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The purse presented to Thomas More below.... |
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Emily Elizabeth Markham, né Ralph and her mother, Emily Ralph, né Ival. |
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The Demise of the training ship Goliath Information relating to the Goliath Relief Fund Summary - relative to Thomas Markham The Demise of the training ship Goliath Reported initially in The Times newspaper on Thursday 23 December 1875: At 7:45 on the morning of 22 December 1875 a fire broke out on the training ship Goliath, moored off Grays in Essex, U.K. It was completely destroyed and burned down to the waterline. The ship was a timber built old Admiralty man-of-war established in 1870 as a training ship, used to train pauper and workhouse boys for a seafaring life. The Goliath was acquired on loan from the Admiralty by the Unions of Hackney, Poplar, and Whitechapel, under the Local Government Board. The expense of fitting up the Goliath was borne by those Unions. The ship was under the management of the delegates of each of the Boards of Guardians of those districts. However, from other reports in The Times, and in particular a meeting of the Guardians of the City of London Union, 05 January 1876, regarding the management of a planned replacement for the Goliath, it was stated that the Managers of the Forest-gate School District had management of the Goliath. The ship could accommodate 500 boys, but at that time of the disaster had 393 boys. Under the command of Captain William Sutherland Bourchier, the ship also had a staff of training officers and teachers. The ship's compliment was already on duty at that time in the morning when the fire started. It was an accident caused when a boy named Lober dropped a paraffin lamp (normal practice for lighting the decks) in the lamp room. It was initially reported that he had been carrying the lamp in order to extinguish it, but burnt his hand and dropped the lamp. (However, in the report of a subsequent inquest, no mention of having been burnt was reported as to the reason for dropping it.) The lamp immediately started a strong fire which rapidly spread out of control, allegedly fuelled by the pitch used to seal the timber planking. The ship's boats quickly became unusable as the ropes of the lowering mechanisms caught fire with the boats falling into the water. The captain ordered those who could swim to jump overboard. (The ship was moored about 1000 feet from shore.) A number also made it to a nearby barge and others were helped by boats from nearby ships. When an initial count was made, 48 were missing. Two boys, one teacher and a boy sailor guest were known to have died. The Times, 27 December, reported the bodies of two further boys being found at Gravesend, bringing the known total to six. There were no further reports in The Times of any other bodies being found. In fact of those missing, many had absconded after discovering their newfound freedom! The majority were 'rounded up' and returned. Several sources indicate that between 21 to 23 died in total. Surprising by today's standards, the majority of the boys on board were aged between 7 and 10 year old. The Times, 23 December 1875, reported that Captain Bourchier had warmly praised, the conduct of all officers, boys, and the sailors who came to his assistance, also the local inhabitants. He said, The boys mostly behaved like men. One boy named Marling*, who won the silver medal at the last distribution for swimming, swam about and saved some of his comrades. Information relating to the Goliath Relief Fund Via The Times, Thursday 06 January 1876: On the afternoon of 05 January 1876, a large deputation of the Board of Managers of the Forest-gate School District, headed by Mr. R. Gladding, met with the Lord Mayor at the Mansion-house about the loss of the Goliath training ship. With the Lord Mayor were Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., Mr. Stauros Dilboroglue, Mr. Charles Teede, and Mr. William Morley. These had promised to assist him in the distribution of the fund if one was started. Also at the meeting: Messrs. Sturgeon, Guerrier (or Guerriet), Smith, and Cook (members of the local relief committee at Grays). The Times, 12 January 1876, reported on a letter to the Lord Mayor (in his capacity as treasurer of the Goliath Relief Fund), dated 11 January 1876, from Florence Nightingale, donating £10 and extolling the virtues of the training ships which, "leave a much better legacy to the country in these depauperized subjects and well-trained sailor boys.". It was also stated that the fund then amounted to £850, with £650 yet to be collected to meet the losses of the officers and boys. The Times (22 February 1876) published a letter from the Maharaja of Burdwan:  The Palace Burdwan, India, Jan, 23, 4876.To the Editor of The Times.Sir, Having read with the greatest admiration the account of the heroic conduct displayed by some of the boys of the training ship Goliath on the occasion of the recent destruction by fire of that ill-fated vessel, I have felt a very strong wish to present a silver medal to each of those who signally (sic) distinguished themselves on that occasion. I may have been forestalled in this wish, but I trust that I may be allowed to do something of the kind, as, coming from India, it will prove to the boys that deeds like theirs have not merely a local fame, but are marked and appreciated by their fellow subjects in the most distant parts of Her Majesty's Empire. I have taken the liberty of addressing you upon the subject, as I have been unable to ascertain the name of the society to which the ship belonged. I should have written direct to its offices had I been able to discover it, and I have, therefore, to beg that, while pardoning me for the trouble I am giving you, you will do me the further favour of forwarding to the proper authorities the enclosed draught to cover the cost of the medals, and of intimating that, if necessary, I shall be happy to remit a further sum. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,MAHARAJAH OF BURDWAN.Reported in The Times, 11 August 1876 - that on the previous afternoon, at the Mansion House at a special meeting of the Goliath Relief Fund, The Lord Mayor awarded the rewards for bravery. The awards were presented to the captain and most of the officers of the Goliath and Captain Walter, R.N., of the Arethusa, and many petty officers of that vessel, and sister-ship, the Chichester, plus others who assisted in saving life at the time of the disaster. Also, the silver medals provided by Maharaja of Burdwan were distributed to those of the crews allotted. Also from the fund, 400 purses were bought and entrusted to Captain Bourchier, each containing 6 shillings, to be given to the lads of the old Goliath on their leaving their new ship, the Exmouth, for active life. After the presentation the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress entertained the men at a luncheon in the Long Parlour. A young lad named Bolton was particularly singled out and apart from a purse and medal, received an additional £10. He had taken charge of a barge and kept it close to the Goliath to save approximately 120 boys and men. (The names of no other boys to receive awards was reported.) Reported in The Times, 11 November 1876: That on Wednesday (8 November), there was at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Eastern War Sufferers' Relief Fund at which the then Lord Mayor presided (Mr. Alderman Cotton, M.P.). Amongst other items on the agenda, the Goliath Relief Fund was wound up as: The medals and certificates had been presented to those who had assisted in saving life.A purse with 5 shillings being allotted to each boy on board the ship.The furniture and effects of the lads and crews being replaced.And money being voted to those who had sustained injury in the fire.In each case hearty votes of thanks were accorded to Lord Mayor Cotton for his services during the year. Summary The goliath was replaced by the ship Exmouth in 1877, also commanded initially by Captain Bourchier, RN, and again moored off Grays in Essex. But the Exmouth, under control of The Metropolitan Asylums Board, now provided a service to the whole of London (not just the three parishes under the Forest Gate School District), giving naval training to pauper boys aged between thirteen to sixteen. Many of these boys went on to join the Merchant or Royal Navy. There would also have been boys from the Goliath in the ship's company of the Exmouth. It's presently not known whether Thomas Markham did become a member of the Exmouth's company. He did not show in searching the 1881 census of the Exmouth (or any other training ship), unlikely anyway as he would have been aged about 18. Thomas was aged 12 when the Goliath burnt (a compatible age). Prior to discovering the true meaning behind the purse, family members could only wonder as to who "Goliath Burnt" was, not realising that it was not a name, but a statement of fact; and were also under the impression that Thomas had dived into the River Thames from a bridge to save someone from drowning (some believing it to be from London Bridge). The family is aware that there was once a coin in the purse (long since gone). Also, Thomas told his son, Tom Markham, that he had been given the purse because he was a strong swimmer and had saved someone from drowning. This statement is not entirely correct and raises a query. The purses were given to all boys on the ship, regardless of what they may have done. If Thomas had saved someone from drowning, being aged only 12 at the time could have led him to misunderstand the reason for the award of the purse. Alternatively, he may have simply not elaborated on the reason he gave for being given the purse, and may also have been awarded one of the Maharaja's medals. There is something which may lead credence to the latter theory. Captain Bourchier was reported to have said of how a boy named Marling had swam about saving some of his comrades. Even Captain Bourchier's name was spelled differently several times in one piece of editorial by The Times. It's not inconceivable that the boy Marling referred to could have been Markham, either directly as a mistake by Captain Bourchier, or by mis-reporting. This is only a theory, and not my intention to offend. The report in The Times about the boy Marling's actions is the only reference I have found to date If anyone knows more on this subject, I'll happily correct the theory. Being a member of the Goliath's company meant that Thomas was subject to the Poor Law and came from a workhouse in (most likely) Poplar, Hackney or Whitechapel, but also possibly one of 46 other parishes. |
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