sea with his wife
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1901-1903
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June
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Runic -Second Officer
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1902
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AB Seaman James Cumming is William's guest at the luxurious Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool
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1903
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12th February
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Runic departs on Australian run. During voyage meets Ada, 29 year-old New Zealand school teacher
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June
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Arabic - North Atlantic run
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1904
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24th May
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Celtic
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September/October
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Germanic
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1905
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January
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Oceanic - Second Officer.
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October
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Oceanic is the first White Star ship to have a mutiny, involving 35 stokers who are arrested in Liverpool.
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1906
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February
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Cedric
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9th of May
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Oceanic - As Second Officer
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April 4th
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Uncle, William Murdoch, a captain, dies at sea
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Oceanic - As First Officer
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Older brother James Murdoch, a chemist, dies young at 39
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1907
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April
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Adriatic - First Officer from maiden voyage onward.
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10th April
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Uncle John Murdoch, a first officer, dies at sea
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2 September
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Marries Ada (née Banks)
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23 September
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Back aboard Adriatic
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1909
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8 September
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Promoted from Sub-Lieutenant to Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve
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1911
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Looses moustache.
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23 May
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Joins Olympic as First Officer
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14 June
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Maiden voyage of Olympic
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20 September
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Olympic collides with HMS Hawke
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December
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Rejoins Olympic
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1912
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February
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Olympic strikes sunken wreck, broken propeller blade
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March
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Olympic nearly runs aground.
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24 March
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Signs on as Chief Officer of Titanic
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27 March
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Junior officers report to Murdoch for Titanic’s sea trials
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2 April
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Titanic’s sea trials, including a stopping test
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3 April
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Titanic arrives in Southampton to prepare for maiden voyage
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8 April
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Writes letter to sister “Peg”, expressing disappointment at being demoted from
Chief Officer to First Officer, while wife Ada is taken on tour of Titanic by another officer.
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9 April
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Wilde arrives to take over as Chief Officer.
Board of Trade Emigration Officer Maurice Clarke boards Titanic and is assisted by Lightoller and Murdoch for many hours as he carefully checks to make sure that Titanic meets safety requirements.
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10 April
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Noon. Sailing day. Titanic’s displacement almost causes collision with New York.
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6:30pm Arrives Cherbourg to pick up passengers. Murdoch allegedly refuses French Naval officer Commander Leloup to board Titanic. Departs for Queenstown at 8:10pm.
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11 April
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11.30 am. Titanic arrives at Queenstown, Ireland. Murdoch writes letter to father and mother, mentioning New York incident. Last photograph of Murdoch taken with Lightoller, closing a gangway.
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1:30pmTitanic departs Queenstown, destination New York. Murdoch writes out a lifeboat list indicating who is stationed at each lifeboat. |
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13/14 April
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Cousin William Black, captain of cargo steamer the Borderer on its way from Calais to New York passes two large icebergs but is without wireless to alert other ships.
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14 April
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7:00pm Murdoch allegedly relieves Lightoller for supper (contrary to IMM/White Star
Regulations)
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7:15pm Murdoch orders lamp trimmer Samuel Hemming to secure the forward fo’c’c’le hatch to
prevent glow from interfering with crow’s nest and bridge watch
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9:17pm Quartermaster Hichens wakes up Murdoch.
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9:55pm Murdoch on deck, reads night order book, etc.
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10:00pm Second Officer Lightoller hands over the watch to Murdoch, passing on information
regarding temperature and conditions.
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11:39pm Lookouts ring bell 3 times for ice discernable ahead. Murdoch assesses situation, liking observing the ice at the same time as the lookouts. Moody relays message from lookouts to Murdoch who orders “hard-a-starboard” and closes the watertight compartments.
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11:40pm Impact. Iceberg scraps along Titanic’s starboard side, breaching five watertight
compartments..
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11:59pm Quartmaster Hichens is told “that will do” by Murdoch.
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April 15
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12:00am Captain Smith orders the uncovering of the lifeboats and for Murdoch to begin mustering
the passengers. Murdoch begins to supervise cranking out starboard side lifeboats
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12:25am Smith gives the order to begin loading the lifeboats
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12:40am No.7, first lifeboat to be launched, by Murdoch.
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12:45am No.5 launched by Murdoch, says “Good bye. Good luck” to Third Officer
Pitman.
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12.55am No.3 launched by Murdoch. Men allowed as no women in the vicinity
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1:05am No.1 launched by Murdoch, including Sir Cosmo and Duff Gordon. Only 12 aboard (capacity
40)
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1:15am Officers meet in Murdoch's cabin. Guns issued.
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1:30am No. 9 launched by Murdoch
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1:35am No.11 launched by Murdoch
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1:40am No.13 launched. No.15 launched by Murdoch 30 seconds later and barely avoids collision
as it is lowered on top of No.13.
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1:50am Murdoch crosses over to the portside and launches Boat no. 10.
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2:00am Collapsible C launched by Murdoch, with White Star President Bruce Ismay also aboard.
Shots fired.
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2:15am Collapsible A floats free. Murdoch disappears, presumed drowned.
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2:20am Titanic founders
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1914
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Mother Jane "Jeanie" Murdoch dies
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1916
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Mary Agnes dies
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1917
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Father Samuel Murdoch dies
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1973
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Older sister, Margaret Elizabeth 'Peg' dies aged 91
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1996
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Titanic TV series cashing in on James Cameron's soon to be released Titanic film portrays Murdoch shooting and suicide.
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1997
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James Cameron's $200 million budget Titanic portrays Murdoch shooting and suicide.
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1998
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20th Century Fox's Titanic becomes highest grossing film and wins 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture.
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15th April
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20th Century Fox executive vice president Scott Neeson presents £5000 cheque and tray to the Dalbeattie High School Murdoch Memorial Trust prizes but stops short of a full apology.
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2004
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July
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Director James Cameron admits Murdoch portrayal "probably a mistake" in Southampton.
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2010
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August
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Nephew Samuel Scott Murdoch dies
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2012
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RR Auction release a private letter written in 1909 to a “Miss Nancy” in 1909 while William was serving as first officer aboard the Adriatic, expecting to make $6,000 in the auction.
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4th April
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RMS Titanic Inc announce they have recovered Murdoch's personal possessions from the wreck site, including his shoe brush, straight razor, buttons, long-johns and pipe.
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