The Second Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster: 1 February 1903 by Kate Jones

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The Second Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster:
1 February 1903
by Kate Jones

In May 2015 a small brown envelope was given to volunteers in the lifeboat house shop. Inside was a sepia photograph of a lady in Edwardian dress with three young children. On the back of the photograph someone had long-ago written: “Mrs Ann Michael and Family. Will. Eva. Reggie. Harry came later.” Wrapped around the photograph were a much folded funeral service card and a creased page from the All Saint’s church magazine – both dated 1903. The three items tell a tragic tale.

On the afternoon of Sunday 1 February 1903 The Mumbles Lifeboat coxswain Tom Rogers strolled from his cottage in Hill Street to the lifeboat house at Southend. An eye-witness described how relaxed he was: ‘pipe in mouth, hands in pocket, just as casually as if he were going to a football match’. He was joined at the boathouse by the rest of his crew, several helpers, a signalman, a messenger and the winchman. Shortly before four o’clock the lifeboat James Stevens No.12 was launched. The Cambrian newspaper later reported: ‘her crew left in high spirits, anticipating no danger.’

The lifeboat crew: Coxswain Tom Rogers, 2^nd Coxswain Daniel Claypitt and Bowman Samuel Gammon along with three of his brothers – David John, James and Richard – and their brother-in-law Hedley Davies were accompanied by Charlie Davies, David John Howell, William Jenkins, George Michael, Robert Smith, Tom Michael and David John Morgan. The latter two were survivors of the lifeboat disaster of just twenty years before, when four lifeboat crewmen were drowned off Mumbles Head. The coxswain had lost a cousin, William Rogers, in that disaster too.

There were fourteen Mumbles men in the lifeboat that Sunday afternoon but only eight returned home alive.

There were fourteen Mumbles men in the lifeboat that Sunday afternoon but only eight returned home alive

It was then that tragedy struck. As she sailed across the bar James Stevens was caught by heavy seas and capsized several times throwing her crew into the rough and icy water. As the lifeboat righted herself for the third time and drifted towards the breakwater she scooped up four crewmen who managed to scramble ashore. But the rest of the men were fighting for their lives. Bowman Sam Gammon, a strong swimmer, dived back into the turbulent sea and rescued three, including his brother-in-law Hedley Davies, who told the subsequent Board of Trade Inquiry how he begged Sam to let him go: ‘tis better for one to drown than two’. But Sam replied: ‘Come on boy, we’ll get ashore or drown together.’

The disaster: From the breakwater desperate rescue attempts were made by the rest of the crew to pull their comrades from the waves. They were joined by the Harbour Master Captain Jones and some French sailors who used ropes and lifebuoys to help some to safety. But six lifeboat crew members died. They drowned or were killed by being dashed against or trapped in the concrete blocks of the breakwater.

Meanwhile, back in Mumbles families were on their way to evening church services. In the All Saints’ church magazine of March 1903 he vicar wrote how villagers: ‘assembled as usual to take part in the Sabbath-day evensong, little dreaming of the terrible tragedy that was being enacted on the other side of the bay. Here was the hush of prayer, the strains of sweet music ascending to the throne of God. There was the roaring of the sea, the crash of waves, the cry of strong men struggling with death.’

The dreadful news: When the dreadful news of the disaster reached the village relatives of the crew attending church and chapel were quietly asked to return home. Two of the eight survivors came home that night, the other six stayed in Port Talbot returning the next afternoon to a sombre silent village ‘having left six of their comrades behind’. The south Wales Daily Post reported: ‘they were met by a large crowd of relatives and friends … [all] of the men went straight to their respective homes, and one or two who had been knocked about in their life struggle went to bed.’ Tom Michael, later to be granted £20 by the RNLI because of his injuries, lived in Hill Street. He had survived the 1883 disaster along with David Morgan, but ‘his mate on that occasion is now drowned’. Tom had now lost his younger brother, George, as well.

Afterwards: The village struggled to come to terms with its loss. On 8 February, a week after the disaster, the morning sermon at All Saints’ was preached by the Lord Bishop of St. David’s. At evensong, the congregation included the widows and children, relatives and friends, also the first and second crews of the lifeboat – the church was packed. A ‘record amount’ of money was collected at the services and given to the disaster fund.

The wrecked James Stevens 12 was replaced by a reserve lifeboat. Samuel Gammon was appointed coxswain and more men volunteered for the crew. When the new crew went out on 25 February to assist a Norwegian barque Allegro drifting up the Bristol Channel in gale-force winds, their safe return was greeted with considerable relief by a large crowd gathered on the Southend foreshore.

Photographs: James Stevens 12 launching on 1 February 1903: Odo Vivian; The SS Christina aground, Port Talbot: RNLI/The Mumbles; 1903 funeral service card that belonged to the Michael family: RNLI/The Mumbles; George Michael: RNLI/The Mumbles.

Kate Jones, 2019