The Hero of the Humber Part 10

In reply, _His Lordship_ forwarded from the _Royal bounty_ the handsome donation of 20. The following is the letter announcing this gift:--

13632 Treasury, Whitehall, S.W., 61 17th _September_, 1861.

Sir,--I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners to Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you that, upon the recommendation of Viscount Palmerston, the Paymaster General has been authorised to pay you the sum of 20, as of Her Majesty's Royal bounty.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant, GEO. W. HAMILTON.

Mr. John Ellerthorpe, Kingston-upon-Hull.

The Board of Trade was next appealed to as follows:

Hull, 8th _August_, 1861.

_To the Right Honourable Thomas Milner Gibson, President of the Board of Trade, London._

Honourable Sir,--I beg most humbly to lay before your honourable Board the case of John Ellerthorpe, foreman of the Humber Dock gates at this place, who saved the life of John Eaby under most trying circ.u.mstances, and at great risk of his own life.

On the 30th of July last the said John Eaby was seized with a fit and fell into the dock basin, a depth of nearly twenty feet from the top. John Ellerthorpe, hearing his cries for a.s.sistance, spontaneously leaped into the water, and after struggling with the man in that dangerous condition, eventually succeeded in saving his life.

I likewise humbly beg to inform your honourable Board that this is the twenty-ninth person's life the said John Ellerthorpe has been the exclusive means of saving from a watery grave.

If your honourable Board should deem his actions of humanity worthy of your honourable Board's notice, a committee of the working men of this town is in formation to present him with a memorial, and if your honourable Board consider him worthy of any remuneration, I will communicate the same to the chairman of the committee, who will forward any information your honourable Board may require.

I remain your most humble and obedient servant, THOMAS RAWLINSON.

2, Wellington-street, Hull.

[Sidenote: RECEIVES A SILVER MEDAL.]

In answer to this appeal, the Board of Trade, through Sir Emmerson Tennant, struck a silver medal to the honour of Mr. Ellerthorpe.

The Sovereign having awarded our 'Hero' with a gift of 20, and the Royal Humane Society and the Board of Trade having decorated him with their marks of honour, it remained for the inhabitants of Hull to show their appreciation of the humane and gallant deeds of their fellow townsman. Such deeds as our 'Hero' _had_ performed are not less heroic than feats of valour on the battle-field, and well deserve _public_ recognition as well as reward from private a.s.sociations.

[Sidenote: PRESENTATION MEETING IN HULL.]

The long-looked-for presentation took place in the Music Hall, Jarratt Street, Hull, on Wednesday evening, November the 6th, 1861. Upwards of four hundred persons sat down to tea, and the local papers state that greater enthusiasm was, perhaps, never witnessed than during this remarkable meeting. The room was gaily decorated with bannarets, and suspended over the chair was a large flag, bearing the following motto:--

'LONG LIVE ELLERTHORPE, THE HERO OF THE HUMBER!'

Grace having been chanted and justice done to the sumptuous tea, the public meeting began. Mr. John Symons occupied the chair, and he was surrounded on the platform by a large number of ministers, gentlemen, merchants, mechanics, and working men.

[Sidenote: CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS.]

The Chairman said:--It was a common custom of persons not novices situated similarly to himself, to preface their remarks by saying that some person of higher local distinction ought to occupy the honourable position as chairman, and that was his request to the committee. But as such a person was not secured, he felt proud of the position he occupied amongst them. He little thought that the movement would have proved so successful when he embarked in it, for with but little effort we have received the free-will offerings of 170. Of course printing, advertising, and other incidental expenses were incurred, and cannot be dispensed with in order to succeed in similar objects. The Royal Humane Society had awarded to Ellerthorpe an especial vote of thanks; the Board of Trade, through Sir Emmerson Tennant, had struck a silver medal in his honour; and last, but not least, the popular Premier of England had forwarded from the royal bounty the handsome donation of 20. Thus the movement so humbly began, resembled the 'little spring in the mountain rock,' which became a brook, a torrent, a wide rolling river. By narrating the lives saved by Ellerthorpe's unprecedented bravery, they had struck a chord in the innermost recesses of the heart of the benevolent portion of the people. He was surprised to find that no one had recognised Ellerthorpe's heroism before.

During a period of forty years he had saved the lives of upwards of thirty persons. But however tardily it may appear to some, ultimately, eternal justice will a.s.sert itself. John Ellerthorpe never required, never expected any public recognition of his services. The only praise sought by him was--

'What nothing earthly gives or can destroy, The soul's calm sunshine and the heartfelt joy.'

in being the means of saving so many lives from premature death by drowning. Never let it be said the days of chivalry were over in England while we have such a n.o.bleman as a Lord Beauclerc[3] of Scarborough, and a commoner called Ellerthorpe at Hull. He believed with those who say that the men who dares the 'tempests' wrath,'

and the 'billows' madden'd play' on the errand of saving life, to be as great heroes as those who 'seek for bubble reputation at the cannon's mouth.' He would rather be a bearer of thirty blessings than the hero of one hundred fights. No true history of Hull could be written which did not contain the record of Ellerthorpe's name, and the glorious deeds he had performed. Nor could he conclude without expressing the heartfelt hope that the 'Hero of the Humber'

might long live to enjoy the splendid gifts about to be presented to him, and when disease shall overtake him in his declining days, may the contents of that purse procure for him the means whereby his pillow of affliction may be smoothed and softened.

The Rev. C. Rawlings then expatiated, in a most powerful address, on the life-saving labours of Mr. Ellerthorpe, which was listened to with a rapt attention, and when he resumed his seat it was amidst a tempest of applause.

Mr. Taylor, the treasurer, then presented the gold watch and guard, and a beautiful purse containing one hundred guineas. The Watch bears the following inscription:--

[Ill.u.s.tration]

PRESENTED TO JOHN ELLERTHORPE, _(By Voluntary Subscriptions) together with a_ Purse containing One Hundred Guineas, He having saved Twenty-nine Persons from Drowning.

Hull, Nov. 6th, 1861.

[Sidenote: RECEIVES A PURSE OF ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS.]

THE PURSE BEARS THIS INSCRIPTION:--

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THIS PURSE, CONTAINING One Hundred Guineas; ALSO, A GOLD WATCH & GUARD, IS PRESENTED TO JOHN ELLERTHORPE, _Foreman of the Humber Dock Gates_, BY VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTIONS, HE HAVING SAVED TWENTY-NINE PERSONS FROM BEING DROWNED.

_Hull, November 6th, 1861._

Mr. Alderman Fountain, amid loud applause, and in a few appropriate words, then presented to Mr. Ellerthorpe the following vote of thanks, inscribed on vellum, from the Royal Humane Society:--

[Sidenote: ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY'S THANKS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Royal Humane Society, INSt.i.tUTED 1774.

Supported by Voluntary Contributions.

_Patron_--Her Majesty the Queen _Vice Patron_--H. R. H. The Duke of Cambridge, K.C., G.C., M.G.

_President_--His Grace the Duke of Argyll, K.T.

At a Meeting of the Committee of the Royal Humane Society, holden at their Office, 4, Trafalgar Square, on Wednesday, the 21st of August, 1861.

Present--Thos. Eld. Baker, Esq., Treasurer, in the chair. It was resolved unanimously--

That the n.o.ble courage and humanity displayed by

JOHN ELLERTHORPE,

Foreman of the Humber Dock, in having on the 30th July, 1861, jumped into the Dock Basin at Hull, to the relief of John Eaby, who had accidentally fallen therein, and whose life he saved, has called forth the admiration of this Committee, and justly ent.i.tles him to its sincere thanks, inscribed on Vellum, which are hereby awarded, he having already received the Honorary Silver Medallion of this Inst.i.tution for a similar act in 1835.