THE REGENT’S PARK TRAGEDY

The start of January 1867 was extremely cold throughout England and skaters all over the country were enjoying themselves on rivers and frozen lakes. At that time, Regent’s Park incorporated a zoo, gardens, paths for horse riding, and an ornamental lake. There was also a lake for boating. In freezing winters, when the lake froze over, it became a location for skating.

In the Park the day before the tragedy, The Times newspaper reported that during the day, hundreds of people had been skating on the lake. Later in the afternoon, Skating Club members acting as supervisors rescued twenty-one people who had plummeted into the water after the ice fractured. One person was rescued unconscious but was revived. But this did not discourage skaters from revisiting the park in their hundreds the following day.

The next day, 16 January 1867, in the afternoon hundreds of people arrived at Regent’s Park to take advantage of the frozen lake. It was estimated there were around two hundred people skating on the ice. Prosperous Londoners at this time had an obsession with ice skating. In those days, frozen ponds and lakes were regularly announced in the press. Notwithstanding warnings of thin ice, the visitors put on their skates and started to skate around the unstable surface. At quarter-past four in the afternoon, the unthinkable occurred. The ice weakened near to the bank and ultimately cracked. Around Two hundred skaters dropped into the freezing water which was at least 12 feet deep.

Heads and arms were seen amongst the broken masses of ice. Skating club members and onlookers struggled to save the victims, but it was clear an enormous tragedy was unfolding. Many of the skaters plunged to the bottom of the lake. Their skates prevented them from swimming to safety, while others gripped onto the ice, shouting for help. The icy temperatures, weighty Victorian clothing and lack of swimming capability conspired to the catastrophe. Despite the efforts of the public, who broke off branches from the surrounding trees and constructed ropes, there were numerous deaths.

Retrieving bodies proved difficult. The ice swiftly froze over again, and passages needed to be cut through to reach them. It took more than a week to be sure all the victims had been found. By then, forty bodies had been removed from the water.

One of the survivors was a Mr Dunton, described the scene at the time: ‘Such a sight I hope I never see anything like this again. I saw over one hundred and fifty people struggling for their lives. Heads were to be seen all around amongst the broken lumps of ice. Two yards from me a little boy was drowning…I stood in this position for thirty minutes, sinking in the mud deeper every minute, until the water reached my neck. I held my young children as high above water until I felt my legs being cramped with the cold. I said to the eldest, ‘Is there any help coming, Fred?’ ‘Wave my walking stick, for I am sinking down in the mud.’ Presently the boy said, ‘Father, a man is swimming to us, and we shall be saved.’ On looking around, I saw a young fellow plunging through the ice towards me.’

Many acts of individual bravery took place, as many of the skaters were prevented from drowning. Doctors and police hurried to the lake, and the saved were taken off to the hospital, or nearby workhouses. At the inquest, evidence was heard about the deaths of forty people.

To avert any repeat of the catastrophe, the lake was emptied; the mud was removed and changed for soil. They also lowered the water level to four feet.