The Hero of the Humber; Or, The History of the Late Mr. John EllerthorpeWoodcock, Henry
Religion
The Hero of the Humber; Or, The History of the Late Mr. John Ellerthorpe
Woodcock, Henry
Ellerthorpe, John, 1806-1868; Heroes -- England -- Biography; Sailors -- England -- Biography
He was a youth, and while playing on the east pier, Hull, he fell
overboard. I ran a great distance, and in an almost breathless state
leaped from a height of fourteen feet, into seven feet depth of water. I
had scarcely touched the water, when he clutched me firmly, and dragged
me down, again and again, but I was eager to rescue him, and, thank God,
I succeeded. He had fallen upon one of the buoys, and cut his head,
which bled profusely, and before I got him ashore I thought he was dead.
He continued to bleed for some time, and a doctor was sent for. There
was great cheering by the spectators as they saw me bearing through the
waters, this bleeding, but still living youth, and some ladies and
gentlemen, who had been watching me from the Minerva Hotel, threw out of
the window, several shillings and half-crown pieces. If my memory serves
me rightly, I got L1 10s. I thought myself handsomely rewarded; but what
pleased me more was the gratitude of the boy's mother; for I have always
considered gratitude the richest reward I could receive: more than
grateful thanks for what I had done, this poor woman would have found
it difficult to have given me, but most grateful she was, and I felt
both satisfied and delighted. But let me explain: On going to see the
boy, next morning, I found him very ill in bed, and his mother, thinking
I had gone for something for saving her child's life, said, 'I have no
money to give you, Sir, but my husband's half-pay will be due in a few
days, and I'm sure you shall have half of it.' I replied, 'I'm sure I
have not come for anything you have, my good woman, for I never take
money from those I save, or from their relatives.' She seemed
overwhelmed with grateful feelings, and I had some difficulty in
persuading her that I did not want money, and that I would not
take it if offered me, and I believe, to this day, that if I had
said to her, 'You must give me your eight-days' clock and your
chest of drawers,' she would willingly have given them to me
there and then. _Witness._--Richard Curtis.
_Twenty-sixth._--MISS HILL. (1836.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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