Tributes paid to Southport hero who rang Marshside Fog Bell for 8 hours to save life of shrimper

Tributes have been paid to John Wright, the last person to use the Fog Bell in Marshside in Southport – when he rang it for eight hours to save the life of a local shrimper. 

Volunteers from Southport Lifeboat were among those paying their respects when the funeral for the heroic 92-year-old took place. 

The historic Marshside Fog Bell is currently being restored, with people invited to donate via the Go Fund Me page here. 

Paul Sherman of NW Heritage said: “John Wright aged 92 of Marshside was the last man to ring the fog bell in anger as it were, as a 15 year old boy during a thick fog back in 1945 when a shrimper, Tom Bet was caught up in it. 

“John took over from the then bell ringer who was exhausted and John rang the bell for a further eight hours until the shrimper returned.

“John has recently died and his family requested that his funeral procession could stop outside the Marshside Fog Bell so we could ring the bell for him. 

“The Fog Bell was rung eight times, one ring for each of the seven men lost in January 1869, the tragedy that led to the construction of the fog bell that we are currently restoring and one ring for John. 

“Members of Southport Lifeboat crew attended the ceremony. 

“It was a  fitting send-off for a true Marshsider and part of our local heritage.” 

A spokesperson for Southport Lifeboat said: “We would like to thank the family of the late John Wright for their generous donation towards the Southport Offshore Rescue Trust.

“The Marshside Fog Bell was constructed in 1869 after seven fishermen drowned having become lost in the fog. One of the victims, John Marshall Rimmer, was the great-great-grandfather of John Wright.

“Mr Wright’s funeral procession stopped outside the historic monument where the bell was rung eight times – one ring for each of the seven men lost in January 1869 and a final ring for John.

“As the tide has receded from Marshside, the fog bell is no longer needed and had fallen into disrepair. 

“Local conservation group NW Heritage has recently secured a funding grant and has begun restoring the fog bell and building.” 

Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com