The Hero Factor Transcript!...The Hero Factor Transcript! ! ! ! ! ! ! Samuel Smiles: “Rising above the heads of the mass, there were always to be found individuals distinguished

The Hero Factor Transcript ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Samuel Smiles: “Rising above the heads of the mass, there were always to be found individuals distinguished beyond others. Here I present the stories of six such in the hopes that the lessons will be instructive as well as generally interesting. Simply select a door to go through...”

2010 © National Library of Scotland

1) HMS BirkenheadSamuel Smiles: “The sea has nursed the most valorous of men, non more so than the sailors of the HMS Birkenhead.”

HMS Birkenhead was a ship carrying British troops and some of their families who were to be stationed in Africa in 1845. The ship struck a rock off the coast of South Africa.

The women and children were placed in a lifeboat before efforts were made to refloat the ship.

2010 © National Library of Scotland!2

When it became clear that this would not work and the ship would sink, the order to abandon ship was given. However, when the men realised this would swamp the lifeboats, they stayed still and did not rush the boats even though the ship was breaking up.

This noble and selfless act saved the women and children.


Some managed to swim the 2km to shore over the next 12 hours using pieces of wreckage to helpthem, but most drowned, died of exposure or got eaten by sharks.

Samuel Smiles: “Glory and honour to the gentle and the brave! The examples of such men never die, but like their memories, are immortal.”


2) Sir Ralph Tullibody of AbercrombySamuel Smiles: “Though in the midst of war he had the greatest sympathy for his men”

Abercromby and he was a popular, well-known commander who became something of a father figure within the British army. When they were in the Caribbean, he forbade his soldiers to do too much exercise during the hottest part of the day.


Loyalty and duty to his men’s welfare were important to Abercromby and he was a popular well-known commander who became something of a father figure in the British Army.

During the Napoleonic wars, Abercromby led an army in Egypt to fight the French. What the army managed to accomplish there helped boost its reputation as a formidable fighting force.


Abercromby was mortally injured on the battlefield in Egypt and a soldier’s blanket was put under his head to ease his pain but he refused and insisted that it be returned to the soldier at once.

Samuel Smiles: “... the gallant Sir Ralph Abercromby... Even to ease his dying agony the general would not deprive the private soldier of his blanket for one night.”


3) Thomas CarlyleSamuel Smiles: “Thomas Carlyle’s story is one of perseverance and application”

Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish author, historian and social critic. Carlyle was writing his book, ‘The French Revolution’ and he lent the first volume of his manuscript to a friend.


Unfortunately, the manuscript was accidentally burnt by a maid.

Although obviously upset by the accident and the task of rewriting, he was also concerned that his friend would not be blamed or feel bad about the incident and so set out resolutely to re-write it.

Samuel Smiles: “Rewriting of it a second time was one of pain and anguish almost beyond belief. That he persevered and finished the volume under such circumstances, affords an instance of determination of purpose which has seldom been surpassed”


4) Helen PetrieSamuel Smiles: “Helen Petrie showed true endurance and heroism”

A violent storm had broken out over the remote island of Unst. One by one the boats reached the harbour safely but the last boat was still out and was spotted having great difficulties by those ashore.


Helen Petrie was willing to put her own life at risk to save others. She quickly stepped into a small boat joined by her sister-in-law and her father.

Just as they approached the boat, one of the men was washed off, and he would have been drowned had Helen not caught him by his hair and dragged him into the boat. The other man was also rescued and they all returned to the harbour safely.

Samuel Smiles: “No less brave was the conduct of a young woman in the Shetlands. Heroines must, one would suppose be abundant in a country where such a thing could happen.”


5) Grace Horsley DarlingSamuel Smiles: “The example of the brave is an inspiration to the timid”

Grace helped her father in his duties often sharing the watch and effectively acting as assistant lighthouse keeper.

At about 5 a.m., as dawn broke at the lighthouse, Grace spotted the shipwreck and several survivors huddling on a rock.William and his daughter rowed the heavy boat to the shipwreck.


One by one, the nine survivors were placed in the boat and carried to the lighthouse.

The reports of this brave act produced a lot of interest in Grace and she was dubbed ‘the girl of the windswept hair’. The Humane Society voted for gold medals to be given to Grace and summer visitors flocked to the Farne Islands to see her and the site of the rescue, ‘Grace's deed’, as it came to be called.

Samuel Smiles: “Who can forget her - the heroic woman of the Longstone Lighthouse?”


6) Florence NightingaleSamuel Smiles: “How thankful the soldiers were! And how thoughtful and careful she was of them!”

Florence came from a respectable and well-to-do English Victorian family but as a teenager, she complained about what she saw as her parents’ empty, shallow life.

When she was 17, she persuaded her parents to let her travel with family friends to Rome where she met her spiritual mentor, Madre Santa Columba and became convinced she had a mission from God to help the sick2010 © National Library of Scotland!14

When she returned to England, she dedicated herself to becoming an expert on running hospitals, visiting many of them and studying medical texts. She impressed everyone who met her with her skill in organisation and nursing.

In the Crimean she went into the midst of human suffering, nursed the wounded soldiers and sailors, organised the system of nursing, and undertook the organisation of the field hospitals. She became known as ‘the Lady of the Lamp’ and in later years she was awarded many medals and became a national heroine.

Samuel Smiles: “Can anyone believe that women can undertake to nurse soldiers in time of war? And yet it is done bravely and nobly.”


Documents

The Hero Factor Transcript!...The Hero Factor Transcript! ! ! ! ! ! ! Samuel Smiles: “Rising above the heads of the mass, there were always to be found individuals distinguished