Violet Jessop (1887 – 1971) – British stewardess and WW1 VAD

Violet was born on 1^st October 1887, the first of nine children born to William and Katherine Jessop from Ireland.   When she was 21, Violet joined the Royal Mail shipping Line as a stewardess.  In 1910 she joined the White Star Line and on 10^th April 1912 she was one of the stewardesses aboard the RMS ‘Titanic’.  Violet, who saved the life of a baby on board the "Titanic", was one of the survivors picked up by the ‘Carpathia’.  She went on to join the Voluntary Aid Detachment of the British Red Cross as a stewardess aboard hospital ships during the First World War.

Violet was aboard HMHS ‘Britannic’ a White Star liner converted into a hospital ship when she exploded on 21^st November 1916.   Violet was injured but survived.

In 1920 Violet returned to work for the White Star Line and later joined the Red Star Line before going back to the Royal Mail Line.

In 1950 Violet retired to Great Ashfield in Suffolk where she died on 5^th May 1971.