Lord Beauclerk a hero

This article was provided by Carol and Malcolm Appleby who found a reference to the lifeboat disaster of 1861. It was in the Scarborough Mercuryof Friday, August 11th, 1911.

This year, on the 2nd of November, will occur the solemn anniversary of the death of Lord Charles Beauclerk, who was drowned on the memorable occasion in 1861, when the Scarborough lifeboat was wrecked near the Spa in a terrible storm. Lord Charles was heroically endeavouring to save life in that disaster when he was carried out to sea. The body is intered in the Scarborough cemetery and the grass grown grave a little below the chapel in the old portion is marked by a tombstone which by the lapse of time has become so weather worn and decayed that the inscription upon it is not easily decipherable.

This year witnessing the fiftieth anniversary of the sacrifice of life in a brave attempt to save life it would afford a fitting occasion for the placing of a more permanent memorial over the grave. The present stone had already been erected when Mr Leonard Thompson, the veteran superintendent of the cemetery, took office so many years ago, but he was assured by the late Mr Dove, who erected it, that it was only put up as a temporary mark to be replaced later by something of a more permanent character.

The daughter of Lord Charles was subsequently married to Lord Milton whilst he was a liberal member for the West Riding. They were staying at the Grand Hotel, Scarborough, on the honeymoon and Lord Milton wrote to Mr Thompson to the effect that Lady Milton and himself would be at the cemetery the following Sunday afternoon and wanted to see the grave of Charles.

The visit was duly paid. Lord Milton was extremely pleasant and greatly interested, and enquired if ground adjoining could be purchased. He was informed that there was one grave space. Since then, however, that has been taken. Lord Milton said that Mr Thompson would hear from him again in the autumn, he was going abroad, but after that something would be done at the grave.

Unfortunately, Lord Milton was in ill health, which continued and he died, and Mr Thompson has heard no more with regard to the grave of Lord Charles. People not infrequently visit the cemetery and inquire for the grave, and it would be very fitting if the fiftieth anniversary of the sad event could be marked by the placing of a memorial on the grave of a more impressive and permanent character.

The inscription on the present tombstone should be read as follows: "To the memory of Lord Charles Beauclerk, fourth son of the Duke of St Albans, who was drowned at Scarborough on the 2nd of November, 1861, whilst nobly attempting to save the lives of some shipwrecked sailors. He was 46 years of age.



OTHER ARTICLES
• The early years of the Scarborough Lifeboat
• Loss of the Scarborough Lifeboat November 2nd, 1861
• The national RNLI and the Scarborough lifeboat of 1861.
• Tommy Rowley - stories about loss of life at sea
• Harwood Brierleys description of Scarborough harbour at the opening of the 20th century
• The 200 year history of scarboroughs RNLI
• Hinderwells account of the first launch of the Scarborough Lifeboat in 1802
• The tragedy of the 1836 Scarborough Lifeboat
• Coastal erosion in the 19th Century around the North Bay and Scarborough Castle area
• Scarboroughs Lifeboat - the huge storms of October 28th 1880
• Thomas Crimlisk - First of the Crimlisks
• Henry Freeman - a famous Whitby lifeboat man
• The U-Boat campaign in the First World War
• The need for canals in the scarborough area - discussions in the late 1700's
• The history of the Scarborough Spa pump rooms
• The port of Scarborough in the late 15th Century
• Lifeboat disaster in 1836 at Scarborough
• Strange customs amongst the Scarborough shipbuilders
• Watching for ships by the harbour walls in Scarborough

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