The Grace Darling Story
Grace Darling was born in Bamburgh on the 24th November 1815, soon after her father William, and her mother, Thomasin, moved to the "Farne Islands", where William succeeded his father as keeper of the Brownsman Island Lighthouse.
Grace was the seventh of nine children, as a young girl she saw many ships
passing the Farnes, including two steamers carrying George IV, to Scotland,
she also witnessed several ships that were wrecked.
In 1825 Trinity House (in charge of coastguards) decided to build the lighthouse
on Longstone Rock, it was an 80ft tower of stone, and came into operation on
the 15th February 1826, the Darling family now had a new home.
Grace's father William was also schoolmaster to his children, she learned
to read and write, knit and sew, enjoying books borrowed from the crewe
library, but soon one by one the family leaving, taking up positions on the mainland, leaving only Grace her parents and one brother.
As her mothers health stated to decline, the days were long and busy,
housekeeping and assisting her father with his duties,
The occasion that led to our Grace becoming a heroine, happened on the night of September 7th 1838, when the 400 ton steamship "Forfarshire", carrying 60 passengers
and crewe bound from Hull to Dundee, experiencing boiler problems, struck
Harkers Rock at 4a.m. 43 people drowned, some managed to get clear by boat.
At 7a.m. Grace and her father set out in the boat (normally 3 crewe minimum),
knowing they would not get back without help, they managed after two trips, to
rescue the 9 people, alive on the rocks.
From that day her life changed, with the word spreading through the press, gifts
and medals arrived from many organisations and prominent people, including
the sum of £50 from Queen Victoria. Artists wanted to paint her, people flocked
to visit the Islands, the Duke of Northumberland eventually took charge of the
family finances, by the end of 1839 her share was £725.
By the year 1842, with all adoration and pressure of fame her health declined
rapidly until she died at her sisters home, on the 20th October 1842 in the village of Bamburgh,
Today many people visit a Museum, to her memory, in beautiful coastal village of Bamburgh.
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