Emily Chan
In the history of maritime disasters, one figure who really stands out is Violet Jessop.
During her career as a stewardess on ocean liners, she survived two major ship sinkings and one collision, including the Titanic. Her extraordinary stories of survival have earned her the lasting legacy of a courageous hero at sea.
Jessop was born in 1887 on the outskirts of Bahía Blanca, Argentina, to Irish immigrants. She was one of nine children — only six in total survived infancy.
At a young age, she contracted tuberculosis and was given just a few months to live. However, she overcame the illness and went on to live a long, fruitful life.
When she was 16-years-old, her father died. The family moved to London, where her mother became a stewardess on a cruise ship.
In 1908, at the age of 21, Jessop decided to become a stewardess as well. She worked on several ships, including the RMS Majestic, the RMS Olympic, and the RMS Titanic.
On September 20, 1911, Jessop was aboard the Olympic when it crashed into the British warship HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight, an island in the English Channel.
Both of them were able to make it back to land, and luckily, no one was injured, but the collision did cause considerable damage to the vessels. The Hawke was left with large holes in its hull, while the Olympic’s compartments flooded.
In 1912, Jessop joined the Titanic when she was 24. On April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg. She had been in bed when the accident happened.
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