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Seahouses Lifeboats Online |
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(Formerly North Sunderland) Established as an RNLI Station on Aug 4th, 1859. |
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Site Content
SECTION 1
SECTION 2
SECTION 6
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The Grace Darling Rescue.
Close by is
the Grace Darling Museum, dedicated to her memory and her heroic actions. The
Museum is closed at present, and undergoing major refurbishment.
Our Lifeboat Call Out Procedure Seahouses Lifeboat Webmaster - Email info@seahouseslifeboat.org.uk © Copyright - Seahouses Lifeboat Station 2008 |
On September 7th,
1838, an incident took place at the Farne Islands, off the North Northumberland
Coast, which was to have profound effect on maritime rescue facilities, or
indeed lack of them around the coast of the United Kingdom. The 400 ton paddle
steamship "Forfarshire" was on passage from Hull to Dundee when it struck rocks
near to the Longstone Lighthouse, in a northerly gale. The vessel broke in two
almost immediately, and many passengers were drowned as the aft section quickly
sank. Some of the crew and one passenger were picked up in one of the ship's
boats, by a passing ship. Thirteen people had survived on the fore part of the
stricken vessel, and were able to scramble onto the Harcar Rock. About half a
mile
away, on the Longstone Lighthouse, were William Darling, his wife Thomasin and
their youngest daughter Grace. Their son William had across to Seahouses
earlier, to help the herring fleet. At first light on the 8th, Grace spotted the
wreck of the "Forfarshire from her bedroom window, and alerted
her family. As the light grew stronger, they could just make out the survivors
huddled on the rocks. Grace and her father decided at once to attempt a rescue,
and put out in their 21ft coble, rowing it through heavy seas towards the
casualties. They could not take a direct route, having to avoid other rocks, and
with tremendous skill and courage, managed to reach the rocks and rescue some of
the survivors, who in turn helped row the coble back to the lighthouse. Grace
and her father decided to make a return trip to rescue those remaining, where
they were also successfully saved and taken back to the lighthouse. here they
remained for 2 days due to the storms, being cared for by the Darling family.
Meanwhile,
William Robson, coxswain of the North Sunderland Lifeboat (Seahouses), on being
informed of the wreck, decided to launch a local coble instead of the lifeboat,
as he believed it would be better suited for getting close amongst the rocks. At
this time, he was unaware of the rescue by Grace and William Darling. With 6
local men, James Robson, Michael Robson, Thomas Cuthbertson, William Swan,
Robert Knox, and William Darling (the lighthouse keeper's son), they set out
into the storm. On reaching the Harcar Rock, they found that all had been
rescued, and they then made their way to the Longstone Lighthouse, being
impossible to return to Seahouses because of the sea state. However, on reaching
the lighthouse, the accommodation was found to be full, and the crew had to take
shelter in a derelict building for next two days.