Honouring Tom Pearce

The Wreck of the Loch Ard in 1878, is a focus point for this blog. (See the link to the Loch Ard Index at the end of the post).  There were only two survivors, Miss Amy Carmichael and Tom Pearce.

Miss Carmichael, caught the imagination of the people as the damsel in distress, and Tom Pearce was clearly the knight in shining armour.  For his gallantry his received much praise and some considerable reward. This post seeks to document these features of the Loch Ard story.

Some rewards were funded by public subscription, sale of mementos and benefit concerts. The Pearce Testimonial Fund and the Loch Ard Fund did well to garner public interest, with separate committees at least in Melbourne, Sydney, Warrnambool, Geelong and Ballarat (Herald 26 Jun 1878).

Saleable mementos included:

• photographs of both Tom Pearce and Amy Carmichael sold for six pence.  Some sought to make fakes of these images and sold them for their own gain, rather than to the benefit of the Pearce Benevolent Fund or the Loch Ard Fund.
• a commissioned piece of music titled "The Young Hero Schottische" (the sheet music is available for download from here).
• Reprints of the poem about the wreck.

The gatherings

The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil  of 6th July, 1878 covered two events from June 1878.

On the 19th June

... the "Presentation to Mr. Pearce by the Governor," ... This event took place at the Treasury, on June 19, when His Excellency the Governor, on behalf of the Government of Victoria, handed to Mr. Pearce a valuable gold watch and chain, in recognition of the gallantry he had shown.

see also this http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111096659

On the 20th June at Melbourne Town Hall

We next show the 'Presentation of the Awards of the Victorian Humane Society.' The annual distribution of these awards took place at the Town-hall on June 20. Mr. Wilks, the president of the society, occupied the chair, and the presentations were made by Sir Redmond Barry, There was an immense attendance of the public, induced principally by the presentation of a gold medal to Thomas Pearce, one of the two survivors from the wreck of the Loch Ard, who was greeted by the audience with tumultuous applause. The gold medal received by Mr. Pearce was the first ever awarded by the society. During the evening a collection was made in aid of the funds of the society, which realised about £80. We are glad to know that the society during the past year has made very satisfactory progress and now occupies an excellent position— a result, it ought to be said, which is in no small degree owing to the untiring exertions of its energetic secretary, Mr. E. Kidson.

Of which The Age writes -

The Town Hall was filled last night with a multitude of persons eager to witness
the presentation, amongst other awards, of the gold medal of the Victorian Humane
Society to young Tom Pearce, the only male survivor of the crew and passengers of the Loch Ard, Mr. Wilks president of the society, occupied the chair, and the ceremony of presentation was performed by Sir Redmond Barry. Young Pearce was the hero of the hour, and was during the whole of the evening the cynosure of every eye. Sir Redmond
Barry made suitable speeches as the various recipients came forward to claim the honours so liberally dealt out to them by the Humane Society, and was on each occasion well received, but the frequent interruptions of applause during the few remarks which
accompanied the presentation of the gold medal to Pearce were positively deafening.
Pearce's demeanor throughout the proceedings was modest but manly, and served to
greatly enhance the esteem in which he is now universally held. A report of the proceedings will be found in another column.

While according to the Argus 21 June, 1878, a fund had been set up ...

An adjourned meeting of the citizens of Melbourne desirous of presenting a testimonial to Mr. Thos. Pearce, in recognition of his gallant conduct in connexion with the rescue of Miss Carmichael from the wreck of the Loch Ard, took place yesterday at the Town-hall. In the unavoidable absence of the Mayor, Mr. Jos. Fergusson, M.L.A., was voted to the chair. Mr. Val. Sharp, honorary secretary of the Photographic Society of Victoria, explained what had been done by his Society, and pointed out that although a good sum would, no doubt, be realised by the sale of the photo, of Mr. Pearce, the amount so obtained could not, at his own request, be devoted towards any fund for his benefit, but must go towards a Loch Ard fund, to be devoted to the benefit of the widows and families of those who had perished in tho ship. Mr. Dickson announced that he had collected the sum of £4 10s., the greater portion of which had been derived from small subscriptions given by the employees of Messrs. Alston and Brown, Collins-street. As the attendance at the meeting was very meagre it was decided to adjourn it until Tuesday next, at 4 o'clock. The wish of some unprincipled photographers to make money out of the desire of the public to obtain portraits of Miss Carmichael and Mr. Thos. Pearce, the only survivors from the Loch Ard, has led some of them to issue spurious likenesses. Miss Carmichael is shown in profile, and it is needless to say that, like the picture of Mr. Pearce, it is a purely imaginary one, and that those who purchase either of them would only be throwing away their money.

The Royal Theatre, Melbourne, 26 Jun 1878.  Of which the Argus writes -

... the performance is for the Loch Ard Fund, and besides being under distinguished patronage, it will be one of the best entertainments ever produced in Melbourne, Mr Coppin, in two of his best impersonations, to wit, Mould and Jem Bags, the Corbyn troupe of Georgia Minstrels, and other talented performers, will make a bill that, independent of the nature of the benefit itself, should crowd the house from floor to ceiling. 

Sydney's Evening News of 29 July 1878, reports of a meeting of six to seven thousand people at the Exhibition Building in Sydney.

A LARGE crowd of people assembled at the Exhibition building on Saturday afternoon to witness the ceremony of presenting; Thomas Pearce with a testimonial for the heroism he displayed at the wreck of the Loch Ard, in saving the life of Miss Carmichael. It is
supposed that there were between six and seven thousand persons present. When the gallant young midshipman appeared on the platform with the members of the testimonial
committee and the Lady Mayorese (Mrs. Merriman), there was great cheering. His worship the Mayor being too ill to attend, the acting-mayor, Alderman Chapman, presided, and in opening the proceedings introduced Captain Trouton, chairman of the testimonial committee, who delivered an appropriate address, after which Mrs. Merriman presented Pearce with a sextant, a pair of binocular glasses, a case of silver instruments, copies of Norrie's and Naper's works on navigation, and a large general chart. In presenting these articles Mrs. Merriman said : I present you with these instruments as a
slight token of your bravery in rescuing from death a fellow-creature at the risk of your own. I hope that God, the father of all, will long spare you to use them to guide your ship safely across the ocean ; and I also hope you will never lose sight of the truth, that it is
through the mercy of Providence you are here to day. (Cheers.) Mr. Pearce thanked the Mayoress, and after bowing to the audience, who loudly cheered him, retired. As he was leaving the building and grounds Pearce was regularly besieged with ladies, eager to shake him by the hand, while some went so far as to insist on kissing him. Mr. Forster presided at the organ, and played several selections during the afternoon. Pearce left Sydney for Melbourne on Saturday night.

Thomas Pearce with the Gold Medal presented by the Humane Society
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/70578

In the 27 July, Pearce appears at the Exhibition Building in Sydney

A LARGE crowd of people assembled at the Exhibition building on Saturday afternoon to witness the ceremony of presenting; Thomas Pearce with a testimonial for the heroism he displayed at the wreck of the Loch Ard, in saving the life of Miss Carmichael. It is supposed that there were between six and seven thousand persons present. When the gallant young midshipman appeared on the platform with the members of the testimonial committee and the Lady Mayorese (Mrs. Merriman), there was great cheering. His worship the Mayor being too ill to attend, the acting-mayor, Alderman Chapman, presided, and in opening the proceedings introduced Captain Trouton, chairman of the testimonial committee, who delivered an appropriate address, after which Mrs. Merriman presented Pearce with a sextant, a pair of binocular glasses, a case of silver instruments, copies of Norrie's and Naper's works on navigation, and a large general chart. In presenting these articles Mrs. Merriman said : I present you with these instruments as a slight token of your bravery in rescuing from death a fellow-creature at the risk of your own. I hope that God, the father of all, will long spare you to use them to guide your ship safely across the ocean ; and I also hope you will never lose sight of the truth, that it is through the mercy of Providence you are here to day. (Cheers.) Mr. Pearce thanked the Mayoress, and after bowing to the audience, who loudly cheered him, retired. As he was leaving the building and grounds Pearce was regularly besieged with ladies, eager to shake him by the hand, while some went so far as to insist on kissing him. Mr. Forster presided at the organ, and played several selections during the afternoon. Pearce left Sydney for Melbourne on Saturday night.

See also http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13418023

Mr. Thomas Pearce, the young midshipman of the wrecked Loch Ard, who distinguished himself by rescuing Miss Carmichael from the spar on which she was helplessly floating, he himself having only just gained the shore, reached Sydney from Melbourne last week. Here, he was received with much enthusiasm. With a view to presenting him with a testimonial a subscription list has been open ever since the news of the wreck was heard. Although the subscriptions were limited to sixpence each, the amount subscribed reached £150. Part of this has been spent in the purchase of a few first-class nautical instruments, which, while serving as a memorial of the Australian appreciation of his bravery, will be useful to him in his profession. These were presented to him, on Saturday last, by the Lady Mayoress of Sydney, in the presence of about seven thousand persons, in the Exhibition Building, Prince Alfred Park. The large balance of the subscriptions is to be added to the amount raised for him in Victoria, in order that the whole may be invested for his future benefit.

On 24 August http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42981710 

Thomas Pearce was presented with a testimonial this afternoon at the Town Hall by the Mayor. Pearce leaves to-morrow in the Loch Sunart.

Notice that he is leaving on another Loch Line ship. And with him a 'treasure horde' of appreciation. Thomas Pearce's journey into the surf that June morning set him up for life, here is a list of the items he received.

From the Sydney event

• a sextant
• a pair of binocular glasses
• a case of silver instruments
• copies of Norrie's and Naper's works on navigation
• and a large general chart.

From a presentation of the Victorian Human Society (later the Royal Humane Society of Australia)

• a gold medal ... the first issued by the society.

From the Victorian Government

• a cheque for 1000 pound (Heritage Council of Victoria) 
• a gold watch

The ceremony took place in the Executive Council Chamber at half-past 3 o'clock. The Ministry, the Speaker, several members of the Legislative Assembly, and members of the Civil service, who had ben invited to attend, were present. His Excellency addressed Mr. Pearce, and then presented the watch, on which the following inscription is to be engraved : — "Presented to Thomas Pearce, by the Government of Victoria, for his noble conduct in risking his own life to save that of a fellow passenger, after his providential escape on the occasion of the wreck of the Loch Ard, near Sherbrooke river, on the coast of this colony, on 1st June, 1878.' Mr. Pearce, in acknowledging the presentation, said : — ' I thank your Excellency for the honour you have done me, and I hope I shall always do my duty. (Hear, hear.) The ceremony then terminated. (Freemans Journal, 29 Jun 1878)

While the accolades are lovely there is something quite 'proper' about this complaint from The Express and Telegraph quoting the Hamilton Spectator -

It is very far from our intention to depreciate the gallantry displayed by the young man Pearce in saving the life of Miss Carmichael. It must, however, be the opinion of every sensible person who has studied the matter calmly that there has been already too much 'gush' about what every true-hearted British seaman will deem a simple affair. Lives and lives have been as heroically saved without any particular mention of the fact; it was the sensational event which preceded the brave young fellow's effort that invested it with so much importance, and caused so much fulsome praise to he bespattered upon him, so much bathos to be indulged in. But that one knows that the people have been carried away by the generous impulse of the moment, one would be inclined to think that, in the estimation of the public, our seamen are not the descendants of those, who in Trafalgar Bay hailed with delight Horatio Nelson's signal, 'England expects that every man this day will do his duty.' This is just what Thomas Pearce did, neither more nor less. That his conduct was heroic will be readily admitted. He was not incited to do the deed by the presence of any of his countrymen. Cast ashore, apparently nobody saved but himself, almost exhausted by previous exertions, he heard a cry for help. No human eye was watching him, he could have resisted the appeal, none would have been any the wiser, and by his own conscience only would he have been blamed. He was, however, of the right grit, and, never dreaming of any public recognition or reward, he rushed again into the waves from which he had just escaped, and brought the young lady to land. The care he subsequently took of her, the undaunted spirit shown by him in scaling the precipitous cliff—all his efforts, in fact, upon the lamentable occasion; are worthy of our admiration— he performed a good and gallant deed. Fortunately he is a modest, unassuming young sailor, or the praise that has been bestowed upon him would fill him with vanity, and spoil what promises to be a noble career. But much as we may admire his conduct on the occasion, we must not allow the whole of our sympathy to be expended upon him. This would appear to be just what the public are doing, and we are glad indeed to see that they are recalled to a sense of their duty by the young sailor himself. With questionable taste, the Photographic Society wrote to Pearce 'asking him to sit for his likeness, the same to be sold for his benefit.' The reply was just such a one as any young gentleman might be expected to give—it was as follows:— 'I would be most happy to give you a sitting, but on no account to be sold for my benefit; as you must consider, sir, that no gentleman would undergo the humiliation of seeing his photograph sold for his own benefit.' Subsequently Mr. Pearce stated he was quite willing to give the Photographic Society a sitting on the condition that the picture was only sold on behalf of a fund to be called the 'Loch Ard Fund,' the proceeds of which were, to be devoted to the relief of the widows and orphans of those who had perished in the wreck. More power to the young fellow for casting any selfish interest aside, and recalling those who wish to do him so much honor to a sense of the duty they owe to the poor fellows who, after bravely battling against the elements, "went down in the ill-fated ship."

Click here to go to Under the Lino's 'Loch Ard Index'