Primary 4 – 7 visited the Museum and archives to find out more about what happened to the Victorian whaling ship ‘Diana’.  Kirsty Clark led a hands-on workshop on what it was like at the Whaling in Victorian times and Mark and Brian Smith shared interesting information stored in the archives. We had a really interesting and informative visit, thank you all!

The Diana left for the Arctic in May 1866. At first the crew did well and they caught a small number of whales, but on the journey back the weather began to get worse and the ship was locked in a sea of frozen ice. It was trapped for over six months. Food was rationed, and fuel was in short supply; the sailors were driven to use anything they could get their hands on for food, even the wood from the ship’s masts and seal clubs.

By the time the ice had thawed and the Diana had finally landed in the Shetland Isles, 13 men were dead including Captain Gravill, the captain of the ship. A detailed log was written by the ship’s surgeon, Dr Charles Edward Smith, after the death of Captain Gravill.

We have entered a play in the Drama Festival which tells the story of the crew, many of which were Shetlanders. Some of the crew are our ancestors.

The play was written and directed by Marsali Taylor, based on the information in Dr Smith’s log entries. Dr Smith’s brother, Frederick Smith was mayor of West Ham and after hearing the tragic story of the Diana’s crew, he paid for a red marble drinking fountain to be erected on Victoria Pier in Lerwick.The memorial reads “The Providential Return of the S Whaler ‘Diana’ of Hull 1866-7”.