On Whit Monday in May 1910 Upchurch residents James Hatton aged 23, James Shipp aged 30 and his brother John Shipp aged 28 set off on a river trip with their friend James Boyst. While on the river a sudden gust of wind caught the sail and the boat capsized throwing its occupants into the river. All the men could swim but three were drowned while James Boyst survived by clinging to the side of the capsized boat until he was rescued. He explained what happened to the East Kent Gazette:
We started from Motley Hill for a sail to Otterham Creek, in a flat bottomed punt 13 feet by 5 feet provided with a centre board. There were four of us in the boat, James Edward Shipp, his brother John, James Hatton and myself and we were taking the punt to Otterham Creek for Jim Shipp and Tom Wraight to go for a sail to Port Victoria. We’d done three trips but the fourth proved fatal. The wind was dead set against us and there was a tremendous sea, as we were where the water from the creek, from Gillingham and from the back of Motley Hill met, making a regular whirlpool. Just as we were going to turn into the creek, the helm came off the rudder. James said:
‘The waves are just coming and we’ve got to sit and take it.’
He’d no sooner got the words out of his mouth than we were all in the water. We all went under once. Me and Jim Shipp and Hatton clung to the punt, which was turned bottom upwards, and Jack swam clear, evidently thinking that we might catch hold of him if he came too near. Both the Shipp’s were expert swimmers. Jim said:
‘Hold tight, boys. That’s your only chance. Your life depends on it.’
After he’d said that he let go and went under and I never saw him again. If he came up he must have come up under the punt. That left me and Hatton on the punt. Then Hatton cried:
‘Oh, mother, come and save me.’
Then he let go and went under. When he came up he clung to my clothes and tore them. Then he went under and never came up again. Somehow or other I worked round to the stern of the punt. I could see Jack Shipp swimming about twenty yards away and he said:
‘Mate, I tried to reach land but I can’t.’
He then got within ten yards of me and said:
‘Mate, I’m done.’
Then he went under and I never saw him anymore.
I was hollering for help as loud as I could. Then two chaps were laying off the oyster beds and saw the punt go over so they started to set sail and come to me. They had to down sail and row and I reckon it was about a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes before they got to me. When they got near me I said:
‘Come on mates, I’m done; I can’t hold on more than two more minutes.’
When they pulled up to me they said:
‘Cling on to the side.’
But I fell off the punt and they pulled me clean over into their boat. They took me to Freddie Hempstead’s houseboat and he gave me some dry clothes to put on and a drink of whisky.
Boyst was the only survivor of the original four man crew. Tom Polhill, publican of the Brown Jug pub should have also been in the boat but he had pulled out at the last moment because of work and escaped the disaster.
Although the river was thoroughly searched after the tragedy the victims’ bodies could not be found so the people of Upchurch went into mourning for the loss of three well-known residents. Four months later the century old windmill on Windmill Hill caught fire and burnt to the ground but without loss of life.
About David
David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at Upchurch Matters. Price £12 + £3.50 postage and packing.
David Wood
