Blue plaque unveiled for heroic Mumbles sisters

A BLUE plaque has been unveiled to commemorate the bravery of two Mumbles sisters. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Swansea Council has put up the plaque to honour the memory of Margaret and Jennie Ace, who saved members of the Mumbles lifeboat crew after it struck rocks below the lighthouse on a stormy January morning in 1883. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The plaque is located at a spot close to Mumbles Pier that overlooks the sea. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Mumbles lifeboat, called the Wolverhampton, got into trouble when it was launched to help an 885-ton German ship called the Prinz Aldabert, of Danzig, which had also struck rocks at Mumbles head. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ignoring their father’s warning, the two sisters waded into the water, rescued two men and helped another to safety. They both received gold breeches from the Empress of Germany for looking after the German ship’s crew. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Jenny Sabine, of the Women’s Archive of Wales and the Royal Institution of South Wales, spoke at the blue plaque unveiling event. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, was also present. He said: “Our blue plaque scheme has been an outstanding success story since being first introduced a few years ago. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The plaque for the Ace sisters is the thirteenth we’ve unveiled as we continue to honour and commemorate Swansea’s fascinating heritage. Their blue plaque status is richly deserved – these two sisters were ordinary people who did an extraordinarily courageous thing in the face of extreme adversity. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The story of their heroism on that terribly stormy morning in 1883 is the stuff of local legend. It even inspired a poem recited by generations of local schoolchildren in the decades that followed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“From writers and explorers to scientists and missionaries, our blue plaque scheme in Swansea is really starting to gather momentum. More plaques will follow in future for people and places that have helped raise Swansea’s profile across the world throughout history.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Other blue plaque recipients in Swansea have included Badfinger singer Pete Ham, polar explorer Edgar Evans, suffragette Emily Phipps, gothic novelist Ann of Swansea and poet Vernon Watkins. St Helen’s and Cwmdonkin Park are among the places to have been honoured. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​