Wooden Paddle steamer Town of Wexford, built 1837 at
Wexford for John E Redmond of Wexford. 362 grt, 278nrt, 152 x 19.6 x
10 ft, 180 hp engine. Services Waterford/Wexford - Liverpool, Liverpool
- Menai, and
Bristol - Swansea - Milford - Liverpool.
Voyage Waterford to
Liverpool with passengers cattle and pigs, in a gale, leaky, engines
failed, driven under canvas to anchor on east side of Holyhead Bay, 4
January 1852. She was anchored among rocks, so Holyhead lifeboat
could not get near. Later, the railway steamer Anglia towed the
lifeboat so that she could reach the stranded steamer and take off the
43 passengers, her crew were manning the ship's small lifeboat.
Steamer broke up. Position: among rocks called Clippera,
about 1 mile offshore.
[from Waterford Mail - Saturday 11 March 1837]:
WEXFORD. Launch.
On Monday evening, a beautiful Steamer, expressly for this port,
and bearing the appropriate name of the Town of Wexford, was launched
before a vast concourse of spectators, from the dockyard of John E. Redmond,
Esq.
[from Gore's Liverpool General Advertiser - Thursday 19 October
1837]:
For WEXFORD. The new and powerful Steam Packet, TOWN OF WEXFORD, is
intended to sail with Goods and Passengers from the Clarence Dock, on
Tuesday next, the 24th inst., at Seven o'clock in the Evening. Apply to
THOMAS RICHARDS. Agent At the Town of Wexford Steam-packet Office,
Waterloo-road (opposie Victoria Dock gates) or 5, Crown Chambers,
Redcross-street.
[from Liverpool Albion - Monday 23 May 1842]:
STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND BEAUMARIS, BANGOR AND MENAI
BRIDGE. The superior Steamer TOWN OF WEXFORD will be placed on the
above line tomorrow, the 24th. of May, and take the days, this Summer,
of the St. George Company's Steamer ZEPHYR, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, and
SATURDAY, from George's Pierhead. for BANGOR, at Ten o'Clock, a.m.;
and MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY, from Menai Bridge for LIVERPOOL,
leaving the St. George's Pier, Menai Bridge, at Nine o'Clock, am. The
TOWN OF WEXFORD is well known as a very fast boat, and the expected
passages will be about four hours. FARES: In Cabin, 7s. 6d.; on Deck,
3s. 6d. Apply to R. PIM, Derby-buildings, James-street; or to E. J.
TIMOTHY, Menai Bridge.
[from The Evening Freeman. - Tuesday 06 January 1852]:
WRECK OF THE TOWN OF WEXFORD STEAMER. The Town of
Wexford steamer, of Liverpool, was wrecked on Sunday morning on the rocks in
Holyhead bay. It appears she was seen in the distance near Carmel Point, as
early as half-past eight, a.m. (Sunday), blowing a gale N.N.W., but no
information reached Holyhead till about 1:30 p.m., when she had
anchored among the rocks at a point called Clipperia, east side Holyhead
bay. The life boat went out, but not near enough to render any
service, and returned again to harbour. Steam was got up in the
Anglia, railway steamer, which took the lifeboat in tow, and slipped
her as near as was prudent to go, and the crew and passengers (about 43
in all) were safely landed on the Anglesea side. At 2.30, p m., she seemed
waterlogged, filled, and turned round, stem to the sea, and was then
level with the water edge (being nearly low water). This morning (5th
January) she has parted, and will be a total wreck, the gale having shifted to
about W.S.W. It appears she had become leaky on the passage from
Waterford to Liverpool, so much that cows and pigs, it is said, had to be
thrown overboard, as the fires were nearly extinguished in the engine-room.
Several pigs, poultry, &c., have floated to shore since here.
[excerpt from The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality, 15th January 1852]:
[letter in response to some negative comments in an earlier report].
The life boat belonging to the Town of Wexford steamer made three
trips, one before the arrival of the Holyhead life boat, and the two other
trips after, in each trip she conveyed ashore as many passengers as the limited size of
the boat could contain with safety. Their anxiety to make the second
trip to the vessel would have led them to run a considerable risk, had I
not interfered in a moment of great difficulty, well knowing, that as
the Holyhead life boat had arrived, there was not a shadow of danger
to those who remained on board the wreck. I do not hesitate to say,
that the crew of the Town of Wexford life boat acted in a most gallant
and determined manner, and did everything that it was possible for them to do.