![Illustrirte Zeitung (1843) 10 152 1 Capitain Manby’s Mörser-Rettungstau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Illustrirte_Zeitung_%281843%29_10_152_1_Capitain_Manby%E2%80%99s_M%C3%B6rser-Rettungstau.PNG)
Captain George William Manby
FRS (28 November 1765 – 18 November 1854) was an English author and inventor. He designed an apparatus for saving life from
shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
s and also the first modern form of
fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...
.
Early life
Manby was born in the village of Denver on the edge of the
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
Fens
A fen is a type of wetland.
Fen, Fenn, Fens, Fenns, may also refer to:
People
* Fen (name), a Chinese given name and surname
* Fen Cresswell (1915–1966), New Zealand cricketer
* Fen McDonald (1891–1915), Australian rules footballer
* Kees ...
. His parents were Mary Woodcock (1741-1783) and Captain Matthew Pepper Manby (1735-1774), lord of the manor of Wood Hall in Hilgay, a former soldier and
aide-de-camp to
Lord Townshend
Marquess Townshend is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain held by the Townshend family of Raynham Hall in Norfolk. The title was created in 1787 for George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend.
Histor ...
and barrack-master of
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
at his death. A younger brother was
Thomas Manby. Manby went to school at
Downham Market
Downham Market, sometimes simply referred to as Downham, is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, approximately 11 miles south of King's Lynn, 39 miles west of Norwich and 3 ...
. Although he claimed to have been a friend there of
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
, this is unlikely to be true as Nelson would have left the school (if he ever attended) before Manby started. He then went to the Free
Grammar School
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
in King's Lynn, where he was a student of Rev Dr David Lloyd (died 1794). He was one of the four stewards organising an anniversary event of Lloyd's students held at the Duke's Head Inn on 17 February 1791.
Military life
He volunteered to fight in the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, aged 17, but was rejected because of his youth and his small size.
[Norfolk History and Past Times – Yesterdays – George William Manby of Norfolk and his Manby Mortar]
/ref> Instead, he entered the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
.
He is listed as one of the Artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
cadets on 31 March 1784.
On 21 April 1788, he obtained a commission as a Lieutenant in the Cambridgeshire Militia
The Cambridgeshire Militia was a militia regiment in Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, United Kingdom from 1759 to 1881, when it was amalgamated into The Suffolk Regiment.
History
The Cambridgeshire Militia was formed under the Militia Ac ...
where he eventually gained the rank of captain. He left the regiment in Spring 1793. A fellow officer, and later regiment's colonel, was Charles Philip Yorke, later Secretary at War
The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. Afte ...
.
In December 1793, he married the only daughter of Rev Dr Preston JP, of Waldingfield and Rougham, and inherited his wife's family's estates. In November 1797, his estate in the manor of Hilgay was put up for auction.
He left her in 1801 after being shot by her lover Captain Pogson of the East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
[Norwich Evening News article]
/ref> and moved to Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is both a suburb of Bristol, England, and the name of one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells. The eastern part of the suburb lies within the ward of Clifton Do ...
. There, he published several books, including ''The History and Antiquities of St David's'' (1801), ''Sketches of the History and Natural Beauties of Clifton'' (1802), and ''A Guide from Clifton to the Counties of Monmouth, Glamorgan, etc.'' (1802). In 1803, his pamphlet ''An Englishman's Reflexions on the Author of the Present Disturbances'', on Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's plans to invade England, came to the attention of the Secretary of War, Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire
Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire, (6 May 17604 February 1816), styled Lord Hobart from 1793 to 1804, was a British Tory politician.
Life
Buckinghamshire was born at Hampden House, the son of George Hobart, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire ...
, who was impressed and recommended Manby to be appointed as Barrack-Master at Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
in September, 1803.
On 18 February 1807, as a helpless onlooker, he witnessed a Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
ship, HMS ''Snipe'', carrying French prisoners run aground 50 yards off Great Yarmouth during a storm. Several vessels were wrecked and (according to some accounts) a total of 214 people drowned, including French prisoners of war, women and children. The figure of '67 brave men' for the ''Snipe'' was quoted in the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
in June 1808. Following this tragedy, Manby experimented with mortars, and so invented the '' Manby Mortar'', (later to be used with the breeches buoy
A breeches buoy is a rope-based rescue device used to extract people from wrecked vessels, or to transfer people from one place to another in situations of danger. The device resembles a round emergency personal flotation device with a leg harn ...
), that fired a thin rope from shore into the rigging of a ship in distress. A strong rope, attached to the thin one, could be pulled aboard the ship. His successful invention supposedly followed an experiment as a youth in 1783, when he shot a mortar carrying a line over Downham church.
Manby carried out a successful demonstration of his apparatus before the Suffolk Humane Society, and a very large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen at Lowestoft, on the 26th August and 10 September 1807. On the former occasion, their President, John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke
John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke (30 May 1750 – 27 August 1827), known as Sir John Rous, Bt, from 1771 to 1796 and as The Lord Rous from 1796 to 1821, was a British nobleman, race horse owner and Member of Parliament. He married Charlotte Maria ...
, attended.
Sergeant (later Lieutenant) John Bell, Royal Artillery, had in 1791 successfully demonstrated the use of a mortar to throw a line to shore and use it to float men to the shore, and had also suggested that mortars be held in ports to be available to throw a line to a ship. He was awarded 50 guineas by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce.
Another earlier design, similar to Manby's invention, had been made in the late 18th century by the French agronomist and inventor Jacques Joseph Ducarne de Blangy
Jacques Joseph Ducarne de Blangy (December 11, 1728 – April 18, 1808) was a French agronomist and inventor.
Although known for his beekeeping activity, he's better known as an inventor of the rescue bomb at the end of 18th century.
Over the En ...
. Manby's invention was independently conceived, and there is no suggestion that he copied de Blangy's idea.
In 1808, the crew of a brig was rescued at Yarmouth by the use of Manby's device fired from a carriage gun and supervised by Manby.
Manby was one of those to receive an honorary award at the Annual Festival of the Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near dro ...
in the May following the rescue.
In June 1808, Manby received a gold medal from The , via the hands of Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk
Henry Charles Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, (12 August 179118 February 1856), styled Earl of Surrey between 1815 and 1842, was a British Whig politician and peer.
Background
Norfolk was the son of Bernard Edward Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk, ...
, for forming a communication with ships by means of a rope thrown over the vessel from a mortar gun on the shore.
In August 1808, Manby received a medallion from the Suffolk Humane Society.
Following the awards he later made a demonstration to the armed forces of the use of his apparatus.
The device was successfully used in rescues by Sea Fencibles
The Sea Fencibles were naval fencible (a shortening of ''defencible'') units established to provide a close-in line of defence and obstruct the operation of enemy shipping, principally during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
The ea ...
from Great Yarmouth and Winterton in 1810
The Official Copy of a Report from the Committee of Field Officers of Artillery, containing an Account of the Experiments made at Woolwich on the 18 and 20 May 1811 alluded to the work of Lieutenant Bell, RA and his successful demonstration of a mortar to shoot a line in 1791.
Manby's invention was officially adopted in 1814, and a series of mortar stations were established around the coast. It was estimated that by the time of his death in 1854 nearly 1,000 persons had been rescued from stranded ships by means of his apparatus.
Manby also built an "unsinkable" boat. The first test indeed proved it to be floating when mostly filled with water; however, the seamen (who disliked Manby) rocked the boat back and forth so that it eventually turned over. The boatmen depended on the cargo left over from shipwrecks, and may have thought Manby's mortar a threat to their livelihood.[G. W. Manby at Norfolk Museums]
The property that Manby owned in Yarmouth Denes was advertised in an auction notice in 1812 as he was leaving Yarmouth.
In February 1813, Manby gave a lecture to the Highland Society of Edinburgh followed by a demonstration on Bruntsfield
Bruntsfield is a largely residential area around Bruntsfield Place in Southern Edinburgh, Scotland. In feudal times, it fell within the barony of Colinton.
Location
Bruntsfield Place is less than south on the A702 main road from the West e ...
links, Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. The gun was fired by use of a chemical to set off the charge, to overcome the problems caused by gunpowder getting damp in the storm conditions often experienced when carrying out rescues.
In 1813, Manby invented the 'Extincteur', the first portable pressurised fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...
. This consisted of a copper vessel of 3 gallon
The gallon is a unit of volume in imperial units and United States customary units. Three different versions are in current use:
*the imperial gallon (imp gal), defined as , which is or was used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Austral ...
s of pearl ash (potassium carbonate
Potassium carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula K2 CO3. It is a white salt, which is soluble in water. It is deliquescent, often appearing as a damp or wet solid. Potassium carbonate is mainly used in the production of soap and gl ...
) solution contained within compressed air
Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and o ...
. He also invented a device intended to save people who had fallen through ice.[
In July 1813, Manby's profile was increased when his portrait featured in the ]European Magazine
''The European Magazine'' (sometimes referred to as ''European Magazine'') was a monthly magazine published in London. Eighty-nine semi-annual volumes were published from 1782 until 1826. It was launched as the ''European Magazine, and London Re ...
.
On Friday 30 August 1816, a committee of the Board of Ordnance
The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...
and Lords of the Admiralty
This is a list of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660).
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of The Board of Admiralty, which exercised the office of Lord High Admiral when it was ...
observed a demonstration of Manby's fire extinguisher and other equipment.
On 10 March 1818, he married Sophia Gooch, daughter of Sir Thomas Gooch, 4th Baronet.
In 1821, he sailed to Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
with William Scoresby
William Scoresby (5 October 178921 March 1857) was an English whaler, Arctic explorer, scientist and clergyman.
Early years
Scoresby was born in the village of Cropton near Pickering south-west of Whitby in Yorkshire. His father, William ...
, for the purpose of testing a new type of harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, seal hunting, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the t ...
for whaling
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industry ...
, based on the same principles as his mortar. However, his device was sabotaged by the whalers.[ He published his account in 1822 as '' Journal of a Voyage to Greenland'', containing observations on the flora and fauna of the ]Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
regions as well as the practice of whale hunting
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industry a ...
.
As a result of that voyage, Manby espoused three ideas: that there might still be Norse survivors in the so-called ‘Lost Colony’ in East Greenland; that Britain should claim the area of East Greenland north of the area claimed by Denmark; and that this area should be developed as a penal colony.
In 1823 the House of Commons, a committee of supply voted Manby £2,000 for his lifesaving apparatus in June 1823.
In the October the King of Denmark
The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional political system, institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous administrative division, autonomous territories of the Faroe ...
(via his consul) presented Manby with a gold medal "accompanied with a letter, communicating His Majesty's gracious approbation of his philanthopic and arduous exertions in saving the crews of shipwrecked vessels."
Manby was present at the London Tavern
The City of London Tavern or London Tavern was a notable meeting place in London during the 18th and 19th centuries. A place of business where people gathered to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, the tavern was situated in Bishopsgate ...
on 4 March 1824 when was founded the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, later to become the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
. He was one of the first five persons to receive their gold medal in 1825.
In 1825, the King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument o ...
(via the mayor of Yarmouth) presented Manby with a splendid medallion in token of his Majesty's approbation of the Captain's humane merit, and inventions.
He gave evidence in connection with Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
and Lowestoft
Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the most easterly UK settlement, it is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and sou ...
Navigation Bill in 1826. He stated that for the purpose of establishing a system for the saving of lives from shipwreck, he had in 1810 by directions of the Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
, surveyed the line of coast from the southern extremity of Suffolk to the northern extremity of Norfolk, and in 1812, pursuant to an Address of the House of Commons, he had also by directions surveyed the coast from the southern extremity of Norfolk to the Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
.
Manby became one of the godfathers of Augustus Onslow Manby Gibbes (1828–1897), the youngest son of the Collector of Customs for Great Yarmouth from 1827 to 1833, Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes
Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes (30 March 17875 December 1873) was a British army officer who emigrated to Australia in 1834 on his appointment as Collector of Customs for the Colony of New South Wales, an appointment which gave him a sea ...
(1787–1873).
On 4 August 1830, he attended court and presented King William IV
William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...
with a Treatise on the Preservation of Mariners from Stranded Vessels, and the Prevention of Shipwreck, with a Statement of the number of subjects of different nations saved by that plan, by Sir Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
.
He was the first to advocate a national fire brigade, and is considered by some to be a true founder of the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1831 in recognition of his many accomplishments.
In 1837, Manby was the tenant of a cottage near the Royal Barracks.
In April 1838, Charles Wood, aged 17, a drummer in the 1st battalion Grenadier Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
was killed by a fall caused by a faulty component when carrying out a Trial of Manby's apparatus for fire rescues from buildings.
Manby received a silver medal from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire in May 1838.
In June 1838, a newspaper stated in an advert he was a director of the 'SUB-MARINE and WRECK-WEIGHING ASSOCIATION' for Recovering the Cargoes and Hulls of Stranded Vessels, and for Preserving the Lives of the Crews of Vessels in Distress. To be incorporated by Act Parliament.
In 1838 he met Marshal Soult
Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Fren ...
as part of his campaign to involve France and other nations in achieving a worldwide policy for the treatment of shipwrecked mariners and their cargos.
Manby received a belated Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
Gold Coronation Medal in March 1842.
Sophia died in October 1843.
Retirement
Manby's post as Barrack-master was terminated and he was required to move out of his accommodation. Manby, obsessed with Nelson, later turned his home 'Pedestal House' into a Nelson museum filled with memorabilia, even having an internal wall knocked down to create a Nelson Gallery, and living in the basement.
A letter to the local paper in 1845 describes Manby as a Freeman of Yarmouth.
Following a meeting chaired by Yarmouth's mayor in 1849, Manby's apparatus was exhibited at the Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...
in 1851 and was awarded a medal.
In 1852, it was reported he had donated part of his collection, the 'Nelson Cabinet' to King's Lynn museum.
Her Majesty presented Captain Manby with the sum of £100 from the Royal Bounty Fund The Royal Bounty Fund was a special British government fund originally set up in 1782 by Edmund Burke. The operation of the fund was always shrouded in secrecy. Gifts, grants and pensions were paid out from the fund under the patronage of the prime ...
in December 1852.
Aged eighty-nine, he died on 18 November 1854 in Great Yarmouth and was buried at All Saints, Hilgay
Hilgay is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England, from Downham Market.
It covers an area of and had a population of 1,341 at the 2011 Census.
For local government purposes, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. ...
on the 24th. The contents of Pedestal House were auctioned on Tuesday 19 December 1854.
Pedestal House and the 'Manby Crest' public house were auctioned on 28 May 1855 at the Star Inn.
Awards
No.1 Queen's Gold Coronation Medal "as a mark of the sense she entertains of the usefulness of his inventions in the Preservation of Lives from Shipwreck."
No.2. A gold medal from Charles X, King of the French, 1828.
No.3. Gold medal from William, King of the Netherlands, 1830.
No.4. Gold medal from Frederick, King of Denmark.
No.5 Gold medal from Charles. XIV, King of Sweden and Norway.
No.6. Gold medal from the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, (London), voted 15th Dec. 1830.
No.7. Gold medal from the Society of Arts, Adelphi, London.
No.8. Gold medal from the Highland Society of Scotland
No.9. Silver medal from the Royal Humane Society, London.
No.10 Silver medal from the Suffolk Humane Society.
No.11. Silver medal from the Norfolk Association for saving Lives from Shipwreck, 1824.
No.12. Silver medal from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.
Works
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*
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Legacy
Manby's portrait was exhibited at the 1808 Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in 1808.
A portrait of Manby by John Philip Davis
John Philip "Pope" Davis (1784-1862), a portrait and subject painter, first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1811.
His works exhibited at the 1818 Norwich Exhibitions were reviewed in the Norfolk Chronicle :-
Portrait of the Rev. C. Penrice.â ...
was exhibited at the 1818 Norwich Exhibitions, the picture was thought to be intended for Sir Thomas Gooch, 4th Baronet.
A plaque in the All Saints church, Hilgay reads
There not being sufficient funds to erect a monument, wooden railings were placed around the grave. In 1856 the executor Mr S Yallop and the rector launched a public appeal for donations for a monument.
A portrait of Manby by Samuel Lane
Samuel Lane (1780–1859) was an English portrait-painter.
Life
The son of Samuel and Elizabeth Lane, he was born at King's Lynn on 26 July 1780. After a childhood accident he became deaf and partially dumb. He studied under Joseph Farington ...
was passed on to the Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
by a family member.
Etchings of Manby by his friend Mary Dawson Turner
Mary Dawson Turner, before her marriage Mary Palgrave (1774–1850), was an English artist. She is known for her series of portraits, making etchings from drawings collected by her husband.
Life
She was the daughter of William Palgrave, one of 12 ...
are in the National Portrait Gallery.
The plaque he had erected at his Yarmouth home is now in the Norfolk museums collection described as - Slate plaque, black, from the rear of Captain Manby's house in Southtown Great Yarmouth, commemorating the first life saved from drowning by use of Manby's mortar; inscribed with gold block letters 'In commemoration of the 12th of February 1808 on which day directly eastward of this spot the first life was saved from shipwreck, by means of a rope attached to a shot propelled by the force of gunpowder over the stranded vessel a method now universally adopted and to which at least 1000 sailors different nations owe their preservation 1842'
A lifeboat at Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
was named the ''Captain George Manby''. The Lifeboat was presented to the Society Humaine by the City of Boulogne.
The Hilgay
Hilgay is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England, from Downham Market.
It covers an area of and had a population of 1,341 at the 2011 Census.
For local government purposes, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. ...
village sign
In many parts of England, an ornamental village sign is erected to announce the village name to those entering the village. They are typically placed on the principal road entrance or in a prominent location such as a village green. The design ...
features a Manby Mortar.
In 1967 a documentary on the inventor was made. Locations included Denver, Downham Market and Great Yarmouth. Scenes include the use of the mortar, rocket and breeches buoy. The recording is now available on the East Anglian Film Archive website.
Denver Historical Society had a Blue Plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
erected on the property he was born in - 'Easthall Manor', Sluice Road, Denver.
A Toby Carvery in Great Yarmouth bears the name 'Captain Manby'.
His former home, now called 'Manby House' and 'Ahoy' are now listed buildings.
In 2015 an unpublished Manby book was sold - ''Reminiscences'' described unpublished, 1839? Provenance: The book was accompanied by a manuscript note reading: "This work never was completed or published - was the printer's own copy. D. Turner had only "A set of the rough proof sheets. Sold at the sale of his library May 1889. Lot 1121 - and one copy bound lot. 721 in catalogue."
See also
Coastguards of Yesteryear: "Manby Mortar or Rocket Apparatus"
*Henry Trengrouse
Henry Trengrouse (18 March 1772 – 14 February 1854) was a British inventor who invented the "Rocket" lifesaving apparatus.
On 24 December 1807 he witnessed the wreck of the frigate '' Anson'' in Mount's Bay, when over a hundred people d ...
* Gunville#John Dennett, rocket inventor
Further reading
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References
External links
Norfolk History and Past Times: "George William Manby and the Manby Mortar"
Capt. G W Manby FRS, prints, National Maritime Museum
Guide to George William Manby, Sketches Made in Greenland 1821
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manby, George William
1765 births
1854 deaths
People from Downham Market
English inventors
Sea rescue in the United Kingdom
Fellows of the Royal Society
People from Denver, Norfolk
British writers
British Army officers
British Militia officers