Elementary: Sherlock Holmes

One of the least-known criminal stories linked to Torbay is also connected with the most well-known tragedy of the 20th century, and involves an individual known as Robert Hichens.

Born in Newlyn, Cornwall, on 16th September 1882, Hitchens was the son of a fisherman and eldest of eight children. By 1906 he had become a master mariner and had served as Quartermaster on many vessels but had never sailed the North Atlantic.

On 6th April 1912 he signed up as one of the six quartermasters aboard a new ship that had been built to make the Atlantic crossing faster and more luxurious than ever before: the ship in question was the RMS Titanic.

On the night of 14th April 1912 Robert was at the ship’s wheel when a warning came from the lookout that an iceberg had been spotted ahead of the ship. When the order came to hard a’starboard he immediately swung the wheel as far as it would go.

At about 12.23 he was told to take charge of Lifeboat 6 by Second Officer Lightoller. The lifeboat left the ship at about 12.55 with only 28 persons on board with the order that they were to make for the lights that could be seen in the distance.

It is thought that after the inquest into the sinking of the Titanic Robert went to South Africa and became a harbourmaster in Cape Town but there is no proof of this actually happening. However, by the 1920s he had moved to Torquay with his family where it is thought that his wife, Florence, ran a guest house in the Warberries.

Robert started a boat charter business in Torquay and in 1930 bought a motor vessel, Queen Mary, from Frederick George Henry Henley (known as Harry). Robert paid £160 for the boat for which he took out a loan from J E Squires of Torquay. He managed to pay back £50 but after a poor season he was unable to pay back any more and the boat was taken by Mr Squires to settle the debt.

With no livelihood to bring in the money Robert moved to Southampton but his fortunes were never the same and it was ‘Harry’ Henley that he blamed for his situation. On 12th November 1933 he arrived back in Torquay and met up with Thomas Robert Holden, a fisherman he’d known when he’d lived there. By 10pm he was very drunk and took a taxi to Harry’s house where he shot him in the head. Robert was arrested by the police and after appearing at the Torquay Court on 29th November 1933 he was sent to prison for 4 years.

Robert Hichens, Titanic survivor and convicted criminal, died on 23rd September 1940 aboard the cargo ship English Trader. His wife, Florence, continued to live in Southampton until her death in the early 1960s.