Our characters decide to start their own fire brigade – but, how do you do that? Nowadays, the answer would be simple (youtube), but in the late 19th century information was harder to come by. The real Hertha Ayrton solved this problem by going to an expert – Captain Eyre Massey Shaw.
Born in Cork, Ireland in 1830, Captain Shaw is largely responsible for the character of the modern fire brigade. After successfully running the Belfast Fire Brigade, he was then tipped to become the first Captain of the newly incorporated Metropolitan Fire Brigade, where he became a national celebrity. His most prominent work at the time was his focus on preventing fires in theatres – a huge problem in the time of gas lamps and no fire safety regulations. After a particularly brutal fire in a theatre, Shaw wrote “Fire in Theatres”, a complete plan on how to fight fires in theatres, as well as a set of expectations for theatres themselves – including the fire curtain, which you can still see in use in theatres today. This work brought him so much acclaim that he became a sort of fire-protecting folk hero, and Gilbert and Sullivan even included a shout-out to him in Iolanthe
A Captain Shaw!
Oh, Captain Shaw!
Type of true love kept under!
Could thy Brigade
With cold cascade
Quench my great love, I wonder!
(The story goes that Shaw was invited to the opening night, and he stood and took a bow at this point, as the crowd whooped and cheered for him)
So when the real Hertha wanted to set up the Girton fire brigade, she went to Captain Shaw. He was initially sceptical, reportedly saying “Well, to tell the truth, ladies are of no use in these cases” – but the Girton girls soon showed they were more than capable, scaling a ladder there and then to prove what they could do. Shaw then provided advice and practical assistance, teaching them the basics of how to run a fire brigade.
Our stage version of the Girton girls, however, don’t have such a simple solution to hand. But they are able to rustle up a copy of Shaw’s instructional book on Fire Brigades – but the question is, will that be enough?
References/more reading:
‘Early College days at Girton’, by Hertha Ayrton in the Daily Sketch 26 July 1919
The Massey Shaw Education Trust has a nice quick overview of Eyre Shaw’s life if you’d like a good starting point. If you’re in London, you can go and visit the beautifully restored vintage fire boat named in his honour
The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade 
Leave a comment