Violet Jessop marriage

[allie island]

Not sure if this is the right board for this but......

I'm reading 'Titanic Survivor' by Violet Jessop (edited & annotated by John Maxtone-Graham) and seeing as I'm a nosey person ;) I was intrigued by a vague ref about her mysterious and 'disastrous' marriage, and the fact that even the family never referred to the husband.
So.......I looked on Ancestry but the only marriage of a Violet Jessop was to a THOMAS E. DOWNTING at BEAMINSTER in 1928 (5a 505)

I was wondering if anyone on here has a connection with the DOWNTING family - or the JESSOPs - I've looked on the GEDCOM but no luck.

Just me being inquisitive really

[WendyPusey]

In her late 30's she had "a brief and disastrous" marriage but the name of the husband has thus far eluded all researchers. They had no children.

Miss Violet Constance*Jessop - Titanic Biographies - Encyclopedia Titanica


You will have to see if you can find him Allie.

[Little Nell]

I've googled to no avail. The fact that her family didn't know the name of her husband implies that it was a quiet (perhaps impulsive) wedding, and one site says she was married to a fellow crew member.
But if it was a legal marriage in England or Wales it should be in the GRO indexes [says me, who can't find gt grandma's 2nd marriage in the indexes]

[allie island]

Thanks Wendy and Nell.

She almost married a fellow crew member (Ned) from Australia, but it came to nothing.

I think this marriage I found must be the one as the date is right (nieces of Violet said late 1920's), though if they had a shipboard marriage, would it show up in the GRO?

ps I recommend the book !

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

It might be in the overseas GRO listings. They were free to view on Family Relatives, but it seems they have withdrawn that, as yesterday it told me to cough up some money if I wanted to view :(

[Olde Crone Holden]

"A brief and disastrous marriage" which ended...how? Divorce? Should be in the Times then. (Which I can no longer access like many others!)

OC

[allie island]

Presumably it ended in divorce but if no access to the Times then I think I will just have to stop being so nosey!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Not all divorces are in The Times, even in the late 1920's.

One website said she was a devout Catholic, so maybe she wangled an annulment rather than going through a divorce?

[allie island]

Thanks Merry - yes this could be right as she was a devout Catholic - not sure where to go from here though!

[KiteRunner]

If you put the surname Downting into the ancestry search, you will find loads of entries for T E Downting in the phone books on there (an Oxted phone number), so you could look up the electoral roll records for his address(es), I suppose - assuming it is the same T E Downting. It's a very unusual name so I should think so. His death is also on ancestry - Thomas Edgar Downting DOB 16 May 1906 died Nov 1984 Surrey, wait a minute, was the marriage that you found to Violet Constance Jessop or did she have different middle initials? There is a death for Violet Alexander M Downting DOB 16 Sep 1908 died Apr 1996 Surrey. Off to check...

[Olde Crone Holden]

Oooh, this is getting interesting! Aren't we nosey!

(Hurry up, Kate)

OC

[Lyn A]

I don't think that is the right marriage, as the Titanic survivor was Violet Constance Jessop, where the Violet that married Thomas Downting has the middle initials of A M.

If she married in her 30's it could be the marriage to a Mortimer at Dewsbury in Dec Qtr 1919.

[Lyn A]

Kite, you type faster than me!!

[KiteRunner]

Well, don't forget I'm on dial-up, OC, so it's unlikely to be that fast, and I don't think Allie said which quarter of 1928 the marriage was, but luckily it was the first one I tried, March, and it was Violet A M Jessop who married Mr Downting, and since it looks very likely that they stuck together for the rest of their lives, not the same Violet that Allie was looking for.

[Olde Crone Holden]

DUH. *deflated noise*

OC

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I've just read this:

Also, although Violet Jessop died as Miss Violet Jessop--she had been married. Her husband, who was an old bachelor of 46 at the time of their marriage, was a mariner in the merchant service who lived at the Parker's Hotel in Southampton when they met. Her husband's father had also been a Master Mariner--so seafaring appears to have been in the blood of all involved. They married in a Catholic ceremony, but that did not prevent a divorce after about a year. There were no children.


on here:

Encyclopedia Titanica Message Board: Archive through November 19, 2000

and this site;

Chief Purser Hugh McElroy

says Violet's husband was called Ned (Edward?)

[WendyP]

HI All


OOh I just found this in the Gazette Archives nothing seems to be showing in The Times though for her I have just looked


this address info tallies with the link Miss Violet Constance Jessop - Titanic Biographies - Encyclopedia Titanica

posted by Wendy Pussey


Violet Constance Lewis (otherwise Violet Constance Jessop) died 5/5/1971 notice in paper dated 7/6/1971 address Maythorn, Great Ashfield, Suffolk

[allie island]

Oooh, this is getting interesting! Aren't we nosey!

OC

LOL :D Comes with the Family History territory OC ;)

I've just read this:

says Violet's husband was called Ned (Edward?)

Well don't forget I'm reading the book which was actually written by JESSOP!

She had a long term relationship with NED, an engineer who came from Australia. However, he seemed unable to commit to marriage and when she went to Aus. to meet him and his family, she gave up on ever being his wife.
We attended a lecture by the book editor, John Maxtone-Graham, and he had established a good relationship with Violet, meeting her several times in her Suffolk home.
Her nieces entrusted him with the manuscript they inherited from Violet.
John's mother was actually attended by Violet on one of her Trans-Atlantic crossings.

[allie island]

Just a little story J. M.G. tells in his lecture.....

Violet had looked after a baby which had been thrust into her arms before disembarking in the lifeboat, but when she was taken onto the Carpathia, a woman rushed up to her and grabbed the baby - seemingly ungrateful that Violet may have saved the infant's life. She never saw or heard from the woman after that.

Many years later when Violet was retired and living in Suffolk, one stormy night the power went from her house, and at that moment the phone rang. When she answered it a woman's voice asked if this was Violet Jessop. She said that she was the baby Violet had 'rescued' and then the line went dead

Thought you might like this snippet!

[juned]

violet jessop

Hi all just came across this site cause i typed my last name into google,lol... Its so easy to be miss leaded in things like this, it would of been great if it was my great uncle was on the titanic cause i absolutely luv everything there is about the grand ship,lol...... Im a Downting and very proud of my name.....oh and if anyone is wanting to contact me regarding the Downting name just message or email.....;)thomas edgar downting was my grandfathers brother....