What Is Her Fate?

In view of the fact that women and children were put first into the lifeboats there is still hope at the time of writing that a young woman named Mrs Lucy Violet Snape aged 22 whose home is at Well Lane, Sandhills, Witley and who was a stewardess on the 'Titanic' is amongst the rescued.

The hope was strengthened by news from New York stating that all the stewardesses had been saved, although her name does not appear in the list of survivors.

The life story of Mrs Snape—and particularly that portion of it during the past year—makes pathetic reading.

Her parents are Mr and Mrs Edward Lennard of Well Lane, Sandhills, Mr Lennard being in the employ of Mr Joseph King MP. Mrs Snape was the eldest daughter of a large family, and was born at Froglands Farm, Birtley, Witley whilst her father was employed on Lord Derby's estate.   Mr and Mrs Leonard subsequently lived at Tonbridge on Lord Derby's Kent estate, but coming back to Surrey again, Mr Leonard entered Mr King's service.

In September 1909 their daughter married Mr Lawrence Edward Snape, who captained a merchant ship trading between the Malay States and China. Captain and Mrs Snape resided at Singapore, and on Coronation Day last year Mrs Snape bade her husband 'Good-bye' as he left to join his ship for a trading trip.   She did not him alive again for being seized with illness during the voyage he died from dysentery at New Chang, a port near Hong Kong.

Mrs Snape, bereaved of her husband and left with a little baby girl a few months old, was stricken with grief, and her own ill-health was the cause of much anxiety to her friends.

Mrs Snape arrived in England on December 7th last with her baby, and she has since resided with her parents at Sandhills.  Anxious to do something to obtain a living, Mrs Snape wished to become a stewardess, and through Mr Joseph King's efforts she obtained the situation on the 'Titanic.' Mrs Snape and her parents are highly respected in the district and, with her mother, had been a regular attendant at the Wormley Hill Congregational Church. She was present at the Wednesday night service a week before the great ship's departure from Southampton, and many gathered round her on that evening to wish her 'Good-bye' and a pleasant voyage.  What has been her fate? 

'I am trying to hope that she may be all right,' said Mrs Lennard tearfully to a Surrey Times representative on Thursday.  'She has had such a sad time of it during the past year that it is hard to believe that on this her first voyage as a stewardess she should be lost.'