St Oswald's Churchyard
Filey Coble - "Mary"
Another loss at sea is recorded on the gravestones of Robert Skelton and George Thomas Johnson who were two of a crew of three of the Filey coble Mary that perished off Filey Brigg on 14th December 1896.
At around 10am on Monday 14th December 1896, with an E.N.E breeze blowing, the coble had set off with crew of three for the fishing grounds off Speeton Cliff. The three crew were Robert Skelton (the skipper), George Jenkinson and Thomas Johnson.
On the return journey, around mid-day, the coble was seen to be in danger south of the Brigg, off the buoy, with a full tide running. The Filey lifeboat, Hollon The Second, was launched but before it could be reached the coble was hit by a massive wave that swamped and immediately sank her. None of three crew was seen in the water and their bodies were never recovered. Later the sea washed up a piece of the coble, a sou'wester, some oars and some other of her remnants.
Robert Skelton, age 41 years, left a wife and two children; Thomas Johnson, age 26 years, left a wife and two children; and George Jenkinson, age 18 years, unmarried.
The local press reported that when asked why the coble had risked setting off in the teeth of an easterly wind, an old Filey fisherman replied, "We have our living to get, and many's the time that we have gone off when it was unsafe".
Another example of the need to make a living, that forced the fishermen out to sea, in all weathers and seasons. Remember, those were the days years before the cobles were fitted with petrol engines; instead the men had only oar and wind power to rely on.
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