Grace Darling Descendant

ONA Remembers Darling Descendant

November 2015 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Grace Horsley Darling. Bryan Stevens (44-49) writes of a modern day connection between the school and this famous North East heroine.

Grace Darling achieved instant fame in 1838, when together with her father William Darling, the keeper of the Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands rowed for over a mile on a dark stormy night to reach the wrecked steamship Forfashire, which had broken in two. They managed to rescue nine passengers. She became a national heroine, but less than four years later she died of tuberculosis.

There is a link with the RGS. William ‘Bill’ Horsley Darling (27-53), born in 1885, was the son of Robert Darling, born at the Longstone Lighthouse in 1846, and his grandfather, William Brookes Darling, was a brother of Grace. Bill himself lived at the lighthouse for some years before serving in the Royal Navy. He was a keen local sportsman and later became groundsman to various well known cricket clubs.

He came to the RGS as groundsman in 1927, remaining there until 1953, in charge of the playing fields at the school as well as at Sutherland Park, Benton. As far as I remember, he had only one assistant, although he was also in charge of all the school’s cricket kit and the mighty balls, and had to look after the pavilion as well. Hundreds of ONs will remember the kindly pipe-smoking figure who was always busy and who dreaded retirement. But eventually he had to go, and he retired to Whitburn. I believe he died some time in the 60s.

Grace Darling by JW Carmichael, 1838