Northern Belle - Recognition

Recognition

In response to these events the then American President, Franklin Pierce ordered 25 Silver Medals to be struck which, together with a sum of salvage money, were awarded to each of the lifeboat crews. It is believed that this is the only known occasion on which such a medal has ever been awarded to an English lifeboat crew.

Perhaps the following day, but certainly very soon afterwards, the Mary White, with both lifeboat crews aboard, was drawn through the narrow streets of Broadstairs, proudly displaying the American ensign of the Northern Belle.

Again with thanks to the diligent work of W. H. Lapthorne, a memorandum from one Lawrence Macey, an official of that State department, was unearthed from the United States National Archive in Washington, which had been sent to President Franklin Pierce;

To the President:

"I have the honour to report that information has been received from Robert B. Campbell, Esq., United States Consul in London, of the wreck of the American ship ‘Northern Belle’ near Kingsgate, England, and the rescue of her crew by the aid of Lifeboats under circumstances of peculiar peril.

" -The details are sent forth in the annexed list from The Times of January 8, I respectfully suggest that our Minister at London be instructed to present in suitable terms the acknowledgement.

"-L. Macey. (1857)

The response being:

"Both recommendations are heartily approved. I deign to confer with the Award of State in relation to the appropriate Tokens to be presented to the gallant crew of the ‘Mary White’. 3rd. July 1857"

The names of those recorded of the lifeboatmen on the rescue of the Northern Belle, wrecked of Kingsgate, Broadstairs that 5 January:

R.(or) John Castle, Thomas Holbourn, J. Tiller, George Castle, John Sandwell, R. Cox, William Hiller Jnr., William Wales, Thomas Sandwell, Robert Miller, Jethrow Miller, Robert Simpson, Edward Emptage, R. or William Ralph, Jerimiah Walker, James Rowe, W.or John Cowell, John Pettit, George Fox, Charles Emptage, James Bere/Bear, William Rowe, George Emptage, R. Port, George Emptage, Edward Emptage and George Emptage.

It is not clear on which specific journey Robert Parker and Robert Gilbert participated, or if they assisted with the haul-off, and remained ashore, but their names also appear on the salvage list, along with a Fred Lawrence.

George Emptage was the only man to make all three journeys, to and from the wreck. The salvage list was compiled by General Robert Campbell, United States Consul in London at the time. He also launched an appeal to all Americans living in Britain, requesting them to give generously by means of subscription to a fund, raising money to provide for the widows and orphans of the nine-man crew of the Margate lugger “Victory”, which was lost with all hands going to the aid of the “Northern Belle” (Lapthorne).

John Laing, a boatman of Broadstairs wrote an article and sent it to The Times detailing the event for the nation of the fate of the Margate lugger Victory. The loss of the crew of the lugger must have been a hard blow for the robust boatmen of Thanet however, and later was the inspiration of the founding of a surfboat service which, over the next 50 years, became famous in its own right for the lives saved and the misfortune it suffered at the perils of wind and sea: the "Friend of all Nations" and the later ‘Friend to all Nations’.

A tablet recording the names of those men lost on the lugger as she turned over, and went down, was inscribed and placed on Margate Pier, but is lost today. Out of due respect for these men, here is a list of their names:

John Smith (aged 63), William Emptage (aged 52), Isaac Solly (aged 46), Abraham Busbridge (aged 35), Charles Fuller (aged 34), John Emptage (aged 29), George Smith (aged 29), Henry Paramor (aged 27) and Frederick Bath (aged 22).

The London Illustrated News carried a lengthy account of the rescue and, in reference to the Culmer boatmen, quote:

"These men were not labouring under any species of excitement when they engaged in the perilous duty which they performed so nobly and well. They had no hope of a decoration when they bounded into the boats to storm batteries of billows far more appalling to the human mind than batteries surrounded by cannon and bristling with bayonets. The crew of the ill-fated ship grasped their preservers warmly by the hand saying “none but Englishmen would come off to our rescue in such a sea”."