Exploring the harrowing history of Yorkshire's shipwrecks and storms and the wreckages along Scarborough's coastline

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the great storm of 1953, Scarborough’s Maritime Heritage Centre looks back through history to shine a light on life at sea.

What researchers have unearthed is a remarkable picture of fragility and human heroism, and of the bravery of both the lifeboatmen and the sailors they sought to save.

To centre chairman Mark Vesey, it isn’t often now that people may see a ship in distress.

“It was a huge event for people in the past, a shocking loss of life,” he said. “It has got to remind us of what was one of the most dangerous occupations - going to sea was as dangerous as going down a mine. But they had to earn a living.”

Scarborough’s diving club is said to have its own collection of 50 ship bells recovered from wrecks. As an indication, said Mr Vesey, there may be hundreds along the coastline.

“The North Sea is subject to quite severe winter gales,” he said. “When you go back a couple of hundred years you realise these vessels were all under sail.”

This was a time before forecasting, when a lifejacket might be made from cork. Most sailors couldn’t swim - it was actually seen as bad luck for surely it was better to drown quickly. And there are few areas of shelter along Yorkshire’s coastline. To enter Scarborough Harbour, in a gale, said Mr Vesey, the only safe way to do it is practically sideways. This may be fine with an engine - but “almost impossible” without.

“Quite a lot of the shipwrecks were just on the sands in front of the Spa Theatre,” he added. “Men took their lives in their own hands when they went out to sea.

“When you see the strength of a storm, you can only imagine. It doesn’t need to be a very big wave to knock you off your feet, and we have storms with waves 10ft or 20ft in height.”

The exhibition first looks back 70 years, to 1953, when 2,000 people died as a result of a huge storm that raged along England’s east coast.

As darkness fell on the night of January 31, it was coastal Lincolnshire that was to bear the brunt, but with defences pounded from Yorkshire to the Thames Estuary.

Then further back still, to October 1880, when 10 ships floundered in Scarborough’s South Bay. This was to be one of the worst storms in the town’s long history.

As dawn broke great crowds had thronged the cliffs, anxious and desperate, as the sea foamed and seethed with a terrible fury.

First to flounder was the brig Mary, running ashore at Blands Cliff. Then the Black Eyes Susan, with a full set of sails, missing the harbour to hit by the Spa.

But the day wasn’t over yet. By 3pm it was the French Brig Jeune Adolphi, with a flag of distress in the North Bay. Then the Glastry and the Lily minutes later, colliding as they fought for the port.

As darkness fell the Billybuoy of Plymouth was lost. At 9pm the Anniversary of Blyth. Then a large steamer was seen heading for the harbour, said to have been swept by such a succession of seas that her fires were nearly extinguished.

Two more were to flounder by the following night, yet time and again it was the lifeboat crews that had rushed into roaring breakers in attempts to save dozens of lives.

One story tells of a Mr Joseph Morrison of Rothbury Street, who threw off his clothes to plunge into the breakers after two men were swept out to sea. Seizing each man at arms length he threw himself on his back to tow them to shore.

One of the most memorable storms in Scarborough’s RNLI history is the Lifeboat Tragedy of November 2, 1861.

As the town was hit by hurricane winds, sweeping away roofs from the homes on New Queen Street, rising seas washed well over the West Pier.

It was The Coupland that was in trouble, a schooner from South Shields, and the RNLI’s Amelia was called out at noon. The coxswain was thrown overboard. What happened next came from desperation, with the whole tragedy unfurling in front of a crowd just yards from the Spa Walls.

Ropes were thrown, pulling the lifeboat to calmer waters, but as the men jumped they were swept out to sea. There were notable deaths among those in the crowd.

Lord Charles Beauclerc, who died trying to save those stricken. William Tindall, aged 25, who was dragged out to sea. John Isles, who waded in to help. And two lifeboat crew.

There have been further tragedies in Scarborough’s rescue history, some still raw from 1954 when three lifeboatmen lost their lives. A wreath is laid in the sea every December.

To Mr Vesey, these are tragedies still felt by the townsfolk.

“It still puts the hairs up on the back of your neck, to hear about that night,” he said.

“The lifeboatmen and fishermen were neighbours, they were brothers and cousins. It struck the town very hard.”

And while radar and satellite technologies mean shipwrecks are now much rarer, storms do still ravage the town - such as the Beast from the East which recently damaged sea walls.

“A lot of this is forecast to increase, with storms, strong winds and sea levels rising,” said Mr Vesey.

The exhibition explores the storms that shipwrecks along Yorkshire’s coastline, examining early shipping forecasts as well as Scarborough’s links to the Titanic, weather equipment and early life jackets as well as a rocket gun that could fire a line to a stricken ship.

It is open to the public for free, and the centre is open from 11am to 4pm, Wednesday through to Sunday. The exhibition runs until May.