Lot 221

"Titanic...Vessel Lost" Survivors Official Board of Trade Discharge Papers of Crew Mabel Martin, Who Escaped via "Unsinkable" Molly Brown's Lifeboat #6

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"Titanic...Vessel Lost" Survivors Official Board of Trade Discharge Papers of Crew Mabel Martin, Who Escaped via "Unsinkable" Molly Brown's Lifeboat #6

Estimate: $5,000 - $7,500

Current Bid: $13,000

(8 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Titanic
Southampton, England, April 10-30, 1912
"Titanic...Vessel Lost" Survivors Official Board of Trade Discharge Papers of Crew Mabel Martin, Who Escaped via "Unsinkable" Molly Brown's Lifeboat #6
Annotated booklet

A Board of Trade-issued official document entitled "Continuous Certificate of Discharge," No. 667886, issued to seaman Mabel E. Martin (1892-1960), who served as Second Cashier in the À La Carte Restaurant aboard the R.M.S. Titanic. The papers were issued to Martin when she signed up in Southampton, England in early April 1912, and cancelled in Southampton, England two weeks after the sinking on April 30, 1912. The pocketbook has black leather covers with a hinged front flap, is gilt-embossed with labels, and has a cutaway in the front cover revealing the seaman's name. The 26pp discharge book is partly printed and partly manuscript, with writing appearing on the first six pages, including Martin's full signature as "Mabel Elvina Martin" on p. 4. Bearing three hand-stamps on p. 7 relating to Martin's "Report of Character." Expected wear including isolated surface loss to the spine, minor discoloration to some pen inscriptions, isolated water-spotting, rust, and stray threads. An auction label (removeable) is located on the back cover. Else clean inside and very legible. 4.5" x 6.5" x .25". Provenance: Acquired by our consignor at auction, who assumed copyright entitlement of the item from its direct descent through Martin's family.

The discharge papers begin on the front pastedown and free endpapers with printed notices of the "Merchant Shipping Act of 1894," and a "Notice to Seamen." Important information is contained within Martin's discharge papers between pp. 1-7; pp. 8-26, which allowed the seamen to list up to 42 total voyages, is blank. Mabel's essential information can be found on pp. 3-4, which includes her full name ("Mabel Elvina Martin"); signature as "Mabel Elvina Martin"; birthyear ("1892"); birthplace ("Acton, Middlesex [London]"); and physical appearance (Brown Eyes, Dark Hair, Dark Complexion, standing 5'4"). On pp. 5-6, the particulars of her first (and last) sea voyage are recorded as:

"Name of ship and official number, Port of registry, and tonnage. [manuscript] S/S Titanic 131428 Liverpool Tons 21831.

Date and place of engagement. [manuscript] 10.4.1912 Southampton

Rating; and R.N.R. No. (if any). [manuscript] 2nd Cashier

Date and place of discharge. [manuscript] 15.4.1912 Lat 41 o 15" N Long 50 o 14' W

Description of voyage. [manuscript] Vessel lost

Signature of Master. [manuscript] White Star Line s/s Co. per JA Shepherd."

Mabel Elvina Martin, a 20-year-old unmarried working class Londoner, signed up for her first working sea voyage aboard the White Star Line's luxury liner R.M.S. Titanic in early April, citing previous professional experience as a bookkeeper. Martin's exact position aboard the Titanic was as Second Cashier in one of the ship's specialty restaurants, the À La Carte Restaurant. Also referred to as the Ritz Restaurant, the À La Carte Restaurant was located on the port side of B Deck, the second-highest deck located behind the vessel's non-functioning fourth smokestack. Interestingly, it was from the port side that Mabel Martin and fellow Cashier Ruth Bowker boarded Lifeboat #6.

The À La Carte Restaurant offered its exclusively first-class passengers a more flexible dining experience than the regular first-class dining saloon. Diners could enjoy French haute cuisine served in the Louis XVI style dining room from 8 AM to 11 PM, at extra cost. The À La Carte Restaurant was managed by London restauranteur Luigi Gatti, who separately contracted with his 68 employees, all European, who performed duties ranging from carvers, icemen, and pastry chefs, to cashiers, pages, and platemen. Of the 68 employees of the À La Carte Restaurant, only 3 - including Mabel Martin and Ruth Bowker - survived the sinking, making the À La Carte Restaurant crew survival rate a dismal 4%.

Mabel Martin evacuated the Titanic via Lifeboat #6, a safety craft that would become legendary because of both its occupants and crew. Lifeboat #6 was launched from the port side of the foundering vessel with only 24 of its maximum 65 passengers approximately 90 minutes after the iceberg collision, at around 12:55 am. The lifeboat contained mostly first-class female passengers, including American mining heiress the "Unsinkable" Margaret "Molly" Brown, and Helen Churchill Candee, the American author and suffragette.

The two male crewmembers of Lifeboat #6, Quartermaster Robert Hichens and lookout Frederick Fleet, had been intimately involved in the events preceding the collision. Frederick Fleet was the first to sight the iceberg prior to the fateful collision, and Robert Hichens had been at the ship's wheel on the bridge when the iceberg was struck. Hichens later became notorious for refusing to return to the crash site to pick up survivors. The exact role which Mabel Martin played on Lifeboat #6 is unclear; some accounts maintain that she, like Molly Brown, urged Hichens to return to the site, while others record her as being a female rower. Lifeboat #6 was the last lifeboat recovered by the rescue vessel R.M.S. Carpathia at 8 am on April 15th.

Mabel Martin arrived in New York City on the Carpathia on April 18th, returning home to England by April 29th. She received her official discharge on April 30th. Sadly, Martin was struck and killed by a motorcyclist in 1960, at the age of 68.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 4.5" x 6.5" x .25"
  • Medium: Annotated booklet

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000