Harry Watts
Encyclopedia
Harry Watts was a Sunderland sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
and diver
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, who rescued over 40 people from drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
during his lifetime - and assisted in the rescue of another 120 people.
Early life
Harry Watts was born into the poverty of Sunderland’s East End. His parents, William and Elizabeth Watts, had five children – Harry being the youngest. The family lived at Silver Street, where their one room was often flooded due to a nearby well, which overflowed during heavy rain.Harry’s father, a mariner, was bed-bound for much of his childhood, while his mother died when he was just seven. At nine, Harry became the main breadwinner for the family. His first job was at the Garrison Pottery, opposite the old Quaker Meeting House, where he received a wage of one shilling and sixpence a week. He later moved to a weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
factory in Fitter’s Row, but his constant hunger eventually drove him seek work at sea – as food was plentiful for sailors.
Life at sea
Harry signed up as an apprentice sailor at 14 and his first voyage was to QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Just a few weeks later he made his first rescue
Rescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
, after a fellow apprentice fell overboard. Harry’s second voyage, to the Miramichi
Miramichi
The name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, found him making his second rescue. This time Harry saved the life of his captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
, after his canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
capsized.
Details of Harry’s life are documented in a book published in 1911, Harry Watts – Sailor and Diver by Alfred Spencer. Mr Spencer records the second rescue as follows: “Harry picked up the end of a rope and jumped overboard. He swam to the captain, fastened the rope round him and helped him to the ladder which was hanging over the ship’s side.”
By the time Harry was 19, he had saved five people from drowning. He did not, however, receive any financial reward for his bravery. While on shore-leave, Harry married his first wife, Rebecca Smith, in 1846, before returning to the sea. The following year, he rescued six foreign seamen
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
from a sinking ship in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. He then returned to Sunderland to work as a rigger
Rigger
Rigger may refer to:* One who attends to the rigging of a sailing ship* Rigger , those who tend rigging in stage performance * Rigger , specializing in moving large/heavy objects* Parachute rigger...
in the shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s, rescuing a further five people from the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
between 1852 and 1853.
Career change
Harry signed up as a diver with the River Wear Commissioners in 1861, a role he held until 1896. As a rescue sideline, he also joined Sunderland Lifeboat and Life Brigade services, where he assisted in saving a further 120 people. By now he was married to his second wife, Sarah Ann Thompson, had two children and was a born-again Christian – adopting a strict devotion to temperanceTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
.
His job as a diver
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
was a dangerous one. Not only did he save several more people from drowning, he also helped blast away the rocks from below Lambton Drops, to make the entrance to the river easier to navigate, provided vital aid when the mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
flooded and was part of the rescue party dealing with the Tay Bridge disaster
Tay Bridge disaster
The Tay Bridge disaster occurred on 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Tay between Dundee and Wormit in Scotland, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it. The bridge was designed by the noted railway engineer Sir Thomas Bouch,...
in 1879.
The bravery Harry had shown throughout his life was finally recognised in the late 1860s, when several medals were bestowed on him. However, these were stolen in 1878, after Harry lent the collection to the James Williams Street Christian Lay Church for an exhibition at its annual bazaar. It was later discovered the thief had given them to his daughter to play with, who threw them into the fire after growing bored.
The people of Sunderland rallied round to pay for replacements, and Harry was able to wear them with pride once again, before presenting them to Sunderland Museum. Today Harry’s memory – and bravery – lives on at the museum, where the collection is still on show.
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, the Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, once described Harry as a "true hero." He also said: “Compared with his acts, military glory sinks into nothing. He has, I think, the most ideal character of any man living on the face of the earth.”
Final years
Harry never asked for, and rarely received, any reward for his life-saving activities, and in his old age he was not well off. He was about 83 when Andrew Carnegie heard of him and, after being told of Harry's bravery, the millionaire insisted on meeting him. Carnegie admitted Harry to his Hero Fund after learning of his reduced circumstances, which provided the pensioner with an "sizeable" income of 25 shillings a week.Carnegie met up with Harry while in Sunderland to open Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland, the area now known as the East End. It includes the area around St. Peter's Church...
Branch Library on October 21, 1909. The industrialist and philanthropist said afterwards: "I have today been introduced to a man who has, I think, the most ideal character of any man living on the face of the earth. You should never let the memory of this Sunderland man die."
A biography on Harry was written and published in Sunderland in 1911, at the instigation of a "committee of local admirers," called Harry Watts – Sailor and Diver, by Alfred Spencer. A small tribute to Harry can also be seen at Sunderland Museum, where several of the medals awarded to him are also held.
Harry died on April 23, 1913, at the age of 86. His diving activities were carried on by his son, and then his grandson, who was also named Harry Watts.
The people saved by Harry
These incidents occurred in Sunderland, unless otherwise stated.- 1839: Richard Nicholson, a fellow apprentice, who fell overboard in QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. - 1840: J. Luckley, the captain of his ship, after a canoe capsized at MiramichiMiramichiThe name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States...
. - 1844: A lad named Watson, who was washed overboard on the Pentland FirthPentland FirthThe Pentland Firth , which is actually more of a strait than a firth, separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland.-Etymology:...
. - 1845: Two men rescued from a sinking bargeBargeA barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
at WoolwichWoolwichWoolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - 1847: Six men pulled from a smashed ship in RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. - 1852: A boy named Paul, saved from drowning at Sunderland’s South Pier.
- 1852: A boy named Maughan, pulled from the river at Smurthwaite’s Wharf.
- 1853: Saved a woman from committing suicide at Hendon beach.
- 1853: Rescued a girl who had fallen into a canal in CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. - 1853: Pulled a trimmer, William Smith, to safety from Sunderland dock.
- 1854: Saved a boy at Wapping DockWapping DockWapping Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the southern dock system, connected to Salthouse Dock to the north, Queens Dock to the south. Kings Dock was originally located to the west, but has since been filled in.The dock was opened in...
. The polluted water almost killed Harry. - No date: Jumped overboard to save two boys from drowning at the South Outlet.
- 1863: Rescued a boy and girl after they fell from, the quay near Panns Ferry.
- 1866: A boy called Smith was saved from Graving Dock after falling from a dredger.
- 1866: A boy called Hall saved from The River Wear Commissioners’ Quay.
- 1867: An unnamed boy rescued from the river at the Custom House Quay.
- 1868: John Fox from Mill Street saved after falling from a boat into the Mark Quay.
- 1869: James Watt, a shipwright, saved from the South Dock basin after falling in.
- 1870: Watts helped save eight children and three adults from a capsized pleasure boat. On the same day, he also rescued a man called Robert Wilson from the river.
- 1870: A boy who fallen into the river near the Tide Gauge Jetty.
- 1875: Harry almost drowned rescuing schoolboy Edward Boulton from the river.
- 1876: A boy called Harry Dobson was saved from the river.
- 1877: Watts saved John Lonsdale, dragged overboard from a keel by a heavy chain.
- 1881: Jumped into the Graving Dock to rescue a lad named Jones, who was drowning.
- 1884: Rescued a boy called James Riseborough, who had fallen into the outer basin.
- 1892: At the age of 66, Harry made his last rescue – going to the aid of a boy called Fatherley, who had fallen into the South Dock.
Medals and certificates won by Harry
- A bronze medal and Honorary Clasp of the Royal Humane SocietyRoyal Humane SocietyThe Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
- A gold and bronze medal from Diamond Swimming Club and Humane Society.
- A gold medal presented by Mr Richardson, for "searching the River Wear and recovering the body of his grandson, 1875."
- A silver medal presented by the Sailors of the East End of Sunderland in 1877 for his many kind services.
- A gold medal from the United Temperance Crusaders for his courage in saving 33 people from drowning – 1875.
- A silver star medal – presented to mark his rescue of ‘many people’ in 1878.
- A bronze medal from the Board of Trade for saving lives.
- A parchment certificate from the Royal Humane SocietyRoyal Humane SocietyThe Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
in 1866. - A certificate from the Diamond Swimming Club and Humane Society in 1868 for "saving the life of a boy in the River Wear, he having previously saved 24 lives".
- An Honorary Testimonial of the Royal Humane SocietyRoyal Humane SocietyThe Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
for saving the life of Harry Watt in July 1869. - A Vellum Certificate of the Royal Humane SocietyRoyal Humane SocietyThe Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
, for saving the life of Edward Bolton in August 1875. - A certificate from the Royal Humane Society for saving lives, presented in 1892.
External links
- Tay Bridge disaster - mentioning Harry Watts: http://secret-bottletop.com/diving/Script1/p7.html
- Article on new book featuring Harry, Characters and Customs of Old Sunderland: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/CustomPages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31732
- Sunderland Museum - display on Harry: http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/sunderland/
- Old book on Harry, published 1911, Harry Watts – Sailor and Diver by Alfred Spencer: http://www.rhs.ac.uk/bibl/wwwopac.exe?&qDB=catalo&DATABASE=dcatalo&LANGUAGE=0&rf=000167204&SUCCESS=false