1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Crazy v Wilson. I mentioned this in 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 1: our Sneakers episode, so it's not going to be any 5 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: surprise that we're doing this. We also came up in 6 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: another one that it was definitely going to happen today 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: is Samuel Plimsoll Day at Last. And when I looked 8 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: up Samuel Plimsol while I was working on a Sneaker 9 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: episode because it referenced a part of his life's work 10 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: that we will talk about today, I found out that 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: he seemed to be a pretty great guy. He was 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: an advocate for better working conditions for sailors and an 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: advocate for better conditions for a lot of things. A 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: lot of write ups and newspaper mentions about him from 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: his own time call him an agitator because of this, 16 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: because he was not shy about telling people they were 17 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: really doing it wrong when it came to taking care 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: of others. So it's just a perfect topic for Stuff 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: you missed in History Class. Listen. Uh, There's always a 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: possibility when you're working on one of these that the 21 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: person that you're talking about had some sort of secret 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: ugliness in the dark corners of his life. But if 23 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: he did, I sure did not find it, which was 24 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: a huge relief because often secret racism and I did 25 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: not encounter any such stories about Samuel Plimsoll. It so 26 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: often shows up so late in the process, yes, that 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: it's like, well, now I have to take a totally 28 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: different direction with this episode, yeah, or we have to 29 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: have this big caveat about Yeah. Seemed like seemed like 30 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: it was great, honestly wanted to make the world a 31 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: better place, and then it took a turnt so. Samuel 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: plimsl was born on February tenth, eighteen twenty four, in Bristol, England, 33 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,639 Speaker 1: which is in the southwest part of the country, about 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: one hundred miles west of London. The River Avon runs 35 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: through the center of Bristol and out the nearby Bristol 36 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: Channel that connects to the Atlantic Ocean. His father, Thomas Plemsil, 37 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: was an excise man, and his mother was Priscilla Willing Clemson, 38 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: and her father had been a shipwright. The family was large. 39 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: Samuel had twelve siblings, although several of them died in childhood. 40 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: He was Thomas and Priscilla's seventh child and was described 41 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: in one writing about him as quote an old head 42 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: on young shoulders. When Samuel was three, the family moved 43 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: to the town of Penrith in Cumberland. They moved again 44 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: when he was fourteen, to Sheffield. Samuel's activist proclivities evidenced 45 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: themselves very early on in his life. When he was 46 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: a young teenager, he wrote a pamphlet for social reform 47 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: while still in school, titled A Plan to have Fatherless 48 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: and motherless children cared for instead of being consigned to 49 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: the workhouse. Uh. Basically, he didn't want kids to have 50 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: to go through dredgery just because they had already had 51 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: a family tragedy. And this little pamphlet might have been 52 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: inspired in part by the serialization of Oliver Twist, which 53 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: was published monthly in the magazine Bentley's Miscellini starting in 54 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty seven. There's been a lot of speculation that 55 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: he read that and was very moved to try to 56 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: make an effort to create better conditions for orphans. When 57 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: Thomas died, the family fell into poverty, and that of 58 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: course had a significant impact on Samuel, who was sixteen 59 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: at the time of his father's death. Although he was 60 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: still just a kid, he was the oldest son at 61 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: home and that meant he was responsible for the family's 62 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: welfare and he had to take care of his mother 63 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: and his five younger siblings. Initially, he was kind of 64 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: hustling to make ends meet by managing a widow's pension 65 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: that his mother received, and that included saving a little 66 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: bit on the side so that he could buy hair 67 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: pelts and send them to his older brother in London 68 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: to resell for a profit. Then Samuel left school to 69 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: start working as a lawyer's clerk. He moved on to 70 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: a clerking position at the Pond Street Brewery a couple 71 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,799 Speaker 1: of years later. He also wrote speeches for Thomas Burks, 72 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: who was a partner in the brewery and also the 73 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: mayor of Sheffield. But although he was not attending regular school, 74 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: he knew he had to get a complete education, and 75 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: he started going to night classes at the People's College 76 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: of Sheffield after it opened in eighteen forty two. What 77 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: would a mid nineteenth century English episode be without the 78 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: inclusion of the London Great Exposition of eighteen fifty one. 79 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: I feel like it's a recurrent character on Stuffian Bison 80 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: history class, and that's fine by me. Plimsol worked to 81 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: ensure that Sheffield was well represented there at that expo. 82 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: He also got to show off several of his own 83 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: inventions there. Biographer Nicolette Jones, writing in two thousand and six, 84 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: put Samuel Plimsel's inventive tendencies this way quote. Samuel specialized 85 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: in simple logical solutions that someone else should have thought 86 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: of before. One that was on display at the expo 87 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: was an umbrella that had no handle. It was designed 88 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: to attach to a walking stick that somehow reminds me 89 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: of the tents that are made by things that connect 90 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: to people's hiking poles. Yeah, just cutting down on the 91 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: amount of stuff that you got to carry around. That 92 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: seemed to be a lot of his inventions were very like, 93 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: why don't we just simplify this a little bit? Yeah. Great. 94 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: On December twentieth, eighteen fifty one, the warren Vale Colliery 95 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: at Swinton, Yorkshire had an explosion that was at six 96 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: point fifty five am. Fifty one people died, and roughly 97 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: half of them were teenagers really on the younger side 98 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: of their teen years. While an investment stigation looked into 99 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: the cause of this blast, plem Cell saw a more 100 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: immediate need, which was help for the survivors and the 101 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: families who were dealing with this loss. Just as the 102 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: pamphlet he wrote as a teenager had shown, he thought 103 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: there were better ways to help orphaned children than to 104 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: put them in a workhouse, and he started a fund 105 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: to ensure that these children and widows who were left 106 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: behind would have their needs met as they grieved and 107 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: as they tried to rebuild their lives. Over the course 108 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: of the next decade, Plimsel carefully built up his finances, 109 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: but he also used his energies to help people in 110 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: his community. In fact, he later said quote I was 111 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: desirous of wealth as a condition of devoting myself to 112 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: public service. Through the connections that he made through working 113 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: with Thomas Burks, he was able to become a coal merchant, 114 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: working with railway companies to secure transport deals, and he 115 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 1: moved to London in eighteen fifty three to support this 116 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: new career. This was a departure from the way that 117 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: coal had been transported for centuries, which was of course 118 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 1: largely by sea and then sometimes by horse cart. He 119 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: left his job at the brewery and he invested in 120 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: the Great Northern Railway as part of this business move, 121 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: and that was a bad idea. He trusted the wrong 122 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: people and this investment led to bankruptcy because he kind 123 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: of got cheated out of that investment, but he did 124 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: still believe in the idea of rail transport for coal. 125 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: Because of his financial problems, he had to live in 126 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: a charity house in London. He'd later described feeling ashamed 127 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: of being in such a position, but that the months 128 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: that he lived alongside the city's poorest residence gave him 129 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: a valuable education about compassion and care. He wrote about 130 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: the way people with very little formed community and took 131 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: care of one another with shared resources and with kindness. 132 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: This experience gave him an even deeper resolve to help 133 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: people who were in need, and that became the guiding 134 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: principle of his life. He started working as a coal 135 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: merchant again, building up a clientele by asking satisfied customers 136 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: to tell their friends about him. As he built up 137 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: his financial reserves, he also purchased some property along the 138 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: planned route of a new underground railway. He knew that 139 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: the railway company would have to purchase these properties. Even 140 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: though it seemed like a safe bet, this was still 141 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: risky because he had to borrow money for a lot 142 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: of these purchases. But this time the investment paid off 143 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: and plumsall made a lot of money. He also patented 144 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: an invention for the coal industry as he was getting 145 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,439 Speaker 1: back on his feet financially. It was a coal drop 146 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: that enabled workers to empty out wagons without damaging the coal. 147 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: Prior to this, a lot of this would end up broken, 148 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: and that meant losses for the company, and it also 149 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: meant more work for the laborers. Plimshall's invention improved his 150 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: own coal business, it helped him continue to grow his fortune, 151 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: and it also became fairly standard in the industry. Coming up, 152 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: we'll talk about Samuel Primzel's one arrest, but first we 153 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: will pause for a sponsor break. Samuel Plimsel very clearly 154 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: had a well developed sense of right and wrong from 155 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: a young age, but that did cause problems on occasion. 156 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty six, when Plimsoll was thirty two, he 157 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: got into a bit of legal trouble when he was 158 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: arrested for assault. This had occurred late in the evening 159 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: on Waterloo Bridge where Samuel and a friend were crossing. 160 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: It was something that they had to pay a toll 161 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: of a halfpenny to cross. Plimsell's friend had paid a penny, 162 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: covering them both, but while the friend walked through the turnstile, 163 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: Plimsol walked around it and proceeded on the carriageway instead 164 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: of the footpath. It was kind of like they were 165 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: walking side by side, and he didn't want to stop 166 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: their conversation and to get in single file line. He 167 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: just kept going, Uh. It's a little bit unclear because 168 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: it seems like because it was late and the bridge 169 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: was quiet, he just wanted to, like I said, maintain 170 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 1: his side by side walking with his friend rather than 171 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: having to shift their arrangement. But the tollkeeper did not 172 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: enjoy this. He yelled at Plimsol and said he had 173 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: to come back and walk through the turnstile. Plimsole refused 174 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: to do it, insisting that the toll had been paid 175 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: he was entitled to cross that bridge. However, he pleased. 176 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: It is unclear what the nature of the assault was. 177 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: As this conflict escalated, but after he was released on bail, 178 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 1: Samuel Primsol returned to the bridge, paid a halfpenny and 179 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: asked the tollkeeper to show him the legal documentation that 180 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,719 Speaker 1: said that he could not cross the bridge on the carriageway. 181 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: He knew that no such law could be produced, uh, 182 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: and so it was kind of just his way to 183 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: make his point and be a little bit spiteful. Three 184 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: days later, though, Plimsol was before a judge arguing that 185 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: he had paid for access to the bridge and that 186 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: the tollkeeper had been insolent. This case did not go 187 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: Plimsol's way. He was fined three pounds. But I really 188 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: like that story. I like it too. It's so funny 189 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: to be like the tollkeeper's insolence was not a legal matter. Really, 190 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: he was a jerk. So I wasn't going to go back. 191 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: I paid my thing. I didn't do anything wrong. There's 192 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: no law. There's not even a sign that says I 193 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: have to do it this way. Yeah, why do I 194 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: have to pay three pounds? A horrible tragedy played out 195 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: in Womwell, South Yorkshire, on February nineteenth, eighteen fifty seven. 196 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: A colliery that sat between Womwell and the nearby village 197 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: of els Gar had a catastrophic explosion. There were two 198 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty people in the mine when this explosion happened, 199 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: and one hundred and eighty nine of them were killed, 200 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: as well as all of the horses. Some of the 201 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: workers who died were experienced miners in their fifties, but 202 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,079 Speaker 1: some of them were children as young as ten years old. 203 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: According to the Northern Mind Research Society, ninety women were 204 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: widowed that day and two hundred and twenty children were orphaned. 205 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: Once again, Plimsoll led the relief effort and raised more 206 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: than ten thousand pounds to help the families and to 207 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: keep people out of workhouses. In addition to raising money, 208 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: he also did his own analysis of the conditions in 209 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: the minds and made recommendations regarding a number of early 210 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: warning safety measures that could be adopted. It's not clear 211 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,599 Speaker 1: if any of these were ever used. Yeah, his fundraising 212 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: got really really famous. Like there are a lot of 213 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: very famous people that are noted as having donated to 214 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: this fund, in particular, including Queen Victoria. Later in eighteen 215 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: fifty seven, Plimsoll married Eliza Ann Rilton on October first, 216 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: and this was a match that appeared to be very good. 217 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: Both emotionally they were very close in a great match 218 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 1: for each other, but also situationally because Eliza was Samuel's 219 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: best friend, his partner in his decisions, and a tireless 220 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: supporter of his work, and because her stepfather was a 221 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: partner in a coal mining company, he made a lot 222 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: of good business connections. With this marriage, Eliza and Samuel 223 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: wanted children, but they had difficulty. After seven years of marriage, 224 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: they finally had a baby girl, but she died soon 225 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: after she was born. Later, they adopted Samuel's great niece, 226 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: Nelly after her father died, and by all accounts they 227 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: doated on her. In eighteen sixty four, Plymsel had an 228 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: experience while he was a passenger on a steamer that 229 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: really shifted the trajectory of his life and gave him 230 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: a passion for labor activism. He was on this steamer 231 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: overnight in an intense storm. The next day, as they 232 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: traveled north along the coast of Yorkshire from Flameborough Head 233 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: to the River Tees, saw four shipwrecks. He noticed that 234 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: while these ships had been lost in the storm the 235 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: night before, a lot of them looked old and rited out, 236 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: and he realized that a lot of people lost their 237 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: lives simply because they had been sent out on poorly 238 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: maintained vessels. When he arrived home late at the dock, 239 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: his wife was there and obviously very worried, and she 240 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: greeted him tearfully and was just grateful that he had 241 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: made it home. He later recounted that moment in a speech, saying, quote, 242 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: I mingled my tears with hers because I was thinking 243 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: of those other women who had also spent a sleepless 244 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: night and who would never see their husbands again. I 245 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: was thinking of good and brave men who would never 246 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: return home. And I resolved, deep down in my heart 247 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: to devote myself to this work. What was the difference 248 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: between me and these poor drowned sailors. He also stated 249 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: that since that moment quote, my wife and I have 250 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: regarded everything we put us as held in trust for 251 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: the sailor. If it is necessary, we will spend it 252 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: for them as freely as our sailors would shed their 253 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: blood for their country if we got into trouble. Witnessing 254 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: so much needless devastation really got Samuel Plumsel fired up, 255 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: and he started his own investigation into maritime business. He 256 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 1: met with a lot of shipowners, and while there were 257 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: definitely many of them who were conscientious and were happy 258 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: to meet and speak with him about their work, there 259 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: were also a lot of them who were really shady, 260 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: and they were happy to cut corners in every single 261 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: way if it meant that they could make more money. 262 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: It actually benefited these unscrupulous operators to let their ships 263 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: go without maintenance and to overload their cargo holds to 264 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: a dangerous degree. They would take out insurance policies on 265 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: their ships, run them really hard without spending any money 266 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: on upkeep, and then collect their insurance payouts when the 267 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: ships inevitably fell apart. Rationally, most merchant ships only carried 268 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: two life boys on board two because they were expensive, 269 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: and some captains apparently said that having more of them 270 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: would make their ships look weak. Now, it was not 271 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: like Samuel Plemsoll was the first person ever to discover 272 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: this problem. Just the poorer conditions of the ships and 273 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: the overweight loads should have gained condemnation, But that you 274 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: add in the insurance scam aspect of all of it 275 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: that makes it seem unconscionable. People should have seen this previously, 276 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: and people did know all about it, But there was 277 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: a tricky aspect to talking about and calling out these problems. 278 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: The book Good Men and True Biographies of Workers in 279 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: the Fields of Beneficence and Benevolence, written by Alexander H. 280 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: Japp in eighteen ninety, explains the legal issue that held 281 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: people back with this quote. The tricks of the trade 282 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: of ship owning were very well known before mister plemsol 283 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: and merged prominently into public view. The Lifeboat Journal had 284 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: frequently dwelt on them and exposed them, and even the 285 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 1: reports of the Board of Trade had acknowledged the existence 286 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: of the evil. Newspapers of a more independent turn had 287 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: often made their readers shudder by suggestions of horrors that 288 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: could not be detailed. But the law of libel, though 289 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: very loose in some respects, is very tight in others. 290 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: And general statements somehow made no more impression on the 291 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: public mind than the blow of a baby's hand on 292 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: a feather pillow. It seems to yield easily to the impact, 293 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: but no lasting impression is produced. General statements alone were safe, 294 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: and if you are to do any good in a 295 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: case where vested interests are so directly involved, you must 296 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: come to very close quarters. Indeed, so unless papers and 297 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: reports named names and gave specific details, nothing was really 298 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: going to have enough impact. But because of libel laws, 299 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: if a newspaper or magazine actually did that, it would 300 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: almost certainly be put out of business. Plimsoll, armed with 301 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: the information that he had gathered, dedicated his life to 302 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: making a change, and that meant running for a seat 303 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: in Parliament. In eighteen sixty five, he ran to be 304 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: the representative of the constituency of Darby, but he did 305 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: not win. He didn't give up though. He ran again 306 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty seven, and that time he won and 307 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: became a member of the House of Commons in eighteen 308 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,639 Speaker 1: sixty eight at the age of forty four. His early 309 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: efforts in the Chamber were in defense of trade unions, 310 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: although his speech skills were considered quite poor at that 311 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: point and he didn't have a huge impact with them. 312 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 1: He started really advocating for a legislation that would benefit 313 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,719 Speaker 1: sailors in eighteen seventy. One of his proposals was marking 314 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: the side of a ship to denote the maximum load level. 315 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: This wasn't a new idea, but it had never been 316 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: really pushed very hard. And Plimzel decided he would do it. 317 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: He put forth a bill for a safe load line 318 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 1: and regular ship inspections in eighteen seventy one, but it failed. 319 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: In eighteen seventy three, Plimsol published a scathing criticism of 320 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: the state of the maritime business, noting that a lot 321 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: of sailors were working on ships that were barely seaworthy 322 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:27,439 Speaker 1: and precariously dangerous. Plmzell pointed out in this writing that 323 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: often these ships had huge insurance policies, so the owners 324 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 1: knew that if they fell apart at seat, they would 325 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: be well compensated, but they didn't have any financial protections 326 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: in place for the sailors or their families. He referred 327 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: to these boats as coffin ships. That book, which has 328 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: the somewhat less than ideal title of Our Seamen An Appeal, 329 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: opens with quote, everybody knows that there is a great 330 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 1: loss of life on our coasts annually, and nearly everybody 331 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: deplores it. I am sure that if the English public 332 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: equally knew how much of this loss is preventable and 333 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: the means of preventing it, no long time would elapse 334 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 1: before means would be taken to secure this end, it 335 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: is with the view of giving this information so as 336 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: to enable each person who reads these pages to pronounce 337 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: with decision upon this question, that this pamphlet is submitted 338 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: to the public. He goes on later to state, quote, 339 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: A great number of ships are regularly sent to see 340 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 1: in such rotten and otherwise ill provided state that they 341 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: can only reach their destination through fine weather, and a 342 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: large number are so overloaded that it is nearly impossible 343 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: for them to also reach their destination if the voyage 344 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: is at all rough. This whole writing is supported by receipts. 345 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: Clemsel reprints government reports in his book, calling attention to 346 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: details that make it clear that these problems were known 347 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: early on. He wrote, quote, the next statement is made 348 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: by no less than a third already than the government itself, 349 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: for the page you see before you, as part of 350 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: the annual report of the Board of Trade. And I 351 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 1: beg your attention to the words which I have underlined, 352 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: the section with the underlined text and the report read quote. 353 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: In eighteen sixty eight, there were one hundred and thirty 354 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: one res and casualties to spacks and other fishing vessels. 355 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: Excluding these, one hundred and thirty one fishing vessels. It 356 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: will be seen that the number of vessels employed in 357 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 1: the regular carrying trade that have suffered from wreck or 358 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: casualty during the year is two thousand. If this number 359 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: is again subdivided, it will be found that about half 360 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: of it is represented by the unseaworthy, overladen or ill 361 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 1: found vessels of the collier class chiefly employed in the 362 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,880 Speaker 1: coasting trade. For the six years ending eighteen sixty eight, 363 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: the number is more than half. So for clarity, half 364 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: of the shipwrecks that happened that were recorded by the 365 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: government were because the boats were not up to the task. 366 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,160 Speaker 1: And if you're hearing all of this and you think, wow, 367 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:11,159 Speaker 1: it sure is odd that everybody knew that the shipping 368 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: industry had problems, but no one was doing anything about 369 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: it before this, So did a lot of Plimshole's contemporaries. 370 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: In the book about Benevolent Men by jap that we 371 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, which was written while Plimsol was still alive, 372 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 1: the author also mentions the various reports that had been 373 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: made about shipping's dangers to workers, and then stated, quote, 374 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: it seems odd that a government which could year after 375 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: year make such records as that did not bestir itself 376 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: to end the evil or to lessen it. Materially very 377 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: odd that agitation for change should be left to a 378 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,719 Speaker 1: private member of Parliament who had to undergo no end 379 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: of toil, anxiety, loss, and even of opposition, and worse still, 380 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: positive abuse from many quarters. Mister Plimsol was assailed on 381 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: all sides by shipowners and their friends or agents. Plmsall 382 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: became a hero to sailors everywhere almost instantly, while his 383 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: detractors in Parliament pointed out that he had no experience 384 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: as a sailor or a shipowner himself. Actual sailors and 385 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: shipowners who ran above board operations were glad to have 386 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,920 Speaker 1: somebody in the government advocating for better practices. The same 387 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: year his book was published, the Walter Hood and Company 388 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: Shipyard named one of their new merchant sailing ships, the 389 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: Samuel Plimsoll. All of this led to legal trouble for 390 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 1: Plimsol because a lot of people were really angry that 391 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: he was calling out their shifty business practices. We're going 392 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: to get into all of that after we hear from 393 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: the sponsors that keep stuff you missed in history class, 394 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: going as the issue of shipping reform got a lot 395 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: more attention through Plimsoll's work. He was sued for libel 396 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 1: by a dozen different shipowners, but the most high profile 397 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: of them went nowhere. There were a couple that really 398 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: tried to press it, and after they failed, the rest 399 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 1: of those suits were withdrawn. At the same time, as 400 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: more people heard about this work and the conflicts it 401 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: was causing, Plimsoll also gained a lot of support. This 402 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: surge of popularity led to a request for another bill 403 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: to be presented, and Plimsoll worked alongside several of his 404 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: colleagues in preparing it. Some portions of that bill passed, 405 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: but it only gave municipal authorities the right to inspect 406 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 1: ships if they already looked run down. However, the ongoing 407 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: interest in the issues that Plymsall had laid bare and 408 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: his writing led to the establishment of a Royal commission 409 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: to investigate his claims. When a subsequent bill about reforms 410 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:57,400 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventy five didn't even make it to a vote, 411 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: Plemzell started pointing a finger at Government of f and 412 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: politicians who were financially tied to the shipping industry. He 413 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: had to formally apologize for doing so, but he continued 414 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: to vocally criticize the lack of legislation just now without 415 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 1: naming any of his specific colleagues in the process. There's 416 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: an interesting turn that happened over the course of several 417 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: years with regards to Plimsol's representation in the press. In 418 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,439 Speaker 1: his early days as a member of Parliament, he was 419 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: often lampooned in political cartoons for these sort of mumbling, 420 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: rambling speeches. But as he gained momentum and his maritime 421 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: reform efforts, the press started depicting him in a more 422 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: positive light and poking fun at the MPs who opposed him. 423 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:49,959 Speaker 1: Benjamin Disraeli started calling Samuel's supporters the Plimsolites. In eighteen 424 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: seventy six, the New Merchant Shipping Act was finally passed, 425 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: in large part because Samuel Plimsol had been such a 426 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: tireless advocate for reform, and that act stated that any 427 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 1: vessel could be inspected by the Board of Trade and 428 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: that ships had to display a maximum loading line, which 429 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 1: came to be known as the Plimsol line. For the 430 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: first several years, the addition of this line was not enforced. 431 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: This was purposely. It gave shipowners time to add it 432 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,879 Speaker 1: to the holes of their vessels, but then starting in 433 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety, it was mandatory. In the year eighteen seventy one, 434 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: the likelihood of loss of life at sea was one 435 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: in seventy five. In eighteen ninety it was one in 436 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 1: one hundred and eleven, so Plimsol's work immediately had an impact. 437 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: In the years after the passage of this Act, Samuel 438 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,399 Speaker 1: Plmsall's life had its ups and downs. He lost his 439 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: election and retired from politics in eighteen eighty and at 440 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: that point Eliza's health was precarious. They spent a lot 441 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: of time traveling looking for the perfect climate to try 442 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 1: to help her recover. There were a lot of scares 443 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: along the way. She had become very sick. They would 444 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 1: have to get a doctor to come from England to 445 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,360 Speaker 1: where she was. At one point they were in Madeira 446 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: and she suffered what's referred to as an attack of paralysis, 447 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: which might have been a stroke, but she recovered. They 448 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,359 Speaker 1: moved on to South Africa, where she seemed to do 449 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: quite well. In the summer of eighteen eighty one, they 450 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: traveled through Europe and India and they parted ways, while 451 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: Samuel returned to England for business, and Eliza and Nelly 452 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: went on to Brisbane, Australia to visit relatives, but Eliza 453 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,160 Speaker 1: fell ill there and could not make the trip back. 454 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 1: After ten days with pneumonia, she died. Samuel learned of 455 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:44,160 Speaker 1: her passing after an associate received a telegram with the news. Initially, 456 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: she was buried in Australia, but after three days Samuel 457 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: had her body disinterred so that it could be buried 458 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: at home in England. Yeah that telegram had specifically been 459 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: sent to one of his associates because nobody wanted him 460 00:27:57,800 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: to get that news that way. They wanted somebody that 461 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: he he trusted to be able to tell him in person, 462 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 1: because they didn't want him to be alone when he 463 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: found out. Several years later, in eighteen eighty five, Plimsoll 464 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: married a second time to Harriet Frankish Wade. She was 465 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: twenty seven years younger than him, but Harriet, like Eliza, 466 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: was very much on the same page as Samuel, and 467 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: joined him in his activism. The two of them had 468 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 1: several children together, and they named their second child, a 469 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: daughter after Eliza. Samuel Plemsol became the honorary president of 470 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: the National Amalgamated Sailors and Fireman's Union in eighteen eighty seven. 471 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: While he wasn't a politician anymore and was mostly retired, 472 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,239 Speaker 1: he still spoke out in support of the rights of 473 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: these and other workers. He also felt that there was 474 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: still plenty of room for reform in the maritime business, 475 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: and his next focus was cattle ships. He wrote at 476 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: length about the need to make the transport of live 477 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: animals more humane, with an eye toward ending that completely, 478 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: writing quote, the state of things I shall herein try 479 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: to make plain is only of recent growth, but it 480 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,959 Speaker 1: involves such cruelty to animals and so much loss of 481 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: life to semen, that I should have given it precedence. 482 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 1: In eighteen ninety six, Limsel took on a very unusual project. 483 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: He wanted to try to mend some of the animosity 484 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: between the US and Britain by editing US history textbooks. 485 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: This sounds sort of cocka. Maybe it did sound that 486 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: way to people in the United States initially, but once 487 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: he arrived in North America he won over quite a 488 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: few people. He wasn't making a case that Britain was 489 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: a victim It was more like he thought that if 490 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: everyone could accept that the outcome of the Revolutionary War 491 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: was settled, like you're not fighting with us anymore. We 492 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: all know that you won your independence. We acknowledge that 493 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,120 Speaker 1: maybe the two countries could get along again, and we 494 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: could probably do a lot of good as allies. He 495 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: didn't try to whitewash or e RaSE anything, but he 496 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: did think that there was room for improvement in the 497 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: way that history was taught. He basically wanted to add 498 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: more nuance and make it less like these people evil, 499 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: these people good. He's like everybody has fault, everybody has benefit. 500 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 1: He wanted to erase this sense that England could not 501 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: be trusted that he felt was being taught to kids. 502 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: He gave lectures in cities throughout the US. He was 503 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: always urging educators to reevaluate their textbooks for any kind 504 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: of bias. In a write up in the Achson Daily 505 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: Globe of Atchson, Kansas, the opening about Plemzell's US tour 506 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: has kind of a get a load of this guy 507 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: toned to it, but then shares that Samuel Plemsoll is 508 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: a genuine and kind man. Quote. If all Englishmen were 509 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: like Samuel Plemsel, he would not have the slightest difficulty 510 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 1: in achieving his object. And if all Americans were as 511 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: good as he, this would be a great and glorious nation. 512 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: A great, big heart has, mister Plemsel, a heart that 513 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: beats for all humanity. You know this as soon as 514 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: you have seen the kindly, benevolent way in which he 515 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: beams through his glasses at all the world. And he 516 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: was quite liked almost everywhere he went. In the US. 517 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: He did manage to get the US Commission for Education 518 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: to pull anti British books from public schools. After the 519 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: US tour, Plimsol returned to England. He continued to crusade 520 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: for reform there on a variety of issues, but at 521 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: this point in his life he had slowed considerably. He 522 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: had a number of health complaints that he had been 523 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,479 Speaker 1: nursing along through the years, including diabetes and kidney disease, 524 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: and they were really starting to get the better of him. 525 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: He continued to decline until his death on June third, 526 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety eight, at the age of seventy four. His 527 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: adopted daughter Nelly was with him. Every ship in Folkston 528 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: Harbor flew their flags at half masted when the news broke, 529 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: and his coffin was carried from the hearst to his 530 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: grave by local sailors. Birmingham Gazette wrote of his passing quote, 531 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: by Samuel Plemsol's death, we lose a bold champion of 532 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: individual rights and a true and honest man who, without 533 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: special gifts or genius, achieved a remarkable success by sincerity 534 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: and courage. And by nineteen thirty, after a lot of 535 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: debate and a little bit of controversy, load lines on 536 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: ships were regulated at an international level. That Samuel Plimsol, 537 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: dun dun, duh. Do you also have some listener mail? 538 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: I do, and this so made me laugh, which I 539 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: always love. This is from our listener Chelsea, who writes Hi, 540 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy. During the listener mail portion of your 541 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: recent episode Charles Goodyear and Vulcanized Rubber, I had to 542 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: chuckle when Holly wrapped up with anyway, that's the long answer. 543 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: I think I was chuckling two at the time. That 544 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 1: was just for reference for anyone. In answer to the 545 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: email about the Fezzi where we were talking about what 546 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: qualifies as history and how do we define what we 547 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 1: do and do not talk about in terms of how 548 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 1: old it has to be. Chelsea continues. It immediately reminded 549 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: me of the social media trend about asking a friend 550 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: how they're doing and saying you always want the long 551 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: version when it comes to you, two fantastic humans, your 552 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: listeners always want the long answer. While I love your 553 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: beautifully researched history episodes, I genuinely enjoy hearing your personal 554 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: thoughts in Banter just as much. It's exactly why I 555 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: look forward to Behind the Scenes every Friday. Thank you 556 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: for being a bright spot in my week and my 557 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: favorite podcast for ten years running. I know I'm definitely 558 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: not alone in feeling that way, Chelsea. Chelsea, this is 559 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: the sweetest email. Also, I don't know that everybody agrees 560 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: with you. I'm verbos. You can cut some of my 561 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 1: stuff sometimes, but I do like to chitter chatter. I can't. 562 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 1: I have been this way since I was a child. 563 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,720 Speaker 1: You looked at my reports from I remember my first 564 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: I saw not that long ago, one of my report 565 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: cards from first grade that was like, oh, it's a 566 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: joy to have in class. But she talks too much. 567 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:08,319 Speaker 1: And here we are fifty years later. Oh yeah, still 568 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:15,320 Speaker 1: talks too much. Talk about art history. Art history. Thanks thanks, 569 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: We love it. But that's a very sweety mail, so 570 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: thank you. I'm keenly aware that sometimes I talk people 571 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: see your soft it's got compulsion. I don't have a 572 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 1: lot of control in any case, Thank you, Thank you, Chelsea. 573 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 1: That made my week. If you would like to write 574 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 1: to us, maybe tell me I talk too much and 575 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:36,279 Speaker 1: shut up? You could do that. I guess do that 576 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:40,839 Speaker 1: a history podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also 577 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,279 Speaker 1: find the show notes for all of our episodes at 578 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,239 Speaker 1: mystinhistory dot com, which will include the sources that we 579 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,840 Speaker 1: use to put them together. And if you haven't subscribed 580 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: to the show and you want to, that is easyps 581 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 1: of rice and cheesy. You can do it on the 582 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,399 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 583 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: Stuff you Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 584 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:11,439 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 585 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.