The youngest man onboard, survivor Richard Toes came from Osbaldwick, 2 miles East of York. (Stilingfleet is 7 miles South of York). He was the first Toes to come to Stillingfleet and maybe the nearest thing to an 'outsider' onboard, that night. Below are entries from the Osbaldwick parish records, concerning the Toes family.
The York Courant of 28th December, 1833 described the survivors' families (inaccurately - plus ca change!)
"...The following are the names of the three survivors: - George Eccles, Richard Toes, and John Fisher, - all agricultural labourers, with wives and families. Eccles has a large family of seven or eight children; Toes has a wife and four children; Fisher has a wife and two children. "
Richard is the only man on board for whom we can confidently state, we know what instrument he played. One newspaper account refers to the small fiddle Richard carried:
"...When the boat was struck, Toes says, he had a small violin in his hand..."
[Yorkshire Gazette, December 1833].
By the 20thC, this has turned into a violin being strapped to his back, although Toes clearly said he held it in his hand. In 'The North Yorkshire Village Book', compiled by the N. Yorks Federation of the Women's Institute, 1991, the writer says:
"... The story goes that a twelfth man was saved by the fiddle on his back enabling him to keep afloat and reach the safety of the bank...."
There is one account of fellow survivor,George Eccles having a 'double bass' strapped to his back. Ridiculous - not to say impossible - when you consider George was rowing the boat - he owed his life to the fact he held onto his own oar and then grabbed John Fisher's oar when that floated past. The boat was being rowed by two men who were ten or more years older than Richard - it's a safe bet he must have been the only one of the three younger men with an instrument strapped to his back, or it's likely he'd have been rowing! (My feeling is that for John to grab the rope and try to pull it clear, he must have been rowing on the starboard (right) side, as it's likely he was nearest Green and the towline, and nearest to the Acaster bank. Which puts George on the port side, and Richard, very likely, survived as he was between them (hence caught up in the tow rope?) That's a theory we can't test but it does seem the most likely configuration - and explanation of why these three survived.The inquest accounts state clearly Richard was 'overhead' in the water, caught up hopelessly in the tow line and already unconscious when they pulled him out. In fact 'animation' was restored to him, on the bank. The fiddle did nothing to keep him afloat - he was the only victim underwater, and never made it to the bank on his own steam, but was pulled out by the Perseverance crew.
The upshot of all this is, whilst we can never know what instruments were played by William Bristow, George Eccles, John Fisher, Henry and Christopher Spencer, John Turner, or Thomas Webster - we know Toes had the small fiddle.
Richard is the only one of the three survivors to have a gravestone. Although he died at his daughter's home in Clifford cum Boston, he was brought home to Stillingfleet.
Osbaldwick Parish Records
TOES family
mar: Wm Toes of this parish, bachelor and Mary Cook of Dunnington, spinster, married by Banns, 25.11.1793. (He signs, she marks with 'X').
bap. 1794 Tose. Wm. Son of Wm Tose, Farmer's Man by Mary his wife. 9.11.1794.
bap. 1796 John, son and 2nd child of Wm Tose, Husbandman, by Mary his wife. 18 Dec
bap. 1799 Tose. James. Son and 3rd child Wm Tose, Labouring Man, by Mary his wife. 2,6,1799
bap. 1801. George, son [ blank] th child Wm Tose, Labouring Man, by Mary, his wife, Oct 4.
bap. 1804. Tose. Richard, son and 4th child [sic] of Wm Tose Labouring Man by Mary his wife. bap. Oct 28th.
bap 1808. Tose Mary 11.10.1808.
bap. 1810 DADE entry. Jane Tose. Dr of Wm Tose Labourer son of John Tose of Skelton, by Jane his wife.
Mother's Name & Descent: Mary, dr of Wm Cook of Osbaldwick, by Rachel his wife. July 14th, 1810
CENSUS ENTRIES:
Census 1841
Stillingfleet
Richard Toes, 35, Labourer, Yorkshire
Jane Toes, 35, Yorkshire Ellen Toes, 13, Yorkshire
George Toes, 10, Yorkshire
[Toes was 2 doors down from William Triffit, jury foreman]
1851
Stillingfleet
Jane Toes, 45, Moreby Hall, servant (1 of 15 servants) charwoman, Deighton
Richard Toes, M, 46, Ag Lab, Osbaldwick [Neighbour Margaret Bristow].
1861
Stillingfleet ‘Village'
Richard Toes, 56, Ag Lab, Yorks Osbaldwick
Jane Toes, 56, Charwoman, Deighton
John Richard Toes, Grandson, 12, Scholar , Ireland , British Subject.
[Neighbour Thos. Simpson, 80, Ag Lab (juror)]
1871
Stillingfleet ‘Village'
Richard Tose, 66, Ag Lab, Osbaldwick
Jane Tose, 66, Charwoman, Deighton.
1881
Clifford cum Boston , Yorks, Yard off Main St
Ann Burnshaw, Head, 76,
Francis Lupton, 53, Gardener, Askham Richard;
Mary A., wife, 52, Stillingfleet;
Richard Toes, Father, Widower, 76, Labourer, Osbaldwick.
The M.I on Richard's grave reads:
In
AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF
JANE
THE BELOVED WIFE OF
RICHARD TOES, OF STILLINGFLEET
WHO DIED OCTOBER 3rd 1878,
AGED 73 YEARS,
ALSO OF THE ABOVE
RICHARD TOES
WHO DIED APRIL 9th 1882
AGED 77 YEARS.
"COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT
LABOUR AND ARE HEAVILY LADEN
AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST".
The closing words were a poignant echo of the final anthems, sung over the victims' bodies before they were laid to rest, almost half a century earlier in the mass grave that is only yards from Richard's grave.
"...The Escrick choir, who had taken their station in the gallery, sang an anthem from Revelations 14c. 13v. 'I heard a voice from Heaven, saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, sayeth the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours.'”
[York Gazette, January 4th 1833].
Photo: Richard Toes' gravestone, Stillingfleet churchyard.