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Grace Horsley Darling (24 November 1815 – 20 October 1842) was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter. Her participation in the rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked ''Forfarshire'' in 1838 brought her national fame. The
paddlesteamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were w ...
ran aground on the
Farne Islands The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. The group has between 15 and 20 islands depending on the level of the tide.
off the coast of Northumberland in northeast England; nine members of the crew were saved.H. C. G. Matthew. 2004.


Biography

Grace Darling was born on 24 November 1815 at her grandfather's house in Northumberland. She was the seventh of nine children (four brothers and four sisters) born to William and Thomasin Darling, and when only a few weeks old, she was taken to live on Brownsman Island, one of the
Farne Islands The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. The group has between 15 and 20 islands depending on the level of the tide.
, in a small cottage attached to the lighthouse. Her father ran the lighthouse (built in 1795) for
Trinity House "Three In One" , formation = , founding_location = Deptford, London, England , status = Royal Charter corporation and registered charity , purpose = Maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and beacons , he ...
, and earned a salary of £70 per year () with a bonus of £10 for satisfactory service. The accommodation was basic, and the lighthouse was not located in a good place to guide shipping to safety, so in 1826, the family moved to the newly constructed lighthouse on Longstone Island.
Longstone Lighthouse Longstone Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse located on Longstone Rock in the outer group of the Farne Islands off the Northumberland Coast, England. Completed in 1826, it was originally called the Outer Farne Lighthouse, and comple ...
had better accommodation, but the island itself was slightly less hospitable, so William would row back to Brownsman to gather vegetables from their former garden and to feed the animals. The family spent most of their time on the ground floor of the lighthouse, which consisted of a large room, heated by a wooden stove. The room was their living room, dining room, and kitchen in one, and had a spiral staircase leading to three bedrooms above and the light at the top of the tower. In the early hours of 7 September 1838, Darling, looking from an upstairs window, spotted the wreck and survivors of the ''Forfarshire'' on Big Harcar, a nearby low, rocky island. The ''Forfarshire'' had foundered on the rocks and broken in half; one of the halves had sunk during the night. Darling and her father, William, determined that the weather was too rough for the lifeboat to put out from
Seahouses Seahouses is a large village on the North Northumberland coast in England. It is about north of Alnwick, within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Attraction Seahouses attracts many visitors, mainly from the north ea ...
(then
North Sunderland North Sunderland is a fishing village on the coast of Northumberland, England, and adjacent to Seahouses. The population of the civil parish was 1,803 at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,959 at the 2011 Census. Etymology The name ''North S ...
), so they took a rowing boat (a , four-man Northumberland
coble The coble is a type of open traditional fishing boat which developed on the North East coast of England. The southernmost examples occur around Hull (although Cooke drew examples at Yarmouth, see his ''Shipping and Craft'' series of drawing ...
) across to the survivors, taking a long route that kept to the lee side of the islands, a distance of nearly a mile (about ). Darling kept the coble steady in the water, while her father helped four men and the lone surviving woman, Sarah Dawson, into the boat. Although she survived the sinking, Mrs. Dawson had lost her two young children (James, 7, and Matilda, 5) during the night. William and three of the rescued men then rowed the boat back to the lighthouse. Darling then remained at the lighthouse while William and three of the rescued crew members rowed back and recovered four more survivors. Meanwhile, the lifeboat had set out from Seahouses, but arrived at Big Harcar rock after Darling and her father had completed their rescue operation; all they found were the bodies of Mrs Dawson's children and of a clergyman. Returning to North Sunderland was too dangerous, so they rowed to the lighthouse to take shelter. Darling's brother, William Brooks Darling, was one of the seven fishermen in the lifeboat. The weather deteriorated to the extent that everyone was obliged to remain at the lighthouse for three days before returning to shore. The ''Forfarshire'' had been carrying 62 people. The vessel broke in two almost immediately upon hitting the rocks. Those rescued by Darling and her father were from the bow section of the vessel, which had been held by the rocks for some time before sinking. All that remained at daybreak was the portside paddlebox casing. Nine other passengers and crew had managed to float off a lifeboat from the stern section before it, too, sank, and were picked up in the night by a passing Montrose
sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular s ...
, and brought into
South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
that same night. As news of her role in the rescue reached the public, her combination of bravery and simple virtue set her out as exemplary, and led to an uneasy role as the nation's heroine. Grace and her father were awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, later named the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
(RNLI). Subscriptions and donations totaling over £700 (equivalent to about £ in ) were raised for her, including £50 from Queen Victoria; more than a dozen portrait painters sailed to her island home to capture her likeness, and hundreds of gifts, letters, and even marriage proposals were delivered to her. Her unexpected wealth and fame were such that the Duke of Northumberland took on a role as her self-appointed guardian and founder of a trust, established to look after the donations offered to her. His personal gifts to her family and her included a timepiece and a silver teapot.


Death

In 1842, Darling fell ill while visiting the mainland and was in convalescence with her cousins, the MacFarlanes, in their house in Narrowgate,
Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bo ...
. The Duchess of Northumberland heard of her situation, arranged for her to be moved to better accommodation close to
Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a ...
, and tended to her in person, as well as providing her with the services of the ducal family physician. Darling's condition declined, however, and in the final stages of her illness, she was conveyed to the place of her birth, in Bamburgh. She died of tuberculosis, historically known as
consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...
, in October 1842, aged 26. She is buried in the churchyard of St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh. An independent canopied monument, with her sleeping effigy holding an oar, lies at the west edge of the churchyard, north of her grave, to provide a landmark for passing sailors. The original statue (which was eroding) lies within the church. The statue is by Charles Raymond Smith son of James Smith. The church also has a stained-glass window in her memory.


Legacy

Darling's achievement was celebrated in her lifetime; she received a large financial reward in addition to the plaudits of the nation. A number of fictionalised depictions propagated the Grace Darling legend, such as ''Grace Darling, or the Maid of the Isles'' by Jerrold Vernon (1839), which gave birth to the legend of "the girl with windswept hair". Her deed was committed to verse by William Wordsworth in his poem "Grace Darling" (1843). A lifeboat with her name was presented to
Holy Island Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bles ...
. One of a series of Victorian paintings by
William Bell Scott William Bell Scott (1811–1890) was a Scottish artist in oils and watercolour and occasionally printmaking. He was also a poet and art teacher, and his posthumously published reminiscences give a chatty and often vivid picture of life in the ...
at
Wallington Hall Wallington is a country house and gardens located about west of Morpeth, Northumberland, England, near the village of Cambo. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1942, after it was donated complete with the estate and farms by Sir Ch ...
in Northumberland depicts her rescue efforts. The
McManus Galleries The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum is a Gothic Revival-style building, located in the centre of Dundee, Scotland. The building houses a museum and art gallery with a collection of fine and decorative art as well as a natural history co ...
in Dundee includes three paintings by
Thomas Musgrave Joy Thomas Musgrave Joy (9 July 1812 – 7 April 1866) was a British portraitist. Life Joy was born on 9 July 1812 in Boughton Hall in Boughton Monchelsea where his father was the squire. His parents, Thomas and Susanah, were not keen on his choi ...
that celebrate Grace Darling's deeds with the ''Forfarshire''. Suzanne Fagence Cooper
"Joy, Thomas Musgrave (1812–1866)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 5 October 2013
At Bamburgh, a museum is dedicated to her achievements and the seafaring life of the area. From 1990 to 2020 an RNLI ''Mersey''-class lifeboat at Seahouses bore the name ''Grace Darling''. Singer/songwriter
Dave Cousins Dave Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson; 7 January 1945) is an English musician who has been the leader, singer and most-active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967. Career Cousins is a founder member of the Strawbs, which started out as the Str ...
of Strawbs wrote " Grace Darling" (on the album ''
Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
'') in tribute and as a love song. The children's singing group The Limeliters sang a different "Grace Darling" (featuring the refrain "Help, help, came a desperate yelp!") in their 1962 album, recorded live in concert, ''Through Children's Eyes''. In 2017,
Duke Special Duke Special (born Peter Wilson; 4 January 1971) is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he was previously known for his distinctiv ...
set Michael Longley's poem "Grace Darling" to music and recorded it on the album ''Hallow''. The Grace Darling Hotel, one of the oldest extant hotels in Melbourne, Victoria, opened in 1854. File:Grace Darling Memorial at Bamborough Church.jpg, Panorama of St Aidan's churchyard, Bamburgh File:Grace Darling monument, Bamburgh.jpg, Monument in St Aidan's churchyard, Bamburgh File:Grace Darling memorial.jpg, Memorial in
St Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Hiberno-Scottish mission, Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monastery, monasterie ...
's chapel,
Inner Farne The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. The group has between 15 and 20 islands depending on the level of the tide.
File:Grace Darling Chocolate Bar.JPG, The wrapper of a chocolate bar featuring the image of Grace Darling, from the Grace Darling Museum File:Grace Darling and signature.jpg, Frontispiece image of Grace from ''Grace Darling – Heroine of the Farne Islands'' by Eva Hope File:GRACE DARLING Clipper ship sailing card.jpg, ''Grace Darling'' A1 Extreme Clipper sailing card


See also

* Monument to Grace Darling in St Aidan's Churchyard * Idawalley Lewis, an American lighthouse keeper noted for rescuing numerous people in the latter half of the 19th century *
Grace Bussell Grace Vernon Drake-Brockman (née Bussell; 23 September 1860 – 7 October 1935), commonly referred to as Grace Bussell, was a woman from Western Australia. In 1876, as a 16-year-old, she was involved with Sam Isaacs in the rescue of the SS ' ...
, a 16-year-old Australian girl who along with Sam Isaacs rescued 50 people from the SS ''Georgette'' when it foundered off the West Australian coast in 1876, is regarded as Australia's national heroine. At the time of the rescue, Bussell was referred to as the "Grace Darling of the West" by journalists. *
Ann Harvey Ann Harvey (1811–1860) was a fisher and rescuer born near the small fishing community of Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland. Harvey, called the "Grace Darling of Newfoundland", is known for her bravery at the age of seventeen for rescuing, along with ...
, a Newfoundland 17-year-old who in 1828, with her father, brother, and dog, rescued 163 shipwrecked people * Roberta Boyd, a New Brunswick girl who was hailed as the "Grace Darling of the
St. Croix Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...
" after a rescue in 1882


References


Further reading

*
Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...
's poem "Grace Darling". A poem of the same name and subject was published in 1910 by Scottish Border poet and Australian bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) * Richard Armstrong: ''Grace Darling: Maid and Myth'' (1965) * Hugh Cunningham: ''Grace Darling – Victorian Heroine'' Hambledon: Continuum (2008) * Thomasin Darling: ''Grace Darling, her True Story: from Unpublished Papers in Possession of her Family'' (1880) * Thomasin Darling: ''The Journal of William Darling, Grace Darling's Father'' (1887) * Eva Hope:
Grace Darling – Heroine of the Farne Islands
' Walter Scott Publishing (1875) * Jessica Mitford: ''Grace Had an English Heart. The Story of Grace Darling, Heroine and Victorian Superstar'' (1998) * Constance Smedley: ''Grace Darling and Her Times'' Hurst and Blackett (1932) *H. C. G. Matthew,
Darling, Grace Horsley (1815–1842)
, ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', Oxford University Press, 2004 *@RNLI
tweets as the voice of Grace Darling
narrating her famous rescue in 'real time' on its 175th anniversary (2013)


External links


Grace Darling Museum from the RNLIGrace Darling website
* ttps://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC28952139&id=R6xS3DM_qVAC&pg=PA199&lpg=PA199&dq=Forfarshire&as_brr=1 Description of the sinking of the Forfarshire and Grace Darling’s part in the rescue from ''The Tragedy of the Seas'', 1841, from Google Book Search
“Grace Darling: Victorian heroine” BBC

“Grace Darling - Heroine of the sea” BBC
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darling, Grace 1815 births 1842 deaths 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis British lighthouse keepers Women lighthouse keepers Sea rescue in the United Kingdom Tuberculosis deaths in England People from Bamburgh Burials in Northumberland Lifesaving Women of the Victorian era