Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Aaron Church George and Samuel George
Heroes
and Rebels in the Family Tree—Aaron Church George and Samuel George
Aaron Church George, age 64, died on November 10, 1888 when
the lifeboat he was manning capsized while rendering aid to the steam ship
AKABA.
Aaron was the son of Samuel George 1798-1851 and Elizabeth
Church 1797-1879. Aaron was born in 1824
in Winterton, Norfolk, England and baptised in the parish church on September
12, 1824. He was one of 13 children. Samuel and Elizabeth’s children were:
1. Richard Church George 1818–1875
2. Eliza George 1819–1821
3. Clara George 1819–
4. Elizabeth Church George 1821–1897
5. Aaron Church George 1824–1888
6. Robert Church George 1826–1910
7. Ambrose Thomas Church George 1829–1915
8. Kesia Church George 1831–1833
9. Samuel Church George (Mariner) 1831–1881
10. Eliza George 1833–1892
11. Keziah Church George 1836–1874
12. Edward Church George 1839–1909
13. Sarah Ann Church George 1843–1874
Aaron married Rebecca Powles 1824–1855 at Holy Trinity &
All Saints Church in Winterton on September 16, 1845. They had five children before Rebecca died in
June 1855.
1. James George 1846–1850
2. Lavinia George 1847–1912
3. Ann Rebecca George 1850–1866
4. James Powles George 1851–1914
5. John Lewis George 1854–
Aaron then married Elizabeth Fleming Leggett 1839–1916 at
Great Yarmouth on December 14, 1856. Aaron
and Elizabeth had three children:
1. Elizabeth Fleming George 1857–1943
2. Charlotte Fleming George 1859–1866
3. John Sadler George 1861–1946
Samuel George, age 39, died on November 10, 1888 when the lifeboat he
was manning capsized when rendering aid to the steam ship AKABA.
Samuel George was born about 1848 in Yarmouth, Norfolk,
England as the ninth child of Henry George 1810-1871 and Mary Ann George
1811-1882. Henry (the son of John George
1777-1855 and Ann Pawson 1780-1865) and Mary Ann (the daughter of Henry George
1790-1871 and Mary Kettle 1792-1865) were married on November 29, 1829 in the
Parish Church of Winterton with East Somerton, Norfolk, England. They had the following children:
1. Christiana George 1832–1849
2. John Phillip George 1832–1905
3. James George 1834–1905
4. John George 1837–1905
5. Mary Ann George 1841–1909
6. Benjamin George 1843–
7. Henry George 1845–1853
8. Frederick George 1847–1853
9. Samuel George 1848–1888
10. Happy Ursula George 1852–1852
Samuel married Sarah Woods 1847-1890 on December 25, 1871 in
St. Nicholas’ Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. They had six children:
1.
Alice Mary George 1875–1949
2.
Maria Rosa George 1877–1951
3.
Blanche Eleanor George 1879–1961 The twins went to the Orphanage
4.
Leah Frances George 1879–1963 The twins went to the Orphanage
5. Henry
Edward George 1881– Went
to live with Sarah’s brother Edward West Woods and his wife Maria Webb.
6.
Annie Sarah George 1883–1949 kept at home and helped by
sister Maria Rose.
Aaron Church George was related to his cousin who also
perished in the lifeboat disaster. He was
the 1st cousin 1x removed of his sister-in-law to Samuel George.
The Gorleston Lifeboat Disaster of
1888
Stewart Adams
(Published in Yarmouth Archaeology in
2020. Yarmouth Archaeology is the annual publication of the Great Yarmouth
Local History & Archaeological Society.)
The maritime
disasters, which claimed the lives of so many of these brave local men, are
each worthy of an article in their own right.
However, my particular focus for this article is the 1888 disaster
involving the Gorleston volunteer lifeboat, Refuge. I hope that through this article I can convey
that there is a story to be told behind each carefully inscribed name on the
memorial.
The Refuge
was 43 feet 11 inches in length and 4 feet 2 inches in depth and, in 1882,
was described by Coxswain Edward West ‘Laddie’ Woods as ‘one of the finest
boats on the coast’. She had
originally belonged to the Storm Company of Gorleston but, in 1881, she was
sold to the Gorleston Voluntary Lifeboat Association, who chose the Ranger
company to man her.
On 10
November 1888, the Refuge was launched in order to assist a steamer, the
Akaba, which was in difficulties on Hammond’s Knoll. The Akaba was on a voyage from
Calcutta to Dundee loaded with a large cargo of jute. Edward Drane, of the Gorleston lifeboat Refuge,
later wrote the following account of the circumstances of the events that led
to the disaster:
In reply
to signals sent from the Newarp and St. Nicholas Lightships, we proceeded to
sea in tow of a tug, on the morning of November 10th, 1888 and there
found the Akaba at anchor near Hammond’s Knoll, with her rudder gone and
otherwise disabled. The weather being
very bad the captain had signalled for assistance. He accepted our services to assist the
vessel, either into the Wold or Hull, from her then perilous position. With the assistance of the Mark Lane
lifeboat’s crew, who had subsequently arrived, and two tugs, she was taken in
tow and endeavours made to get her into the Wold, the water still being very
bad and the wind about S.E., strong, with a tremendous sea. During the time these endeavours were being carried
out, a heavy sea caught the lifeboat Refuge, nearly setting her on the Akaba’s
decks, and disabling her so that she had to be towed home.
Six of the Refuge crew members remained aboard
the Akaba and the Gorleston RNLI lifeboat, the Mark Lane, also remained
to stand by the steamer. The Refuge,
with her rudder broken and seven crew aboard, was taken under tow by a tug, the
United Service and the Refuge became disengaged.
A stiff
south-easterly wind drove the helpless lifeboat towards the North Sands. The crew got out the oars and started to
raise sail, hoping they could sail in using an oar to steer her, but they were
too late.
The Refuge was now hit by a heavy sea which
capsized her. These tragic events ultimately
resulted in the death of four of the crew of the Refuge.
Henry Smith, chief boatman of the coastguard, was on
shore and witnessed the tragedy as it unfolded.
Smith saw the Refuge become detached from the United Service
and observed as the sail was hoisted but then lowered. Smith watched aghast as the Refuge
disappeared from view after being struck by a heavy sea that turned her
over. Realising that the crew members
who had been thrown clear of the Refuge would have great difficulty in
getting to shore, Smith ran down to the beach and waded into the sea until the
water was up to his armpits. The sea was
so rough that he was knocked down several times, but with considerable
determination he picked himself up and continued. Smith found Henry Bonney swimming in the
water and managed to grab him and bring him safely to shore. Without hesitation Henry Smith went back into
the water and saved three men floating together. Smith managed to grab hold of one of the men
and then he also got a grip on another man.
Smith valiantly attempted to keep hold of both men as he tried to drag
them towards the beach. He almost
succeeded in this but in sheer panic and desperation one of the men grabbed him
by the thigh and this swept Smith off his feet.
With the assistance of some bystanders on the beach an exhausted Henry
Smith managed to drag one of the men, an unconscious Robert Woods, to
shore. With no thought for his own
wellbeing Henry Smith went back into the water in search of others and was now
joined in the water by his colleague, boatman Henry Norton. Smith and Norton noticed somebody clinging to
the stem post of the lifeboat. Henry
Norton reached the man, who turned out to be a very exhausted George Jacobs,
and managed to bring him safely ashore.
As there appeared to be nobody else in the water, Henry Smith returned
to the beach and successfully performed artificial respiration on Robert Woods.
In the meantime, Dr. Godfrey Bately had arrived at the
beach and had given instructions for a hole to be cut in the bottom of the now
cast up lifeboat. Dr. Bately believed
that there was a chance that a body might be found trapped underneath. It was at about this time that Henry Norton
noticed a body floating in the water.
Several men assisted Norton in getting the body to shore. The body turned out to be that of crew member
Aaron George, but sadly all efforts to revive him proved futile.
On the following morning, the life boat was raised by
means of screw jacks and the body of crew member Samuel George was found inside
her. His body had been found entangled
in the mizzen sheet. On the Sunday evening the body of William Whiley was found
washed ashore on the beach just north of the North Battery. Sadly, it would appear that the body of crew
member Alfred Woods was never recovered.
I can find no record of a death certificated issued for Alfred Woods yet
death certificates were issued for Aaron George, Samuel George and William
Whiley.
Unsurprisingly, news of the Refuge disaster was
widely reported throughout the country.
Reports of the disaster eventually reached in international audience
with countries including Australia and New Zealand covering the tragedy in
their own newspapers.
The inquest on the bodies of Aaron George, Samuel
George and William Whiley was held at the Anchor and Hope, Gorleston, on
Tuesday 13th December 1888.
This was the public house that once stood upon the site that has been
occupied by the Pier Hotel since 1897.
The most likely reason that the inquest was held at the Anchor and Hope
would be due to the fact that an adjoining outbuilding appears to have been
used as something of a makeshift mortuary for drowned seamen. It appears that the licensee of the Anchor
and Hope had the responsibility of holding the key to this makeshift
mortuary. The Borough Coroner, Mr. J. T.
Waters, had a special jury of Gorleston men sworn in for the inquest. These Gorleston men were chosen as they had
been acquainted with boats all their lives.
The Coroner explained that the purpose of the inquest was to determine how
the men had come to their deaths and whether any blame or neglect was
attributable to any persons. At the
commencement of the proceedings, the Coroner read out a telegram from the
committee of the RNLI. Despite the fact
that the Refuge was not a RNLI lifeboat, the committee wished to donate
£400 to the relief fund to be established in aid of the bereaved.
On the afternoon of Thursday 15th November
1888, the last Christian rites were performed upon the bodies of the three
brave lifeboatmen, Aaron George, Samuel George and William Whiley when they
were interred in Gorleston cemetery. . .
amid every manifestation of sorrow, and every possible tribute of
respect. Although in humble
circumstances in life, these men were buried with all the honourable
habiliments accorded to heroes, which indeed they were, if saving life
frequently at the risk of their own lives is required of heroes . . . Popular
feeling in Gorleston found expression in a general aspect of solemnity,
enhanced by the closing of business establishments, or the shading thereof,
while on all sides were to be seen flags hoisted half-mast high, conspicuous
among the latter being ensigns flying from the South Pier and its immediate
neighbourhood. Some of the vessels in
the harbour paid a similar tribute of respect to the departed . . . . A small
crowd of persons waited respectfully close to Marina Terrace and Bath
Place—where the deceased men had resided—and watched the mournful procession of
coaches which drew up in the road. The
funeral cortege consisted of three hearses and seven mourning coaches, the
latter containing the relatives of the deceased boatmen. When the coffins laden with beautiful wreaths
and immortelles were placed in the hearses, the sensation among many of those
present was a painful one, and many were visibly affected.
The funeral procession started from the residence of
the deceased men, with the hearse containing the body of Aaron George being the
first on account of his seniority of age, and at the churchyard the coffin was
borne by Oddfellows belonging to the deceased’s club. The hearse, bearing the body of Samuel
George, followed and that containing the mortal remains of William Whiley next,
each coffin being covered with the Union Jack, and covered in Wreaths. Pilots and boatmen bore the last two bodies
to the grave, where the spectacle was a most affecting one, especially at the
conclusion of the funeral service, when the relatives and friends of the men
looked for the last time upon the coffins containing the remains of their
shipmates and fellow boatmen.
On 16th
November 1888, the inquiry into the circumstances of the disaster was reopened
at the Anchor and Hope by the Borough Coroner, Mr. J. T. Waters. Four members of
the crew of the United Service, the tug that had been towing the Refuge
immediately prior to the disaster, gave evidence. It seems that the tow rope was not cut by
anybody on board the Unted Service, but that it was slipped because the crew of
the United Service believed that the crew of the Refuge had
shouted out to be let go so that they could sail in. The Coroner, in summing up the case, said: ‘the
only question was whether the deaths of the men were accidental or not, and on
that point there could be very little doubt’. He referred to the fact that it was usual to
let go of the lifeboats outside the harbour and to let them sail in. Unfortunately, in this case, there was no
rudder to the boat, which was no doubt the cause of the accident. The jury returned a verdict of accidental
death.
As for the
fate of the Akaba, on 17th November 1888, the Norwich Mercury
published a telegram from Hull which read:
The
steamer Akaba has arrived in Alexandra Dock, Hull in tow of three tugs. It is reported that 27 of the Akaba’s crew,
after the disaster off Yarmouth, took to the ship’s lifeboat, and are supposed
to have landed at Winterton. The chief
engineer, a seaman and a North Sea pilot subsequently attempted to leave the
vessel in a smaller boat, which, however, capsized, and all three were
drowned. The Akaba drove to the
northward and was fallen in with by tugs and was brought into Hull.
Almost immediately after the disaster thoughts turned to the
welfare of the widows and orphans left behind.
Samuel George (39) had left a widow, Sarah, and several young
children. The Refuge disaster had
a devastating effect on Sarah George as not only had she lost her husband, but
most of her children were put into the care of others. Aaron George (64) had left a widow, but his
children were already grown up and William Whiley (34) had left a widow
only. Alfred Woods was a single man of
27 and had been in the habit of contributing towards the support of his father,
who was over 70, and an unmarried sister.
On 19th November 1888, a public meeting was
convened by the Mayor (F. Danby Palmer) at the Town Hall, in which a fund was
established for the relief of the widows and children of the four men who had
perished in the disaster.
The Akaba salvage case was heard in the Admiralty
Division on 13th December 1888.
Mr. Justice Butt disposed of the actions by the owners, masters, and
crews of the smack Try Again, the tugs Yare, United Service, Meteor,
and Columbia, the lifeboats Refuge and Mark Lane of
Gorleston, and the S.S. Ouse and Richard Moxon of Hull to recover
remuneration for services rendered to the Akaba on the 7th
November and following days. It was
stated that the Akaba had run aground on the sands off Great Yarmouth
and that she was assisted by a number of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston boats and
afterwards towed to Hull by two Hull steamers.
His lordship awarded the several plaintiffs £5000, of which the tugs
Yare and United Service and the lifeboats Refuge and Mark Lane
shared a total of £2000. It was stated
in court that the representatives of the deceased will take their proportionate
shares of the award.
The heroism of Chief Boatman Henry Smith and of Boatman Henry
Norton of the Gorleston Coastguard was acknowledged publicly on Tuesday 18th
December 1888 in a ceremony at the Great Yarmouth Police Court. The Mayor presented each of the two men with
a cheque for five guineas in recognition of the bravery they had displayed in
rescuing three of the crew of the ill-fated lifeboat Refuge.
The Refuge
had been so badly damaged by the events of 10th November 1888 that
it was totally impractical to attempt to repair her. [Among the onlookers on the pier watching
the disaster was Miss Elizabeth Simpson Stone who was so impressed by the
bravery of these men who went to sea in all weather conditions that she vowed
to have a new lifeboat built for the Gorleston boatmen.] The Refuge
was replaced with a new lifeboat, the Elizabeth Simpson, and she was
officially launched on 23rd October 1889.
RESCUES AND TRAGEDIES OF THE PRIVATE
LIFEBOAT REFUGE
February, 1855 the brig Ann Moore, a collier, grounded on the Corton sands. With her captain swept overboard the crew climbed into the rigging where they remained through the night praying to be saved. At first light the Ranger lookout spotted the disabled wreck and their yawl Breeze was launched. On arrival they found the crew so numb with cold, their arms and legs were ridged and had to be lowered into the lifeboat in that state. After a three-hour journey back the three and half miles to the harbour the men were landed at the Anchor and Hope pub on the pier where the Pier Hotel now stands. Before the Mariners Refuge was built this was the first point of landing survivors for treatment by a doctor together with a stiff tot of brandy.
Boatmen
weren't immune from disaster at sea as seen by the tragedy that occurred in
January 1866 when the Rescuer overturned when leaving harbour with the loss of
twelve crewmen.
An even
worse tragedy happened the following year when on 3rd December 1867,
during a severe gale the Rescuer
was patrolling the "roads" when from an anchored brig the shout came
there was a ship’s boat about two miles away.
They found the boat near Scroby sands with 23 men who had abandoned
their ship the George Kendall when it became obvious they were about to
face shipwreck. The men were taken
aboard and the Rescuer made for the harbour but on arrival the steam
paddle tug Andrew Woodhouse was making for the same point towing a
disabled brig. Seeing the situation the
tug gave way but when the lifeboat came out from her lee she was hit broadside
on by the lugger James and Ellen and capsized. Despite efforts by other boats, nineteen of
the twenty-three men from the George Kendall and six of the lifeboatmen
were drowned.
Twenty-two
years later in November, 1888 another tragedy was to occur when the willing
crew of the lifeboat Refuge once more put their own lives at risk to
save other seafarers on the steamer Akaba.
Genealogy:
Samuel George 1848-1888 was the son of Henry George 1810-1871 and his
mother was Ann Pawson 1780-1865 and her father was William Pawson
1739-1808 and his wife was Ursula Brown
1762-1846 and her son (with husband 1st husband, James Kettle
1765-1839) was henry Kettle 1800-1837 and his daughter was Mary Ann Kettle
1826- and her husband was Samuel Church George 1831-1881 and his father was
Samuel George 1798-1851 and his son was Aaron Church George 1824-1888 and his
son was James Powles George 1851-1914 and his daughter was Beatrice Martha
George 1877-1954 and her husband was Walter Draper 1878-1965 and his father was
Jeremiah Draper 1843-1911 and his son was George Robert Draper 1870-1903 and
his daughter was Beatrice Victoria Redgrave Draper 1901-1942 and her husband
was Charles Edward Rose 1894-1963 and his wife was Gladys Irene Adams 1912-1997
and her father was Francis “Frank” Henry Adams 1884-1965 and his father was
William Frederick Adams 1848-1907 and his son was George “Pikey” William
Welch-Adams 1867-1940.
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