Grace Darling

The SS Forfarshire lies striken on the Big Harcar rocks off the Farne Islands, but through mountainous waves the survivors see their salvation, Grace Darling, the 22-year-old daughter of the Longstone lighthouse keeper is rowing into legend. This dramatic interpretation of amazing Grace's epic rescue mission was painted by William Bell Scott and hangs in the central hall of Wallington. Grace epitomised the gritty inhabitants of a wild and wonderful coast on that day in 1838 when she rowed with her father almost a mile in a flat-bottomed coble to recue shipwrecked crew members. The nine survivors gave the modest country girl a gold locket containing a hair from each head.

These words, published in the Daily Mail in the late 20th century, echo the romance and legend that has grown up around Grace Darling and the events of the night of September 7th, 1838. But who was Grace Darling, and what actually happened?

I became interested in her story because I'm a family historian, with Darling ancestors from the Northumbrian coast. Despite much research I've been unable to link her family to mine, but I have learned a lot about her family. This has enabled me to produce a family tree, showing her descent from Robert Darling of Duns, in Berwickshire, just to the north of the border between England and Scotland.

Rather than elaborate further on her story here, I suggest you read one of the biographies described below.

Biographies

The most recently published biography of Grace Darling is Grace Had an English Heart by Jessica Mitford published by Viking in London in 1988. I believe that an edition was also published in the United States. This is an excellent, well-written, book, and is well illustrated with the many pictures and engraving of the event, and photographs of the many commemorative items produced to celebrate Grace's efforts.

A more academic, and less favorable, account of her life, is given in Grace Darling: Maid and Myth" by Richard Armstrong, published by J.M. Dent in London in 1965.

Many dramatic versions of her life were written in the 19th century, but these are often inaccurate and over sentimental. However, a notable and rare volume, in Grace Darling: her True Story, published by Hamilton, Adams & Co in London in 1880, and purportedly written by her family.

Last updated: 28th Jan 2003