It is the 200 year anniversary of the RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution. An institution you will see everywhere round our island's coast line. Paul supported it and we had a sticker on the back of the car.
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| by Thomas Musgrove Joy - Grace Darling at the Forfarshire |
It reminded me of a story I read as a child, Grace Darling, the first woman to be involved in rescuing shipwrecked people, or at least to be recorded. She lived with her family in a lighthouse off the coast of Northumbria, and one day when she spied a ship on the rocks, she and her father rowed out to save 9 people on the rocks. Because she was a woman she was lauded in society at the time, and I suspect my first female heroine. Sadly she did not live long and died of tuberculosis when young.
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| Henry Freeman |
But in Whitby there is also the tale of the cork lifesaver that Henry Freeman wore in 1861 and which saved his life, when all his comrades perished at sea after saving the lives of seamen out in a terrible storm and bringing them back to safety onshore. The storm caught the lifeboat on its third rescue and toppled it over leaving only Freeman able to save himself.
You will notice the cabling on his jumper, there is another tale to be told here. Fisherman's wives knitted these hardwearing jumpers in a multitude of patterns. The reason why though was sad, for when the dead bodies of those that have perished out to sea came ashore, the jumper was the only way of identification.
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| Robin Hood Bay I have never understood what Robin Hood is doing down here so far North when everyone knows he lived in Sherwood Forest but there is another tale about life boats here. A ship the 'Visitor' had been driven onto the rocks by a storm in 1881 but there was no lifeboat at Robin Hood Bay, so the people of Whitby dragged their lifeboat to the village. It was six miles in deep snow, 200 men and 18 horses, they dug out the snowdrifts as they went along and had a steep precipitous run down into the village but they made it. The storm raged, on the first outing six oars broke but eventually the stricken crew was saved. You can read a much better longer version of the story if you can find it. The the link is not working, search engine Visitor ship/Robin Hood Bay should bring it up. What comes across of course is the effort to save lives, the ability to put one's own life in danger to save another. Today the RNLI is proud of its achievements, they are often more caught up rescuing foolish people from the sea, who have no knowledge of currents and tide and how fierce the sea can become. But those early heroes live on just as today's heroes capture the headlines and we should do well to put a pound in their boxes. |
Great tales of courage and bravery, along with cleverness. Australia has our own sea rescuing Grace, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Bussell
ReplyDeleteAnd it seems your Grace was honoured here, with a pub named after her. One which we have visited in years past. https://thegracedarlinghotel.com.au/
DeleteGrace Bussell is obviously another heroic girl riding her horse down the cliff at breakneck speed to the rescue. Grace, Charity and Hope all good Victorian religious names for girls. That hotel looks as if it serves up scrumptious food Andrew.
ReplyDelete200? I have nothing but respect for the RNLI. I don't walk past their collection boxes.
ReplyDeleteYes 200 years, formed as a charity in March 1824, they have been recognised by UNESCO as well.
DeleteThere's a very nice little museum in Bamburgh which tells the Grace Darling story very well. Down here in E Anglia we have the Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer commemorating the country's most decorated lifeboatman.
ReplyDeleteMuseums everywhere in Britain commemorating all the lost heroes John and I shall go and see what Henry Blogg did.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Thelma. How brave those rescuers are!
ReplyDeleteYes Ellen, brave and selfless.
DeleteI've read some of their exploits and seen the museum touted on The Antiques Roadtrip. They ARE heroes! Apropos to absolutely nothing except the ocean, have you read about the man rowing across the Atlantic? You can track his trip here: https://cf.yb.tl/mindoarmatter He's getting quite close to Penzance.
ReplyDeleteTom Waddington is his name I see. A courageous adventure to raise money for a charity Debby. Didn't know you watched the Antique Roadshow ;)
ReplyDeleteGrace Darling and Henry Blog are two names I had heard off, I will investigate Henry Freeman. Thank you. The RNLI do a fantastic job around our coastline as people who don’t live near the coast do not seem to realise just how powerful the sea is and get into difficulties when they visit the coast.
ReplyDeleteI once almost drowned from the silliest of things. Went out in a rubber ring, which fitted half way on my body exactly. What happened is I kept turning over again and again, luckily someone spotted from the beach and rescued me from drowning.
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