Darling, Grace Horsley

Darling, Grace Horsley (1815–42), the daughter of the keeper of the Longstone lighthouse on the Farne Islands situated off the Northumberland coast of northern England. She achieved great fame for her part in the rescue she made, with her father, of some of the crew of the Forfarshire which was wrecked on the islands on 7 September 1838. On seeing the wreck William Darling decided that he and his daughter must try and reach it, and rescue any survivors. In a tremendous sea, and knowing they would be unable to return unless helped by some of the survivors, they set out in a coble and brought back four men and a woman. William Darling and two of the survivors then returned, and brought back four more men, but the remaining 43 members of the crew were drowned. Grace and her father each received the gold medal of the Royal Humane Society for their courage. Of a delicate constitution all her life, Grace Darling died of consumption at the age of 27.