Wooden barque, built Liverpool 1831, 190 tons
Owned Gill & Co.
Voyage Peru (Callao) to Liverpool
Struck rocks NW of Cape Clear, 22 October 1838
Captain John Burton Gill and 8 persons lost, one saved.
Salvaged by helmet divers 1838.
Location described as Barrel Rocks (51°29.22N, 9°37.96W), or as Dollar Rock off
west side of Dromadda.
Image from painting by Samuel Walters of Lady Charlotte off South
Stack [from Samuel Walters - A S Davidson]
Letter; Skull, Oct. 24. From - Richard Nottin. To - Ghrote[sic, Grote?], Esq., merchant, Liverpool.
On the way from Crookhaven to Skull this day, I had been informed of the loss of the Lady Charlotte, of Liverpool, on the night before last, at the bottom of the bay, and at the entrance of Long Island Harbour. One of the crew, the only survivor, John Waddington, who is at one of the coast guardhouses, I went to see. He informed me the vessel sailed on the 1st of July from Callao, laden with wool, hides, etc.; that a large quantity of goods, etc., were shipped by the consul at Bolivia, as also that the ship belonged to Mr. Ghrote, of Liverpool. The Coast guard and Mr. Baker, agent for the underwriters at Liverpool, residing at Crookhaven, I understand, are very active in trying to save part of the cargo. The vessel, I was informed, is in from two to three fathoms water. Several articles and books were taken up. There were written in the books, "C. Briggs from J. Taylor, C. Briggs from S. Robinson, Miss E. Wright, Shelbourn." The number lost is: the master, John Burton Gill, and eight hands. I directed the poor man to be taken care of; and the Rev. Mr. Frail, the rector, who went with me, said he would have him attended to. He is in a very distressed state, having been nine hours on the rock before he could be taken off, and then at a very great risk of life. I am on my way to Cork, and should be glad to give you any further information.
P.S. The weather was very thick when the vessel made the land. She struck about four o'clock in the morning.
Another report: She is wrecked on the Barrels rocks, about six miles to the north west of Cape Clear, on her voyage from Lima to Liverpool, conveying a large freight of specie when she ran on shore and went into a thousand of pieces within two minutes of her striking the rocks.
From Monmouthshire Merlin 17 November 1838
Mr. Courts of Liverpool, in a letter dated the 4th inst., thus speaks of the Lady Charlotte, a vessel wrecked off the Irish coast, and recorded in a former number - I have received a letter from Captain Mackie this morning, in which he speaks in very sanguine terms of being able to save the specie from the Lady Charlotte with the assistance of a diver. He has discovered the wreck among the rocks, and thinks at low water, during spring tides, there will not be more than twelve feet water.
From Belfast Newsletter Tuesday November 27 1838:
WRECK OF THE LADY CHARLOTTE. - This valuable vessel, wrecked on the Barrels rocks, six miles to the north west of Cape Clear, was on her voyage from Lima to Liverpool, conveying a large freight of specie [coins], when she ran on shore and (as stated by the only survivor) went in pieces within two minutes of her striking. Captains Reeves and Mackie were despatched from London and Liverpool to take charge of the property on the part of the underwriters and on arriving they found her remains guarded by Captain Carter, of the revenue cutter Chance, and the officer and crew of the coast guard at Long Island, under lieut. Baldwin.The spot where the specie lay was about 24 feet below the surface of the water, but, notwithstanding, the boats of the cutter and coastguard hooked up about 36,000 dollars, and seven large plates of silver of 1 cwt each.- Messrs [John] Deane and Edwards, with their diving apparatus, as also a Mr. [Henry] Davey [in his cutter Eliza from Crosshaven with his own diving apparatus], arrived in their vessels, and were employed by Messrs. Mackie and Reeves, and they have succeeded in raising a large quantity of treasure to the amount of £70,000 sterling, in gold, dollars, silver bars and broken silver, and several sacks of silver ore. The specie is on board Her Majesty's cutter the Chance, in Long Island Sound, under the charge of her commander. A quantity of Peruvian bark, hides, and llama wool, has been saved in a damaged state.