The Ferry Boatman Disaster

A Memory of Ryton.

Sad boat accident Monday morning 26th March 1877 at Ryton. There were two brothers named Scott who lived in a house on Ryton Island, this was just below Moor Court. (You can read about this in my other stories). The brothers had the Salmon Fisheries rights and along with this came the rights of the ferry boatman. Formally the boat was rowed across the river, but before the Scott's took over there was a strong iron rope which was lashed to a tree on both sides of the banks. To this, a pulley was attached and a hemp rope from the pulley to the boat was attached - this was used to draw the little boat across from the north side to the south side. This would ferry people from the surrounding areas to the south side where Ryton railway station was, this was the only way into Newcastle at the time. On this Monday morning about 8 am there were three passengers - Mr John Moore, Miss Elizabeth Veitch, Miss Mary Dale and Archie Scott the boatman. The heavy floods of the past few months had loosened and washed away large quantities of soil and the trees which were firmly rooted had little hold. The boat was drawn safely across and its stern was forced a little way on the bank. Scott took his boat hook and got hold of the shore and got ready to unload the passengers when the bank gave way. The strong current swept the boat broadside and then the boat filled with water and sunk with the passengers and boatman going partly down. The sudden jerk of the boat caused the hemp rope attached to the pulley to break, had it not, as it was, wrapped around Archie's leg he would of been drowned. He managed to swim back to the shore completely exhausted due to the strong current where he received aid from James Raine who was a Plater working on the railway and had seen the catastrophe. The three passengers were carried out to the middle of the river and were seen to sink and rise two or three time. They shouted for help and several persons ran to the rivers edge but to no avail. A salmon fisherman named John Dobbie who was standing near Scott's house, jumped into a boat and rowed towards them but was unable to reach them. A large retriever dog belonging to Scott jumped into the water from the north side and swam towards Miss Veitch, taking hold of her clothes, succeeded to bring her ashore on the south side. A man named Rutter got the body out where it was removed to the public house of Mr Lishman at Ryton.
The are the names are the people who died.
Mr John Moore aged about 40 who was employed by Messers Easten and Bell, tailors, Grey Street, Newcastle as a book keeper, he was married and resided in Heddon-on- the- Wall.
Miss Mary Dale aged about 18-20 daughter of coachman in the employ of Mr Tomas Bates J.P., Heddon House. She was employed as a dressmaker in Newcastle and had been to visit her parents on the weekend, she intended to get the train back to work a little after 8am.
Elizabeth Veitch aged 35-40 worked in Newcastle and visited her parents every weekend then travelled back by train on a Monday Morning.

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