RMS TITANIC

Learn about the RMS Titanic and the people on board!

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Mr Arthur John Priest

Arthur John Priest, (Aug. 31 1887 - Feb. 11 1937) nicknamed 'The Unsinkable Stoker' was aged 24 when he survived the sinking of the Titanic. Arthur Priest earned the nickname 'The Unsinkable Stoker' because he survived many ship sinkings, 3 of which were Titanic and her sister ships.

He's the son of Harry Priest and Elizabeth Gardner, with 11 siblings. Two of which died in infancy.

He signed-on to the Titanic on April 6th 1912, transferring from the Asturias as a fireman. He was probably rescued by lifeboat 15. It was later reported that he had frostbiten toes and an injured leg from his escape off the Titanic.

Before his voyage on the Titanic, he served on her sister ship the Olympic. He survived the Olypmic-Hawke collision in 1911 and the HMHS Britanntic's sinking in 1916 alongside Ms Violet Jessop.

Later, he sailed again on the RMS Alcantara in Feburary 1916 and the HMHS Donegal in April 1917, both during World War 1. The Alcantara sank by the hands of a German Merchant raider called the SMS Grief. The two ships shot at each other, causing both to sink into the North sea. The HMHS Donegal was sunk by U-boats alongside the HMHS Lacfranc while carrying wounded British. There were two Titanic survivors on this boat, Arthur John Priest and Archie Jewell who had been one of Titanic's watchmen, though not the one who saw the iceberg.

He once claimed that he was forced to retire from the sea by these disasters because no one wished to sail with him.

He had married Annie Hampton in 1915 and had three sons. Arthur John Priest died of pneumonia at age 49 and was placed in an unmarked grave in Hollybrook Cemetery in Southampton.

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Miss Violet Constance Jessop

Violet Jessop, (Oct. 2 1887 - May 5 1971) nicknamed "Miss Unsinkable" survived the Titanic disaster in 1912 at 24 years old.

She earned the nickname for surviving the sinkings of Titanic and her sister ships.

She had been working as a stewardess, having become one when her mother's health deteriorated. She hadn't wanted to join the White Star Line, as the North Atlantic due to weather conditions. Still, she worked 17 hours a day for the White Star Line Company being paid £2.10 a month. Before her voyage on the Titanic, she served on her sister ship the Olympic. She survived the Olypmic-Hawke collision in 1911. Both the RMS Olypmic and the HMS Hawke suffered major damage, the Hawke almost capsizing due to the damage to it's bow while their were two large holes in the Olympic's hull. The Olympic was faulted for the collision and White Star Line was forced to pay for the damages, delaying the construction of the Titanic. Originally, she hadn't wanted to join the Titanic but was convinced by some friends. So, she traveled to Southampton in a horse drawn cab. She was a stewardess on the Titanic, presumably bunked with fellow stewardess Elizabeth Leather. On the night of the sinking, Violet was instructed to get into lifeboat (lifeboat 16) in order to show that it was safe. As the boat was lowered, an officer handed her a baby. Eight hours later, she was picked up by the Carpathia. While on board, a woman she assumed was the baby’s mother, grabbed the baby and ran off without saying a word. They made it to New York on April 18th. Later, she worked with the British Red Cross and was on board the HMHS Britanic as a stewardess and nurse when it sank in 1916. She hit her head while jumping out of the lifeboat since it was being dragged into the propellers.

In her late 30s she had a husband, they divorced soon after marrying and had no children.

She retired to a cottage in Great Ashfield, Suffix with mementos of her 42 years at sea and looked after laying hens.

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Triple Screw

What is triple screw? A triple screw vessel uses three propellers for propulsion.

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The RMS Titanic,

Combination of Turbine and Reciprocating Engines

Length: 882.5 Feet -- Breadth 92.6 Feet Triple Screw 46,328 TONS