The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Added the Titanic Violinist in their List

2017-07-05 String Instrument News

Have you ever wondered who the violinist and leader of the eight-man orchestra that played music as the Titanic ship began to sink? His name is Wallace Hartley, and you can now read more about him in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford added his name for his contributions to history.

Hartley was from Colne, Lancashire which is also his birthplace. He was born in the year 1878. He along with his string orchestra group played music while the sinking Titanic ship evacuated their passengers in April 1912. “Nearer my God to thee” was according to some accounts, believed to be their last played tune. Sadly, Hartley never survived the sinking, but his violin did. It was found later in 2006 in a house in Britain with his name inscribed on it. Today, it was one of the most expensive violins of all time.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is composed of more than 57,000 biographies. These are the men and women in Great Britain who become a significant part of their history. The first publishing of the dictionary was on 2004, and from then on, it was being updated three times a year.