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Second class survivor biography

Jessie Wills Leitch, Titanic Survivor

Jessie Wills Leitch was a 31-year-old Scottish second class passenger travelling with Baptist minister John Harper and his six-year-old daughter Annie Jessie, known as Nana. Jessie had helped raise the child after Nana’s mother died. When Titanic sank, Jessie and Nana escaped in Lifeboat 11 while Harper remained behind and died.

Written and researched by Don St GermainLast reviewed:
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Full name Jessie Wills Leitch
Born November 8, 1880, Linwood, Scotland
Age on Titanic 31
Class Second class passenger
Travelling with Rev. John Harper and his daughter Annie Jessie “Nana” Harper
Destination Chicago, Illinois
Survived in Lifeboat 11
Died February 6, 1963, Llanidloes, Wales

Jessie Leitch, the Harper family and Lifeboat 11

Her biography is best understood as a family story: Jessie had helped care for Nana for years before Titanic and became responsible for her during the evacuation.

Second class

Second class survivors

Jessie, John Harper and Nana travelled together on a joint second class ticket from Southampton.

 Child survivor

Titanic’s surviving children

Six-year-old Nana survived with Jessie after being separated from her father during the evacuation.

 Evacuation

Titanic lifeboats

Jessie later described climbing a vertical ladder with Nana before the pair entered Lifeboat 11.

 Rescue

Carpathia

Jessie and Nana slept in Carpathia’s library before reaching New York on April 18.

Key facts about Jessie Wills Leitch

  • Jessie was born in Linwood, Renfrewshire, Scotland, on November 8, 1880.
  • She had worked as a watchmaker’s shop assistant and was also reported to have nursing training.
  • After John Harper’s wife died following childbirth, Jessie helped raise Harper’s daughter Nana and later lived with them in London.
  • The three boarded Titanic as second class passengers bound for Chicago, where Harper was due to preach.
  • Jessie and Nana survived in Lifeboat 11; Harper died in the sinking.

Jessie Leitch helped raise John Harper’s daughter

Jessie Wills Leitch was born in Linwood, Renfrewshire, on November 8, 1880. Census records place her with relatives in Scotland during her youth. By 1901 she was working as a watchmaker’s shop assistant, and specialist research also records that she had some nursing training.

Her family connection to Baptist minister John Harper changed the course of her life. Harper married Jessie’s aunt Annie in 1903. When Annie died after giving birth to their daughter in 1906, Jessie stepped in to help care for the child, Annie Jessie Harper, usually called Nana.

The Harper party was travelling to Chicago

When Harper later became pastor of Walworth Road Baptist Church in London, Jessie lived with him and Nana and was listed as their housekeeper in the 1911 census. In April 1912 the three booked second class passage on Titanic.

They travelled on joint ticket 248727, priced at £33, and boarded at Southampton. Their destination was Chicago, where Harper had been invited to preach at Moody Church. Jessie’s role in the party was not incidental: she had already spent years helping raise Nana.

Jessie remembered the warning, the ladder and the separation

Jessie later gave a detailed account of the night. She said Harper came to their stateroom around midnight and told them Titanic had struck an iceberg. He returned after seeking information and told them to put on lifebelts. Harper carried Nana as the group moved toward the upper decks.

Jessie remembered having to climb a vertical iron ladder. Harper passed Nana upward so men at the top could lift the child to Jessie. There was no proper farewell. Jessie said they still did not understand how serious the danger was and had been reassured that the ship could not sink.

Jessie and Nana survived in Lifeboat 11

Jessie and Nana are recorded as survivors of Lifeboat 11. Harper remained aboard Titanic and died. Jessie later remembered their boat being about a mile away when the ship disappeared.

Aboard Carpathia, Jessie and Nana were not given a cabin and slept in the ship’s library. They reached New York on April 18 still wearing the clothes in which they had left Titanic. Jessie then chose not to continue to Chicago and returned to Britain aboard Celtic.

Her life continued in Britain and Wales

Jessie continued to be closely connected with Nana after the disaster. In the early 1920s she married widower Alexander Anderson, an estate agent in Montgomeryshire, Wales. He died in 1928, and Jessie did not remarry.

She spent her later years in Wales and died at War Memorial Hospital in Llanidloes on February 6, 1963, aged 82. Her story preserves the quieter family side of Titanic: a woman who had already taken responsibility for a child years before the voyage and carried that responsibility through the evacuation.

Sources used for this biography

Jessie Leitch’s family history, passenger details, Lifeboat 11 assignment and later life are documented in specialist passenger research, including contemporary newspaper accounts of her recollections.

Related pages to read next

Second ClassSee second-class Titanic survivor statistics, compare men, women, and children, and explore biographies including Lawrence Beesley.Titanic Child SurvivorsLearn how many children survived Titanic, compare survival by passenger class, and search published biographies of child survivors.Titanic LifeboatsTitanic carried 20 lifeboats with room for 1,178 people. Search the complete lifeboat list, capacity, launch order, estimated occupants and rescue history.Carpathia RescueFollow Carpathia’s rescue, from Harold Cottam’s wireless message and Captain Rostron’s response to lifeboat recovery and New York.Life After TitanicFollow Titanic survivors through rescue, inquiries, relief funds, later careers, reunions, interviews, and the final survivor in 2009.Titanic SurvivorsWho survived the Titanic? Learn how people survived, compare survival by class and crew, search the complete survivor list and read verified stories.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jessie Wills Leitch travelling with on Titanic?

She travelled with Baptist minister John Harper and his six-year-old daughter Annie Jessie “Nana” Harper.

Why was Jessie Leitch caring for Nana Harper?

Nana’s mother died shortly after childbirth in 1906, and Jessie, who was related to the family, helped raise her.

Which lifeboat did Jessie Leitch survive in?

Jessie and Nana Harper survived in Lifeboat 11.

Did John Harper survive Titanic?

No. Harper remained aboard Titanic and died in the sinking.

When did Jessie Leitch die?

She died in Llanidloes, Wales, on February 6, 1963, aged 82.