Grace Darling was a true 19th century
heroine. She earned her fame on 7th
September 1838 when she took part in a daring rescue off the coast of
north-east England, her actions turning her into a household name.
She was the daughter of William Grace, the keeper of the
Longstone lighthouse, where she lived with her family, including two brothers.
The lighthouse guarded the Farne Islands of Northumberland. These low-lying
islands, renowned for their colonies of seals and puffins, lie just off the
Northumberland coast and present a real hazard to shipping.
On the night of 6th September 1838 the paddle-steamer
SS Forfarshire, sailing north from Hull, suffered engine failure during a storm
and foundered on Big Harcar, one of the Farne Islands about three quarters of a
mile from the lighthouse. Some of the passengers and crew managed to get about
the ship’s lifeboat, but nine people could only scramble to safety on the rocks
of Big Harcar, where the huge waves threatened to sweep them off into the sea.
When, at first light, Grace Darling spotted the wreck and
the people on the rocks, her father decided to mount a rescue by rowing his
boat across to the island, but he could not do it alone. His two sons were away
at the time, which only left Grace, aged 22. They managed to reach Big Harcar
through the storm, and Grace then had to keep the boat safe from being smashed
against the rocks while her father climbed on to the island to help the
stranded people to safety.
Grace’s courage and prowess, when the general public got to
hear about it, gave her instant celebrity status. The young Queen Victoria (who
was four years younger than Grace) gave her fifty pounds. Both William and
Grace were awarded the silver medal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
(RNLI).
And, of course, a flood of congratulatory letters arrived at
the lighthouse. Many of these asked for a lock of Grace Darling’s hair, which
was the Victorian equivalent of requesting an autograph signature. Grace,
knowing no better, sent off the locks as requested.
However, the letters asking for locks of hair were so
numerous that Grace’s hair could not grow fast enough to supply the demand.
Grace seriously considered buying a wig to cover the bald patches that were
starting to appear.
Unfortunately, Grace Darling was not able to enjoy her fame
for long, because she died of tuberculosis only four years later. However, her
posthumous fame continues to this day, and she is remembered fondly by the
RNLI, which always has a “Grace Darling” lifeboat in service.
© John Welford
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