Lucy Violet Snape

[Delia Mahoney]

Mrs. Lucy Violet Snape, 22, (nee Leonard) was 2nd class stewardess. She was widowed and lived in Sandown, Isle of Wight. Titanic was her first ship. Why didn't she get into lifeboat? Does anyone know more about her life and death? Any info would be appreciated.

All the best,

Delia

 

[Brian J. Ticehurst]

Delia,
Actually her adress is wrong in fact she lived in a house called ''Sandown'' Hill Lane, Shirley, Southampton. The house still stands today and is located near the central Station, Southampton, which in 1912 was called Southampton West.
As you will see from below Lucy had a very short and very sad life. Here is my printout on her:
Snape, Lucy Violet, Mrs. Lived at Sandown, Hill Lane, Shirley, Southampton. Occupation - Stewardess. 22 years old. (Born in Hampshire).
(From: Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund Booklet, March 1913)
Number Snape, Margaret Isobel, child. Class C dependent.
Probate Report from Liverpool Library, (from geoff Whitfield) reads:
Snape, Lucy Violet of Well Lane, Sandhills, Whitley, Surrey, widow. Administration (with will limited) London 11th October to Edward James Lennard, cowman. Effects £234.14s 2d.
(From the Surrey Advertiser and County Times, April 20th 1912)
Two Witley Victims
Widows sad experience
Among those who were serving on board the ill-fated vessel was Mrs. Lucy Violet Snape, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Leonard, of Well Lane, Sandhills, Witley, who was employed as a second class stewardess. At the time of writing her fate is not known, but it seems almost certain that she has gone down with the ship. She was only 22 years of age, and was the widow of Lawrence Edward Snape, the captain of a vessel which traded in the Malay States. After her marriage two years ago last September she lived at Singapore. On Coronation Day her husband started on a voyage, during which he was taken ill with dysentery, and died at the hospital at Nowchwang, near Hong Kong. Mrs. Snape returned home with her baby girl last December, and had since resided with her parents. Latterly she felt that she would like to earn her living, and through the influence of Mr. Joseph King, Member of Parliament, she obtained the position of stewardess on the Titanic, and this was the first voyage she had made in this capacity. Her parents are well known in the district, her father having been in the service of Lord Derby for many years, and he is now employed by Mr. Joseph King, M.P.

Best regards

Brian J. Ticehurst - Southampton UK.

 

[Delia Mahoney]

Thanks a lot, Brian! Lucy had very sad life...

All the best,

Delia

 

[Delia Mahoney]

Did any survivor whenever mention about Lucy?
Titanic was her first ship so perhaps she lost her way in the big liner and died in the sinking. I suppose that she was informed about collision with the iceberg.
I wonder was she be a friend with other stewardess from second class.

All the best,

Delia

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Delia, I've often wondered myself why the two stewardesses in 2nd Class (Lucy Snape and Katherine Walsh) both died, while the 16 ladies who served in 1st Class (along with the restaurant cashiers and Turkish bath attendants) all found their way into lifeboats without difficulty. As far as I know there are no accounts which shed any light, in which case we can only speculate. One account does mention Lucy busy assisting passengers with their lifebelts. Since there were only two stewardesses to help and advise a lot of passengers in 2nd Class, perhaps their responsibilities left them with less opportunity to try to save themselves.

Certainly Lucy and Katherine shared a cabin on E deck, and perhaps they went back there together for some reason (maybe to get their own lifebelts) and got trapped below or returned too late for the boats. We know that Katherine Wallis, the only other woman victim among the crew and the only stewardess who worked (as 'matron') in the Third Class area, had retreated to her own cabin and made it clear she felt safer there than in a lifeboat. I've read that Mrs Wallis had her own cabin elsewhere on E deck, but I think it possible that these three were room-mates. Whether or not that was the case, Lucy and Katherine might have been making a last attempt to persuade Mrs Wallis to come back to the boat deck, and in so doing lost their own chance for survival. I emphasise that these are speculations - probably we will never know what really happened.

 

[Arthur Merchant]

I would concur that a duty to some of their passengers probably contributed to Snape and Walsh not saving themselves. While some First Class stewardesses needed strong persuasion to board lifeboats, their decisions were likely made easier once it became evident the vast majority of 1st Class women and children had escaped and the stewardesses finally felt free to follow suit.

As an aside, I'm curious if any of the surviving stewardesses tried to continue thier duties with the First Class survivors once on the Carpathia, though by then they were probably kept separate from First Class along with steerage. It's possible because I believe Steward Ray assisted in helping reunite the Dodge family.

Meanwhile in Second Class, there were still a good dozen women who never boarded a lifeboat so some of them might have been attended to by Lucy Snape and Katherine Walsh when it became too late. One possiblity is the likely pregnant Mrs. P. C. Corey who probably needed assistance. Or the stewardesses might have been trying to persuade a woman such as Mary Mack who may have stubbornly refused to budge from her cabin. Or maybe even one of the younger lost wives such as Mrs. Chapman or Mrs. Turpin who wouldn't leave their husbands' sides.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Quite possible, Arthur. I've been having a few more thoughts about this myself, after looking again at some of the newspaper accounts. The 'Daily Sketch' on 30 April 1912 reported an interview with 1st class stewardesses Gold and Martin, which included the following: The stewardess-matron, Mrs Wallis, refused to leave her room. Her remark was "I am not going on deck; I am going back where I am safe." Another one who refused to move was a second-cabin stewardess, Mrs Snape, a widow, 21 years of age with a little girl. As she fastened the lifebelts on her passengers she wished them good-bye. Later she told some of the stewardesses that she did not expect to see them again.

The reference to Lucy Snape in this context is interesting but rather ambiguous. If these exchanges took place, she could have meant either that she expected to die on the Titanic, or that those who took to the open boats were more at risk, or that everybody was doomed one way or the other. But the possibility arises that she might have shared the opinion of Mrs Wallis that their cabin(s) would be the safest retreat.

Another account of the situation on the boat deck could be relevant. According to the 'Limerick Chronicle', 3rd Class survivor Nellie O'Dwyer had this to say: There was some trouble with the nurses. They were supposed to place lifebelts on the people. A few of them tried to escape. But the officers shouted at them, and they came back to their work.

The 'nurses' could only have been the stewardesses. Perhaps the group who were keen to 'escape' were Wallis, Snape and Walsh, and their idea of escape was to get below to their cabin. This certainly seems to have been Wallis' aim. There is some suggestion that Snape might have felt the same. And I think it likely that these three, as the only stewardesses quartered outside the 1st-Class area, were room-mates. All three died, while every other stewardess boarded a boat and survived. Coincidence? Maybe. There's not enough clear evidence here to draw conclusions, but enough to consider the possibility that these three had made a joint decision to keep together and take their chances in their cabin. Or perhaps the 'nurses' seen by Nellie O'Dwyer were Snape and Walsh, eager to get below to find Wallis and persuade her to join them in a lifeboat. Again, just speculation.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Hi, Arthur:

Good to see you, as always.

You wrote: "...As an aside, I'm curious if any of the surviving stewardesses tried to continue thier duties with the First Class survivors once on the Carpathia, though by then they were probably kept separate from First Class along with steerage..."

Apart from your example of Steward Ray assisting the Dodges, I have a letter from Lucy Duff Gordon to her sister in which she mentions her stewardess (whose name has not yet been established) approaching her on deck as Carpathia entered New York Harbor. They spoke briefly but poignantly. Her presence nearby suggests the stewards and stewardesses remained with their charges and were still looking after them right till the end. If so, it speaks to the extraordinary dedication of these men and women.

Randy

 

[Richard Adkins]

Hi Bob,

Lucy Violet SNAPE (formerly LENNARD)

Regarding your 'Daily Sketch' quote (Posted on Saturday, 31 July, 2004 - 6:50 pm), can we assume then that Lucy Violet SNAPE's little daughter (Margaret Isabel SNAPE b. 18 Jun 1910) died with her mother in this tragedy ?

Hi all,

Further to the message at...

...

which implies a photograph of Lucy Violet SNAPE exists somewhere, does anybody know where ?

Richard (distant relative of Lucy Violet SNAPE)

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Hallo, Richard. After Lucy was widowed she and her daughter moved in with Lucy's parents. So, while Lucy was away at sea, Margaret was safe in the care of her grandparents. No doubt they continued to care for the child after her mother's death on Titanic. I don't know of any photograph of Lucy other than the one which can be seen on her biography page here at ET.

 

[Richard Adkins]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your quick response. A couple of follow-on questions:

a) what is the source of your data regards "Margaret was safe in the care of her grandparents". The Daily Sketch report seems to imply little Margaret was onboard with her mother.

b) I note from the Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund entry at link..

Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund (20)

www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

reference to little Margaret Isobel SNAPE. Since I'm very new to ET having joined just this morning, do you have a view on what can be deduced from this entry ?

c) I cannot find any photo of Lucy Violet SNAPE on ET.

Link

Lucy Violet Snape : Titanic Victim

Lucy Violet Snape was a young widow on her first voyage as a stewardess.

www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

suggests a photo might have been added at some point in time, but today it isn't there.

Do you have a different web address for this ?

BRgds..Richard

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Richard, the news report mentions that Lucy had a child, but obviously the child wasn't with her - she was working as a crew member, not travelling as a passenger.

The Relief Fund note shows that Margaret was listed as a person who relied on the income of a victim, and therefore qualified for regular financial support from the fund - generally paid weekly - until she was old enough to support herself. Also confirms that she was not herself a victim, in case you still have any doubts about that.

The photo is on the full biography page. What you have seen so far is probably Lucy's summary page - look towards the bottom of that page for a 'Discover more' link to the full page.
.

 

[Graeme Sheffield]

My grandmother, Gladys Maggie Lennard, was Lucy Violet Snape's younger sister, and the family resided in Cataract Cottage in Tonbridge, which was built and owned by Lord Derby. I can confirm that her daughter did indeed survive her, and was brought up by Captain Snape's family. Upon Lord Derby's death, Mr. Lennard was retained by his estate to assist in disposal of his Lordship's assets. There exist within the family, numerous photographs of Lucy Violet, both as a child, and as a young woman, along with Margaret,her daughter. Unfortunately, I do not have direct access to these as they are in possession of other family members.

 

[Anne N.]

How horrifying it must have been for her to realize she would never see her girl grow up. Maybe she thought her duty was to her passengers, and she knew her girl would be all right. We'll never know.

 

[Kevin Tischer]

If I am not mistaken I do believe there are accounts of Thomas Andrews telling a 2nd class stewardess to don her lifebelt and set a good example. With which the stewardess replied that she didn't want to frighten the passengers. Perhaps that stewardess was Lucy?