Twelve people were in Titanic’s Lifeboat No. 1, popularly known as the “Millionaire’s Boat.”
The small emergency cutter had room for 40 people, but it was launched at about 1:10 a.m. with only 12 aboard. Seven were crew members, while five were first-class passengers: Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, Lady Lucy Duff-Gordon, her secretary Laura Francatelli, Abraham Salomon, and Charles Stengel.
Its nickname came from the presence of several wealthy first-class passengers, especially the Duff-Gordons. The boat’s sparse loading became controversial because many other lifeboats also left Titanic far below capacity. No. 1 had room for approximately 28 more people, yet it did not return to the wreck after the ship sank.
The boat was not the largest lifeboat on board. It was one of two 40-person emergency cutters, intended for rapid use in incidents such as rescuing someone who had fallen overboard. Confusion sometimes arises because Titanic’s standard lifeboats could carry 65 people, while the emergency cutters were smaller.