Was the Titanic investigation thwarted by Freemasons?

Recent reports are speculating that the secret society, the Freemasons, may have stunted the investigation into the Titanic disaster in order to protect some of their members.

This hypothesis was promoted by Ancestry.com's public release of the names of more than two million Freemason members from 1733 - 1923.

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Among those found on the list is the then-president of the Board of Trade which the UN Senate has determined was at least partly responsible for requiring such a small number of lifeboats on board the ship on its maiden voyage.

However, some now believe the board avoided official blame because the British lord overseeing the overall inquiry was also a Freemason.

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A naval architect and engineer who provided expertise in the initial investigation are also named on the list as is another lord involved in the companies that built and operated the ship.

Nick Compton, who wrote a book on the Titanic, noted in an interview on history.com: "The inquiries were described by some as a 'whitewash' because, strangely, no one was found to blame."

The ship disaster in 1912 claimed the lives of more than 1,500 passengers and earlier this month speculation surrounding a telegram sent from the ship suggested that an executive with the ship's operator, Philip A.S Franklin, had received news of the disaster before the vessel sank.

The message read: "We have struck iceberg. Sinking fast. Come to our assistance. Position: Lat 41.46 N. Lon 50.14 W."

This fact may contradict Franklin's sworn testimony at a US Congressional hearing about that disaster.