Loss of the Industry Off Spurn Point, The

DESCRIPTION: The Industry is grounded off Spurn Point in a heavy sea. The captain refuses help: "we shall get off at high water." A later rescue attempt is launched too late to save the crew.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1891 (Broadwood/Maitland-EnglishCountySongs)
LONG DESCRIPTION: The Industry is grounded off Spurn Point in a heavy sea. A lifeboat is launched from shore "expecting every man to save" The captain refuses help: "we shall get off at high water." The lifeboat returns to shore and is launched again, too late to save the crew, when Industry raises a distress light.
KEYWORDS: rescue death drowning commerce sea ship storm wreck England
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1819 - The Loss of the "Industry"
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond,North))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "INDUSTRY OFF SPURN POINT"
Broadwood/Maitland-EnglishCountySongs, p. 180, "All on Spurn Point" (1 text, 1 tune)
OShaughnessy-YellowbellyBalladsPart2 48, "Spurn Point" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-FolkSongsCollectedBy-Ralph-VaughanWilliams, #55, "Spurn Point" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #599
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Firth c.12(440), "The Loss of the Industry Off Spurn Point" ("Good people all, pray listen well"), J. Forth (Pocklington), no date
NOTES [195 words]: Palmer-FolkSongsCollectedBy-Ralph-VaughanWilliams reports "The vessel, Industry (Captain Burdon), was stranded on Spurn Point off the mouth of the Humber" on January 4, 1868. However, Steve Gardham reports that Palmer had the wrong ship (there were many vessels named Industry in this period) and the wrong date. Steve tells me:
"The actual incident happened in 1819.... The broadside must have been written the week it happened. It is almost word for word (factually) the newspaper report of the disaster.... The Industry sinking he thought it was, happened about 50 miles up the coast, nowhere near Spurn. I had an article published on it in English Dance and Song....
"The William/John Forth broadsides I have come from a family of 4 generations of printers. The father was printing in Bridlington (William I) about the time the incident happened and it's pretty certain he printed the original. His son, John Forth set up his press in Pocklington in about 1840 and I think he printed it. His younger brother (William II) set up his press in Hull and printed it c1870 and that is the copy I first came across. All of these places are within a 20 mile radius." - (RBW)
Last updated in version 6.8
File: BrMa180

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