Jack Crawford - The Hero of Camperdown
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Description
Jack Crawford (1775 – 1831) Jack Crawford, the son of a keelman, was born in Pottery Bank. At the age of ten Jack helped his father by working the rudder of his keelboat as he transported coal from the staiths around Washington to the colliers in the harbour. In 1785 he was apprenticed to the Peggy of South Shields and in 1795 joined the Royal Navy. In 1797 he found himself fighting onboard Admiral Duncan’s Flagship HMS Venerable during the Battle of Camperdown against the Dutch. The battle was hard fought and during it the Admiral’s flag was shot away from the main mast. As this could have been mistakenly thought to be a sign that the Admiral was surrendering, Crawford volunteered to climb the mast and nail the flag to it. A great victory followed. Crawford was a national hero and was awarded a £30 annual pension. The people of Sunderland gave him a silver medal. He was presented to King George III and also attended Nelson’s funeral in 1805. In 1815 he left the navy and returned to Wearside, becoming a keelman like his father. He was an unassuming man who liked his drink and shared what he had with his friends. However, he was one of the first victims of cholera when it reached Sunderland, dying in 1831. -
Owner
Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens -
Source
Flickr (Flickr) -
License
What does this mean? All Rights Reserved (Seek permission to reuse)
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Further information
Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137368687@N02/24864019174/
Resource type: Image
Added by: Splat
Last modified: 5 months, 1 week ago
Viewed: 85 times
Picture Taken: 2016-03-04T10:13:22 -
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