Portrait of Charles Slingsby
"ON A BRIGHT BUT COLD February day in 1869 a party, led by Sir Charles Slingsby, who was by now the Master of the Hunt, left Scriven Park, near Knaresborough, to a meet at Stainley.
There was a capital run of an hour or so after which the fox, followed by the pack, crossed the River Ure at Newby Hall.
While some of the hunt opted to cross the river at a ford further upstream, the majority chose to use the ferry which is close to Newby Hall.
The river was swollen (about 50 to 60 yards across) and flowing fast but the ferry was often used in these conditions. The hunt had also used it before on more than one occasion.
It was a flat bottomed vessel about 30 feet long and 10 feet across with a double rail 2 feet high running down either side.
Sir Charles went aboard first with his mount "Saltfish", closely followed by 10 others while the ferry was designed for half that number.
About a third of the way across Saltfish kicked out at a neighbouring horse and the rest of the horses became restive. Saltfish jumped over the side and Sir Charles either jumped or was pulled in after him.
There was a general shift of people and horses to the side where the mishap had occurred which caused the ferry to tip and rock violently.
Inevitably it capsized and all the passengers were tossed into the freezing water. Horses struck out madly in all directions causing many injuries to the riders who desperately swam to the side or tried to cling to the ferry.
Sir Charles was seen to start swimming for the far bank but, just before reaching it, his arms raised skyward, his head relaxed and he floated away. 5th of the 11 men were pulled ashore and 3 horses, including Saltfish, swam to safety.
Saltfish climbed clear of the river and arrived back at Scriven Park the same night under his own steam"
[Source: http:/redhouse.orpheusweb.co.uk/history.htm (accessed 15.1.2013)]
The site of the ferry crossing the River Ure at Newby Hall
The memorial to the disaster in the gardens at Newby Hall
See also the English Heritage description:
"MEMORIAL OF THE NIDD FERRY DISASTER IN GROUNDS TO SOUTH OF NEWBY HALL c.1869"
"Possibly using earlier architectural remains. Ashlar and gritstone. Overall height approximately 3 metres. The square base has round-arched recess on each side. Clustered Corinthian columns above, strange grape decoration to inner columns. Ball and cushion finials to top. 4 mushroom-shaped finials flank the columns.
The memorial has no obvious representation of the incident it is said to commemorate.
On February 4th 1869 the York and Ainsty Hunt reached the banks of the River Ure which was swollen after heavy rain. Several members boarded the ferry to east of the kitchen garden but one of the horses became tangled in the chains on the side of the ferry, panicked and tipped the boat over. Six men were drowned, including Sir Charles Slingsby, the heir to the estates in Knaresborough and Scriven, Captain Henry Vyner and Edmund Robinson - members of the family of Newby Hall. Clare and Robert Vyner were saved.
It was a dramatic event which had a considerable impact on the history of estates in the area. The memorial originally stood in woodland to east of the kitchen gardens."
[Source: http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/default.aspx?pid=2&id=331801 (accessed 16.1.2013).]
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