Grace Darling and the Forfarshire rescue
- When
- 1838
- Where
- Big Harcar; Longstone Lighthouse to Big Harcar; Farne Islands
- Episodes
- 4
On 7 September 1838, Grace Darling and her father William rescued survivors from the wrecked paddle-steamer Forfarshire near the Farne Islands. Spotting the wreck from Longstone Lighthouse, they used a coble to save nine people, including Sarah Dawson, in rough weather. The rescue attracted national attention, making Grace a folklore heroine and earning them the RNLI's first Silver Medals.
Episodes
- Receiving Medals
Grace and William Darling received the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Silver Medal in 1838, the first recipients of this new award.
- Spotting the Wreck
Grace Darling spotted the wrecked Forfarshire and survivors on Big Harcar from Longstone Lighthouse in the early hours of 7 September 1838.
- Rowing to Survivors
Grace and William Darling took a coble to rescue nine survivors, as the weather prevented the lifeboat from Seahouses from putting out.
- Second Rescue Trip
William Darling and three rescued crew members rowed back to recover four additional survivors while Grace remained at the lighthouse.
Background and detail
Background. The Farne Islands, off Northumberland, were associated with the Forfarshire story. Longstone Lighthouse, built in 1826, was situated about 600 yards from the wreck site. The paddle-steamer Forfarshire, built in Dundee in 1834, struck and foundered on the islands on 7 September 1838, giving rise to the rescue for which Grace Darling is famed.
Rescue. Grace Darling spotted the wreck and survivors on Big Harcar in the early hours of 7 September 1838. Determining the weather was too rough for the lifeboat from Seahouses, she and her father William took a 21-foot coble across to the survivors. They rescued nine people, including Sarah Dawson, in a strong gale and thick fog.
Aftermath. The story of the rescue attracted extraordinary attention throughout Britain, making Grace Darling a heroine in British folklore. Both William and Grace received the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Silver Medal in 1838, the first recipients of this new award. The event was later commemorated in verse and drama.
People involved
- Grace Darling · Rescuer
- William Darling · Rescuer
Sources
- Farne Islands Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
- Grace Darling Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
- Forfarshire (ship) Wikipedia, revision of 2025-12-11
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.