How amazing was this?
14 April, 2011 in Places, Transport
On the morning of Wednesday 19th January, 1881 a Whitby ship, the brig “Visitor” was being wrecked in Robin Hood’s Bay. The ship broke up and the luckless crew took to the little lifeboat. This epic story began without a soul watching. The crew obviously hoped the people on shore would have noticed their plight, but it was only when morning broke that the alarm was raised. The crew could not venture through the surf. Robin Hood’s Bay has treacherous rocks and only the most fool hardy would think of landing here in a storm. A local may stand a chance. But these men choose to stay just offshore. Here they struggled against mountainous seas and snow blizzards.
When morning broke the wreck was spotted. The Robin Hood’s Bay Lifeboat was unseaworthy and only a foolhardy fisherman would have ventured out in such a sea. Some other solution needed to be found. Scarborough was contacted – Commander Grant received a telegram asking for assistance with the boat wrecked at Robin Hoods Bay. But the tugs were all aground in the harbour at the time making launch impossible. A telegram was sent to Captain Gibson, Harbourmaster at Whitby from the Reverend Jermyn Cooper, vicar of Fylingdales requesting the lifeboat be sent out as “a ship was being wrecked, and the crew, who had taken refuge in the long boat, were astern of the ship, off at sea, outside the heavy breaking waves,and unable to land on account of the fearful surf.”
Captain Gibson immediately tried to launch the lifeboat but because of prevailing winds it was impossible. A tugboat could not be used as it would surely have perished in such heavy seas. It was decided best to carry the lifeboat overland from Whitby to Robin Hoods Bay.
Robin Hood's Bay stands at the base of a steep cliff
So began the epic eight mile journey over the moors to Robin Hood’s Bay. The main problem was the huge snowdrifts. The Lifeboat was mounted on her carriage. First of all the Lifeboats crew and close relatives headed off along the Scarborough Road. The powerful team of horses carried the Lifeboat up the hill. But the treacherous winds and snow blizzards made this difficult. Yet the men of Whitby were not to be beaten. They used shovels, horses, cows and anything useful along the way. They tore through hedges that got in the way. They were helped by Bay men who cleared the path from the Robin Hood’s Bay side. The epic journey built up momentum with farmers turning out to help. They met 2 people coming the other way urging them to turn back because of the blizzards. Yet three hours after they set off they made it to Robin Hood’s Bay. When they reached the steep hill into Robin Hoods Bay a huge cheer was heard. Over 200 men helped clear the huge 6 foot snow drifts. Some of these were the Lifeboatmen themselves.
The road down from the cliff-top
The Lifeboat next had to be lowered down the cliff. Once this was achieved the expectant crowd awaited the rescue. They watched the boat bob up and down. Yet the first rescue attempt was a failure. Eight oars were broken and they were replaced with oars from Robin Hood Bays Lifeboat. A second attempt was made which resulted in rescue. But this was only after a Bay man, John Skelton, waded out into the lifeboat and guided the boat safely through the surf. That local knowledge was needed as he piloted the boat through a narrow channel.
The road to Robin Hood's Bay
It was an exhausting and traumatic event for those rescued. They were numb with cold did not at first realize that they were rescued. They had virtually given up all hope of rescue. But the crowd made up for this. The thousand or so people who had helped clear the way and virtually the whole of Robin Hood’s Bay erupted in excitement as the epic rescue was completed.
Henry Freeman was a famous lifeboat-man from Whitby. He served for many years. This rescue proved to be the height of his fame. He was the sole survivor of the 1861 Lifeboat disaster due to the fact that he wore a cork life-jacket. He was the coxswain of the Whitby Lifeboat.
The road to Robin Hood's Bay
The rescue could claim to be the most epic and heroic ever in Lifeboat history. Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby both treasure this story. Rescues of this nature normally involve a few brave men. But this story involved virtually a thousand people who all helped in their own way – clearing roads of snow, forcing down walls and hedges to make a path for this Lifeboat. This rescue involved farmers and indeed children who all helped in some small way clearing the path. They felt a part of this historic rescue.
The ship saved proved to be one of their own – the vessel was a Whitby ship, the Brig “Visitor” owned by Mr Trueman Robinson of Robin Hoods Bay. So they were saving their own.
(With thanks to Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre )
It is hard to imagine the sheer guts and determination of the Whitby lifeboatmen who battled through the elements that January day back in 1881; these men were nothing less than heroes.
