Frederic Oakley Spedden (January 9th, 1867 - February 3rd, 1947) was a minor character and a first class passenger of the RMS Titanic.
Biography
In the film
When Jack snuck onto the first-class deck in search of Rose, he sees a young boy playing with a top as his father looks on. This scene appears to be based on a famous photograph taken aboard Titanic by Father Francis Browne.
After the iceberg collision, another passenger hands him a piece of the of the berg that some of the passengers have been using to play soccer. He later points out to the passenger in question about the damage done to the ship, "No, I missed it. Apparently it hit over there."
Factual accounts
In history, Frederic, his son Douglas, his wife Daisy and their two maids survived the sinking in Lifeboat 3, but Douglas died three years later in an auto accident in Maine, one of the first recorded in the state. He and Daisy never got over their son's death and they continued to divide their time until Frederic's death in 1947.
Behind the Scenes
- He was portrayed in the film by Titanic historian Don Lynch.
- He is featured as a supporting character in the 1994 children's book Polar the Titanic Bear.