The Tragic Events of November 2nd 1861

They say a picture can paint a thousand words but even this picture with Oliver Sarony medal on chest and head bowed in deep thought cannot paint the reality of the events that took place in Scarborough on Saturday November 2^nd 1861. This day turned out to be one of the most important days of Olivers life. Despite being honoured for his actions he looks deeply affected by what happened and perhaps he wanted this picture to permanently remind him of what his feelings were at the time. (This photo is believed to be Oliver Sarony, and is shown here courtesy of Paul Frecker )The Sheffield Independent 4 November 1861 describes the circumstance leading up to the event. “The evening of Friday was still, but exceedingly cold, and snow fell about eight o’clock. The barometer had been falling some hours. About one o’clock this morning the wind freshened very rapidly. By two o’clock it blew a gale... A small vessel belonging this port called The Wave came in with great difficulty at about three in the morning. She was conducted into the harbour by a pilot, named Wm. Leadley, who had been waiting in his small boat. The master of the Wave reported to Leadley that two other vessels were some distance astern, trying to make Scarborough harbour; whereupon Leadley went out in his boat to look for the next vessel. He has not been seen since.”

Mr Appleyard the harbour master saw a vessel three miles south of Scarborough founder on the rocks where many shipwrecks have now occurred, he supposed it was the Harbinger as this was expected to be in the company of The Wave but it turned out not to be, as the Harbinger was reported to have reached Bridlington Bay and foundered there with all hands" In fact the vessel wrecked at Scarborough turned out to be The Gainborough Packet a Scottish vessel which was tragically lost with all its crew. 1 This was a day when many men would loose their lives.

As the storm raged at about 7am some new houses in New Queen Street fell with a tremendous crash destroying the portrait gallery of Mr Inskip Photographer. Some newly erected houses at Falsgrave met a similar fate. “In North Street a large travelling van belonging to Mr O’Conner, photographer, was blown over and received much damage, destroying the materials used in his profession. The Marionette Theatre, belonging to Mr W Tyas, was shivered to atoms” ²

“A little after 12 at noon a fishing yawl reached the harbour, with great difficulty. The billows tossed the little vessel like a toy as she neared the land, where the breakers roll the heaviest. Both life boats were ready in case she should not answer her helm and reach the harbour. The scene was fearful with excitement. The master of the vessel reports that up to seven o’clock this morning the storm had not reached the herring fishing ground, which is many miles out to sea; but that it was comparatively calm. He left numerous fleet of small craft there” ³

“About half past four a schooner was sighted making for the harbour”…. “she struck the ground directly opposite the Spa Promenade.” The schooner was The Coupland from South Shields she was laden with dressed Granite from Aberdeen which was destined for London. The new lifeboat Amelia which had been provided by the RLNI five weeks earlier was quickly manned and set off to rescue the crew of the schooner. They rowed furiously to reach the stricken vessel. Some of the men were not fastened in, it turned out later at an inquest that at least one of them was not aware that this was a requirement. Hundreds of Spectators lined the cliffs and the Spa and watched as the events unfolded.

Ten crew members were on board the lifeboat (some reports say 12) including Thomas Claybourne: Coxwain, John Burton son of William Burton of the Dog and Duck Inn and Thomas Brewster a young man in his early twenties.. The schooner had six members of crew.

Among the spectators were Lord Charles Beauclerc a soldier, artist and inventor, brother to the Duke of St Albans and descendant of Charles II, also Oliver Sarony, John Isles a shoemaker, William Tindall shipbuilder (census says sailmaker and father to five sons), Michael Hick a ship owner and Joseph Rutter who was a foreman of the North Eastern Railway Works. These brave men were to distinguish themselves in the rescue.

As the lifeboat approached the schooner she was caught up in the rebound of the surf from the spa wall and she struck the wall itself, two of the crew were thrown into the sea. Accounts of what happened next vary somewhat, although there were many onlookers their view of the scene was different as was their knowledge of the identities of those taking part in the rescue . So it not surprising that the account of what happened varied. Some say the Coxwaine (old Claybourne) was the first to be thrown out of the boat. He was washed ashore and thrown a lifebelt. Thomas Claybourne had served as Coxwaine since 1817 and had won a silver medal in 1828 for his part in saving eight crew from a vessel called the Centurion.4 By 1861 Thomas was being referred to ‘Old Claybourne’ in fact he was 69 years of age. Although he had a great deal of experience as a fisherman and Coxwaine one would question at the age of 69 his ability to handle a new lifeboat that had not seen active service before, but no one could possibly question the mans bravery in taking on the task. In fact the Coxwaine at the time was another man but for some reason old Claybourne made the trip instead of him. Many newspapers had something to say about the event. It was believed that so many errors had been printed in the press that the secretary of the RLNI was directed to write to the Yorkshire Gazette requesting that a letter sent to the RLNI by a Mr Woodhall a local Scarborough Banker be published. The letter said that ‘The new Coxwaine and all the enrolled crew were absent at sea” 5 A further report in the Leeds Intelligencer 9^th Nov went on to say. A telegram was sent from London at 5pm Friday for the storm signals to be hoisted but this did not happen until daylight on the Saturday. “unfortunately nearly all the Scarborough fisherman including the crew of the lifeboat were out at sea” … “ An old man verging on 70 years named Thomas Claybourn, had soon gathered, from the materials always at hand among a seafaring population a crew of ten men wherewith to man the new lifeboat”

In a letter to the Morning Post 12^th Nov 1861. a witness who wished to remain anonymous referring to himself as ‘Life Preserver’ said that he was visiting Scarborough and went out fishing the previous day on a pleasure boat operated by a man named Lightfoot (my namesake and possibly even a relation). Lightfoot (possibly Francis Lightfoot shown in the 1861 census as a fisherman) predicted that a great storm was due the following day. On the day of the storm the two men met again and it was said that Lightfoot, who was actually a member of the lifeboat crew, was tending to his own boat which was in danger of being dashed to pieces. Lightfoot said that “the lifeboat would be perfectly useless in such a sea”. As it turned out, for reasons unknown, he did not board the lifeboat when it was launched. During the anonymous mans account he went on to say that as the lifeboat made its way across the bay that Thomas Burton said to old Claybourne “Why Tommy you are taking us to destruction”. Upon which Claybourne told him that “they were under his orders and that all they had to do was pull”. Another crew member William Larkin seconded what Burton had said with the same response from Claybourne. Claybourne was known to be “exceptionally obstinate and vain glorious” also it was said that he walked with the aid of a stick and was “either very lame or effecting to be so” This account of events was put across so strongly that one wonders if the anonymous man had an ‘axe to grind’ or else he was so angered and distressed by what he saw that he wished to have important facts revealed that had previously been unreported. But the ‘life preserver’ may have been too busy in his criticism to be aware that Thomas Claybourne had come forward in the absence of the newly appointed Coxwaine and the regular crew and had gathered volunteers to man the lifeboat.

Mr Alexander Collie of Manchester who was an eye witness.⁶ At first he was positioned on the middle height of the Spa tower and later he moved to the top of the clay bank. He said that a rope had been thrown to the lifeboat and it was hauled in. Great waves were crashing in and the boat was upturned throwing the crew into the sea. Several members of the crew quickly scrambled up the ramp before the next wave came crashing in but two were stuck in the clay. Lord Beauclerc and another man quickly ran down the ramp to assist them, the sea came in and washed Beauclerc about 30 yards out and then back again, the empty boat was tossing about and came down upon the men, Lord Beauclerc and one of the crew were crushed by the boat and as the boat reseeded Beauclerc looked almost lifeless, a crew member was washed out to sea. Two men seeing there was still some life in Lord Beauclerc rushed down to help him, one was Sarony and the other Joseph Rutter. They fastened a rope around Lord Beauclerc and others attempted to haul him up the cliff which was some twelve feet high. Another huge wave came in and washed Sarony out to sea. He was washed out and then in again and disappeared from the sight of some of the spectators who thought him drowned. This was even reported in the press.⁷ He had been in the water for some fifteen to twenty minutes and was dashed against the bank several times, however he managed to grab hold of a lifebuoy which was thrown to him by Matthew Bayfield ⁸ Within two or three minutes he had been hauled to the top of the bank and was much exhausted. Three hours passed before his circulation was fully restored. Sarony had survived others were not so fortunate. Lord Beauclerc was carried to the Music Hall where he was attended by Dr Lycett who pronounced him dead. He had been drowned after suffering a head injury and a broken arm. Two of the lifeboat crew John Burton and Thomas Brewster were drowned. Brewsters body was found on Monday morning, he was washed up on the rocks ⁹

John Isles’s coat was washed up on Sunday morning and on Monday William Tindall’s coat was also washed up. Both families offered cash rewards for the recovery of their bodies. ¹⁰

The crew of the Coupland were rescued safely when a rocket line was fired from the shore. This painting by Robert Earnest Roe shows the rocket line in action.

The drama of that day was captured by several artists who painted their interpretation of the scene. Oliver even commissioned Paul Marny to produce a version. One of the paintings possibly Marny’s was put on display at Oliver’s Leeds studio in April 1862. ¹¹ Robert Ernest Roe (1881) painting can be seen at Scarborough Art Gallery, others that captured the scene were Fred Casano in 1861 (Scarborough Art Gallery), Keane (postcard shown above), Joseph Newington Carter 1862 (sold by Bonhams in 2011 for £750) , and Alfred M Willis 1904 (Whitby Museum, Pannet Park Whitby).

The 2^nd November was a Saturday, by the 7^th November officials at the RNLI had met and decided to award medals to those that had bravely stepped forward and risked their own lives to save others. Silver medals were awarded posthumously to Lord Beauclerc, William Tindall and John Isles and also to Oliver Sarony, Joseph Rutter and Michael Hick. The RLNI Silver medals had a portrait of King George the fourth on the front and on the reverse a representation of the saving of a life from a shipwreck with the words ‘Let not the deep swallow me up’ an extract from Psalm 69 15. Around the rim was the name of the person to whom the award was made with the date November 1861.¹²

On Wednesday the 6^th November a sea trial had taken place on a replacement lifeboat which was to be named Mary it was smaller boat than the Amelia and was one of three kept in reserve by the RLNI. A Scarborough resident Mrs Cockroft generously offered to pay for the new lifeboat ¹³ It was delivered to Scarborough on Thursday by rail using the services of the Great Northern and North Eastern Railway Companies.

Further medals were awarded by the Board of Trade. Medals for Gallantry in Silver were awarded to Lord Charles Beauclerc, William Tindall, Oliver Sarony, Joseph Rutter, Michael Hick and Francis Chiesa. The medal in bronze was given to Simpson Rawling and Charles Lacy. William Tindall’s medal recently came up at auction and sold for £1,300.

On this occasion Old Claybourne was not recognised and did not receive a medal but he had been awarded medals on a number of previous occasions one of them being as early as 1828. It would be an injustice to him to look back and reflect upon the Amelia incident alone as he was involved in so many other successful rescues. Just a few years earlier in 1857 he took an active part in the rescue of the crews of two Whitby vessels when he commanded the Scarborough Lifeboat. ¹⁴ and again in 1858 he set out with the crew of a fishing smack to save five men who found themselves in trouble whilst taking a boat trip to Filey. ¹⁵ Unfortunately the Amelia incident had left Thomas Claybourne incurably lamed.

The final tragedy in this sorry tale came on 30^th January 1862. A steamer named the Amity was sailing from London to the north. Three Scarborough fishermen were fishing in a boat off Robins Hoods Bay hauling in their lines when the steamer for no apparent reason and in broad daylight ploughed into them. Two of the men were killed. One of them was Robert Claybourne (reported as Clayburn) aged 31 the son of Thomas Claybourne. ¹⁶ Robert was providing the only support for his parents. ¹⁷ Claybourne must have been devistated at the loss of his son in such a manner especially as had he spent so much of his life saving the life of others at sea. Thomas Claybourne died in 1870, the 1871 census shows his wife Maria living in the Scarborough Almhouses. ¹⁸

A stereo card of a Life Boat Hero by an unknown photographer. It is interesting that none of the articles describing the events of 2nd Nov 1861 mentions the cork life jacket and yet in February 1861 in another storm all but one of those manning the Whitby lifeboat lost their lives. The survivor was Henry Freeman who was wearing a cork life Jacket. The question is were any lessons learnt from Whitby and were any of the Scarborough Crew wearing such a jacket on that fateful day?

1. Scarborough heritage centre website.

2. The Era 10th Nov 1861

3. The Sheffield Independent 4th Nov 1861

4. The Scarborough Lifeboats by Arthur Godfrey.

5. Yorkshire Gazette 9^th Nov 1861

6. Leeds Mercury 30^th Dec 1861

7. The Newcastle Journal 4^th Nov 1861.

8. Yorkshire Gazette 9^th nov 1861

9. The Examiner 9^th Nov 1861

10. The ERA 10th Nov 1861

11. Leeds Intelligencer 5^th April 1862

12. Yorkshire Gazette 28^th Dec 1861

13. Leeds Mercury 8th Nov 1861

14. Illustrated London News 17^th Jan 1857

15. Leeds Mercury 28^th Aug 1858

16. Leeds Mercury 1^st Feb 1862

17. Birmingham Daily Post 1st Feb 1862

18. 1871 Census for England