The incredible story of the Abram
HARDSHIP, ENDURANCE AND SURVIVAL: An illustration of whaler the Molly, left, moored in Hull’s Queen’s Dock (now Queens Gardens)
The Way it Was
In partnership with Hull History Centre
By Neil Chadwick, archivist/librarian
With Hull’s Maritime Museum now re-opened after a multi-million-pound refurbishment, we thought we’d tell the story of one of the city’s remarkable maritime voyages. One of hardship, endurance and survival. This is the story of the Hull whaler, Abram.
By the month of November 1835, it must have become increasingly clear that the Abram, a Hull whaling vessel, wouldn’t be returning before spring, if at all. She had set off in the spring of that year to catch whales in the Davis Straits and was scheduled to return in the autumn when sea ice closed the whaling fishing grounds.
The Abram was built in 1809. She left for the whaling fishing grounds of the Davis Straits on March 23, 1835. The crew was reported to be in good spirits. A huge crowd gathered to see her off. Some of the crew talked to their families, others saying tearful goodbyes before the pilot gave the rendering words ‘let the ropes go’.
It wasn’t uncommon to see young women dragged through the crowds not wanting to be separated from their partners or husbands. Also setting sail that day was another whaling vessel, the Mary Frances. The scenes that met the Mary Frances mirrored that of the Abram.
After waiting for three or four days in the Humber for favourable weather, the Abram and the Mary Frances proceeded to Lerwick to take on extra crew, arriving on April 4. Leaving Lerwick the next day, the Abram arrived in the Davis Straits on May 1. Upon their arrival, disaster almost struck, with the Abram having to avoid rocks as it neared a reef. A nearby whaler, Earl Percy, wasn’t so lucky. It had struck the rocks, damaging the vessel, meaning she had to be repaired in port, putting an end to Earl Percy’s whaling season that year.
Upon arriving in the Davis Straits, the Abram was met with thick ice. There was no opening anywhere for the Abram or indeed the Mary Frances to go in search of whales. The Isabella of Hull was seen nearby. The Abram came close to Hound Island. From here the Abram ventured north to Whale Fish Island where she met with the local half Danish governor who wanted to trade goods. The governor informed the Abram’s master, Captain Hibbs that he’d seen any whales.
From Hound Island the Abram sailed westward, meeting another whaler, the Swan of Hull. The Swan had sailed a month after the Abram and had letters, parcels and news from loved ones back at home for the crew of the Abram. The Swan also delivered the sombre news that the Isabella was lost off Whale Fish Island on May 12. Luckily the Isabella’s crew were recused by another whaler, Caledonian.
Undeterred, the Abram, together with several other ships, continued north. They got as far as Hare Island only to find their route blocked by ice. Having waited three weeks to cross the bay, the Abram got as far as Froe Islands, but their path was once again blocked by ice.
The Abram laid up at Berry’s Island, a desolate rock. Here was a reminder of the perils that whaling crews faced. There were two graves with wooden inscriptions. One was the remains of a doctor of a Scottish whaler, the other was the son of Andrew Turnbull, mate of the Mary Frances. Captain Hibbs climbed the hill at Berry’s Island to see if there was any change to the ice. But much to the frustration of Captain Hibbs and other ships in the vicinity, the ice showed no signs of breaking.
Returning south, the Abram encountered the Jane of Hull. The Jane delivered the news of another whaling vessel being lost on July 4, which was believed to be the Lee. On July 27, with ice beginning to open, the Abram, Dordon and Mary Frances began to track opportunities. However, the ice remained stubborn in places. Crews had to cut docks to stop the ice pinching up to the vessels, which if left would crush their hulls.
KEEPING A RECORD: Entry from the whaler Laurel in 1828 showing the days when a whale was taken. This was depicted by the whale’s tail
The captains of the Abram, the Dordon and the Mary Frances had a conference. They agreed to go eastward as there was no likelihood of getting northward without loss of one, if not all three ships. Another whaler became trapped, the Lady Jane. The Abram went to her assistance. Lady Jane’s crew suffered greatly travelling over the ice to reach the Abram. A small number of men stayed behind with the Lady Jane until such a time when she could be freed from the ice, whilst the rest of its crew were dispersed across several other vessels, including the Abram.
The Abram together with the Dordon continued, reaching 72 degrees north, where in the summer the sun remains visible for 24 hours. The Abram sailed southward, and on September 10 she met up with the Swan. It soon became apparent that another whaler was lost as crew of the Abram and the Swan saw men crossing the ice towards them. This time it was the crew of the Mary Frances who had sailed with the Abram. Despite the season proving fruitless for all concerned, the Abram found two dead whales which appeared to have died from natural causes. The crew set about taking what they could from the dead whales.
On October 1, the Abram with several other vessels, including the Dordon, struggled through the ice. Whilst the whaler the Duncombe managed to navigate through the ice, it became clear to the crew of the Abram that they would not be so lucky. It was the same situation for the Dordon which was lifted 3-4 feet out of the water due to the ice closing in around her. Ice around the Abram opened just enough to release her from it. The Dordon wasn’t so lucky. The ice by now had broken the Dordon’s stern post. Captain Hibbs called on all hands from the Abram to save clothes together with provisions from the Dordon. The crew of the Lady Jane, which presumably freed itself from the ice, together with the crew of the GranvilleBay, also assisted.
During the rescue of provisions from the Dordon, some of its crew, together with some of the Abram crew, were unable to get back to the Abram. The Abram’s Captain Hibbs was uneasy about their chances, convinced many of them would freeze to death that night. The Dordon was set alight, albeit accidently. That night men had started a fire in the cabin and where unable to extinguish it.
The stranded crews of the Dordon and the Abram built tents on the ice to protect them from the freezing conditions. Most returned badly frostbitten. By now it was becoming clear that the Abram was going nowhere. Whatever could be burnt was collected from the Dordon, as coal aboard the Abram was depleted. The loss of the Dordon saw the Abram’s crew increase to 96. Before this, the rations amongst the crew of the Abram had been 3lbs of bread a week. With extra men onboard, this was now reduced to 2lbs. Despite this, the crew still looked for and tracked opportunities to break free from the ice. As winter approached, temperatures dropped even further, as too did the hours of sunlight available.
The situation was getting increasingly desperate. The crew were getting weaker with each passing day. Those who collected ice to use as water came back badly frostbitten. As soon as bread was weighed out for the week, men would sit down and finish it in one sitting or two, choosing to starve for the rest of the week. Each day a warm meal was provided, though this was really a soup, which consisted of boiled water containing three pints of barley or peas for the whole crew of 96. It was said if a man got two or three peas he was pleased as if he’d won a prize.
With coal desperately low, Captain Hibbs ordered bones and tail rump captured from the two dead whales to be burnt. These two whales had provided additional meat to the crew, though the flesh was described as a putrid and rancid rump. By the end of November each man’s rations were now reduced to 1¾ lbs of bread.
By December, any daylight was all but extinguished. The crew believed the Abram may well succumb to the elements, crushed by the thick ice in which it sat. Provisions were placed on deck in preparation for this eventuality. Exposure to the elements would have almost certainly killed the ship’s crew. Although trapped, the ice was constantly shifting, meaning the Abram was moving with it.
On the morning of the December 12, the crew spotted land – Cape Resolution – about 20 miles in the distance. As the Abram moved with the ice closer to land, the crew killed over a dozen foxes for meat. Two bears were also killed, their flesh salted and put into casks. Rations however were again reduced, this time to 1½ lbs of bread. The crew it was said, ‘was very weak and heartbroken from all the sufferings they endured’.
We can only imagine what the crew’s family and friends at home must have gone through. Hope wasn’t given up. It wasn’t uncommon for whalers to become trapped in the ice. And whilst some were lost, some waited it out. Of course, this was the best-case scenario but would have provided little comfort to the crew or their loved ones who must have been preparing for the worst.
MIXED FATES: Muster Roll of the Abram recording Robert Dickson running at Lerwick 4th April 1835 and the death of cook James Ward
As the new year progressed, the sun began to rise higher into the sky. On January 30, Captain Hibbs called out that he saw water to the east. That same day the Abram broke clear of the ice. Hearty cheers rung out from the crew. Captain Hibbs informed the crew that being free from the ice would allow for an increase in rations. Some men ate their remaining allowance. Others were understandably more cautious. Within a couple of days of being free from the ice, the Abram’s cook, James Ward died. He had been unwell for some time, which he complained to be consumption.
A westerly wind blew the Abram eastwards and on Tuesday, February 9 she anchored at Lerwick, where she lay for two days. On February 11, the Abram left for Hull, sighting the Yorkshire coast on February 14. When she reached the Humber, a pilot was taken onboard to help navigate to Hull. The pilot could hardly believe it was the Abram. It was believed the crew had all perished.
The next day the Abram arrived in the Hull Roads. Thousands were cheering her return as if welcoming the crew back from the dead. Church bells rung, guns fired and music played.
In all, the voyage had lasted almost months. It is miraculous that all but one of the Abram’s crew survived. For one member of the crew who sailed from Hull, the outward voyage to Lerwick was enough. Robert Dickson absconded the Abram on its arrival at Lerwick on April 4. Little did he, or the crew know of the horrors which lay ahead.