Sunny Southport’s 127 year-long commemoration of the ‘Mexico’ Disaster, 1886

Written by Rachel Frodsham. Edited by Joscelin Woodend.

Nowadays, the coastal town of ‘Sunny Southport’ doesn’t often get to see the sea. The soft sand of the past has been replaced with mossy overgrowth. A trip a few miles down the coast is necessary to get the views of both sand and sea. But the old-fashioned carnival atmosphere can still be felt by a walk down the Promenade with a plate of fish ‘n’ chips, candyfloss, or a 99 with sherbet and sauce. A quick walk through the hall of mirrors, and a game or two in the arcades and the merry-go-round horses is enough fun to keep children amused in the old-fashioned way. This sense of community, and sentimentally holding onto a much loved past, is seen in the tradition of the Lifeboat Rescue Service. It is 127 years on the 9th December since the lifeboat disaster of 1886. Twenty-seven lives were lost, and only two survivors survived to tell the tale. This single story has remained a part of Southport’s memory and heritage ever since.

When the Mexico set off on its trip from Liverpool to the shores of Ecuador, a terrible storm hit the small barque. Following distress signals, lifeboats were sent from Southport, Lytham and St. Annes to rescue the crew, but only the Lytham boat Charles Biggs was successful in this quest. Twenty-seven of the twenty-nine members of both St. Annes’ Laura Janet and Southport’s Eliza Fernley died after each boat capsized as a result of the storm. The two survivors, Henry Robinson and Jack Johnson, only managed to raise the alarm after clinging onto the keel of the boat, swimming to shore and proceeding to walk miles to their home.  The remaining bodies were removed from the shore the next day and laid out in the Birkdale Palace Hotel. This hotel, which is now the local pub The Fisherman’s Rest, still to this day commemorates the loss of these lives in its decoration and on its anniversary.

At the time, this disaster gave some insight into the community of these local fishermen. Ten of the crew came from Ecclesfield, where family kinship and the lifeboat service served as a unifying factor. The lifeboat service symbolised a great sense of prestige, demonstrated by John Shark Jackson, who was so anxious to get a place on the lifeboat that he would wait on the Promenade in bad weather to ensure he was one of the crew if an emergency arose.

The disaster also exposed the extent of poverty in the communities of local fishermen. Large family sizes, and lack of money and food, meant their families lived in relatively poor conditions. The disaster left sixteen widows and fifty children without fathers. After the death of the breadwinner of the family, they were without a main income. The first charity street collection was therefore set up to support the bereaved families, and lay the foundations for the RNLI lifeboat days which are now held throughout the country. The Relief Fund which was offered to these families was crucial for their survival. Condolences were sent to these families from both Queen Victoria and the Kaiser.

The bravery and dedication these men demonstrated by saving the lives of others at sea resulted in the loss of their lives on that night. A grieving line of widows and children would continue to commemorate them for years to come. This commemoration is shown by memorials in both Lytham and Southport, as well as in the décor and community within The Fishermen’s Rest in Birkdale, Southport. Despite the disaster occurring 127 years ago, the memory of these twenty-seven men continues even today through the sheer sense of community and pride that Southport holds in the institution of their lifeboat service. The continuing reoccurrence of this story shows the value that these men held in the view of their community. Underneath the surface of its mossy exterior, Southport’s coast therefore holds a past which is full of community, loss and pride – much of which is continued to this very day.

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