- This page is about the First Class Purser's Office. For it's second class counterpart, see Second Class Purser's Office.
The remains of the Purser's Office in the wreck. From TitanicVR
The Purser's Office was located on the C Deck landing of the Grand Staircase. First Class passengers could buy tickets for the various onboard amenities available to them. Tickets for the use of the Turkish Bath, Deck Chairs, and Swimming Bath cost $1.00 ($37.00 in 2023) and tickets for the Squash Court and Gymnasium cost $0.50 ($18.50 in 2023) The Purser had to have extensive knowledge of everyone and everything about the ship. Passengers could ask anything of a general nature of the office. The ship's daily distance was put up outside the Purser's Office and the passengers conducted much of their onboard business at the Enquiry Office such as:
- Submission of various requests
- Hiring of motorcars at ports of call
- Purchase of postage stamps and train tickets
- Sending messages and letters. (The purser would write the message and send it up to the Marconi Room on the Boat Deck)
Purser McElroy[]
Titanic's Purser was named Hugh McElroy. Having served the White Star Line for nearly thirteen years, McElroy was well known and respected among his fellow crew members. He had previously served under Captain Smith on the Adriatic, the Majestic, and the Olympic. He had also worked alongside Chief Steward Latimer and Dr Oloughlin, both of whom were present on board the Titanic. McElroy was very popular with passengers, well known for his sense of humor and kindhearted spirit. So popular was he that many would plan their travels around his schedule to ensure they would sail with him. Dining at the Purser's table was a special privilege, and it was not uncommon for passengers who had been assigned to his table to invite their friends to join them. McElroy would always accommodate these requests, and his table was always an unpredictable buzz of activity.
A little-known fact about McElroy is that he was transporting a canary during the initial stages of the voyage. The canary was to be delivered to a Mr. Meanwell in Cherbourg. McElroy agreed to watch over the canary in his office, and it remained there until the ship reached Cherbourg where it was then carried out through the 1st Class Entrance. The Canary's crossing cost roughly 25 cents, which was paid for by the Meanwell family.
McElroy would not survive the sinking, though he was an ever-present figure throughout. Many sightings of him during the sinking were reported, and he was notably credited with firing a pistol into the air near Collapsible C to drive off a mob that threatened to swarm the lifeboat. He assisted the ship's officers in loading the lifeboats and eventually found himself alongside Assistant Purser Reginald Barker and Dr. Oloughlin on the port side of the boat deck. 2nd Officer Lightoller found these men together shortly before the plunge and paused to shake their hands and wish them luck. Of these four, only Officer Lightoller would survive.
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time[]
The Purser in his office in Titanic: Adventure Out of Time
In Titanic: Adventure Out of Time, the Purser's Office is only accessible before the sinking. The player can ask the cabin for any passenger of the game. There are two mandatory visits to the office:
1) At the start of the painting quest, Carlson must look up the cargo manifest. When he goes to the Purser's Office, the Purser will be mumbling the name 'Thayer'. He will then explain that a telegram needs sending and Carlson offers to send it. Once he has done so, he should tell the Purser who will leave to deliver the news in person. Then Carlson can have a look at the cargo manifest, where he will find details of a painting that Sasha Barbicon has stored in the cargo hold.
2) Carlson will leave the Purser's Office and then go back in. When he requests the keys to the cargo hold, the Purser will tell him to go away before revealing that Isidor Straus is missing one of his cufflinks. Carlson offers to find it and hands it to the Purser, who leaves his post to deliver it in person. While he's gone, Carlson can take the keys from the key rack.
Upon leaving the Café Parisien for the first time, Carlson will bump into Daisy Cashmore who asks him to look up the name of a passenger with the initials 'G.Q.C'. When he questions the Purser, the name of the passenger is revealed as 'George Quincy Clifford'.
Gallery[]
