Architect : R.M.S. Titanic

Thomas Andrews Family

Thomas Andrews Jr. was born 07th February, 1873 in Belfast, Ireland. His parents were the Right Honourable Thomas Andrews, a local politician, and Eliza Pirrie, who were married in 1870. Thomas was their second son. The Andrews family seat is located in Comber, County Down, Ireland.

Eliza Pirrie Andrews was the sister of Lord William James Pirrie, the controlling owner of the shipbuilders Harland & Wolff. As his nephew would later, Pirrie worked his way up the ranks in the company, beginning his career as an apprentice. He would become a partner in the firm by age twenty-seven. Pirrie was created a Baron in 1906 and a Viscount in 1921, but as his marriage was childless, the peerage would die out with his death.

Young Thomas, who had shown an early interest in ships, attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution from 1884 to 1889, when he left at age sixteen to begin his apprenticeship at Harland & Wolff.

On 24 June 1908, Thomas was married to Helen Reilly Barbour. The couple made their home at "Dunallon," Winslow Avenue in Belfast. It is known that he took her to view Titanic one night in 1910, while the ship was still in its cradle and Halley's Comet was at its greatest brilliance.

A daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Thomas and Helen in 1910. According to passengers on Titanic, he frequently spoke of his wife and daughter.

Members of the Andrews family still reside in the Belfast area. A grand-nephew of Thomas Andrews bears his name.