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Titanic Certificate for Clearance, Dated April 11, 1912

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:0.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
Titanic Certificate for Clearance, Dated April 11, 1912
Titanic Certificate for Clearance, Dated April 11, 1912. Certificate for Clearance issued by the Board of Trade, being a blue, partly-printed form, "Surveys 32. Survey Of An Emigrant Ship," which was accomplished in manuscript by E.J. Sharpe, the "Emigration Officer or Assistant Emigration Officer," 1 page, 13¼ x 8 in., Queenstown (Ireland), April 11, 1912. The emigration officer certifies that all of "the particulars inserted in the above form are correct…that all the requirements of the Merchant Shipping Acts relating to emigrant ships…have been complied with, and that the ship is, in my opinion, seaworthy, in safe trim, and in all respects fit for her intended voyage…."

The certificate gives the name of the ship: "Titanic; the port of registry: Liverpool; the name of the master: E.J. Smith; the port of departure: Southampton; the ports of call: Cherbourg and Queenstown; and the destination: New York. The total number of cabin passengers who embarked at the three ports of call totaled 606; steerage passage totaled 710, and the total crew numbered 892, for a total of 2208 people on board.

Although we think of the Titanic as a luxury liner, she was considered an "Emigrant Ship," as was any British ship which carried more than 50 steerage passengers (people traveling without cabins) and which was sailing to a port outside Europe. In addition to a Certificate of Registry, the ship had to be inspected by the Board of Trade's Surveyor's Office and a Surveys 27 form completed, certifying the ship to be seaworthy and carrying adequate life-saving equipment. Also, the Emigration Officer at each port where the ship took on passengers had to fill out a Surveys 32 form, certifying that the ship was seaworthy and met all of the legal requirements and that "her passengers and crew are in a fit state to proceed."

This Surveys 32 form was issued at Queenstown, Ireland, the Titanic's last port of call before she started her journey across the Atlantic and four days before she hit an iceberg and sank. A docket at upper right reads, "Board of Trade Surveyor's Office No 408 13 Apr 1912 Queenstown," and at top center, in the same hand, is "[Copy]". This was the copy retained by the Emigration Office in Queenstown; the form carried by the Titanic was lost with the ship, as was the original Certificate of Registry. There are later penciled notations made by someone from the Emigration Office, one of them adding up the steerage passengers (710) and noting, "176 saved." and other notes at lower left.

We know of no other existing, official documentation for the Titanic. This is truly a historic document.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 50,000.

Our item number 154275