Famous fishing families - the Whitby Storr family and the Leadleys

In 1861 the Whitby Lifeboat sank and took the lives of twelve men including Matthew Leadley, Robert Leadley,John Storr(Coxswain) and William Storr. This was a famous date in Whitbys RNLI history. Another rescue took place in 1932. This was a typical rescue of a fishing boat that got into trouble - not particularly remarkable. But what was interesting were the names of Leadley and Storr. These again featured - one of those rescued and one of the rescuers held these two names.

In august, 1932 the salmon coble "Susie" was fishing just outside Whitby Harbour. It was suddenly capsized and overwhelmed by a big wave. John James Storr, Robert Smith, James Russell and William Russell all were thrown into the sea.

The tide was too low to launch the motor lifeboat. So the old lifeboat the "Rachel Valentine" was taken down to the sands from the West Pier. Hundreds of visitors help push the boat.

Meanwhile fishing boats had already helped come to the rescue. Mr JT Drydens salmon coble rescued Robert Smith and James Russell. Mr M Leadleys coble rescued William Russell. The Lifeboat helped to escort these boats in.

Seventy years may have rolled by since the loss of the lifeboat in 1861. But the fishermens names still featured prominently. This is often the case. Mainprizes go far back in Scarborough with a George Mainprize in the 1700's. Robin Hood's Bay especially demonstrates this point. The Storm family go back many years. They often had family members serving on the Lifeboat. It was easy for whole families to be whipped out. Many fishing boats where owned by a family. If sunk the whole family could be whipped out in one stroke and with it the family name.

Sources
- Scarborough Evening News 26th August 1932


OTHER ARTICLES
• The fishermen and fisheries of Robin Hood's Bay in 1838
• Robin Hood's Bay - The Storm family website
• Sharks and big fish along the Robin Hood's Bay coast
• The 200 year history of scarboroughs RNLI
• Henry Freeman - a famous Whitby lifeboat man
• An epic Lifeboat rescue in Robin Hoods bay and a terrible tragedy
• The early years of the Scarborough Lifeboat
• Tommy Rowley - stories about loss of life at sea
• The Allen and Truman Scarborough fishing families
• Stories from Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby
• Loss of the Scarborough Lifeboat November 2nd, 1861
• The national RNLI and the Scarborough lifeboat of 1861.
• Captain Cook and his early life in Staithes and Whitby
• The RNLI rescue of The Rohilla,1914 at saltwick bay - Whitby
• Dennis Allen - stories from the sea
• The origin of Robin Hood's Bay - its name
• Watching for ships by the harbour walls in Scarborough
• Losses amongst Filey fishing cobles
• Scarboroughs first Lifeboat and its first rescue in 1801

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