The Hero of the Humber Part 11

Argyll, _President_.

Lambton J. H. Young, _Secretary_.

Thos. Eld. Baker, _Chairman_.

[Sidenote: MEDAL FROM THE BOARD OF TRADE.]

The medal, which is said to be a fine specimen of artistic beauty and elegant workmans.h.i.+p, bears the following device:--One side of the medal represents a group on a raft. One of the men is seated on a spar, waving a handkerchief, as a signal to a small boat seen in the distance; another is supporting a sailor who appears in a drowning state. There is also a female holding a child in her arms, the sea having a stormy appearance. The group forms a most interesting allegory. On the obverse side is a large profile of Her Majesty, the border bearing the following inscription:--

'Awarded by the Board of Trade for Gallantry in Saving Life.--V.R.'

Engraved round the edge are the following words:

'Presented to John Ellerthorpe in Acknowledgment of his repeated Acts of Gallantry in Saving Life. 1861.'

It is enclosed in an elegant Morocco case, the lid of which has inscribed upon it, in gilt letters:--

'Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, Awarded to John Ellerthorpe.'

In presenting this handsome testimonial, Mr. Brown said:--

He quite agreed with the Chairman that the last great day alone would reveal the consequences of Ellerthorpe's bravery. He had to present to him what he might fairly call a _national testimonial_, as it was from a branch of our national inst.i.tutions--the Board of Trade. He had very great pleasure in presenting it to him, and he earnestly prayed that none of his children might ever have to do for him what he had done for his own father. He wished him long life to wear the _medal of honour_.

[Sidenote: THE HERO'S ADDRESS.]

Mr. Ellerthorpe then advanced to the front of the platform, and with a heart throbbing with hallowed feeling and eyes filled with tears, he said; I cannot find words with which to express adequately the grat.i.tude I feel at so much kindness having been extended to me, not only by the attendance of the large audience I see before me, but by the numerous testimonials that have been presented to me. I never expected any reward for what I have done, and I have before now refused many offers of rewards that have been made to me by the friends of many whom I have been the means, in the hands of G.o.d, of rescuing from a watery grave. I do, however, feel proud at receiving these testimonials, and I trust they will be preserved by my children, and by my children's children, as mementos of my country's acknowledgments of the service I have rendered my fellow-creatures; and yet I feel that I derive far more satisfaction from the consciousness that I have done my duty to my fellow-creatures, in their hour of danger, than I do from the splendid presents you have made me. I hope I shall ever be ready in the future to do as I have done in the past, should circ.u.mstances require it of me.--He was greeted with loud applause both at the commencement and conclusion of his speech.

A vote of thanks was then pa.s.sed to the Treasurer and Secretary, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Haller, who responded. The Rev. J. Petty also spoke.

Mr. Pearson (ex-Mayor) then moved a similar vote to the committee.

In doing so, he said that it was most remarkable that they had allowed a man like Ellerthorpe to have saved so many as thirty persons from drowning before any public recognition of his services had taken place. As it was, a hundred guineas were far below his merits, and he was sure that the merchants of the town had been remiss in their duty in respect to this matter.

Mr. Rufford returned thanks on behalf of the committee.

Rev. C. Rawlings proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, shaking him warmly by the hand, and congratulating him on the part he had taken in this n.o.ble movement.

The Chairman, in responding, said, he had merely done his duty in the matter; his work had been a pleasure to him, and he had received many valuable lessons, the good impressions of which he hoped would endure in his mind through life. Seeing that we live surrounded with water, and that casualties are occurring almost weekly, he thought it was the duty of the people of Hull to stimulate others to follow Mr. Ellerthorpe's example. He should always look back with pride and pleasure to that evening's meeting.

'When time, who steals our years away, Shall steal its pleasures too, The memory of the past will stay, And all its joys renew.'

He then called upon the audience to close the present meeting as they did the inaugurating meeting, by cheers for the 'Hero of the Humber and England's Champion Life Buoy,' which was responded to by the company rising, _en ma.s.se_, cheering most tumultuously.

The National Anthem was then sung. Mr. Morrison, organist, and a party of vocalists, enlivened the proceedings, which were very liberally interspersed with enthusiastic applause on every mention of the 'Hero's' name.

[Sidenote: LIST OF SUBSCRIPTIONS.]

It is but right to state that the entire sum collected towards the 'Ellerthorpe Testimonial Fund' amounted to 197 10s., and that about 133 in cash was handed over to the 'Hero of the Humber.'

Mr. Hudson, artist, Queen St., presented to Mr. Ellerthorpe a photograph portrait.

[Footnote 3: This brave n.o.bleman was at Scarborough during one of the most fearful and disastrous storms that ever swept the Yorks.h.i.+re coast.

He had no sleep on the previous night on account of the storm, and on Sat.u.r.day he said to a friend 'I shall have a sound sleep to-night.'

Alas! before he closed his eyes in sleep, and while n.o.bly endeavouring to rescue a number of drowning sailors, a huge wave carried him out to sea, and he perished in the 'mighty waters.']

CHAPTER IX.

MR. ELLERTHORPE'S GENERAL CHARACTER, DEATH, ETC.

In physical stature, Mr. Ellerthorpe was about five feet seven inches high, and weighed about ten stones. His build was somewhat slender for a sailor. He stood erect. His countenance was hard and ruddy, and indicated long exposure to weather. His ordinary expression was indicative of kindness, blended with great firmness. When spinning his yarns, or describing his exploits, his eye kindled, and his face, lit up with smiles, was expressive of intense sympathy.

To his wife (who has just followed him to the skies, July, 1880,) he proved himself a kind and provident husband, _i.e._ _houseband_, as Trench renders the word. Even during his wicked and drunken career he never forgot his matrimonial vow, to 'love, honour, and cherish' the partner of his life; and hence, he never but once took any portion of his regular wages to spend in drink, and the sum he then took was about fifteen s.h.i.+llings.

Of fourteen children, but four survive their parents, two sons and two daughters. The father strove hard to give them what is beyond all price--a good education. His eldest son, (who has long been on the Metropolitan newspaper staff,) when a boy displayed a strong instinctive love of learning, and when, on one occasion, his father urged him to devote less time to his books, and to form the companions.h.i.+p of a a certain youth, he replied, 'No. He spends as much money in cigars as would buy a library, and consumes as much time in smoking them as would enable him to learn half a dozen dead languages.'

[Sidenote: HERO'S GENERAL CHARACTER.]

Mr. Ellerthorpe proved himself a good servant, discharging his duties faithfully and honourably. During fourteen years he occupied the responsible position of foreman of the Humber Dock Gates, Hull. And when it is borne in mind that Hull is the third port in the kingdom, and that it is annually visited by 30,000 seamen in connection with its foreign and coasting traffic, and that, in the same time, about 20,000 small vessels, connected with the inland navigation, enter and leave the port, it will be seen that the duties of our friend were numerous and important. But the force and transparency of his character, his undoubted honesty, his indefatigable industry, and his unwearied attention to the duties of his office, won for him the confidence and respect of his employers, the esteem of his fellow workers, and the good opinion of the merchants of the port. Dale Brown, Esq., says:--

Dock Office, Hull, _Sept. 11th, 1867_.

Sir,--I have known Mr. John Ellerthorpe as an active, energetic, Christian man, for upwards of eighteen years, and during the past six years he has been under my immediate control.

His wonderful daring and success in saving the lives of drowning persons, have now become matters of history, and have been fully recognised by the late Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, the Royal Humane Society, and the local officials in Hull, by whom he is best known and valued.

I am, Sir, yours very obediently, DALE BROWN, _Supt. Dock Master_.

Rev. Henry Woodc.o.c.k.

The following appeared in the Hull newspapers, November the 9th, 1864.

[Sidenote: PRESENTATION TO THE HERO.]

'Presentation to the 'Hero of the Humber.'--On the 6th of November, 1861, a public presentation of a gold watch and a purse containing upwards of 100 guineas, was made to Mr. John Ellerthorpe, of Hull, known thenceforth as the 'Hero of the Humber,' on account of his having saved twenty-nine persons from drowning. To commemorate that interesting event, as well as to add another to Mr. Ellerthorpe's well earned honours, a few friends met last Evening at Mr.

Rawlinson's, 'Sykes Head,' Wellington Street. After a well-served supper, Mr. Councillor Symons, who, in the absence of Mr. Alderman Fountain, presided, called upon Mr. John Corbitt (of the Air and Calder Company), who presented to Mr. Ellerthorpe a purse containing twenty-three and a half guineas, subscribed by the leading s.h.i.+pping firms of Hull.

'Mr. Corbitt said:--The subscription was proposed by Mr. W. Dyson, sen. (Bannister, Dyson, & Co.), and has been most warmly and heartily taken up by all the leading firms, who were most ready and forward to mark their sense of the obligations of the s.h.i.+pping interest to Mr. Ellerthorpe's a.s.siduous attention to duty, obliging disposition, and untiring activity at his post night and day (Applause). All present knew how valuable those services were, and how much the dispatch of business depended upon them. It had been a pleasing duty to himself to receive the subscriptions, they were tendered in such a willing and hearty spirit (Cheers). Mr. Corbitt then presented to Mr. Ellerthorpe the purse, which contained the following inscription:--

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THIS PURSE, CONTAINING 23-1/2 Guineas, _Subscribed by Trading Merchants of Hull_, Was presented by Mr. J. Corbitt to MR. JOHN ELLERTHORPE,

For his unwearied zeal and attention to the requirements of the Trade of the Port by Penning Vessels in and out of the Humber Dock.

Nov. 8th, 1864.

'Mr. Ellerthorpe suitably acknowledged the presentation, and thanked Mr. Corbitt and the subscribers for their kindness. As for himself, he had certainly striven to secure the interests of the port, but he had only done his duty, as he hoped he ever should be able to do, without the prospect of any such reward as that. It, however, gave him unfeigned pleasure to find that anything he had done could be so highly appreciated. He hoped to live to advance the interests of the town and of commerce.--Several loyal and complimentary toasts followed, and the proceedings throughout were of a most pleasant and agreeable character.'