THE LALLA ROOKH DISASTER DEVASTATED GENERATIONS OF WORTHING FAMILIES
25th November 1850—a dreadfully dramatic day—was to affect Worthing families for generations to come, when 11 souls perished attempting to save others in what was to become known as the “Lalla Rookh Disaster”.
The eleven brave fishermen who lost their lives that day left behind wives, children and parents whose lives were changed forever.
Henry Bacon (48)—leaving a widow and 6 children
John Belville (49)—leaving a widow and 5 children
James Edwards (46)—leaving a widow and 2 children
James's brother, Stephen Edwards (40)—leaving a widow and 4 children
William Hoskins (37)—leaving a widow and 4 children
Henry Newman (47)—leaving a widow and 8 children
Henry's brother, James Newman senior (51)—leaving a widow and 7 children
James's sons, James Newman junior (21)—unmarried
and John Newman (26)—leaving a widow and 1 child
Henry Slaughter (28)—leaving an aged father
William Wicks (24)—leaving aged parents
Generations of Worthing families were affected. Reverberations from the tragedy were to shake Worthing folk for many years—into the next century and beyond.
One family, the Newmans, lost four of their kin in the tragedy, leaving 19 dependants with no means of support.
Young George Newman, 18 at the time and the son of one of the 11 valiant fishermen, was among the concerned onlookers on the beach, watching as they sailed out to the rescue in the stormy sea.
When the gusting wind reached a crescendo, George grabbed a telescope from a gentleman. Through it, he saw the boat go over, swamped by a huge wave, and the poor fishermen struggling in the water.
When he heard they had all drowned, George was struck deaf and collapsed on the beach. He never fully recovered.
Many years later, while walking along the seafront one day, George met Captain Hains, who'd been master of the barque Lalla Rookh on that fateful day.
The captain came up to him and asked to be allowed to shake hands with the son of one of the brave men who lost their lives attempting to save his.
Expressing his deep sorrow at the tragic loss of life, he admired the heroic spirit which prompted the 11 brave fishermen to venture in an open boat, in such a sea, to save the lives of those in peril.
Explaining that his duties had prevented him coming before, he went on to say he'd always wanted to visit Worthing, to stand on the shore and picture that courageous scene.
On the 50th anniversary of the Lalla Rookh disaster, George's younger brother Stephen Newman of Germiston, Westcourt Road was interviewed in the local press: “I was one of those fatherless children,” he said, “My father being the late Henry Newman, who was 47. My dear mother was left with eight of us children to mourn his loss. What made it worse, we never saw our dear father again, as he was one of those never found. Three more of our family died in the tragedy: my uncle James Newman (51) who left seven of my cousins fatherless; and two of my cousins, James Newman junior (21) and John Newman (26), who left his one child fatherless.”
The 350-ton barque Lalla Rookh was built in Jersey by Edward Allen in 1839, constructed on the beach at Havre des Pas, just east of the town of St Helier.