It has been announced that an inaugural Service of Remembrance is to be held at Hoylake Lifeboat Station on Tuesday 22nd December 2009 at 11.00a.m (all are welcome to attend).
The Service is to be led by The Rev’d Martin Flowerdew Vicar of Hoylake and Lifeboat Chaplain. Music to be provided by Port Sunlight Lyceum Brass. The Hoylake Lifeboat and West Kirby Inshore Lifeboat are expected to be on show and Refreshments are available in the Boathouse after the service.
This service will commemorate the bravery of 8 men who perished on the 22nd December 1810 whilst going to the aid of the people on board the ship Traveller which had been driven on shore in the Mersey.
Whilst the rescue and subsequent loss of life had been local knowledge passed through the generations, it is only through research carried out in 2004 that the details of the event and the names of those who died have been verified. The dead men, all local to Hoylake, or Hoose as it was then known, were John Bird aged 40 years, his sons Henry Bird aged 18 years and John Bird aged 16 years, and nephew Henry Bird aged 18 years. In addition Joseph Hughes aged 38 years, his brother Richard Hughes aged 36 years and Richard’s son Thomas Hughes aged 16 years also died. It has not been possible to verify the identity of the 8th man who drowned.
The Service of Remembrance which will also the mark the official opening of the Hoylake 1810 Memorial Fund, which has been set up with the purpose of providing funds for the installation of a permanent bronze memorial to these men who so bravely gave their lives in order to save others. The memorial is to be sited outside the new Hoylake Lifeboat Station on a plinth which is already in situ and it is planned that this will be installed prior to a further dedication ceremony to be held in December 2010, on the 200th anniversary of the event. Any donations to this fund would be much appreciated.
Cheques should be made payable to “Hoylake 1810 Memorial Fund†and should be sent to one of the two trustees of the account, Mr. John Curry, 15 Devonshire Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 7HR.
I wish I could have attended the Lifeboat Memorial. I am a descendant of Joseph Hughes who lost his life in the Lifeboat Tragedy of 1810. Thanks, Bill Hughes
We have just discovered that my grandson-in-law Kevin Duncan is a direct descendant of Joseph Hughes.Joseph,s daughter Jane married Thomas Duncan in 1827.It is interesting that ( acording to my records ) Two of Joseph,s sons also died at sea. Thomas b 1804 and Joseph 1809. They were lost together in 1830.How proud we all are of these wonderful brave men.Thank you and thanks also to our wonderful lifeboat men who still risk their life to save others today. Georgina. Credit to Margaret Hotchkiss for her amazing research and info on the Duncan, Hughes, Eccles and other families connected to above.
my great grandfather x4 john bird was drowned in dec 1810 during this incident along with two of his sons. i am trying to find out what happened to his wife and large family after he died.he was buried either on25th or 26th 0f dec 1810 in st bridgets. Any help would be appreciated.