The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-16
GRACE DARLING.
Some Points in the Biography OF the Modes,
English Heroine.

Notes and Queriesi
One OF the most interesting objects in
the Lord Mayors show OF 1888 was the
boat In which Grace Darling and her father
went out TO the wreck OF the Forfarshire
and rescued the nine survivors at daybreak
on Friday, September z, 1888. This boat
is stout fishing-coble, built for half a
dozen oars, and il looks as strong as ever.
IL was on view all last summer at the Fish
cries Exhibition at South Kenslngton, and
on November 9th it was carried through
London streets, high on wheeled truck.
drawn by team OF noble cart-horses, and
guarded, as was right and proper, by Bril-
fish sailors. Where is this boat nOw5 IsIt
kept safe and in honor, as such a relic
should be? But for ITS history IL would
long ago have been sold, among other old
stores, by the Trinity House and perhaps
ii was so sold and bought by some private
owner. One would like to know this and
still more should / like to know how much
Of that heroic story Of forty-ive years ago
was in the minds Of the loOkers-on. II Is
only the simple story Of an English peasant
girl OF Internationally, who had lived
for twelve years with her parents on the
lonely Longstone island. and who. after
that night OF tempest, persuaded her
father, the lighthouse man, to row out
with her, across a mile OF stormy sea, to
the dangerous rock on which. through his
telescope, a few perishing human beings
could be seen. She did it, and she brought
every one OF them safe back with her. That
Is ALL but it is one OF those stories that
men do not willingly let die.
she, Grace Horsley Darling, was born at
Marlborough on November "a, 1915, the
seventh child OF William Darling and
Thomson Horsley, his wife. These details
learn from poor but genuine little
anonymous memoir OF her published at
Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1913, Just after
her death, which little memoir also tells me
that during those five years Of her fame,
1888 TO 1913, she steadily refused to quit
her parents or her island, and went on
living there as quietly and simply as be-
fore. She was deyout, courageous,
girl-comely, and sincere, and silent.
she had says good old William HowitD
''the most gentle, quiet. amiaEle look
in a person OF her station and appear
ance. You see she is n thoroughly good
creature" When Lloyd's agent-hs name
was Sinclair, and he deserves to be re-
membered' for her sake-went out to the
Longstone he said to her Well, Grace,
Wen surely be able TO get you silk gown
for this" and she said, "Do you think so,
sir?" with perfect simplicity. Silk gowns
came 10 plenty; silver teapots came, and
votes OF thanks and coin to the amount OF
seven hundred pounds. and visitors from
afar-yes, even from st. Petersburg. But,
as my little pamphlet truly says, she
never for a moment forgot the modest
dignity of conduct which became her
sex and station" Large sums OF
money were offered to her by Lon
don managers II she would but come
and sit in boat at their the =
tres, and men far above her sent her pro-
posals OF marriage. But she was not Il
professional beauty" so she declined the
stage-she was not q successful murderess,
therefore she refused to marry in that way.
Nevertheless, when consumption attacked
her, and she was carried to her native Bam-
borough to die, | perceive among the
crowds at her funeral there was n certain
Young man from Durham. who is said TO
have cherished an ardent affection for the
lamented deceased" Him she might have
welded had she lived.
lido not know whether there is any monu-
ment to her in scarborough churchyard,
nor whether st. Cuthbert's chapel on
Houselands, the largest OF the Farne
Islands, was ever rebuilt las some had pro-
posed) in memory Of her. Perhaps new
chapel was not wanted; for the old one,
built by the monks, was destroyed long
ago by a Protestant monarch whose name
we ali revere, and since his time. says my
pamphlet. "there has been no public cele-
bration of divine worship upon The. island."