The 1810 Memorial statue was unveiled at a ceremony this morning at 11am at the Hoylake RNLI lifeboat station. A 12 month fundraising effort secured the £30,000 needed to fund the bronze status created by sculptor Paul Bearman. The statue is on a plinth outside the boathouse and will be lit by in-ground lighting.
Thanks to in-depth research from Peter Fitzgerald the full facts of the fateful lifeboat shout on 22nd December 1810 were discovered. Ian Davies (Hoylake RNLI) has previously commented:
Responding to a ship called the Traveller, which had been driven on shore in the Mersey, the boat going to their rescue was overwhelmed by the sea and 8 out of the 10 of the lifeboat crew were drowned. The lifeboat was manned by local fisherman, burial records and further research shows that 7 Hoylake men were buried at St. Bridget’s church West Kirby on the 25th and 26th December 1810. This tragedy decimated two families as those who died were John Bird aged 40 years, his sons Harry Bird aged 18 years and John Bird aged 16 years, and nephew Henry Bird aged 18 years. Also amongst those who died were Joseph Hughes aged 38, his brother Richard Hughes aged 36 and Richards son Thomas Hughes aged 16 years. It hasn’t been possible to identify the 8th man who drowned. The village at this time, Hoose as it was, would have been made up of only one hundred inhabitants, but remarkably the lifeboat was recovered and repaired and was manned with a full crew in less than a week.
Here are a couple more photos taken earlier today:
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Thanks John, great pictures. I could not make it today but plan to have a nose next week. Its good to know that my great great great great grandfather and all the other heroes have been remembered
Hi Barbara,
Received this Email from another who could not make it. :–
“I only wished I could be there. However the snow here is falling fast and at the moment shows no sign of stopping. It is beautiful but quite dangerous. I do sincerely hope the ceremony goes off well.”
Jan Cooper [no relation] – G’GGGGGGGGGGGDaughter of Greathead who built the “1810″ Lifeboat.
Ricky Cooper – related to the “1810″ Birds.
A nice sculpture – a fitting tribute to those brave men and a credit to those who contributed.
I’m part of the Bird family now living in the States. It was great to find this memorial, I’ve only heard of the stories and would enjoy learning more about the Bird family. Are there any Hoylake historians that could help me flesh out my family tree?
Hi,
Although I live in the Wirral my family (Bird) are from Liverpool. My cousin David Bird has just informed me of our link to the lifeboat crew.
Apparently John Bird had a surviving 4 year old son who we are descended from. He is sending me his research so I can trace the proof myself.
He said he can trace the Birds back to 1735.
What link do you have to the lifeboat crew?
Regards,
Dave Williams (Son of Agnes Bird)
Hello Dave Williams,
From memory – and in my own opinion – the persons who suffered the most in the 1810 Disaster were
my G’G'G’Grandmother.and her Sister-in-law
In 1810 — She lost her Husband, JOHN (39) and her two adolescent sons,HENRY(18) and JOHN (16)
[ Her "Breadwinners.]
She also lost her Brother-in-law WILLIAM and his adolescent son HENRY (18).
In 1811 — She also lost her unborn baby (Robert) and a toddler (James).. Caused no doubt by the
trauma and perhaps loss of income.(This needs checking)
I cannot imagine how she coped.
Her eldest surviving son — Richard BIRD — was my G’G'Grandfather.and he was buried at St Bridget’s, West Kirby. [the same churchyard as his Father, Uncle, Brothers and Cousin.]
You say that you can trace the proof yourself – so I have lefr out Names and Dates.
(Come back to confirm Names and Dates etc.)
Ricky Cooper.
Hi Ricky Cooper,
My cousin has informed me we are related to George Bird the 4 year old son of John Bird.
However I would be grateful if you could tell me the name of John Birds wife and could you also possibly tell me how many children they actually had.
Regards,
Dave Williams.
Hi again Dave already,
1. John Bird – born 1771 married Mary Davis – born 1770 – drowned 1810 aged 39
1st. Henry Bird – born 1792 – drowned 1810 aged 18.
2nd John Bird – born 1794 – drowned 1810 aged 16
3rd Richard Bird – born 1796. My G’G'Grandfather.
4th Anne Nancy Bird – born 1798
5th Joseph Bird – born 1800
6th Thomas Bird – born 1803
7th George Bird – born 1806 – married Mary Massey – born 1811.
George and Mary had Thomas Bird in 1850.
Thomas Bird fathered Ellen Bird in 1881
Ellen Bird married Robert Wade in 1919
Robert and Ellen had Ernest Wade in 1923 – [I went no further.]
8th James Bird – born 1809
9th Robert Bird – born 1810.[what month ?]
A 10th child could have been conceived prior to December 1810, but no record found as yet.
OK – that’s it for tonight. I hope you have progressed because of it.
Now to look in St Bridget’s Mortality Lists.
Ricky.
Hi Dave,,
Here is an update to the “1810″ BIRD Family. :
Robert BIRD was born 11 / November /1810 at Hoose.
Son of John BIRD and Mary DAVIES.
[ Could Mary have conceived between Robert's birth and John's death.? I doubt it.]
Ricky Cooper.
Following my dad’s death in 1999 i started to research the family tree and we have tons of birds (Richard is our direct descendant too! I think I have e-mailed Ricky before via Cheshire Roots Web and we are distantly related) The Birds have lots of wills on Cheshire wills website by the way and it was very cheap to get copies-I think I have William Bird one of 1720? Alas my dad’s family tree remains blocked by the elusive Willam (Eyles?) Owens who has no birth or death records we can find. The Bird’s Coopers and Smiths are relatively easy to trace as they generally stayed put around Meols/Hoose/West Kirby
Gareth Owen
Hi have found out this week through ancestry that I am a direct descendant of Richard Hughes who died in this tragedy. my sister and I visited the memorial today and it ws beautiful,the sunshine made it extra special. we then made our way to St Bridgets to see if we could find their resting place but sadly the church was not open. Would anyone know where the grave is situated or if the is any plaque ? Thanks