21 women were employed on the Titanic as stewardesses. Three of them had specialised roles - the 3rd class Matron and in 1st Class the ladies' attendant and masseuse for the Turkish bath. The remaining 18 have traditionally been listed as 17 First Class stewardesses and just 1 (Lucy Snape) in Second Class, because that's how they appear in the Particulars of Engagement. It is now, however, generally accepted that Katherine Walsh (signed on as 1st Class) was actually a 2nd Class stewardess, as evidenced by the recollections of at least one 2nd Class passenger, Selena Rogers.
But I think we need to go further than this small increase in provision for 2nd Class. If there were only two stewardesses, then the ratio of 2nd to 1st Class provision would be just 1:8, which is completely at odds with the ratio of 1:3 or better which is found in all other areas of service involving stewards - bedroom, saloon, bath, boots etc. If we shift two more of these ladies from 1st to 2nd Class, then we have a ratio of 4:14 which fits in with the general provision. We would also have 14 stewardesses occupying 7 small cabins in 1st Class, and 4 to occupy the large cabin provided as stewardess accommodation in 2nd class.
Also, we know that Wallis (3rd Class), Snape and Walsh (2nd Class) were each engaged at a reduced rate of £3 as opposed to £3 10s which was the standard rate paid to stewardesses in 1st Class. Though we know that Walsh worked in 2nd Class, her name appears on the 1st Class signing sheet, but at the tail end of the list along with Bliss and Lavington, who also had the reduced pay rate of £3.
So my proposal is that Lucy Snape, Katherine Walsh, Emma Bliss and Bessie Lavington might all have worked on Titanic as stewardesses in 2nd Class, and roomed together on E deck in the cabin inboard of No 4 hatch on the starboard side. The anomalies I have mentioned here seem too obvious not to have been noticed by others, so perhaps I am just stating the obvious and have failed to notice an equally obvious alternative explanation? Comments welcomed.
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But I think we need to go further than this small increase in provision for 2nd Class. If there were only two stewardesses, then the ratio of 2nd to 1st Class provision would be just 1:8, which is completely at odds with the ratio of 1:3 or better which is found in all other areas of service involving stewards - bedroom, saloon, bath, boots etc. If we shift two more of these ladies from 1st to 2nd Class, then we have a ratio of 4:14 which fits in with the general provision. We would also have 14 stewardesses occupying 7 small cabins in 1st Class, and 4 to occupy the large cabin provided as stewardess accommodation in 2nd class.
Also, we know that Wallis (3rd Class), Snape and Walsh (2nd Class) were each engaged at a reduced rate of £3 as opposed to £3 10s which was the standard rate paid to stewardesses in 1st Class. Though we know that Walsh worked in 2nd Class, her name appears on the 1st Class signing sheet, but at the tail end of the list along with Bliss and Lavington, who also had the reduced pay rate of £3.
So my proposal is that Lucy Snape, Katherine Walsh, Emma Bliss and Bessie Lavington might all have worked on Titanic as stewardesses in 2nd Class, and roomed together on E deck in the cabin inboard of No 4 hatch on the starboard side. The anomalies I have mentioned here seem too obvious not to have been noticed by others, so perhaps I am just stating the obvious and have failed to notice an equally obvious alternative explanation? Comments welcomed.
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They are wall seats. 
