Annie Caton Turkish bath attendant

[Tony Sheils]

According to a report on page 3 in today's "The Editor", a supplement to "The Guardian":

"Annie Caton, a 50-year-old Turkish bath attendant, survived the sinking of the Titanic, but received no sympathy from her bosses at the White Star Line when she went to collect her pay, "Her hours were calculated with ruthless efficiency." reported the Daily Telegraph. "Her entitlement to pay ended at the moment the ship went down and her termination of employment was entered as the precise moment the "unsinkable liner" sank on April 16 1912." The woman's employment log, which was passed down through several generations of her family, is to be auctioned at Christie's [presumably in London], where it is expected to fetch £2,000."

I shan't be bidding but some other members of ET may wish to consider it.

 

[Dave Gittins]

I recently pointed out on another thread that this story is only half true. The crew were actually paid for the entire time they spent away from England. In Annie Caton's case, this was 19 days.

The prices being paid for employment records, properly called a Certificate of Continuous Discharge, are quite crazy. The example on sale would never have been on board Titanic, as the crew's records were lodged with the captain when they joined the ship and were lost. The surviving crew were issued with new books, showing their last ship as Titanic and certifying that the original was lost.

If anybody wants to pay £2,000 for this item, it's their affair. Personally, I can think of better things to do with £2,000.

 

[John M. Feeney]

Dave wrote: If anybody wants to pay £2,000 for this item, it's their affair. Personally, I can think of better things to do with £2,000.

And for those of you who *can't* think of anything better to do with that kind of money, consider a donation to the John M. Feeney Charitable Trust for Penniless Historian [sic].

Just make your check or money order out to "John M. Feeney". It'll get to the right place. Really! Hey, would I kid you? ;^)

[The preceding announcement has been an unpaid commercial scam.]

 

[Andrew Maheux]

What about Maude Slocombe? was there anything about her concering this matter, as she to was a Turkish Bath Stewardess.

Andrew

 

[Tony Sheils]

Andrew

I've checked out the original report in the Daily Telegraph of 21 October. There is no mention of Maude Slocombe. Perhaps her log has not survived or it is still being held by her descendants.

Tony

 

[Andrew Maheux]

Tony, Thank you for the info.

-Andrew

 

[Phillip Gowan]

For anyone that was interested in the auction of Annie Caton's sign-on book, I talked to her great-granddaughter tonight and they are shocked and thrilled that the item sold for 5500 pounds sterling after Christie's estimated the sale at 1,800 pounds. I don't know who bought it.

 

[Dave Gittins]

Unreal! Checking their site, I see that Christies stated quite plainly that the book was a replacement. There must be zillions of these things lying about from old merchant seamen whose ships were lost. They'd all be rich, if they'd had the luck to be on Titanic instead of being unromantically torpedoed by some U-boat. Who said, "What's in a name?" Apparently a helluva lot, Billy Boy!

 

[Andrew Maheux]

http://www.thisishampshire.net/hampshire/southampton/titanic/SOTON_TITANIC_NEWS0.html

 

[Tony Sheils]

Andrew

Thanks for keeping us informed of a report from a local newspaper which has strong Titanic connections. I for one would not have seen it otherwise.

Tony

 

[Andrew Maheux]

You're very welcome Tony.

My Best

Andrew

 

[Richard Coplen]

What did a Turkish Bath attendant do exactly? What did the job entail???

 

[Tony Sheils]

Richard

Within the website for Cyberfix's game "Titanic - Adventure Out of Time", www.rmstitanic.co.uk/titanic_titanic_-_adventure.shtml) there is a screenshot with the caption:

"This is Titanic's luxurious Turkish Bath, where the already pampered First Class passenger could receive yet more pampering, in the shape of an invigorating massage from the ship's Turkish Bath attendant, Miss Annie Caton".

I hope this is sufficient information.

Tony

 

[Richard Coplen]

I would have thought that a strange woman getting her hands all over a man's semi-naked body would have been considered very risque back in 1912. Any thoughts people?

 

[Jo Rodriguez]

Were the Turkish Baths on Titanic open to Female Passengers?
In a booklet I have from a cruise the Adriatic made in 1930 The Turkish baths were open to Ladies from 10am-1pm. The cost is given as 4/- (four shillings)Eastbound and $1.00 Westbound. Does anyone know how much they cost on Titanic?

 

[Tony Sheils]

Jo

The answer to your first question appears to be yes, ladies were allowed access to Titanic's turkish bath - see www.victorianturkishbath.org/6DIRECTORY/AtoZEstab/Liners/TitanOlympicSF.htm.

The price of a ticket also seems to have been 4/-per visit, eg see www.victorianturkishbath.org/6directory/atozestab/liners/aapix/TitanicTicket_w.htm.

I hope this helps.

Tony

 

[Chris Dohany]

:::I would have thought that a strange woman getting her hands all over a man's semi-naked body would have been considered very risque back in 1912.:::

And vice versa, of course. The female Turkish Bath attendants were on hand to cater to the female passengers while the male attendants dealt with the men.

 

[Jo Rodriguez]

Thankyou Tony. Chris you must have read my mind. I was about to say "Weren't the female attendants for the female passengers?"

 

[john henry caton]

I understand that Phill Gowan as a picture of Annie Caton circa 1900,I would like to discuss this with him, perhaps adding three more chapters to his book on "Annies Story"

 

[Inger Sheil]

Hallo John - Welcome to the board. I've moved your post out of 'Passengers' and to a pre-existing Annie Caton thread.

Phil Gowan has posted his email address here in the past, so I'll give it to you again: habanero17@yahoo.com

Be fascinating if you two can put your information together!