Priest was the son of Harry Priest, a labourer and his wife Elizabeth Garner, and was one of twelve children. In 1915, Priest married Annie Martin (née Hampton) in
Birkenhead and had three sons; called Arthur John, George and Frederick Harry. The family lived for a number of years at 17 Briton Street,
Southampton. Priest worked as a stoker, in the bowels of
steam-powered ships. He was considered a part of the
black gang, Other than his survival stories, there is little information about his personal life. According to sources, he died in 1937 at his home in Southampton at the age of 49 from
pneumonia with his wife Annie by his side. He is buried at
Hollybrook Cemetery in
Southampton, England. He was given the nickname "the unsinkable stoker" because of his stories of survival at sea. == References ==