1887 – Retirement of Coxswain Robert Bickerstaffe

Extract from “Warblin’s fro’ an Owd Songster” by Samuel Laycock.

Written on the occasion of the presentation to Robert Bickerstaff on his retirement as Coxswain of the Blackpool Lifeboat, December 5th 1887.

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The Robert William lifeboat going to the wreck of the Bessie Jones – February 26th 1880.

Manchester Times, February 28, 1880.
The Blackpool lifeboat, which belongs to the National Lifeboat Institution, rendered on Thursday a very important service in saving a shipwrecked crew from almost certain death. It appears that the brig Bessie Jones, of Fleetwood, from Glasgow, with a cargo of iron rails, had struck on Salthouse Sandbank at six o’clock yesterday morning, and soon afterwards she sank. On her perilous position being observed, no time was lost in despatching the Blackpool lifeboat to her help, and fortunately the lifeboat was successful in saving the shipwrecked crew, with the exception of one man (the cook), who was drowned before the lifeboat arrived.

Liverpool Mercury, February 28, 1880.
With reference to the rescue of the crew of the Bessie Jones at Blackpool, on Thursday morning, it is stated that three members of the lifeboat crew refused to proceed to the assistance of the disabled vessel, and that their places were filled by volunteers, whose conduct is highly praised. The efforts of the lifeboat men and the crew of the Bessie Jones were witnessed by thousands of people, who lined the shore for several miles. The names of the saved are―Captain Painter, of Fleetwood; John Stephens, mate; and O’Neil and Whittle, seamen. The cook, who was washed away, was a young man named Braham. The crew mistook the light from Lytham Lighthouse for Liverpool Bar Lightship. The captain was five times washed into the sea. A supper was given to the crew of the lifeboat at night in recognition of their gallant conduct.

Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle, March 6, 1880.
A correspondent stated that on the occasion of the wreck of the Bessie Jones off Blackpool, the coxswain of the lifeboat, finding that he had but seven of his own men on the spot, looked out for volunteers to make up the crew; but although there was some strapping fishermen loafing about they coolly looked on and let the coxswain take in two joiners and a stone-mason, and then start two short of his complement. The rescue of the persons on board the Bessie Jones was a plucky bit of service as has been done by a lifeboat; for on their return, being obliged to run over the bank with a tremendous sea running, they had the narrowest possible escape of being capsized; one man was washed out of the boat but recovered, and they lost most of their loose tackle.

Liverpool Mercury, March 6, 1880.
ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION.―On Thursday a meeting of this institution was held at its house, John-street, Adelphi, London, the chairman of the institution presiding. The committee expressed their deep sorrow at the loss of the Ardrossan lifeboat while engaged in the rescue of the crew of the barque Matilda Hilliard, of Yarmouth, N.S., which was wrecked on the rocks at the south end of Horse Island in a severe gale . . . . The silver medal of the institution was presented to MR ROBERT BICKERSTAFFE, coxswain of the Blackpool lifeboat, and double the ordinary reward to the boat’s crew, in acknowledgment of their very brave and determined services in rescuing, at considerable risk of life, the crew of the brigantine Bessie Jones, of Fleetwood, which had sunk on Salthouse Bank, the men being rescued from the rigging of the wreck. Such was the violence of the sea that one of the lifeboatmen was washed out of the boat, but, being supported by his lifebelt, he was soon rescued. . . . The New Brighton lifeboat saved twenty-six of the crew of the steamship Anatolian, of Liverpool, which was wrecked on the Asken Sand Bank at the mouth of the Mersey.

The Preston Guardian, March 6, 1880.
The Bessie Jones, lying on the Salthouse Bank, is fast breaking up, and the bulwarks and other pieces of the wreck have come ashore.

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Samuel Laycock – Warblin’s fro’ an Owd Songster

TWENTY year’ sin,—come th’ furst o’ next April
Aw coom to reside i’ this teawn;
A comparative stranger amongst yo’,
Unfavoured bi wealth or reneawn.
But one little circumstance happened,
‘At made matters rayther moor breet;
There wur one bade me welcome to Blackpool;
That one is eawr guest here to neet;

He said he wur happy to meet one
‘At he’d often yeard tell of befoor.
Well, this to a stranger wur cheerin’,
An’ aw felt very thankful, yo’r sure.
An’ fro’ that day to this we’ve been friendly;
Yes, as friendly as brothers could be;
At least aw’ll say this much on my part,
An’ aw think he’s th’ same feelin’s tow’rds me.

We’ve had mony a political battle,
But there’s been newt but papper i’ th’ gun;
A flash o’ good wit, to please th’ list’ners,
‘At ended i’ nowt nobbut fun.
Aw pretend to be Radical,—aw do;—
Tho’ aw’m but a poor hand at mi job:
Eawr guest seems to think he’s a Tory;—
He’s to’ good to be either, is Bob!

His spurs have been won eawt i’ th’ Lifeboat;
An’ he’s won ’em mooast manfully too,—
I’ shewin’ true pluck when i’ danger,
An’ encouragin’ on his brave crew.
If needed, they’d rush eawt to th’ rescue,
When Death seemed to be on their track;
When we upo’ th’ shore have stood tremblin’,
For fear ‘at they’d never get back.

Still, th’ owd Coxs’n’s been very reluctant
To resign this position o’ trust
To sever himself fro’ his comrades,
But his health and his age say he must.
Well, he’s got a good man to succeed him;
He’s a brave-hearted fellow, is Will;
An’ noa deawt when he goes eawt to action,
He’ll show he’s booath courage an’ skill.

But we’ll leave him, an’ get back to Robert;
He’s th’ guest we’re to honour to-neet;
An’ mak noa mistake abeawt this friends,—
We’re intendin’ to do this job reet.
Why, we’ve talent enough i’ this meetin’—
That, when it get’s fairly to work,—
Aw dar bet my hat to a haupney
They’ll hear us across at New York!

We’ve a portrait to give eawr friend, Robert;
An’ it favvers th’ owd Coxs’n soa mitch,
That when they’re boath looked at together,
Its vast hard to tell which is which.
We’ve other nice things here to give him;
But one aw may name among th’ rest
Is a fine eighteen-carat gowd medal,
‘At th’ booatmen will pin on his breast.

Neaw an action like this—to mi’ thinkin’—
Is one ‘at’s well worthy o’ note:
These are men ‘at have shared in his dangers;
Been eawt wi’ him often i’ th’ boat:
Been eawt when th’ big waves o’ th’ owd ocean
Have threat’ned to crush eawt their lives;
While prayers have gone up for their safety,
Fro’ their poor anxious mothers an’ wives.

Ah! there’s some o’ these absent this evenin’;
Brave men who have met with us oft;
They’ve ta’en their last look at owd Neptune;
Laid their oars deawn au’ gone up aloft!
While amongst us, an’ strugglin’ as boatmen,
Their lives wur oft toilsome an’ hard;
But they did their work nobly, an’ neaw, friends,
The’re gone to receive their reward.

But, bless me! aw’m gettin’ too serious:
Yo’ve come here to laugh not to cry;
An’ awm noan amongst yo’ this evenin’
To fill yo’ wi’ sadness;—not I.
So we’ll give eawr friend Robert these presents,
For his services rendered so long;
After that we’ll keep on this grand meetin’,
Wi’ speech, recitation, an’ song.

As yo’ll see,—we’ve got th’ Fishermen’s Band here;—
Smart lads these, an’ allus i’ tune;
Give ’em plenty to eat an’ to drink, an’
They’ll play fro’, December to June!
Have yo’ noticed Jack Fish, when he’s playin’,—
Heaw he seems to put forth all his strength,—
When he’s workin’ th’ trombone back an’ forrud,
An’ tryin’ to get it th’ reet length?

He’s been tuggin’ two year’ at aw know on,—
At what should be done i’ two days;
An’ aw think if he’s wise he’ll get beawt it,
An’ try summat else in its place.
Neaw, I allus took Jack to be sharpish;
Eawtwitted an’ beaten bi noan’;
But if aw’ve ony skill abeawt music,
He’s bothered wi’ that trombone!

But aw musn’t go on any longer,
For others have summat to say—
Moor important than my bit o’ scribble,
So aw’ll drop it, an’ get eawt o’ th’ way.
But aw couldn’t sit still here i’ silence,
Or feel aw wur doin’ what’s reet,
If aw didn’t tak’ some part—tho’ humble,—
I’ honourin’ eawr friend here to-neet.

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