Copper from the SS Forfarshire

Today’s passengers and cargo travel in separate vehicles. We use lorries, freight trains and cargo planes to move goods around. In the 1800s goods and people used the same transport. The SS Forfarshire was one such transport, carrying goods as well as passengers.

The ship was carrying copper bars. When the SS Forfarshire struck Big Harcar Rock, its cargo sunk to the bottom of the sea. Many locals salvaged the SS Forfarshire’s cargo, including some of the copper. A local man, John Bolam, had some of the copper made into a snuff box. The rest of the copper bars were not brought to the surface until they were found in the wreck by members of York Sub Aqua Club. The wreck of the SS Forfarshire still lies off Big Harcar Rock.

Grace Darling in 10 objects

The RNLI Grace Darling Museum can’t portray the world in 100 objects; but we can give you more information about the life of one of its most celebrated heroines by focusing on the details of 10 different objects on display in the museum.

These pages help you to explore parts of the collection that you can’t easily see in the displays. Click through to see all the objects.