Yachting Monthly - November 2015

NOVEMBER 2015 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 31

HERITAGE

where he expected shelter, he found rocks.
This means ignoring the survivors’
reports that they correctly identified
Longstone light and overlooks Humble’s
local knowledge of this coast. His
confusing Inner Farne, which showed two
fixed white lights, with Longstone which
flashed every 20 seconds, is improbable.
Shortly before 0400 the Forfarshire
struck the west end of Big
Harcar. Most of the first
class passengers kept out
the weather in their stern
cabins. Almost immediately
the ship broke in two. The
stern with Captain Humble,
his wife and most of the passengers sank.
There were thirteen survivors.
The wreck was seen by 52-year-old
William Darling, keeper of the Longstone
Light. Later when the sun rose at 0530
he saw the survivors on the rocks. About
the same time a cannon was fired from
Bamburgh Castle. There was a long
established watch scheme on this coast.
When a vessel was seen in distress a
cannon fired from the castle reassured her
crew that their predicament was known
and alerted North Sunderland lifeboat.
Darling reckoned that the weather
would prevent the lifeboat being launched

but calculated that when the tide began to

ebb a lee would form behind Big Harcar

making it possible to take the survivors off

in the lighthouse’s coble, a small wooden

rowing boat of a design unique to the

north east of England.

His son was ashore with the fishing

fleet but his 22-year-old daughter Grace,

who had spent her entire life amongst the

Farnes, was more than competent to help.

However, for the heavily laden return trip

he needed three people on the oars.

Darling and Grace left at around 0700,

an hour or so after high water. It was

just over half a mile to the survivors.

On arrival William clambered ashore to

assess the situation leaving Grace holding

their coble off the rocks. In the two hours

since Darling had first seen the survivors

four died from exposure. It took two trips

leaving Grace at the lighthouse and using

two survivors as crew on the second for

him to bring everyone to safety.

There is no evidence that Grace was

on the oars on the first trip back from Big

Harcar. Darling was a careful man who

took calculated risks. While waiting for

the tide to turn he would have thought

through his second trip when the tide

would be flowing stronger and the effect

of wind over tide worse. Safety lay in

muscle power. He would have observed

the survivors through his telescope. On the

return trip it makes sense

for him to let Grace comfort

the survivors in the crowded

coble while he assessed

the ability of the fittest

survivors as oarsmen before

entrusting his life to them on

the second rescue mission.

The North Sunderland lifeboat with a

crew of seven, including Grace’s brother

William, launched around 0730, reached

Big Harcar about 1000, picked up the dead

and continued to the lighthouse.

There were two inquests. The first

took evidence only from passengers and

blamed ‘imperfections of the boilers and

the culpable negligence of the captain not

putting back to port’. A second inquest

heard from the crew and the Forfarshire’s

owners as well as passengers. It attributed

the loss to stress of weather.

This is a reasonable conclusion.

‘With each telling of the story, the winds

grew stronger, the waves higher, the

boat journey longer and more perilous’

Romantic illustrations
such as this turned
Grace Darling into
a celebrity