Bridlington’s Great Gale marked with service at Priory church and Plimsoll Day fundraiser for the RNLI

Last year’s church service to mark the 150th anniversary had to be held virtually due to Covid restrictions, but the service will return to Bridlington Priory Church on Sunday, February 13.

The service to mark the 1871 tragedy will be held at 10.30am, when volunteers from RNLI Bridlington will lay a wreath at the Great Gale memorial.

Rector of Bridlington Priory, Rev Matthew Pollard, who will conduct the service, said: “This is an event which is engraved on the collective memory of Bridlington. Part of the identity of Bridlington is indeed that it is the town that remembers the Great Gale.

“It is important that we are faithful to our duty to keep telling the story, to honour the memory of all who died on that night. I’m delighted that we are once again able to do that in person this year.”

The tragedy occurred in 1871 when a storm hit the East Yorkshire coast. Many ships were using an area known as the ‘Bay of Refuge’ to shelter from the bad weather when the wind changed direction, causing at least 23 ships to run aground or be wrecked against the harbour walls.

At the time Bridlington had two separate lifeboats, the RNLI’s Robert Whitworth and a locally owned vessel named the Harbinger.

Both boats were launched multiple times, with both crews succeeding in saving several lives. Tragically, the Harbinger was attempting to save the crew of the brig Delta when a wave capsized the lifeboat and six of the nine local men aboard were drowned.

The disaster led MP and social reformer Samuel Plimsoll to petition parliament to introduce a new law to prevent ships being dangerously overladen, by introducing the painting of a ­­­­load line on the hull.

Plimsoll Lines, as they became known, are still used in international shipping today.

By coincidence, February 10 is also Samuel Plimsoll’s birthday. Plimsoll’s biographer, author Nicolette Jones, runs an annual fundraiser to mark Plimsoll Day, encouraging people to wear plimsolls or trainers for the day and donate to the RNLI.

She said: “I instigated Plimsolls for Plimsoll Day because Plimsoll himself channelled tribute money raised for him into lifeboats instead.”

Go to justgiving.com/fundraising/nicolette-jones to d0nate to the Plimsoll Day.

Steve Emmerson, Bridlington RNLI coxswain, added: “Lifeboat Stations are built on the achievements of those who have gone before: it is essential that we remember them and reflect on their contribution to Saving Lives at Sea. Never more so than on this day.”

Click here to find out more about Plimsolls for Plimsoll Day