Stollery drowning -East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday May 11th 1894.doc
East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday May 11th 1894
TERRIBLE BOATING ACCIDENT ON THE DEBEN
Six of a family drowned
The pleasure making attendant on Whit Monday which was so much enjoyed throughout East Anglia had an awful termination in the case of one family of the humbler class living on the banks of the River Deben. A man named James Stollery acts as gamekeeper for Mr Henry Laws of Kirton Lodge and resides in what was an old fashioned farm house. Included in his family were seafaring sons names George and David, both single men. George being an Able Seaman, who has assisted in that capacity during voyages to many distant parts of the world; and the other a bargeman well acquainted with the navigation of of rivers lie the Deben. The family living as near as they did to the river, possessed a boat of their own. Eighteen feet long and about six and a half feet beam – a good substantial boat in which on some occasions 16 people have safely gone on and come back from pleasure excursions. The sons were spending the Whitsun holiday with their Father, Mother and others of the family, and on the Monda morning, the weather promising to be fine, it was decided to take a trip down the Deben and somewhere about eleven o’clock a party of eleven started. They consisted of the mother Mary Ann Stollery, aged 56; her three sons, David Stollery aged 23; George Stollery aged 22 and Charles Stollery aged 14; her daughter Kate Stollery aged 17, William Stollery aged 15; Louie Rookyard 13, Susie Rookyard 10 (daughters of a widow of Brockford) who were nieces of Mr and Mrs Stollery, and were on a visit; Alfred Stollery, Selina Last (of Ipswich) and Nellie Farthing (of Kirton)
All went well with the cruise from Kirton Creed down the river and out into the sea for some distance; but when returning up the Deben, and somewhere in mid-channel near Falkenham Creek the boat capsized and all the occupants were suddenly thrown into the water, with the result that six out of the eleven lost their lives, consisting of Mrs Stollery, David Stollery, Charles Stollery, Kate Stollery, Louise Rookyard and Susie Rookyard
Arriving soon after midnight at Mr Stollery’s house where the three bodies at present recovered are now lying, our representatives found them in the act of being laid out. They were the bodies of Mrs Stollery, her daughter Kate and her niece Susie Rookyard. The mother’s features presented a peaceful appearance but in the case of the others there were slight abrasions visible on the faces, which, however, bore a very placid look. Upstairs were some survivors of the sad disaster and from one – Alfred Stollery – who was in bed, we gleaned the following narrative. “We started from here about half past ten to a quarter to eleven for a sail to Bawdsey. There were eleven in the boar which was 18 feet long and about six and a half feet beam, and carried the ordinary sails. The weather was very pleasant with a nice sailing breeze. We sailed to Bawdsey, then out to sea about two miles, and back to Bawdsey, where on the Felixstowe side we all went ashore and had some refreshments. We re-embarked between ond and a quarter past, and with a favourable wind sailed on the homeward voyage, all going well until we had just passed Falkenham Creek, when the flag got entangled round the mast, and George Stollery, who up to that time had been steering, left the tiller in the hands of his brother David, whilst he went up the mast to clear the top. When he had climbed to the top, the boat lurched and the occupants immediately leaned over to the lea side, causing the boat to pitch over, precipitating everyone into the water. The boat did not sink but lay broadside. Willie Stollery who was, at the moment of the accident, playing an accordion, swam ashore. I seized hold of Selima Last, and brought her to the mast to which she clung. I then proceeded to the rescue of my mother, who was floating about twenty yards off. I got hold of her and brought her to the mas but she was then dead, and I then stuck to the mast. George Stollery clung to the side of the boat and rescued Nellie Farthing by holding her to the boat. David and Charles, who were swimmers, struck out for the shore but did not reach it, but why I cannot tell. A Mr Bellerby – I believe that is the gentleman’s name – who was in a rowing boat on the river at the time, had his attention called to the accident by a little boys who was with him and at once came to our assistance, and took the four who were clinging to the boat ashore. We, the survivors, were then taken to the Ramsholt Arms and treated with every consideration. The only reason for the accident was the rush to one side of the boat when the lurch was felt through George Stollery going up the mast”
We may add that the three bodies recovered were found floating in the river and having been first taken to Ramstolt dock, were removed by the direction of the police across the river to Mr Stollery’s house where they await the Coroner’s inquest. It was George Stollery who carried the sad news to the home of death, he, after being picked up, rowing across the river to Kirton. Mrs Stollery was a finely-proportioned woman, of whose kindness towards her neighbours in manner generally all speak in high terms. She is believed to have died from shock to the system than from actual drowning. Her daughter Kate was also a well-built young woman and only left the service of Mr Wrinch of Ewarton a fortnight ago. Miss Farthing was taken to the Stollery House, but later in the day went to her father’s home in Kirton Street, but Miss Last passed the night at Mr Stollerys.
The circumstances attending the death of the two children of the widowed Mrs Rookyard are rendered additionally heart rending from the fact that their mother was bereaved of her husband last Autumn, when she was left with nine children, since which another has been born. Her daughter Louie is spoken of as having been her mother’s right hand in assisting with as numerous a family.
