Manitoban Connections to Titanic:
Mr. Lewis Hickman
This is the story of a man who was born in Fritham, Hampshire, England in 1879. For a living
Mr.Hickman worked in a weapons factory. Once he was married he decided he wanted to live
in Canada, his brother had already immigrated to a small town in Manitoba, Canada called
Neepawa. After some persuasion from his brother he decided to go to Neepawa with him.
During that time there was a coal strike so the brothers had to take an alternative passage to
get home. They were very pleased because they had been moved from third class on one boat,
to second class on another boat, the Titanic.
Lewis’ was the 256th body to be found from the shipwreck, however his body was originally
identified as his brother because Lewis was wearing his jacket and it had his brother’s
membership card in his pocket.
All second class passengers from the Titanic would have normally been buried in Halifax, but
when Lewis’ brothers lodge members from back home in Neepawa found out that the body of
who they thought was their friend was found, they paid to have it shipped to Neepawa to be
buried.
When the body arrived, no one could make the body out as Leonard (Lewis’ brother) but
decided to go ahead with the funeral anyways because they did not want to create any
confusion by saying that the body was not Leonard.
Today the body of Lewis Hickman is still buried in Riverside cemetery in Neepawa, Manitoba.
However after Lewis Hickman’s wife identified that the body buried was in fact her husband,
the tombstone now has the names on both brothers, Lewis and Leonard Hickman, even though
Lewis is the only one buried there.
Now a fairly common story that some people probably know about is that there is a person
from the Titanic that is buried in Neepawa, Manitoba. However something that I don’t think
very many people know at all, or at least I have never heard of before, is the story of the mix up
between the brothers, and that the man buried there has no real connections to Canada or
Manitoba besides the fact that his brother lived in Neepawa. That is a story that I believe is an
untold story in our Canadian history!
The reason why Canadians should know this story is because it gives a voice for not only Lewis,
but Leonard. Many people for a period of time thought that it was the body of Leonard
Hickman who was buried there in Neepawa, so I think it is only fair to let the Country know that
his body was not found, and was not buried at home, however it was the body of his brother. It
is crazy to think that this big of a mix up could happen, and I couldn’t imagine a mix up like this
happening in today’s world. That is why Canadians should know about this untold story.