John Heath Futrell (1873 - 1912)

Born Apr 1873 in Georgia

Husband of Lulu May (Peel) Futrell — married 17 Jul 1895 in Fulton County, Georgia

Died 15 Apr 1912 at about age 39 in at sea

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Jack Futrell was aboard the RMS Titanic.

Biography

Jack Futrell is Notable.

Early Life

John was born in April 1873 in Georgia. ^[1]He was the son of Wiley H. Futrell and Linnie Bevel.^[2][3] In 1880, the Futrell family was living in Barnesville, Pike County, Georgia, where John's father was a teacher.^[4]

Marriage

He married Lillie May Peel on 17 July 1895 at her parents' home in Atlanta, Georgia.^{[5] [6]} By 1896, the young couple was living in New York, where their daughter Virginia was born in November of that year. A son, John, followed in November 1899. In the 1900 census, John, Lillie, and their children have been joined by Lillie's parents, David and Mary Peel, and are living at 18 West 103rd Street in Manhattan.^[7]

Writing Career

Jack, as he was generally known, began his career in journalism in Atlanta. He also worked for newspapers in Boston, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. While they were living in Richmond, around 1902, Jack and Lillie were also active in local theatrical circles, Jack writing plays and both Jack and Lillie acting in them. It was during this period that he first began using the name Jacques Futrelle.^[8][9] Newspaper articles at this time didn't routinely have bylines, so it's hard to know exactly what Jack was writing about. But he apparently did write about some instances of corruption in the Richmond city government, because he was required to testify before a grand jury^[10], and, in another case, to the Board of Police Commissioners.^[11]

Early in 1903, he became business manager for the George Fawcett enterprises, a theatrical touring compan with headquarters in Baltimore.^[12] In December of that year, he resigned from the Fawcett company to join James K. Hackett's business staff in New York.^[13]

His fame, though, was as a writer of fiction, primarily mysteries. His short stories were published in the popular magazines of the day, such as Everybody's and Harper's.^[14][15][16]In 1906, the Washington Star's Sunday magazine ran a series of short stories featuring Jacques Futrelle's most famous fictional character, Professor S. F. X. Van Dusen, known as The Thinking Machine.^[17] His first novel, The Chase of the Golden Plate, appeared in 1906. He went on to publish more novels and short stories, and by 1910 both he and Lillie were full-time authors, living in Scituate, Massachusetts.^[18]

Death

Jacques and May traveled to Europe in 1912, leaving their children with family. They boarded the Titanic to return home. Jacques, after forcing his wife into a lifeboat, died when the great ship went down. ^[19] His body was never recovered, but his mother's tombstone incorporates a cenotaph for him in Poplar Springs Methodist Church Cemetery in Adrian, Georgia.^[20]

Sources

1. ↑ 1900 Federal Census, New York, New York, E.D. 543, p. 283A, Dwelling #44, Family #353.
2. ↑ 1880 Federal Census, Pike County, Georgia, E.D. 106, p. 116B, Dwelling #280, Family #307.
3. ↑ "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXVM-VFJ : 4 November 2017), W. H. H. Futrell and Linney A. Bevel, 25 Apr 1867; citing Marriage, Pike, Georgia, United States, county courthouses, Georgia; FHL microfilm 325,801.
4. ↑ 1880 Federal Census, Pike County, Georgia, E.D. 106, p. 116B, Dwelling #280, Family #307
5. ↑ "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXVD-2HG : 5 November 2017), John Heath Futrell and Lillie May Peel, 17 Jul 1895; citing Marriage, Fulton, Georgia, United States, county courthouses, Georgia; FHL microfilm 409,850
6. ↑ Society News and Gossip, The Atlanta Constiution, Atlanta, Georgia, online www.newspapers.com, 18 Jul 1895.
7. ↑ 1900 Federal Census, New York County, New York, E.D. 543, p. 283A, Dwelling #44, Family #353
8. ↑ Gossip of the Stage, Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, online www.newspapers.com, 23 Mar 1902.
9. ↑ Gossip of the Stage, Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, online www.newspapers.com, 11 May 1902. This article is the first I've found using the name Jacques Futrelle, rather than Jack Futrell.
10. ↑ J. M. King is Indicted, The Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, online www.newspapers.com, 25 July 1902.
11. ↑ Officer Under Fire, The Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, online www.newspapers.com, 26 July 1902.
12. ↑ Brief Dramatic News Notes of Timely Interest, Davenport Morning Star, Davenport, Iowa, online www.newspapers.com, 4 Jan 1903.
13. ↑ Mr. Futrelle Goes to New York, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Maryland, online www.newspapers.com, 3 Dec 1903.
14. ↑ Mr. Futrelle's Success, The Times Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, online www.newspapers.com, 12 Nov 1905.
15. ↑ Publishers' Notes, The Buffalo Commercial, Buffalo, New York, online www.newspapers.com, 28 Nov 1905
16. ↑ Literary, Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, online www.newspapers.com, 24 Jun 1905.
17. ↑ Next Week The Thinking Machine, Evening Star, Washington, DC, online www.newspapers.com, 26 Aug 1906
18. ↑ 1910 Federal Census, Plymouth County Massachusetts, E.D. 1245, p. 2B, Dwelling #47, Family #51
19. ↑ Famous Men Among Roster of Lost, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, online ww.newspapers.com, 16 Apr 1912.
20. ↑ Findagrave Memorial ID 11830

See also:

• No Escape: Jacques Futrelle and the Titanic
• Jacques Futrelle