Maria Robinson was the fiancée of Titanic’s bandleader, Wallace Hartley. Wallace gave Maria this brooch and locket which contained his photograph on the occasion of their engagement. The brooch is gold with an inlay of pearls in the form of a “W” for Wallace.
In April 1912 Wallace Hartley was offered the position of bandmaster for RMS Titanic, a position that he was reluctant to accept as he did not wish to leave his fiancée. He decided to accept the position as he felt that it would give him contacts for future work.
Wallace and Maria planned to marry when he returned from the maiden voyage of the Titanic.
After the Titanic hit the iceberg, Wallace and his band members assembled on a deck and started playing music to help clam the passengers as they boarded the lifeboats.
Survivors later reported that the band continued to play until the very end. None of the band members survived.
Maria never married and lived with her father and sister in Bridlington, Yorkshire, until she passed away in 1939.
The Titanic exhibition can be viewed at the Heritage Centre until the end of April on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the last Saturday of the month, 9.30am – 1.00pm, 2.00pm – 4.30pm.
To find out more about the exhibition, click HERE.