With
it being National Story Telling Week the Unlocking the Treasures team wanted to
take this opportunity to highlight some of its holdings of fiction books here
at the Hull History Centre. All will have a connection with Hull and the
surrounding area in one way or another, whether it be people or places. A
popular author of fiction among our collections is Val Wood. Originally from Castleford, West Yorkshire, Val has lived
in this area now for a number of years and uses it as the background to many of
her books. For her book Little Girl Lost
[Ref: L.823] Val was kindly shown around No.1 Parliament Street so that she
could ‘see the view through the eyes of her character’.
As
a keen advocate of libraries, it is not surprising that books which have
influenced the narrative to many of Val’s works are available at the Hull
History Centre. These include, James Sheehan’s, History of the Town and Port of Hull [Ref: L.9.7], and Bernard
Foster’s Living and Dying: a picture of
Hull in the Nineteenth Century [L.614]. The latter providing a fascinating
factual insight into public health and social conditions in Hull at the time.
In most cases each one of Val Wood’s
books comes with a suggested reading list which can be found in the
acknowledgements.
One
book in particular, The Doorstep Girls
[Ref: L.823] tells the story of two friends, Ruby and Grace who grew up
together in one of Hull’s poorest slums during the nineteenth century. They had
worked in the local cotton mill since the age of nine, but as the cotton
industry began to decline in Hull, both girls searched for a way out of the
slums.
One
of the events recalled in the book took place on the River Hull by Wincolmlee. Both
Ruby and Grace heard a commotion together with screams and cries of horror. Crowds
of people ran to the river, closely followed by Ruby and Grace. Pandemonium ensued.
Eyes were focused on the river, which being an early December morning was dark.
Terrible cries and shrieks could be heard from the water. The ferry that
provided access between Wincolmlee (west) and the Groves (east) had turned over
in the water. Many of those on board were factory workers on their way to work
that morning.
What
Val Wood describes is based on the
actual event that took place when a ferry-boat which operated on the River Hull
between the Groves and Wincolmlee, capsized during a cold, dark winter’s
morning in December 1848. This is the account of that morning in which fourteen
people lost their lives in the Winclomlee ferry-boat disaster.
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Drawn by F.S. Smith in later years, this depiction of the River Hull at Sculcoates Bridge shows the many factories that grew up around the river, employing workers from Wincolmlee and the Groves area. With the exception of Sculcoates Bridge the scene wouldn't be too dissimilar to that in 1848. Taken from Images of Victorian Hull, Volume 3 [Ref: L.9.7083] (Image Courtesy of Hull Museums).
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The
ferry that crossed commenced at five o’clock each morning. Its boatman, Charles
Ireland often carried a near full ferry-boat from the Winclomlee to the
Grove’s-side and vice versa. Passengers were mainly those going to work,
chiefly factory workers.
On
that particular morning, around quarter to six o’clock, Charles Ireland, began make
the crossing from the Wincolmlee-side on the west bank to the Groves on the
east. Those that had yet to reach the ferry boat were anxious to get over and
six more people jump aboard the ferry-boat.
The
ferry-boat set off slightly upstream in order not to get carried beyond the
landing opposite. Those that had just boarded went to one side of the boat. The
ferry’s boatman, Charles Ireland begged them to be still. As the boat reached
the middle of the river, it capsized. Those on-board screamed. The water at the
time was deep. Charles Ireland himself could not swim but managed to make it to
Grove-side and grabbed hold onto some piles. Two others had also made in across
with him. Charles was rescued by a number of Irishmen who jumped into a spare ferry-boat
which was brought out to help in the rescue.
The
same boat went down the river to look for any other survivors. Both sides of
the river were searched, going as far as the North Bridge. As the search
continued items of clothing such as shawls and cloaks were found in the water.
Even someone’s breakfast was found wrapped up in a handkerchief. Two men and
one women were found standing in the water, close to the jetty. However, some
were not that lucky. A boy was heard crying close to Gibson’s Clough, but by
the time rescuers had arrived the cries had stop. The boy is feared to have
drowned. Soon two women were taken from the water but they too were dead.
Others found were either clinging to each other or the ropes of moored vessels
suggesting they were alive up to that point.
James
Clark jumped into the river and was surrounded by four or five boys all trying
to get to the bank. James had a seventeen year old daughter on the ferry and
hoped that she along with others may be still clinging to the boat.
John
Woodhead, a worker at the Kingston Cotton Mill left his home shortly before the
ferry set off to cross. He recalled it was dark and misty that morning. John
himself was a passenger and found himself thrown into the water. Luckily for
John two people had a hold of him and John made it to the bank by Mr Gibson’s
yard. He recalled screams but it soon went quiet. Once ashore John ran home, changed
his clothes and immediately went off to work. It was reported that he had
drowned so when he turned up at work people were surprised to see him,
including his sister who believed he’d died.
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| Headline of report from the Hull Advertiser, 8 December 1848 |
The
ferry-boatman, Charles Ireland came in for some heavy criticism. Eye-witness,
James Clark, whose daughter Maria was on board described how the ferry-boat was
crammed and the boatman had no chance of doing his work because it was so full.
He also cited Charles Ireland’s lack of qualities. Those that used the ferry-boat
were reported to be disorderly and that Charles Ireland did not possess the
qualities needed to say when the boat was full nor the courage to or physical
strength to compel people to leave the boat should be become overcrowded. This,
according to James Clark was a daily occurrence. James himself never felt safe
when using the ferry-boat and suggested that due to the numbers using the
ferry-boat a nearby bridge across the river was warranted.
John
Woodhead in his witness statement recalled that by the time he’d arrived at the
jetty, the bell to indicate the ferry was to set off was still yet to ring. According
to John the ferry-boat was in the process of being pushed off. However, with
the ferry still to leave the bank, and the fact the bell hadn’t rung, more
boarded the boat than otherwise would have done so. He estimated around thirty
persons were on-board. Those on-board, however, did not keep still, something John
recalled happened each and every morning. The ferry’s boatman, told them to be
still. No sooner had he asked, the boat canted to one side and began to take on
water. As people moved to the other side that is when the boat capsized.
It
appears from the witness statements that some form negligence was a factor in
the loss of life. The boatman, Charles Ireland recalled how he often took 30 or
more people at a time. This, and the fact the boat was new, led to Charles
dismissing all responsibility for the incident. He lay the blame firmly at the
door of those who refused to stop moving, which he saw as the cause of the
capsizing and subsequent loss of life. The subsequent inquest return a verdict
of accidental death.
Of
those that died on that fateful morning all were factory workers on their way
to work. Families were ripped apart, such as the Dorrs in which two sisters and
a cousin perished. Almost half were from the Groves area of the town, many of
which were probably Irish – almost all of whom were women. Catherine and Mary
Dorr along with Jane Moore and Ann Burke were interred at the Catholic Chapel suggesting
they were Irish or of Irish descent. Surprisingly there is little to
commemorate such a tragedy. However, the incident did bring the community
together to remember those that lost their lives. A funeral sermon was preached
at a packed Albion Chapel in which workers from the Kingston Cotton Mill
attended. Other special services took place in the town in light of the
incident. Funds for the bereaved families was believed to have raise around
£100.
Today
there is some uncertainty as to the exact spot where the ferry-boat crossed the
River Hull. The Ferry Boat Tavern then on Church Street, Wincolmlee derived its
name from the ferries, of which there was more than one over the years, which
shuttled backwards and forwards taking workers to the factories on either side
of the River Hull. Shortly after the Wincolmlee ferry-boat disaster the
necessity of a bridge was raised to prevent such a disaster reoccurring again.
It wasn’t until the last quarter of the nineteenth century and first few years
of the twentieth century that Sculcoates Bridge (Chapman Street) and Scott
Street bridges were erected which improved access east to west.
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| Val Wood's Doorstep Girl's [Ref: L.823] |
Doorstep Girls and Val Wood’s other books are works of fiction, the sources used by
Val Wood, such as Sheehan’s History of Hull and Foster’s Living and Dying in
Hull help bring the town, its people and events to life. If you would like to
read Val Wood’s The Doorstep Girls [Ref: L.823], or indeed any of her other books,
or explore what fiction books are available within the Local Studies Library
you can search the Hull Libraries catalogue here.
Those
that lost their lives on that cold, early December morning were:
William Smith (aged 12), a stripper in the card-room
at the Kingston Cotton Mill, who was last person to board to ferry-boat
Sisters
Mary and Catherine Dorr. Their
sister Bridget Dorr was also in the boat and was the only women that survived
that morning. Maria Dorr their
cousin was missing.
Mary Pye, a throstle-spinner at Kingston Cotton
Mill (where her family also worked). Her father was also in the boat but was
rescued.
Ann Burke also employed at the Kingston Cotton
Mill had intended to emigrate to America where a number of her family resided.
Her sister who also worked at the mill did not go by ferry due to her dislike
of danger.
Elizabeth Ann Wilkinson who worked at the Kingston Cotton Mill
Mother
of three, Jane Moore,
throstle-spinner
Hannah Moore, sister-in-law of Jane Moore. Hannah Moore’s sister had set off on an earlier
crossing. She would always call in her companion, Ann Burke, but did not do so that morning. Ann Burke drowned that crossing.
Maria Clark, daughter of witness James Clark, left
home before her father who thought she had taken an earlier crossing. She was
seen by her father on the jetty but not in the boat.
Elizabeth Jackson worker at Kingston Cotton Mill. Her
husband worked at the same mill but was unable to work that day due to illness.
Sarah Wood who unknown to her parents worked at
the Kingston Cotton Mill. She was running late that morning
Emma Place. Her two brothers who were also in the
boat survived.
In
total there were twenty-eight people on the ferry-boat. Half survived. Of those
that died, six were not found.
Neil
Chadwick, Project Officer
