The weather on the night of the 13th November 1901 was a
howling north-easterly gale accompanied by heavy blinding
rain. To make matters even worse, it was cold and dark
with no moon that night.
On watch in the look-out were two of the village’s
most experienced lifeboatmen, James Henry Haylett Jnr.,
who had recently stepped down as coxswain after thirteen
years, and was the proud holder of The Royal National
Lifeboat Institution Silver Medal and Bar. On watch with
him was Robert Green who on occasion had taken the boat
out as acting coxswain. At about 10.50 pm the two men
observed distress signals coming from the direction of
the Barber Sands. At once they began the call out
procedure, the bell was rung and children were sent to
knock up the sleeping crew, who at once assembled on the
beach in their oily frocks and sea- boots, with thick
Guernsey pullovers worn to try to keep the body warm. On
the first attempt at launching, the Beauchamp was lifted
off her roller skids and thrown back broadside up the
beach. It was not until two and three-quarter hours later
at 1.45 am that they managed to get the lifeboat afloat.
It seems that because some men who would normally have
been in the boat had been sent home to change their
clothes, that some of the younger members climbed aboard,
Once they had cleared the beach by pulling on the warp,
anchored just clear off the breakers, the crew began to
row until they were sufficiently clear of the beach and
the heavy breakers. Then they hoisted the sails and
headed towards the Barber Sands, a distance of half a
mile.
A surviving model of the Beauchamp dating from the time
of its construction.
The lifeboatmen on the beach watched in silence as the
Beauchamp got under way with her usual perfection. If
they had not had this confidence, the larger Covent
Garden was available. In the nine years since the launch
and naming ceremony, however, the Beauchamp had been launched eighty one times and saved one
hundred and forty six lives in comparison with the
station’s total of one hundred and nine service
launches, During this period the Beauchamp would have
probably carried out more rescues if she had not spent so
much time off station being repaired after some of her
exploits under coxswain James Henry Haylett and most
notably the service to The Palestine.
With coxswain Aaron Haylett at the helm, she sailed with
just her foresail set, whilst turning at the end of a
westerly tack, The crew were attempting to set her mizzen
sail when a heavy cross-sea hit the lifeboat and knocked
her off course towards the beach. The crew, by pressing
against the sail, managed to catch the wind and get her
back on course, but once more another heavy sea caused
the lifeboat to be thrown back. When the crew again
battled to get her round, she missed stayed. The
Beauchamp was by then too close to the breakers. With no
other option, Aaron Haylett ordered, “Down with the
mizzen, we must make for the shore.” They hauled
down the mizzen sail and just as the lifeboat’s bow
touched the beach a large sea struck the starboard
quarter and capsized the Beauchamp, entombing the crew
underneath in seconds; no-one had a chance to jump clear.
As James Haylett Snr. told the inquest, “The
disaster was caused solely by the boat missing stays and
the coxswain and crew could not have done anything more
than they did. It is a common occurrence for a boat in a
gale to miss stay and it is one of the risks incidental
to seafaring.
After the lifeboat had launched most of the beach crew had gone home to change into dry warm clothes. James Haylett Snr. remained standing at the lifeboat shed, however, and was joined by his grandson Frederick Haylett, who had just arrived back at the shed when they heard shrieking and voices calling coming from the beach. Immediately James Haylett and his grandson went down the beach to investigate and found the Beauchamp lying bottom up in the breakers with heavy seas breaking over her hull.
Without
hesitation and despite being 78 years of age, he rushed
into the surf and pulled his son-in-law Charles Knights
free from the ropes that were entangled around his legs.
Frederick Haylett grabbed hold of John Hubbard, Then
James Haylett and Frederick dragged his grandson, young
Walter Haylett, to safety. Nine lifeboatmen were still
trapped under the Beauchamp and despite the efforts of
the other Beach Company members in those heavy breaking
seas, with very little light being provided by their hand-held
duck lamps, they made valiant efforts risking their own
lives, but all to no avail.
Within
thirty minutes the first body was washed out from
underneath the lifeboat. It was William “Billy”
Wilson who was a full-time beachman and a married man.
Next was 18 year-old Harry Knights, James Haylett’s
grandson. Then John Smith, 43 years old, married with
eight children and master of the steam-drifter Snowdrop.
Next to be released by the waves was the legendary James
Henry Haylett Jnr., hero of the Soudan and Palestine
rescues, aged 56, married with ten children. Last to be
washed out that morning was William Brown, 49 years old,
the lifeboat’s second coxswain, a fishing boat
owner, married with ten children.
At daylight and with the tide dropping away, efforts were
made successfully to pass a rope around the hull. With
nearly the whole population of the village watching, the
beachmen managed to pull the Beauchamp over on to an even
keel. Trapped inside the hull were the battered and
bruised bodies of coxswain Aaron Haylett, 49, who was
married with three children, George King, 18, a fisherman
on the steam-drifter King Edward, and Charles Brown , 31,
married with four children, master of the steam-drifter
Alpha.
On this gloomy Thursday morning, crowds of people who had
travelled by train from Great Yarmouth, where the autumn
herring fishing was in full swing, came to Caister to
witness this tragedy for themselves, In the mass of
people were members of the Scottish fishing community who
owed a great debt to the Caister lifeboat crew for
rescuing many of their colleagues over the years.
Despite the efforts of Doctor H.W. Case, eight bodies
were taken to the lifeboat shed and laid out under a
canvas sail. Missing was Charles “Bonney”
George, whose body was washed away from the overturned
vessel. He was 53 years of age and master of the steam-drifter
Alexandra.
It was not until 9th April 1902 that his body was finally
recovered. It was found on the beach at Kessingland,
opposite the home of Rider Haggard, author of “King
Solomon’s Mines”, His badly decomposed body was
identified by his clothing — sewn upon his shirt was
a label with C. George on it. In the village of Caister
on that after noon of November 14th, the only sound that
could be heard was the ringing of the church bell in
mournful tribute to the dead lifeboatmen. Hardly a family
in the village was unaffected by this dreadful tragedy.
The
Inquest
The next day, the inquest into the disaster opened at the
Lord Nelson public house in Beach Road, under the
direction of the county coroner, Mr. R. Culley. Dr. H. W.
Case reported that the three survivors were making
satisfactory progress and, given time, they should all
make a full recovery. After opening the inquest, the
coroner and jury, with various representatives, filed out
of the Lord Nelson and down Beach Road across the railway
crossing and on to the beach and the lifeboat shed,
passing fishermen’s cottages, where flags and other
signs of mourning were displayed. On entering the old
white lifeboat shed, under a large canvas sail were the
eight bodies, which they viewed. Some bore the signs of
the injuries sustained by being incarcerated under the
upturned lifeboat. After inspecting the Beauchamp, they
returned to the Lord Nelson.
The first witness was James Haylett Snr. At 78 years of
age, the very epitome of a Norfolk beachman — blunt
to the point with no out ward sign of emotion, despite
the tragedy that had personally befallen him. It was
ironic that as a younger man on Friday 27th December 1861
in the same building he had purchased his share in the
Beach Company at auction for £84 — a substantial
sum of money at the time.
This was
to be Old Jimmy’s (as he was affectionately known)
date with destiny. He was to dominate the inquest, cross-
examining witnesses, challenging statements, as well as
being the principal spokesman. Old Jimmy could stand up
and be counted along with anyone.
He was asked by the coroner, “1 suppose they had not
given up the job and were returning.” James Haylett’s
reply became part of lifeboat folklore. He stated: “They
would never give up the ship. If they had to keep at it
‘til now, they would have sailed about until
daylight to help her, Going back is against the rules
when we see distress signals like that.” These
words, translated by journalists, were to become famous
throughout the length and breadth of the land — CAISTER
MEN NEVER TURN BACK.
Despite a lengthy inquest and Board of Trade Enquiry, no
other reason was found for the disaster, put forward on
day one of the inquest, that the lifeboat miss stayed.
Much play was made about the merits of self-righting
lifeboats. Mr. Graham, Chief Inspector of Lifeboats for
the R.N.L.I,, however, stated that the Caister crew
totally refused this type of vessel and swore allegiance
to the Norfolk and Suffolk type of lifeboat in which they
had more experience than any other lifeboat station in
the British Isles. He went on to say that the Caister
lifeboats had saved crews from vessels of nearly every
nationality and had saved more lives than any other
lifeboat station, and England had lost, in this accident,
the greatest part of perhaps the finest lifeboat crew
that the world had every seen.
The
Funeral
The funeral took place on Sunday 17th November 1901. One
of the beachmen, Ben Read, who was the village
wheelwright, built eight coffins in his workshop on Beach
Road. They were made of pitch pine with large brass
handles, Still recognisable, written on a beam in the
workshop, are the eight names of the disaster victims.
Special trains were provided from Great Yarmouth’s
Beach Station to Caister Railway Station at Beach Road.
Nearly every wagonette and horse-drawn cab seemed to have
been chartered. Many people simply walked from Great
Yarmouth to Caister, with many travelling from the
surrounding villages, to pay their last respects.
The eight coffins were borne on the shoulders of the men
from the Caister Rocket Brigade, the Trinity House and
the Yarmouth Lifeboat Crew. They were then placed in
eight horse-drawn hearses. Immediately behind walked the
family mourners. They walked in procession through the
village to the church, led by the Mayor of Great Yarmouth
and the Corporation. The cortege was followed by the
beachmen, local and Scottish fishermen and lifeboatmen
from Cromer, Sea Palling, Winterton, Yarmouth, Gorleston,
Lowestoft, Pakefield, Kessingland, Southwold and
Aldeburgh, and by the officers of the various friendly
societies of which the deceased were members.
The coffins were carried into the west end of the church
and placed beneath the black drapes which had been hung
from the wails and ceiling. Because of the size of the
crowds, the church was unable to accommodate the number
of mourners. Therefore it was decided only to admit the
families of the victims and the beachmen, plus the
dignatories.
The Rev. J.W. Duthie, Rector of Caister, conducted the
service. After the service in the church, the coffins
were taken to the north-west corner of the parish
cemetery, where a large pit had been excavated. They were
placed in the pit in the position that they would have
occupied in the Beauchamp on that fateful November 14th,
with a vacant space for Charles Bonney George. A cordon
was formed around the grave by the coastguardsmen and
only the families were allowed at the graveside. At the
end of the internment they sang the hymn “Peace,
Perfect Peace” . The graves were covered in a mass
of floral tributes.
The effect on what was a small coastal village, was
immense. Three drifter skippers dead, plus one boat owner
and three senior beachmen, with a wealth of experience.
The effect on the families who had lost the breadwinner
was catastrophic. Despite this, life had to go on.
Following the funeral, the next Tuesday, a meeting was
convened by the Mayor, Colonel Diver, with the task to
inaugurate a relief fund and the aim of supporting the
widows and children of the drowned lifeboatmen. With Mr.
Harold Chamberlin, a local solicitor, as secretary, Sir
Reginald Procter Beacuhamp moved a resolution
constituting the fund. Seconding the resolution, the Rev.
Wallace Duthie announced that he had already received £900
in answer to his appeals in newspapers. Sir Edward
Birbeck M.P., who, as Chairman of the R.N.L.I. for over
40 years, made a presentation on their behalf of a cheque
for £2,000. Sir Reginald offered £500 towards a new
lifeboat and suggested it be called Beauchamp II. This
would cause further discussion.
All over the country, lifeboat communities, especially in
Norfolk and Suffolk, launched local appeals to raise
money for the dependants.
At the
time, Frank Clowes, the Honorory Secretary of the Caister
and Yarmouth Branch of the R,N.L.I., penned the following
letter to the various newspapers of this period.
On behalf of the relatives of those lost in the above
and the Caister Lifeboatmen, I hasten to express thanks
for the sympathy and respect accorded by the presence at
the funeral of the Mayor and Corporation of the borough
of Great Yarmouth, the coxswains, honorary secretaries
and representatives from the neighbouring stations,
namely Cromer, Palling, Winterton, Yarmouth, Gorleston,
Lowestoft, Pake field, Kessingland, Southwold and
Aldeburgh, and also the deputations from those connected
with the sea in East Anglia, and other bodies too
numerous to mention. I must also express a word of thanks
for the admirable services rendered by the Coastguard and
Superintendent Lowe and his men in controlling and
regulating such a vast assembly of people. I might add
that the orderly behaviour and the genuine respect shown
by all present is one bright ray in the dark cloud of
grief which now overhangs our little village, and in some
way tended to comfort the bereaved.
A.F. CLOWES, Honorary Secretary, Yarmouth and Caister
Branch R.N.L.B.I.
A football match was organized between Lowestoft and
Yarmouth towns to raise funds. By the middle of December,
more than £10,000 had been raised and, therefore, it was
decided to close the fund. Each widow received 12s. per
week and the eldest daughter of James Henry Haylett and
the mother of George King and parents of Henry Knights,
and the mother of Charles and William Brown, l0s. each.
Every child was given 2s,6d. per week up to the age of 16,
Each survivor received a one-off payment of £20.
Extract taken from "The Men
Who Never Turned Back"
By John Cannell.
In 1903 a memorial for those who died in the Beauchamp was erected in the cemetery of Holy Trinity Church Caister.
In 2001 on 14th of November the crew and supporters of Casiter Lifeboat commemorated the Beauchamp disaster of 1901 by organising a procession through the village led by a Scots piper followed by the bugle corp of the Band of Royal Marines, Caister lifeboat standard bearer and crew, other Norfolk and Suffolk lifeboat crews, dignitaries and guests.
The procession proceeded via Beach Road and the High Street to the west entrance of the parish cemetary where it was led through the churchyard by the Bishop of Thetford, to the lifeboat memorial.
The graves of the 20 victims were each decorated with a posy and a wreath laid at the memorial, this was followed by a fly-past, in missing man formation, by aircraft from RAF Coltishall.
The
procession left via the north entrance of the churchyard
and proceeded to the church for the service of
commemoration, via Ormesby Road.
Follwing the service a bronze bust and plaque was
unveiled in the lifeboat station to commemorate all of
the lives lost by those in service of the Caister
Lifeboat.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Since the first lifeboat went on station at Caister in 1845, 20 lifeboat men have given their lives to help their fellow man. On the 14th November 2001, besides remembering the nine victims of the 1901 disaster, a bronze bust was unveiled to honour the memory of all those men. The bust, by sculptor Barry Sutton, was unveiled by Gladys Brown, whose father was one of the survivors of the Beauchamp, and by Sir Christopher Procter Beauchamp Bt, a descendant of the original benefactor.
1885
John Burton,
Joseph Sutton,
George Hodds,
Frederick Haylett,
Joseph Haylett,
John Riches,
James King,
William Knowles.
The yawl Zephyr struck the wreckage of a previous rescue
while going to thessistance of a ship on the Barber
Sands, and was lost. Eight of the 15 crew drowned.
1887 Solomon Brown
Solomon - a former coxswain of the California Lifeboat
Royal Prince Albert, died as a result of injuries
sustained in the rescue of the crew of the Soudan of
Liverpool.
1901 The Beauchamp disaster:
Coxswain William Brown,
Second Coxswain James Haylett Jnr,
Aaron Haylett,
Harry Knights,
Charles Brown,
John Smith,
George King,
William Wilson,
Charles George.
1919 Coxswain John “Spratt” Haylett
When Ernest Shackleton’s ship Nimrod was wrecked off
Caister, coxswain Haylett died as a result of the
conditions endured while saving the crew.
1991 Coxswain R W “Benny” Read
Benny was tragically killed while summoning his crew to a
rescue.
