Who was Annie Jessie Harper?

Annie Jessie Harper, often known as Nana or Nina, was a 6-year-old (six-year-old) Scottish girl who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. She was one of the youngest passengers on board and became known for her remarkable story of survival and her later life as a Titanic survivor.

Early Life and Family

Annie Jessie Harper was born on January 3, 1906, in Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Her parents were:

Father: John Harper (born 1872), an evangelical pastor from Renfrewshire
Mother: Annie Leckie Bell (born 1866), a former dressmaker from Govan

Tragically, Annie’s mother died on January 8, 1906, just five days after giving birth to her, due to complications from childbirth. As a result, Annie became the couple’s only child.

Upbringing

After her mother’s death, Annie’s care was taken over by her mother’s niece, Jessie Wills Leitch, who had lived with the family for much of her life. This arrangement was crucial as John Harper’s work as an evangelical pastor required him to travel extensively throughout Britain, Ireland, and North America.

By 1911, the family had moved to London, where John Harper became the pastor of the Walworth Road Baptist Church. They resided at 3 Claude Villas, Love Walk, Camberwell, as recorded in the 1911 census.

The Titanic Journey

Boarding the Titanic

In April 1912, 6-year-old (six-year-old) Annie, along with her father and cousin Jessie, boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as second-class passengers. Their ticket details were:

Ticket number: 248727
Cost: £33

The family was traveling to Chicago, Illinois, to visit the Moody Church. On the passenger list, Annie was recorded as “Nina Harper.”

The Night of the Sinking

Jessie Leitch later provided a detailed account of the events on the night of April 14-15, 1912:

“About midnight Mr Harper came to our stateroom and told us that the vessel had struck an iceberg. While I was dressing he went to learn further particulars and returned to say that the order had been given to put on the life belts. We did so, and, picking up Nana in his arms, he took her up to the deck. There the women were ordered to the upperdeck. I had to climb a vertical iron ladder and Mr Harper brought Nana after me up the ladder and the men at the top lifted her up to me again…”

Rescue and Survival

Annie and Jessie were rescued in lifeboat 11, but tragically, Pastor John Harper did not survive the sinking. Annie’s memories of the event were limited, but she later recalled:

Sitting on her cousin Jessie’s knee as she watched the Titanic sink
The noise of people struggling in the water

Life After the Titanic

Immediate Aftermath

After their rescue by the Carpathia, Annie and Jessie:

Slept in a library aboard the ship, as they weren’t given a cabin
Arrived in New York still wearing the clothes they had on when leaving the Titanic
Were met by Reverend Ervine Wooley, the assistant pastor of Moody Church

Jessie decided not to continue to Chicago and returned to England on the Celtic on April 25.

Growing Up

Now an orphan, Annie returned to England and was raised by an uncle and aunt in London. During her upbringing, discussion of the Titanic was discouraged by her family.

In 1921, at the age of 15 (fifteen), Annie performed the opening ceremony of the Harper Memorial Baptist Church in Glasgow, dedicated to her father’s memory.

Adult Life and Marriage

Annie later worked at Riglands Bible College in London, where she met Philip Roy Pont (born 1903), an alumnus of All Saints Bible College. They married in London in late 1934 and had two children:

Gordon
Mary (later Dr. Gurling)

The family moved back to Scotland around 1936, where Philip served as a pastor in various locations:

Denny, Falkirk
Shetland
Dundee
Glasgow

Philip retired around 1984, and the couple settled in Burnside, Lanarkshire.

Later Years and Legacy

In her later years, Annie was known as Nan and had few memories of her time on the Titanic. Despite this, she:

Maintained contact with the Titanic community
Kept in touch with fellow survivor Eva Hart, who remembered playing with her on the Titanic

Nan Harper Pont passed away at her home on April 10, 1986, at the age of 80 (eighty). Remarkably, this was 74 years to the day after the Titanic had departed from Southampton. She was buried in Moffat Cemetery, survived by her husband Philip (who died in 1995) and their two children and families.

Annie Jessie Harper’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the Titanic tragedy and the lasting impact it had on even its youngest survivors. Her life, from the loss of both parents at a young age to her eventual peaceful passing, encapsulates a remarkable journey of resilience and quiet reflection on one of history’s most famous maritime disasters.