Working in Whitby

After our drink stop, we walked up to the Grace Darling Museum. She was one of the first historical figures I learned about in primary school. All these years later (50+!!), I can still picture the cover of the Ladybird book I had about her. I read it over and over again! Now, here we were learning all about her life through personal items, letters, family portraits, and the famous coble, which she rowed alone on the night of the rescue that made her world famous.

Grace Darling was born on 24th November 1815 in her grandfather's cottage just up from the museum. She was the 7th of nine children and spent her early years with her family in a small cottage attached to the lighthouse on Brownsman Island out on the Farne Islands. Her father, William, was the lighthouse keeper here until 1826, when they moved to the newly-built lighthouse on the island of Longstone.

On 5th September 1838, the Forfarshire, an early paddle steamer, set off from Hull to Dundee with 60 passengers and crew on board. The next day, the ship's boiler began to leak, and by 7th September, the engine stopped. Without power, the Forfarshire drifted. At about 4am, it struck Big Harcar rock on the Farnes. Within 15 minutes, the ship broke in two. The stern was swept away, and the ship sank.

Grace saw the wreck from her bedroom window and could see a few survivors. The storm was so fierce that William was sure the North Sunderland lifeboat would not be able to launch, so he and Grace rowed out in rough seas to Big Harcour. Nine people were still alive on the rocks, but the coble could only take five. While her father leapt onto the rocks to help the survivors, Grace had to keep the boat in place by rowing backwards and forwards to prevent it from smashing into the rocks. They then rowed back to the lighthouse with five survivors - one woman and four men. While Grace and her mother looked after three of the survivors, her father and two of the rescued seamen rowed back to save the other four men.

Grace became the first international celebrity created by the newspapers. Many artists came to the lighthouse to paint her portrait. She received hundreds of letters and presents. Both Grace and her father were awarded gold medals by the Royal Humane Society and silver medals from the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (now the RNLI). Queen Victoria sent Grace £50.

Grace, though, never enjoyed all the attention she received.Read more