Miss Virginia Ethel Emanuel

Who was Virginia Ethel Emanuel?

Miss Virginia Ethel Emanuel was a 6 (six) year-old American third-class passenger who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Born on October 6, 1905, in Manhattan, New York, she embarked on the ill-fated voyage with her nursemaid, Elizabeth Dowdell, while her mother, an aspiring singer, performed in London.

Early Life and Background

Virginia Ethel Emanuel was born into a family with a complex history:

Parents: John Alfred Deszo Martin (father) and Stella Weil (mother)
Heritage: Jewish father from Budapest, Hungary; mother from Cincinnati, Ohio with German-French and German-Jewish roots
Parental separation: Parents married in 1903 but separated by June 1907
Stepfather: Walter Emanuel, briefly married to Virginia’s mother in 1910

Virginia’s early years were marked by frequent travel and changes in guardianship. Her mother, Elise Martin (stage name), pursued a career in entertainment, often leaving Virginia in the care of others.

The Titanic Journey

How did Virginia Emanuel come to be on the Titanic?

Virginia Emanuel boarded the Titanic at Southampton on April 10, 1912, as a third-class passenger. She was accompanied by her nursemaid, Elizabeth Dowdell, who had been tasked with returning the child to New York while her mother remained in London for a performance contract.

Journey details:

Ticket number: 364516
Fare: £12 9s 6d
Cabin: Shared with Amy Stanley

The Night of the Disaster

What happened to Virginia Emanuel during the sinking?

When the Titanic struck the iceberg, Virginia was asleep in her cabin. Her nursemaid, Elizabeth Dowdell, recounted the events:

“I had put Ethel [sic] to bed, and was preparing to retire myself when the crash came. I went into the passageway and asked a steward what was wrong. He assured me that everything was all right. I went back, to go to bed, but scarcely had I closed the door, when someone came running along the passage, ordering all hands to dress and put on life belts.”

The process of evacuating was challenging, as Amy Stanley recalled:

“We had some port wine and started dressing, but we had hard work to dress the child. She was used to dressing herself and was rather a stubborn child. The more we hurried her the longer she took.”

How were Virginia and her nursemaid rescued?

Miss Dowdell and Virginia faced difficulties reaching the lifeboats:

Crowded stairways prevented them from reaching the upper decks
Men passengers helped hoist women and children to the gallery above
An Englishman lifted Virginia onto his shoulders to help her reach safety

Virginia and Elizabeth Dowdell were eventually rescued in Lifeboat 13. They spent about four hours rowing before being picked up by the Carpathia.

Life After the Titanic

What happened to Virginia Emanuel after the disaster?

Following the Titanic disaster, Virginia’s life continued to be characterized by travel and high society:

Received $100 and new clothes from the Red Cross
Briefly reunited with her mother in New York in August 1912
Attended public school in Rockaway Beach, Long Island
Studied at Montmorency College, a finishing school in Paris, in 1922
Frequently traveled between Europe and the United States

Virginia’s Later Years

By 1927, Virginia, sometimes known as “Bobbie Martin,” had entered into a relationship with Lucien Rosengart, a wealthy French engineer 24 years her senior. They married on September 2, 1930, in Boisettes, Seine-et-Marne, France.

Key events in Virginia’s adult life:

Had a son, Jean-Louis Rosengart (born March 9, 1932)
Converted to Catholicism and was baptized on July 8, 1934
Won awards in automobile competitions with Rosengart cars

Virginia Emanuel’s Untimely Death

Virginia Ethel Emanuel died on August 6, 1936, at 10 Avenue d’Iéna in Paris, aged only 30 (thirty) years old. The cause of her death remains unknown. She was buried at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris on August 8, 1936.

Legacy and Controversies

Was Virginia Emanuel truly in contact with her former nursemaid?

In 1959, Elizabeth Dowdell (then Mrs. Fierer) claimed to still be in correspondence with Virginia, stating she was living in London as “Mrs. Vera Hanson.” However, this was impossible, as Virginia had passed away over two decades earlier. This false claim highlights the complex nature of Titanic survivor stories and the potential for misrepresentation in historical accounts.

Virginia Ethel Emanuel’s short life was marked by the extraordinary event of surviving the Titanic disaster as a child, followed by a life of privilege and tragedy. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the far-reaching impact of the Titanic’s sinking on its youngest survivors.