Great Gale of 1871
The Great Gale of 1871 was a severe storm in the North Sea which struck the north east coast of England on Friday 10 February 1871.
Shipping near the town of Bridlington was severely affected by the storm, and, in an attempt to rescue seamen, the RNLI lifeboat RNLB Robert Whitworth was put out of action and the fishermans lifeboat Harbinger upturned with nine locals on board, killing six of them.
A memorial obelisk in Bridlington Priory Churchyard commemorates 43 burials there.
28 ships were wrecked on the north east coast, and total fatalities are estimated at over 50.
Ships Lost
The Arrow of Sunderland
The Caroline of Yarmouth
The Delta of Whitby
The John of Whitstable
The Lavina of Seaham
The Margaret of Ipswich
The Produce of Folkestone
The Teresita of Harwich
The William Maitland of Whitby
1 Unknown English Schooner.
13 Other Vessels
Crew of the Fisherman's Lifeboat Harbinger
- Robert Pickering
- John Clappison
- Richard Atkin
- James Watson
- David Purdon
- William Cobb
See also
Further reading
- Wilson, Mike (2002), The Great Gale of 1871, Harbour Heritage Museum
- Jones, Richard (2013), The Great Gale of 1871, Memoirs Books