Henry Freeman (29th April 1835-13th December 1904 )
Born in Bridlington Henry worked in his youth as a brickmaker. He was successful at his work rising to the position of manager. With the decline of the brick trade Henry turned to the sea and fishing.
He moved to Whitby and became a fisherman and a lifeboatman. He was the sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster when a freak wave drowned all his companions. It was his first mission and he was the only member of the crew wearing the newly developed cork floatation jacket.
Henry was a lifeboatman for more than 40 years, 22 years as coxswain. He participated in many rescues and saved many lives and became a respected ambassador for the lifeboat cause and a prominent spokesman for his fellow fishermen.
An idea develops......
When a new lifeboat station for Whitby was proposed, Mike Russell the coxswain wanted something to represent Whitby its' Lifeboatmen and the long history of saving lives at sea. A photograph of Henry Freeman wearing the cork lifejacket seemed to show what Mike was looking for...... Mike contacted his friend the late Richard Sefton and the idea of a plaque to hang on the sea wall of the new boathouse began to take shape. A model was sculpted and everyone agreed that a plaque cast in bronze should be made.
Richard Sefton with Henry's lifesize clay sculpture.
A letter from Richard 12th April 2007.
My thoughts whilst working on my bronze of Henry Freeman to be unveiled at the opening of the new Whitby Lifeboat Station on the 7th September 2007, have been made known on several occasions, via press, media etc.
What is not widely known, is my follow on piece, a bronze figurine of Henry Freeman leaning against the rail of Whitby Harbour, simply as a fisherman, a classic pose.
This piece came about when, after delivering my life size clay sculpture to the Foundry to be cast in bronze, my workroom seemed quiet empty after a period of saying good morning, and goodnight to Henry whilst working on the piece, it felt like we had lost a member of the family, there was now a big empty space where he had been for some months.
By now I was so captivated by this great man, and having read just about everything written about him, I had the urge to take things a stage further, and so without a thought of where things might lead, I began working on the pre-mentioned standing figure.
Given that the very idea of having a life size sculpture of Henry Freeman mounted on the sea facing wall of the new lifeboat station, was down to Coxswain Mike Russell from the very beginning, I knew that he would be interested in my follow up piece.
One seeing the new sculpture in clay, Mike and several members of the lifeboat crew insisted that I return to the Foundry and have the piece cast in bronze.
This was duly done. The bronze figure, simply known as “Henry Freeman” is now in production at Lunts Foundry, Birmingham, and is a limited edition of 69, the age of Henry Freeman at the time of his passing.
It was very much my wish, and I am delighted to say, the wish of all concerned at the Whitby Station, from Coxswain Mike and the crew, that the piece should be foundered in England, rather that the cheaper option of going abroad. (we all know where that means don’t we?)
It has been considered by all, to be a sculpture of an English man, by an English man, Cast at an English Foundry, it is thought that this gives the piece the status the man deserves rather than a cheaper foreign import.
Sincerely
Richard Sefton - Sculptor
And so to this............
The final clay sculpture before casting.
Richard said in his letter that 69 bronzes would be cast one for each year of Henry's life, each one to come with a certificate signed by him authenticating each bronze. Below is a valuation by Lunts of the finished bronze.
Now is your chance to own one
There are still a few bronzes from the 69 left, if you would like to own one and help Whitby Lifeboat
contact blaster@whitbylifeboat.org.uk for more details of this offer and a chance to own this beautiful piece of
Whitby's history.