NEW WOMEN'S WORK ON THE BIG STEAMSHIPS : MAIDEN VOYAGES

 

EXCERPT: By the 1890s there was a boom in passenger shipping, and the major ports of Britain became the embarkation points for emigrants from all over Europe as well as the British Isles.  In 1893 large transatlantic liners started to leave from Southhampton as well as from Liverpool, which had previously been the main embarkation port for North America.  The White Star and Cunard shipping lines joined P & O in setting up offices and infrastructure in Southhampton, which was just a hour from London by train.  With the growth in the numbers of female passengers, gender-specific roles such as bathing attendants, nursery nurses, laundry attendants and masseuses we also created aboard the big ships.  The shipping companies received applications for women's roles board the ocean going ships far beyond the number of positions available.  The jobs were physically demanding, and those taking them would be living away form home - often in cramped, communal quarters - but, in an era of limited job opportunities for women, the idea of going to sea and earning an independent living was appealing to many.  (page 16)

A note:  Married women and women with children also took jobs on the steamships.