Richard Richardson

Richard Richardson, a fisherman, was lost on 'Filey Brigg' and his wife Elizabeth sought his body on the 'Brigg' for 11 weeks. She was possessed with an immovable persuasion that there, some day, she shoudl find him. All through the winter, from day to day, til late in March, she followed the receding tide, and with an earnest eye explored every ledge and crevice of the rocks, every inch of the wild chaos of huge stones that the storms hurled upon the 'Brigg' , and every wilderness of slippery and tangling seaweed. It was in vain that her neighbours told her that it would be hopeless, that they assured her that she would get her death from cold; every day that solitary watcher might be seen, reckless of wind or storm or frost; and at last she did find the corpse of her husband, and saw it consigned to 'mother clay'. She must have had a frame as hardy as her will, and as strong as her affections, for she survived this strange vigil of conjugal love thirty four years and to the age of nearly ninety. Our residence in this neighbourhood, and inquiries on the spot, enable us to finish the following particulars, with which Mr Dickens would be doubtless unacquainted. The day which Richard perished was St John's day. Several cobbles were out fishing when they were overtaken by a tremendous gale, and the crews of three boats were all drowned. Elizabeth 'dreamed' that she found his body near the 'Brigg' and was possessed with the conviction that she should. So day and night and night and day, she was on the sands and though for weeks her search was in vain and her neighbours thought she had gone mad, she perservered with what success the reader has seen.

B/16 St Oswald's Church, Filey

In memory of Richard Richardson who was
Unfortunately drowned Dec 27th 1799
aged 48yrs
By sudden wind and boisterous sea
The lord did take my life from me
But he to shore my body brought
But by my wife who for it sought
And here it rests in Mother clay
Until the Resurrection Day

Also of Elizabeth wife of the above
Who died January 19th 1833
aged 89yrs
Also 1 child of the above

Exert from 'Rambles around Filey' by Rev Shaw 2nd edit 1886 page 35