SS Princess Alice: London’s worst peacetime disaster
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| Woolwich Cemetery, with a view of the Chapel |
Now that all 485, 000 cemetery records from the Royal Borough of
Greenwich are available on the database, this week’s post examines the history
behind the Princess Alice Memorial in Woolwich Cemetery. This towering cross
was built in memory of those who lost their lives in the sinking of the saloon
steamer, the Princess Alice, which took place on the River Thames on
Tuesday 3 September 1878, just south of North Woolwich. 120 of the alleged 640
victims are buried in rows behind the cross.
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| The Memorial to the victims of the Princess Alice disaster |
Today, few have heard of the Princess
Alice disaster, but throughout September 1878, details of the tragedy and
its aftermath dominated newspaper coverage across the UK.
The Princess Alice was one
of the largest saloon steamers of the London Steam Packet Company, and could
carry up to 700 passengers. Tuesday 3 September was a fine day, and the
sunshine tempted many from across London to spend the day enjoying the weather
in Kent. The steamer set off from the city at about ten o’clock, headed for
Gravesend and Sheerness. Several of those aboard spent the day at Rosherville
Gardens in Gravesend, one of the largest and most popular of the pleasure
gardens of the period.
After collecting her passengers
from Gravesend at around 6pm, the steamer embarked for London. Not quite two
hours later, she arrived within sight of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, just
off Tripcock Point. It was then that the Bywell Castle, a large iron
screw steamer, was spied heading towards the Princess Alice. Suddenly,
the passengers became aware that their vessel had been hit. William Alexander
Law, the second steward, gave a statement saying:
I heard a crash. It was not very
heavy the first time . . . immediately there was another crash. I ran upon
deck, and amid the confusion and screams of the passengers, I heard the water
rushing in below . . . I, being a strong swimmer, jumped overboard and swam to
the shore . . .[1]
Immediately the pleasure boat began
to sink. Some passengers managed to escape onto the Bywell Castle, but
most were left to struggle in the water as the Princess Alice sank: “and
within five minutes of the fatal blow she heeled completely over and sunk in
the deep water.”[2]
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| Inscription on the Memorial stating that it was paid for by 23,000 subscribers |
Fellow passengers and crew from
other boats on the river heroically tried to save as many lives as they could
from the dark cold and sewage-ridden water. Once ashore, the surviving
passengers, some “half-naked”, were assisted by “Doctors, police, parish
officials, and others . . .”[3]
Meanwhile, “the whole population of Woolwich seemed congregated in the streets
about the waterside” eager to spot further survivors.
The tragedy of the sinking quickly
became apparent, with newspapers reporting that over 500 lives had been lost.
The personal tragedies were also reported: the young woman sent to live in the
workhouse after having her baby was swept from her arms, and whose husband and
three other children also died; the superintendent of the company, Mr. Towse,
whose wife, three children, nurse and governess all died; and Miss Palmer who
had no money to travel to Woolwich to identify the bodies of her father,
mother, two sisters and brother. There were hundreds more. The final death toll
is now believed to be closer to 640.
Usefully, for family historians,
many newspapers at the time reported names, addresses and ages of the
survivors. If your ancestors lived in London at the time, it is worth checking
if one was aboard the steamer on that fateful day. Survivors came from as far
afield as Stoke Newington, Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, East Dulwich, Staines and
Plumstead.
A full table of details of
passengers, crew and others involved can be read at http://www.alsbury.co.uk/princessalice/alice0.htm
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| One of the pages from the burial register on Deceased Online showing the names of some of the deceased. Cause of death for all is given as, "Drowned in the River Thames". |
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| Headstone in Woolwich Cemetery marking the grave of Captain Grinsted |
Sources:
The Bristol Mercury and Daily
Post (Bristol, England), Thursday, September 5, 1878
http://londonhistorians.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/over-600-perish-in-woolwich-pleasure-boat-disaster/
Captain Grinsted was my Nan's Great or Great-Great Grandfather. I think she was born in 1921 and I always remember her telling me about this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting us know. It must have been very upsetting for your Nan to think about these tragic events. I wonder if we will ever know the full truth of what happened with Captain Grinsted on the boat . . .
DeleteI’m impressed, I must say. you hit the nail on the head. Your idea is outstanding; the issue is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.
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