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24 April 2013 10:04
A letter written by the bandmaster on the Titanic has sold for £93,000 at auction
A letter written by the bandmaster on the cruise liner Titanic, which sank in 1912, has sold for £93,000 at auction.
Wallace Hartley wrote the letter to his parents as the ship set off from Southampton on 10 April 1912. Mr Hartley, 33, became a key figure in the story of the Titanic as he carried on playing the violin, along with his fellow band members, as the boat sank in the North Atlantic four days into its voyage.
The letter, which was sold at Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, was expected to fetch around £50,000.
People enjoying holidays on modern cruise liners can arrange fully comprehensive cruise travel insurance for added peace of mind before setting sail.
Mr Hartley, from Colne in Lancashire, told his parents in the letter the ship had left port and he was settling in as a second class passenger.
He added: "This is a fine ship & there ought to be plenty of money on her. I've missed coming home very much & it would have been nice to have seen you all if only for an hour or two, but I couldn't manage it."
He also mentioned he had met the other band members, saying the "boys seem very nice".
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