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Archiver > Mariners > 2001-04 > 0986258187


From: "Alf Collins" <>
Subject: Re: [Mar] Lulla Rooke
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 01:36:27 +0100
References: <008e01c0bab5$a0839a00$1272883e@tim>


Hi Caroline,
What a coincidence! My great grandfather John Collins (b. 1809) was a
coastguard in Worthing at the time. He was married to Mary (nee Toy; b.
1810) who was pregnant at the time of the disaster and gave birth to a
daughter after the 1851 Census but before her death in May 1851. She wasn't
christened until September 1851! Mary's death was recorded as being the
result of consumption.

In the meantime the "Lalla Rookh" (note the spelling of Lalla Rookh)
disaster on the 25th November 1850 left Louisa Hoskin a widow. William
Hoskin was buried on 02 January 1851. Of the four children Susan was the
youngest and was 5 months old at the 1851 Census. Louisa was then a Lodging
House Keeper aged 29.

By 1852/53 John Collins had married Louisa and they had a daughter Emaline
(christened in December 1853 at Broadwater but born in Pontypool Mon. in
September 1853). When John retired from the Coastguard Service they went
back to his home town of St. Mawes, Cornwall (just across the Carrick Roads
from Falmouth). They were there for the 1861 Census but have disappeared
from sight by the 1871 Census.

John had died by the time of my grandfather's marriage in 1872. There are
still gaps to fill in but I have been interested in the Lalla Rookh disaster
because of my family link.

It is very probable that John Collins was out on the beach when the disaster
occurred as most of the community would have been.The vicar of Broadwater
church was so moved by the disaster that he wrote notes in the margin of the
Register of Burials. It is also interesting that eight of the fishermen were
buried quite close to the disaster but William Hoskins was the last to be
buried, presumably because his body was not recovered for some time.

As a result of the Lalla Rookh incident Worthing inhabitants subscribed for
the first lifeboat at the town. It was quite a wealthy town at the time.

I suspect that John and Louisa became involved because of the two babies.
Susan would have been about 6 months old when Rebecca Collins was born and
when Mary Collins died John would have needed someone to help care for the
baby. Louisa who lived fairly close to the Coastguard quarters would have
been a likely choice.

The mysteries now are:-

What happened to John Collins between 1861 and 1871?
Where were the Hoskins children in the 1881 Census? I have searched and
searched but I haven't found a trace of them.
What happened to Louisa after John's death? Again I haven't yet traced her.

Best wishes

Alf Collins


----- Original Message -----
From: "Caroline Harris" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 3:11 PM
Subject: [Mar] Lulla Rooke


> Hi all
> I think you might be interested in this:
> whilst researching Henry Bacon a crewman of the Wave Queen, I came across
some of his predecessors buried in Broadwater Churchyard,Worthing, Sussex.
There was a note in the records as follows: Tablet no 689 - chancel on
South Wall:
> "This tablet is erected as a memorial of the eleven fishermen on Worthing
who on 25th of November 1850 gallantly put off in an open boat to assist a
vessel, the Lulla Rooke, in distress but perished in their humane attempt,
and also a memorial of the great mercy of the almighty who so stirred the
hearts of the benevolent the the large sum of £5,000 and upwards was
raaised as a relief and support for the bereaved families.....etc etc
> The eleven sufferers were
> *Henry Bacon aged 50 years leaving a widow and 6 children
> *John Belville 49 " widow and 5 children
> *James Edwards 46 " widow and 2 children
> *Stephen Edwards 40 " widow and 4 children
> *William Hoskins 37 " widow and 4 children
> Henry Newman 47 " widow and 8 children
> John Newman 26 " widow and 1 child
> *James Newman Snr51 " widow and 7 children
> *James Newman Jnr21 unmarried
> Henry Slaughter 21 leaving an aged father
> *William Wicks 26 " aged parents
> Those marked with a * are buried in the adjoining burial ground "
>
> One can't help but wonder about such a tragedy, and about the ship itself
as nothing at all is mentioned about the crew.
> I did come across a comment about this incident in a local history.
> book - to the effect that Worthing was then given its first official
Lifeboat.
>
> Anyway I thought someone might be interested.
>
> Regards
> Caroline
> from dull Denton, Sussex
>
>
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> Listowners Debbie Beavis:
> Ted Finch:
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>
>

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