Catherine Wallis

[Jeffrey M. Kern]

What was the truth of Mrs Wallis' death? Perhaps the stewardesses urged her to leave her cabin, but according to the 30 April 1912 Tuesday edition of the London Daily Sketch, Mrs Wallis '... refused to leave her room. Her remark was "I am not going on deck; I am going back where I am safe."
And as for Mrs Lucy Violet Lennard Snape '... a widow, 21 years of age with a little girl ... fastened the lifebelts on her passengers she wished them goodbye. Later she told some of the stewardesses that she did not expect to see them again.'
How tragic. There was plenty of room for these ladies, but one was adamant and the other had suffered much at her young age.

 

[Carolyne Cowan]

On National Geographical, there was a programme quite recently, regarding a elderly Lady wanting to prove whether her Grandmother was one of the unknown bodies buried at Halifax. It raised a query for me, as I have yet to find evidence of her Grandmother ever serving/being aboard the Titanic. The Lady said that her Grandmothers name was Mrs Katherine Wallace, 3rd Class Matron, one of the only 23 women hired. Whether I have the name spelt wrong, it does not seem to matter, as everywhere I research I cannot find her. Could someone maybe help here. I would appreciate it. Thank you. Oh by the way...I'm new on here. names Carolyne! Thank you again.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Hallo Carolyne -

I've moved your thread here, to 'Crew Research', as you should get a better response in this section.

The matron you're asking about was Mrs James Wallis (Catherine Jane Moore). Here is the link to her ET bio:

https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/bio/c/v/wallis.shtml

 

[Deb Wallis]

My Aunt Joan was the 'elderly lady' on the Titanic program you're talking about -I believe it was "Secrets of the Dead", on Nova. Her grandmother (her mother's mom) was Catherine Jane Wallis, a member of the 'Victualling Crew', working with 3rd class passengers. DNA samples were taken from family members, with the hope of proving whether the recovered body of a female, buried in the Halifax cemetery, was that of Catherine, but there was too much decomposition to test the remains. I personally believe her body was never recovered. After she was seen up on deck, she went back down below to try to get her passengers out. We all know now that the gates below were locked, and there was no escape for those poor people. She was my Grandma Melita's mother.
Something else on this site I would like to see corrected: regarding Melita's sister, Cecilia Wallis Coons. She did indeed have children-3 girls-Pat, Rita and Lindy Lou (died in childhood) and 2 boys Roy (deceased) and Allan, who were raised in Fonthill, Ontario, Canada. Another mistake on this site, says that Catherine's remaining estate was paid out to "Mrs. Albert Norton-a family friend". She (Annie Maria Allen Norton, nee Wallis), was actually the children's paternal Aunt-the sister of their deceased father, James Richard Wallis. I wish people's facts were checked before posting is allowed.

 

[Le3mo3n]

My Aunt Joan was the 'elderly lady' on the Titanic program you're talking about -I believe it was "Secrets of the Dead", on Nova. Her grandmother (her mother's mom) was Catherine Jane Wallis, a member of the 'Victualling Crew', working with 3rd class passengers. DNA samples were taken from family members, with the hope of proving whether the recovered body of a female, buried in the Halifax cemetery, was that of Catherine, but there was too much decomposition to test the remains. I personally believe her body was never recovered. After she was seen up on deck, she went back down below to try to get her passengers out. We all know now that the gates below were locked, and there was no escape for those poor people. She was my Grandma Melita's mother.
Something else on this site I would like to see corrected: regarding Melita's sister, Cecilia Wallis Coons. She did indeed have children-3 girls-Pat, Rita and Lindy Lou (died in childhood) and 2 boys Roy (deceased) and Allan, who were raised in Fonthill, Ontario, Canada. Another mistake on this site, says that Catherine's remaining estate was paid out to "Mrs. Albert Norton-a family friend". She (Annie Maria Allen Norton, nee Wallis), was actually the children's paternal Aunt-the sister of their deceased father, James Richard Wallis. I wish people's facts were checked before posting is allowed.

Your great-grandmother was very strong for attempting to care for her children alone, she didn’t deserve such a horrible fate

 

[Nigel Brittain]

I believe her body was identified to a 90% level of certainty, by means of a record which had been made at the time, of a wart on a particular finger. Several years ago, my Uncle did some research and this was the conclusion.

 

[Deborah Wallis]

I believe her body was identified to a 90% level of certainty, by means of a record which had been made at the time, of a wart on a particular finger. Several years ago, my Uncle did some research and this was the conclusion.

Hi Nigel,
Catherine Jane Wallis was my great-grandmother. Her daughter Melita, was my Dad's mum (my grandmother). I would desperately love to see the record that your Uncle researched. I remember my Aunt Joan trying to get a photo of Catherine's hand enlarged, to see if we could spot a 'wart'. Was the body of the women with the wart on her finger buried in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, or was it 'buried at sea'? I think Catherine's spirit moves me to search out the truth-otherwise why am I so preoccupied with her?

 

[Nigel Brittain]

Hi Deborah
How wonderful to make this connection, albeit through such a tragic event. My mother referred to your grandmother fondly, as Auntie Melita. My understanding was that the remains of the body identified by the wart had been buried, but was not in a condition to be identified by DNA analysis. I think this came out in the TV documentary. The record of the distinguishing feature would have been made before interment. Another sad sidenote was that Catherine had secured a place on the crew of another liner, but transferred to the celebrated and excitingly brand-new Titanic at the last moment.

My uncle Howard (Blandford Baker) did a great deal of family research, and I am trying to locate a letter he wrote when my son was doing a primary school project on the Titanic. My mother's side of the family, the Baker name, obviously had sea-going links through generations. Howard discovered a relative at the battle of Trafalgar - he survived to get the medal, there being no posthumous awards, back then. We had links to a chief engineer at the shipyards at Valetta, Malta. My grandmother Baker met my grandfather when they worked for Holder Brothers, at Liverpool Street. He was a shipping clerk and she was a secretary. Holders shipped refrigerated meat from South America. My great aunt, her sister Gladys, remained in Southampton, married a merchant seaman, and was a huge Southampton football fan.