What I've Learned

In a London park, there is a plaque honoring the bravery and self-sacrifice of Alice Ayres.

Born in Middlesex, England in 1859, Alice was the seventh of 10 children.

At age 25, she was a household assistant to her sister, Mary Ann, and brother-in-law, Henry, and was nursemaid to the couple's four young children. Mary Ann and Henry owned an oil and paint business in London, and Alice lived with them above the shop.

In 1885, a fire broke out on the first floor, which contained not just oil and paint, but gun powder, as well. The headquarters of the London Fire Brigade was nearby and help arrived quickly, but the structure was already engulfed.

Alice tried to get to her sister, but flames and smoke prevented it. She returned to the nursery and broke out a window. The building was so in flames, the crowd, three stories below, yelled for her to jump. Instead she threw a mattress out the window, returned with five-year-old Edith, one of her nieces, and dropped the child down onto it.

Again the crowd yelled for her to jump and save herself. Alice left the window and moments later returned with another niece, four-year-old Ellen. The child was terrified and refused to be dropped, so Alice wrestled free of the panicked embrace and threw her niece out the window. Someone in the street managed to catch the child.

Alice disappeared yet again, and returned with Elizabeth, age three, who she successfully dropped onto the mattress.

Alice then tried to jump herself, but was overcome with smoke. She slumped, tumbled out the window, hit the shop's sign below, missed the mattress, and hit the pavement, breaking her back.

She was rushed to hospital, but died two days later.

Her last words were, "I tried my best and could try no more."

Her sister and brother-in-law and their six-year-old son who was sleeping with them didn't make it out.

The plaque that honors Alice Ayres is one of 54 plaques in the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice, a public monument in Postman's Park in London.

Her plaque reads, "Alice Ayres, Daughter of a bricklayer's labourer, Who by intrepid conduct saved 3 children from a burning house in Union Street Borough at the cost of her own young life. April 24 1885."

Let me quote a few of the other plaques.

"John Clinton, Aged 10, Who was drowned near London Bridge in trying to save a companion younger than himself. July 16 1894."

Daniel Pemberton, Aged 61, Foreman L.S.W.R., Surprised by a train when gauging the line hurled his mate out of the track saving his life at the cost of his own. Jan 17 1903."

"Thomas Simpson, Died of exhaustion after saving many lives from the breaking ice at Highgate Ponds. Jan 25 1885."

"Solomon Galaman, Aged 11, Died of injuries Sept 6 1901 after saving his little brother from being run over in Commercial Street. 'Mother I saved him but I could not save myself.'"

The latest plaque is more recent.

"Leigh Pitt, Reprographic operator, Aged 30, Saved a drowning boy from the canal at Thamesmead, but sadly was unable to save himself. June 7 2007."

You can read all the plaques by searching for Alice Ayres, which should find you a link to the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice on Wikipedia.