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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (East Riding & York) => Topic started by: sudee on Tuesday 11 December 07 22:59 GMT (UK)
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I have a poem written by Sarah Ann Usher aged 15 years (an ancestor by marriage) about the Storm at Bridlington Quay February 10th 1871. It appears to have come from some publication , the page is approx 10ins by 8 ins. I know that there was a Sarah Usher age 12 in the 1871 census for Bridlington but I can find no reference to this poem in any newspaper or publication. Maybe it was done for a competition. Can anyone throw any light on this?
Sudee
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Hi Sudee
Though I've read about the great storm, I've never seen anything about it as a poem , but maybe the library can help.
Bridlington Central Library
Sarah Stocks, Reference & Local Studies Library
King Street
Bridlington
East Yorkshire
YO15 2DF
Tel: +44 (01262) 672917
bridlingtonref.library@eastriding.gov.uk
Bee
:)
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Thank you for your reply Bee. I have contacted the library at Bridlington and have spoken to a very helpful lady Sue but she has not been able to find out anything about this poem written by Sarah Ann Usher on the Great Storm. I was hoping there might be someone out there who could throw some light on it
Best wishes
Sudee
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I believe Sarah Usher is related to me too. I am only just starting out tracing my family so am not very good at it yet. Violet Usher is my G Grandmother and I am trying to establish her relationship with Sarah.
My father and aunt went to Bridlington a few years back and brought a copy of this poem back with them.
I haven't seen it for a while and don't know if it said on the page where it came from or not.
Have you discovered anything new about the poem since your original post?
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I have not found out anything else about The Storm poem. I have been pursuing another branch of the family.
My great aunt Fanny Ellen Usher married Harry Usher age 24 a house painter living at 11 Junction St Bridlington in 1908. His father was John Hindson Usher. The wedding took place at the Wesleyan chapel in Louth Lincs . She was 35.
They kept a boarding house in Bridlington and I have found them and his father on the electoral rolls.
I have also found them and his father on the 1911 census in Bridlington. I do have other information which might link up with yours
Good luck
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I have found my copy of the poem but it does not indicate where it may havebeen published.
John Hindson Usher is my G G Grandfather.
It's all good fun isn't it :)
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Could anyone let me have a copy of the poem THE STORM or know where I could obtain a copy. My great great grandfather was lost in this storm on 10 February 1871 on the boat "PRODUCE" of Folkestone. Linda
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Have you seen this?
https://library.eastriding.gov.uk/02_Catalogue/02_005_TitleInformation.aspx?searchTerm=Storm&searchTerm2=&searchType=1&media=3&branch=&authority=&language=&junior=&fr=tl&rcn=E000041531
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I have a newspaper cutting The Storm which is not dated and does not give where it was published.
My husbands grandmother was Violet Atkin (nee Usher) who was Harry Usher's sister. Sarah Ann Usher was Violets Aunt . Violet's father was John Hindson Usher.
I do not have a family tree as I am doing the write up of the family and then will do the tree.
If I can help you with anything further, Please contact me.
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This is fascinating :)
Violet was my Great Grandmother.
Here she is (on the left) with John Hindson Usher
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21046157/GMAJAK.JPG)
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Hi Midlands Boy - I'm very excited!!!!
Yes it is my husbands Grandmother and Gt. Grandfather. Who is the other lady and the boy?
Are you related to Jean and Albert Ball or to Keith Fisher?
Did you know that J H Usher was awarded with a Life Boat Medal and Board of Trade Medal for a rescue in a Gale? He was one the the Victoria Five and there is a picture of the the 5 fishermen at the Life Boat Station in Bridlington. I do have a photo of the 5 of them.
Keep in touch.
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Is your husband Robert or David? I can't think who else he'll be unless Violet and Johnson had more children than I know about :)
I'm told the boy in the photo is Jack Raymond Fisher. I have no information on the other lady.
Jean was my aunt and Keith is my father.
I didn't know that about JHU. Very interesting.
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Hi
Thanks for reply, I wonder if the lady in the picture is J H Ushers second wife jJane Alice Usher nee Wales?
Is Jean and your father Keith still alive. I am David Atkins wife - Robert died in 1995 whilst visiting Australia for his sons Nick wedding.
A little more about the Lifeboat Medal that was awarded to J H Usher. Go into Google punch in Swiftsure Bridlington and scroll down to Kit Brown Bridlington it will tell you all about it along with a picture of the five fishermen.
If you want any further info please contact me.
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Thank you for the two links.
I never knew any of that.
In the photo of the five of them you can clearly recognise John as the same person in the photo I posted here.
I have sent you a private message through here. In the brown bar near the top of the page there is a link saying My Messages. I think you click on that to read them.
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Hi Paui
Yes we still live in Armorial Road.
Presently I am writing up the Usher Family History. I am in a muddle with regards to them in the 1700s. I can't fathom out who belongs to who. My Nephews wife will help me but she lives in Northampton she does family history so could be of some help.
I haven't touched it for 4 years as I belong to a women's writers group writing about Coventry Women and we have just published our 9th book. I am not going to write for a year in the hope of getting the Usher family written up.
I can't get your Private message off. my email address is (*) If you would like to send it to me.
Angela
(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.
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The Hull Daily Mail, Thur 9 Feb 1933, printed an article about the great storm and mentioned
"Another account of the great gale is preserved in a poem written at the time by a girl of 15 named Sarah Ann Usher, who lived in Bridlington ........." and mentioned 39 stanzas.
The poem is also mentioned in the Yorkshire Evening Post, 10 Feb 1931 in an item commemorating the 60th anniversary. The article reports that the poem was so well known that, when a copy was needed for the printers (some years previously) and one could not be found, one of the Bridlington fisherman sat down and wrote it out from memory.
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The poem was written in an exercise book donated to the museum in Bridlington by my grandmother Eva Parkes (nee Jackson) Her mother was Emma Jackson - the daughter of Richard and Sarah Jane Proudley (nee Usher). Sarah the daughter of john Usher
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Sarah was the daughter of John (Jack) Usher coxon of the lifeboat and landlord of the Tiger Inn on Bridlington Harbour
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SARAH ANNE USHER wrote the poem to raise funding for the widows and children left behind from the lifeboat crew who gave their lives to save strangers during the great gale in Bridlington bay 10th February 1871 at a penny a sheet, she was aged 17 at the time but the poem states 15 has her age because it was thought they would sell more if they said she was younger , a lot of the Usher family were later involved in fishing and served on the lifeboats later .