Miss Sarah Daniels

Who was Sarah Daniels?

Miss Sarah Daniels was a 33 (thirty-three) year-old English woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Born in London in 1879, she worked as a personal maid and was traveling in first-class as part of the Allison family’s entourage when the ill-fated ship embarked on its maiden voyage.

Early Life and Background

Sarah Daniels was born in London, England in 1879. She grew up to become a personal maid, standing at 5'6" tall with a fair complexion, fair hair, and blue eyes. Her background in domestic service eventually led her to work for the wealthy Allison family.

The Titanic Journey

How did Sarah Daniels come to be on the Titanic?

Sarah Daniels boarded the Titanic at Southampton on April 10, 1912, as a first-class passenger. She was traveling as a personal maid to the Allison family, which included:

• Hudson Joshua Creighton Allison
• Bess Waldo Allison
• Helen Loraine Allison, their infant daughter
• Hudson Trevor Allison, their baby son

The Allison party also included other staff members:

• Alice Catherine Cleaver, the children’s nurse
• Mildred Brown, a cook (traveling second-class)
• George Swane, another servant (traveling second-class)

Sarah’s ticket number was 113781, and the fare for her passage was £16 0s 0d.

What were Sarah’s impressions of the Titanic?

When the Titanic stopped at Queenstown, Ireland, Sarah sent a postcard to her friend Nell Green, expressing her positive thoughts about the ship:

“I wish you were here, it is a lovely boat and it would do you good. Am just going on deck.”

This message gives us a glimpse into Sarah’s initial excitement about the journey and the grandeur of the Titanic.

The Night of the Disaster

How did Sarah Daniels survive the Titanic sinking?

On the night of April 14, 1912, after the Titanic struck the iceberg, Sarah Daniels managed to board a lifeboat and escape the sinking ship. In her own words, she recounted the experience:

“I did not even know that the engines had stopped when a maid came into my cabin and told me to get dressed. I was so sleepy that as soon as the maid left the room, I got into bed again, and only began to dress when another girl came in and roused me.”

Sarah’s account provides insight into the initial confusion and lack of urgency among some passengers:

• There was no immediate panic or excitement
• Many passengers were unaware of the severity of the situation
• Sarah had to be roused twice before preparing to evacuate

Which lifeboat did Sarah Daniels escape in?

Sarah Daniels was rescued in Lifeboat 8. She described the evacuation process:

“We all did as we were told. There was no excitement and not knowing what had happened, we were not alarmed. The boat I was in was not very crowded. There were only 4 men in the boat, and they took the oars. There was no officer in the boat, and a woman steered as we were rowing away in the darkness.”

Aftermath and Return to Montreal

After their rescue, Sarah Daniels and the surviving members of the Allison party, including Alice Catherine Cleaver carrying baby Trevor Allison, returned to Montreal. The group arrived on the Delaware and Hudson train, where Sarah gave interviews to the press.

What happened to the Allison family?

Tragically, Sarah’s employers did not all survive the disaster:

• Hudson Joshua Creighton Allison, Bess Waldo Allison, and their baby daughter Helen Loraine Allison perished in the sinking.
• The infant Hudson Trevor Allison was the sole survivor of the family, having been carried off the ship by his nursemaid, Alice Catherine Cleaver.

How did the sinking affect Sarah and her colleagues?

The Allison’s cook, Mildred Brown, later wrote about Sarah’s state after the disaster:

“I found Sallie had got on alright but poor girl she keeps worrying about her things, of course we have lost everything bar what we stand up in.”

This statement highlights the personal losses suffered by the survivors, who escaped with only the clothes on their backs.

Sarah Daniels’ Legacy

While Sarah Daniels’ survival story provides valuable firsthand accounts of the Titanic disaster, her later life remains a mystery. After giving interviews to the press in Montreal, which were widely syndicated, Sarah’s subsequent fate is unknown to historians.

Sarah Daniels’ experience aboard the Titanic serves as a poignant reminder of the human stories behind one of history’s most famous maritime disasters. Her survival, along with her vivid recollections, contributes to our understanding of the events that unfolded on that fateful night in April 1912.