The events that occurred on the morning of Wednesday August 4, 1857 were no doubt reminiscent of every parent’s worst possible nightmare. Two siblings, a boy aged ten and a girl aged twelve passed through the contractor’s gate at Woodside Ferry pushing with them a small wicker pram. Inside their sat a tiny child of approximately one year old who happily laid unawares of its surroundings and sadly, the awful danger it would soon be facing.
The south side of the stone slip was relatively out of sight of the main walkway of the north, and the youngsters soon hurried down to the water’s edge looking for crabs and any other marine curiosities that they could find.
As they peered into the waters below their infant charge was left alone and started to become quite bored and agitated moving about restlessly. The baby’s movement sent the prams four delicate wheels into motion and it began to roll with increasing speed off the edge of the slip out of sight and into the Mersey.
Upon witnessing the scene the boy with great courage jumped in at once but his own child-like frame proved quite useless for the task. Help was only realised thanks to his elder sister’s heroic speed in running up to the top of the pier and raising the alarm that saved them both from certain death. Hearing her screams a West Kirby man by the name of Mr Whitler launched himself in after the children and rescued them both from their near-fatal immersion.
They were immediately dried and checked over with the three then conveyed back to their home in Belle-vue, Chester Road injury-free, and thoroughly thankful for their most lucky escape.
My great grandfather jumped into the Mersey on three separate occasions to rescue people. In one instance he jumped off the landing stage in Liverpool and rescued a boy. I often wonder if that boy went on to have his own children and if his descendants know that they owe their existence to him?
The events that occurred on the morning of Wednesday August 4, 1857 were no doubt reminiscent of every parent’s worst possible nightmare. Two siblings, a boy aged ten and a girl aged twelve passed through the contractor’s gate at Woodside Ferry pushing with them a small wicker pram. Inside their sat a tiny child of approximately one year old who happily laid unawares of its surroundings and sadly, the awful danger it would soon be facing.
The south side of the stone slip was relatively out of sight of the main walkway of the north, and the youngsters soon hurried down to the water’s edge looking for crabs and any other marine curiosities that they could find.
As they peered into the waters below their infant charge was left alone and started to become quite bored and agitated moving about restlessly. The baby’s movement sent the prams four delicate wheels into motion and it began to roll with increasing speed off the edge of the slip out of sight and into the Mersey.
Upon witnessing the scene the boy with great courage jumped in at once but his own child-like frame proved quite useless for the task. Help was only realised thanks to his elder sister’s heroic speed in running up to the top of the pier and raising the alarm that saved them both from certain death. Hearing her screams a West Kirby man by the name of Mr Whitler launched himself in after the children and rescued them both from their near-fatal immersion.
They were immediately dried and checked over with the three then conveyed back to their home in Belle-vue, Chester Road injury-free, and thoroughly thankful for their most lucky escape.
One woman he "rescued" didn't want to be. A servant girl from Wellington road New Brighton who was trying to drown herself. More than likely pregnant by the lord and master of the house like so many poor female servants in those days.
