When fact and fiction come together

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.

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).

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.

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.

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