Wooden full-rigged sailing ship William Turner, built Muress & Clark, Greenock 1833.
3 masts, 121 x 30 x 20.6ft, 488 tons burden.
First owner William Turner of Bombay - in 1837 declared bankrupt in Glasgow.
Registered Belfast, Captain George Evans.
Voyage Ichaboe [island offshore of Namibia] to Liverpool with guano.
Driven ashore and wrecked on Caernarfon Bar, 11 January 1845.
Since she went aground at night, the pilots at Llanddwyn were not able
to mount a rescue.
Captain and crew all lost (28 in total).
Salvaged by diver in 1845.
The Scotsman - Wednesday 06 November 1833:
On Wednesday morning,
the William Turner, one of the finest as well as largest, ships ever built
at Greenock, was launched from the building yard or Messrs Muries[sic] and
Clark. She registers nearly 500 tons, and is intended as a regular
packet to Bombay. The beauty of the spectacle was marred by the ship
taking the ground from want of water after leaving the stocks.
Fortunately, however, she sustained no damage, and, having floated at
noon on Thursday, was lauched into the East India harbour to be fitted
for sea.
North Wales Chronicle Tuesday 14 January 1845:
WRECK OF THE SHIP WILLIAM TURNER, OF BELFAST, WITH LOSS OF THE
MASTER AND CREW.
During the whole of Friday[10 January 1845] the weather was
exceedingly tempestuous; the wind swept along in fitful gusts, and as
night set in increased to a whole gale. When the storm was at the
height an ill-fated vessel, the William Turner, of Belfast, 488 tons
burden, George Evans, master, struck the south bank of Carnarvon bar,
and must have gone to pieces immediately, the shore being strewed
with wreck at daylight. All on board must have perished! Part of
the hull was discernible on the bank, and the Captain's desk
containing the ship's papers, letters, etc., came ashore on the
Anglesey side.
It appears that the William Turner was bound for Liverpool on her
return voyage from Ichaboe [island off coast of Namibia] with a cargo
of Guano. One letter states that there were at least four hundred
vessels then loading at Ichaboe - that sickness, principally dysentery,
prevailed, and that some vessels had been lost, and others much
damaged in consequence of the heavy gales and dangerous character of
the coast,
Image of Ichaboe (from ILN 28 Sept 1844)
Belfast News-Letter - Friday 24 January 1845
LOSS OF THE WILLIAM TURNER OF BELFAST.
On the morning of Saturday
last, intelligence reached Carnarvon that a large ship had, on the
previous night, during the awful gale that was then raging, gone to
pieces in the bay. Immediately upon receiving the information, J.
Hughes, Esq. Comptroller of Customs, and the officers under him,
manned the Queen's boat, and proceeded to the spot, when, we regret to
say, they found the report to be too true. Pieces of the wreck were
strewn along the beach for miles, the entire shore between Abermenai
and Llanddwyn exhibiting tokens of the disaster, consisting of
spars, stores, seamen's chests, and numberless fragments of
furniture and materials. There was also seen a large long-boat, keel
up, which, when turned over, was found to have in it another boat or
pinnace, but there was no name on either. There was also on the
shore the larboard and starboard quarters, galleries, chains, and
lanyards, apparently cut with an axe. Nothing else material has been
picked up, except a cat-head and the figure-head. From the name on the
medicine chest and other sources we learn that the vessel was called
the William Turner, belonging to Belfast, 488 tons register, George
Evans, master, and that she was homeward bound from Ichaboe to
Liverpool, with a cargo of guano, which is entirely lost, not a
vestige of it remaining. It is our painful duty to add that not one
creature escaped alive. The crew would most probably amount to from
sixteen to twenty individuals, including the master; and there
might have been passengers, as well as the complement of hands
belonging to the ship. One of the bodies, a lad about fifteen years of
age, dressed in sailor's clothes, and deeply pitted with the
small pox, was washed on shore on Monday near Llanddwyn, and
we shall, most likely, hear of the remainder, in a few days. The
pilots at Llanddwyn, and the people at Lord Newborough's Fort,
and at Abermenai, neither heard nor saw anything until the
following morning, which is remarkable, for the weather was not very
thick, neither was it dark at five o'clock on Friday, so that the
ship might have been seen for miles, ere she struck on the bank.
Whether the captain mistook Bardsey Light for the South Stack or
the Skerries, and, therefore, steered accordingly, or whether the
ship had previously become unmanageable, or had been swept
down at anchors, is a matter which can never be ascertained.
FURTHER PARTICULARS - One of the crew of the Eliza Scotland, which vessel sailed from Ichaboe before the William Turner, and arrived at Limerick on the 4th, came here on Wednesday, by the Dolphin steamer, and states that the William Turner must have had about 30 people on board. A bible has been cast ashore, in a very mutilated condition, in which is the following address:- "John Nicholl's book, given him by the Rev. C. Grinfell Nicklay, April 29th, 1842."
Monmouthshire Merlin 1 Feb 1845:
WRECK OF THE WILLIAM TURNER.
The fate of this vessel was briefly
recorded in our last. We are indebted to the kindness of Mr. Griffiths
Griffiths, of Taldrwst, sub agent of Lloyd's, at Carnarvon and Malltraeth Bay,
on the Anglesey side, for the following list of the
unfortunate sufferers. They are copied verbatim et literatim from the
articles of the vessel:
George Evans, commander, aged 43, of London.
Hector Munsum, chief mate, aged 28, of Inverness.
B. W. Manning, second mate, aged 24, of Belfast
John Nichols, carpenter, aged 24, of Scilly.
Sam M'Furlong, boatswain, aged 42, of London.
Richard Gilmore, steward, aged 25, of Dungannon.
George Hooper, cook, aged 26, of Poole.
John Jenkins, seaman, aged 25, of London.
Charles Fox, seaman, aged 24, of Wisbeach.
Robert Teed, seaman, aged 22, of Wisbeach.
Joseph Anthonia, seaman, 25, of Greenock.
William Hill, seaman, aged 32, of London.
William Stonehouse, seaman, aged 22, of London.
Llewellyn Baynon. seaman, aged 22, of Swansea.
Isaac Thurston. seaman, aged 26, Wisbeach.
John Clerk, seaman, aged 30, of Liverpool.
Thomas C. Simpson, seaman, aged 22, of Hull.
Joseph Stephens, seaman, aged 24, of Glasgow.
James Letto, seaman, aged 27, of Jersey.
John Johnson, seaman, aged 22, of Liverpool.
Philip Yates, ordinary seaman, aged 20, of Wisbeach.
Robert Jeffries, ordinary seaman, aged 21, of Newport.
Henry Billing, ordinary seaman, aged 19, of Ramsgate.
William Mahy, ordinary seaman, aged 21, of Guernsey.
John Green, ordinary seaman, aged 18, of Yarmouth.
James M'Ginlay, ordinary seaman, aged 17, of Kircudbright.
Richard Jones, ordinary seaman, aged 18, Liverpool.
Giles Dore, able seaman, aged 20, Somersetshire.
Salvage of the wreck:
[from The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality,
28th January 1845]:
The sunken wreck of the William Turner was sold by auction at
Carnarvon on Saturday last; it was bought by Mr. Edwards of Menai
Bridge.
Pembroke Herald 2 May 1845:
DIVING OPERATIONS.
We understand that Mr. Edwards, of the Menai Bridge, has
succeeded, during the late fine weather, in raising the anchors and
chains of the William Turner, lately wrecked on Carnarvon Bar. A large
quantity of the rigging, ropes, hawsers, etc., have also been
recovered. Operations will shortly be commenced on the hull of the
vessel which lies on the North Bank, bottom upwards. We have also
been informed that Mr. Edwards is about to visit Cardigan, to raise
the Margaretta, of Barmouth, which foundered in the great gale of
October 28th, 1843, upon Cardigan Bar. It is at present a great
obstacle to the navigation of the port.
Pembroke Herald 30 May 1845:
THE WILLIAM TURNER.
We have before stated several instances of the success of
Mr. Edward Edwards, Menai Bridge, in raising the anchors, chain, etc.,
of this vessel, now lying keel upwards on the bar. We have now to add,
that on Wednesday last, he succeeded in bringing to shore two anchors,
a quantity of iron knees, some copper bolts, sheathings, etc. and one
of the guns. The remainder of the guns are expected to be secured but
the state of the atmosphere, by rendering the water opaque
considerably retards the operations of the diver.
Among the items salvaged was the figurehead - of an upright full sized man -
which is now in the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
Wooden smack Margaretta of Barmouth, built Barmouth 1832, 47 tons.
Captain Edwards, voyage Gloucester and Bridgewater to Lancaster,
cargo nail rods.
Sunk in storm of 28 October 1843 on Cardigan Bar.
Wreck was impeding fairway - so attempts were made to clear the wreck - using
a diver.
London Evening Standard - Monday 30 October 1843:
CARDIGAN Oct. 28. The Hampton, Rowland, from Liverpool to
Marseilles, was stranded on this bar to-day, and must discharge to get
off. A schooner is on the bar, and it is feared will become a wreck.
A sloop has sunk in the bay; three men are in the rigging, but the
sea is too high for assistance to go off. A piece of wreck has come
ashore here, but nothing to indicate to what vessel it belongs. The
Bristol Trader is totally wrecked - crew drowned, and part of cargo
washed ashore. The Lord of the Isles, Jeay, from Jersey to
Whitehaven, is on shore - crew saved. Another schooner has just gone ashore on the
bar.
London Evening Standard - Wednesday 01 November 1843:
CARDIGAN, Oct. 29. The crews of the smacks driven ashore near here, which were in the
rigging yesterday, are all drowned. The Packet of this port is totally lost with all hands
-cargo washing ashore. The Mary of Newquay is totally lost - crew drowned. A brig belonging to
Wicklow remains on the bar - crew saved.
Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 4 November 1843:
Cardigan, Oct. 31. The smack sunk in the bay is the Margaretta, Edward,
from Gloucester and Bridgwater to Lancaster; crew drowned.
Morning Post - Wednesday 1 May 1844:
SUNKEN WRECK AT CARDIGAN. A letter received at Lloyd's states the
sloop Margaretta, of Barmouth, lies sunk in the fair way of vessels
coming in and out of that port, to which the necessary buoy has not
been placed, and therefore made dangerous to shipping.
Welshman, 8 August 1845:
Mr. Edward Edwards, the celebrated diver from Menai Bridge, is now in
Cardigan, for the purpose, it is said, of endeavouring to raise the
wreck of the Eliza[sic], of Barmouth, which foundered in the Bay. Mr.
Edwards's vessel contains a full complement of experienced divers
and the necessary accoutrements and implements for rendering their
dangerous occupation as slightly hazardous as possible.
Pembroke Herald, 13 July 1849:
WRITTEN in the last few days Mr. Edwards, (the diver,) has been engaged
in recovering a portion of the cargo of iron from on board the sloop
of Barmouth, which was sunk near the Cardigan Bar in 1843. Should the
weather continue favourable, there is no doubt the greater part of the
cargo as well as the sloop will be recovered. It is to be hoped that
the undertaking will prove successful, as great inconvenience was felt
by the fishermen and others of the neighbourhood from the wreck.
Pembroke Herald, 31 Aug 1849:
RAISING A WRECK AND CARGO. - On the 28th of October, 1843, the
Margaretta of Barmouth, was wrecked on Cardigan Bar, with a cargo of
nail-rods, and all hands perished. In 1844[sic] an attempt was made to lift
her, but to no purpose, the hull having sunk in the clay up to the
bends, and being also full of sand, her upper works gave way in the
attempt. As the wreck was a serious obstruction to the navigation of
the port, and the salmon fishery, Mr. Edwards, of Menai Bridge, again
made an attempt to remove her, and has succeeded, although the
operation was most tedious, the sand filling in almost as fast as it
could be got out, on account of there being so much sea on the
Cardigan Bar. To take advantage of a favourable tide, the same diver
often has worked in filling sand for five hours, without coming up,
and keeping the deck crew in full employ. Nothing but the greatest
perseverance could have surmounted the difficulties, the situation
of the wreck being so unfavourable. This wreck has been the sole cause
of the shifting of the bar so much to the westward, as it formed a
regular breakwater opposite to the entrance of the river as it run at
that time, but since this wreck has been there it has gradually
shifted, which has caused the navigation of the river to be much more
difficult and dangerous.
Wooden sloops Cymro (ON 10646, 20 tons, 35x12.6x6ft, b 1844) and Cymraes (ON 16479,
21 tons, 36x11.6ft, b 1836), registered Beaumaris.
Built Nicholas Treweek, Amlwch.
Carrying stone from Moelfra [Moelfre] to the Britannia Bridge in
the Menai Strait.
2 [or 9] September 1847, sunk off Puffin Island, later raised by divers.
Two crew lost, two saved.
Carnarvon & Denbigh Herald, Saturday 11 Sept 1847:
WRECK AND
LOSS OF LIFE. - During the gale of wind from the north on Thursday ,
two boats, the Cymro and Cymraes, laden with stones from Moelfra to the
Britannia Bridge, were swamped off Penmon, and the crew of one boat, two
in number, unfortunately perished. The crew of the other, betook
themselves to their boat, and gained the shore in safety.
North Wales Chronicle 13 June 1848:
RAISING A WRECK.-Those who
hold in remembrance or take note of storms and such like commotions,
will need only to be reminded of the furious gale which swept our coast
on the 2nd of September last, so destructive to the shipping. Among
other vessels, two flats, viz. the Cymraes and the Cymro, went down
outside Puffin Island, being freighted with stone from Moelfra quarry,
for the Britannia Bridge. Messrs. Thomas and John Jones, the divers,
of whose services in raising the Mountaineer steamer some years ago, we
had occasion to make honorable mention, undertook to raise these
vessels, if practicable, and on Tuesday last they succeeded in getting
up the Cymraes from her watery bed, and towing her into Beaumaris,
comparatively uninjured. When the Cymro shall have been placed on terra
firma, they mean to have a try at the Santffraid[sic: Llansantffraid?]
of Conway, which sunk in Conway bay during the same memorable gale.
[from Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald - Saturday 12 August 1848]:
Vessels Raised: The Brothers Jones, divers of Hirael in Bangor, have
been very successful in the pursuit of their arduous and hazardous
vocation having succeeded in raising the following: The Antelope, at
Fishguard on the 12th of January 1845; the Mary, of Douglas at
Lamsey[sic: Ramsey], July 19th 1845; the Chester, off Puffin Island, August
23rd 1846; the Cymraes, off Table-land [sic, presumably Bwrdd Arthur], June 6th 1848; and the Cymro,
ditto, July 18th 1848. In Chester, a tea kettle with the lid on was
found tenanted by crab weighing 2 lbs 10 oz, it must have entered by
the spout when small and for its liberation it was found necessary to
break the kettle which had been its prison for a period of months. In
the Cymro, a conger eel was captured 5 feet 6 inches in length. In
the Mary, a splendid cod-fish weighing about 30 lbs was secured. It
was presented to a gentleman, who from his yacht, watched the
proceedings, who in return invited all to partake of it and very
liberally regaled the whole party with prime old port. Men of this
stamp do not turn up every day.
Wreck of brig Antelope of Nevin, built J. J. Thomas, Nevin, 1828, 106 tons, 83nrt, registered Caernarfon, ON 4168, voyage to London from Bangor with slates, Captain Roberts, driven ashore on Goodwick Sands, 2nd November 1844. All crew saved. Report of salvage in January 1845, above. Listed as finally lost 1879 at Scrabster.
[from The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser, Friday 8th November
1844]:
FISHGUARD. During the gale of Saturday last, the wind at E.N.E., three
vessels were seen in the Bay to hoist their signals of distress, namely,
the Anne Elizabeth, of Aberystwyth, from Chester, to London, with cast
iron pipes; Antelope of Nevin, to ditto, from Bangor, with
slates; Cyrus, of Milford, also, with slates, for London. The two
former were driven from their moorings, and stranded on the Goodwick
Sands, while the Cyrus was for the time abandoneed by her crew. The
utmost anxiety was evinced for the safety of the several crews, and the
life boat put off to their assistance but owing to the heavy sea which
prevailed, the attempt proved unsuccessful. Providentially, no lives
were lost, though the damage to property is considerable.
FISHGUARD. NOVEMBER, 4TH. 1844 - For the last few days we have been
visited with violent gales of wind, yesterday it blew quite a
hurricane. Two brigs and two schooners were seen in the bay in
distress, one was the Ann Elizabeth, of Aberystwyth, laden with iron
pipes from Chester to London, she parted her chains and came on
shore at Goodwick sands, in the bay she was soon followed by the brig
Antelope, Roberts, from Bangor to London, laden with slates; I
prevailed on five brave fellows to accompany me to the vessels to
bring the crews away. We launched a boat and succeeded in taking off
the crew of the schooner and landed them, we again put to sea and with
the greatest difficulty succeeded in reaching the brig, the sea making
a breach clean over her at the time, she being on her side, both
vessels filled. The names of the parties who rescued the crews from
their perilous situations are, Capt. James Rowland, Capt. Wm. Rees,
Capt. Wm. Morgan, Enoch George, and Wm. James, seamen; it is feared the
brig will become a total wreck. The crew of the brig Cyrus (late
Roberts), of Milford, abandoned her, and with difficulty reached the
shore; she is still holding on, the life boat was manned, but filled
just as she went out of the harbour, no lives lost. The other schooner
Mary, from Bangor, bound to the Humber, has slipped her anchor, and is
now trying to beat out, but the attempt is most hazardous.
Smack Mary of Douglas, built Robert Oates, Douglas 1838, 40 grt, 46.5 x 14.7 x 8.5 ft, ON 1581, master Skillicorn. Voyage Wales to Belfast Lough with slates. Sank while at anchor in Ramsey Bay, 25/26 January 1845 in 7 fathoms [13 metres] from collision of schooner Hazelwood from Sligo. Crew saved, master lost. Later raised by Welsh divers (see above) July 1845. Registry transferred to Ramsey 1845.
[from Morning Herald (London) - Friday 31 January 1845]:
LOSS OF THREE VESSELS IN RAMSEY BAY, AND TWO OF THE MASTERS. On
Saturday evening, about 17 vessels were at anchor in the roadstead, with
the wind at SW. At midnight the gale began to increase and shifted
round to the W and NNW; and at four several of the vessels began to
drive from their anchors.
The Tryall, Stowell master, from Ramsey to Liverpool with a cargo
of potatoes, unable to hold out any longer, was run ashore at
Port-e-Vullin, a small beach, about a mile and a half from Ramsey, and
to the NW of Maughold Head, and the crew were saved; but the vessel
went to pieces, and the potatoes were strewn about the beach in every
direction.
Some of the vessels succeeded in weighing or slipping their
anchors, and took refuge in Douglas. Others, however, were not so
fortunate. Amongst them were the smack Mary of this port, Skillicorn
master, with a cargo of slates, from Wales to Belfast Lough; and the
Hazelwood, master M'Donough, of and from Sligo to Liverpool with a
cargo of butter and bacon. These unfortunate vessels came in contact
about four o'clock, and such was the damage each of them sustained
that the former went down at her anchors in less than an hour and the
latter, in order to save the lives of the crews of both vessels, was
compelled to slip the cables and run the vessel ashore. This vessel
struck a few hundred yards to the east of the Tryall about five
o'clock; and the crew, after launching the boat, and endeavouring to
save themselves by that means, were all precipitated into the surge,
the boat having capsized before they were enabled to leave the
vessel's side. The hands of both vessels, however, succeeded in
regaining the wreck; but we are sorry to add that both the masters
shared a watery grave, notwithstanding every effort made to save them.
A little after daylight, several persons from the town and
neighbourhood, assembled on the spot, amongst whom were Mr. Paton,
Lloyd's agent, Mr. Watkins, and others who did everything in their
power to render assistance. A line was floated from the wreck to the
shore, by means of a small buoy, followed by a hawser, by means of
which the hands of both vessels were landed in a state of great
exhaustion.
[excerpt from Shipping and Mercantile Gazette - Thursday 30 January 1845]:
The Mary, Skillicorn, of Douglas, sunk in Ramsey Bay about seven
fathoms water; master drowned.
[from Lloyd's List - Thursday 30 January 1845]:
Ramsey, I.M. 28th Jan. The Hazelwood, M'Donough, from Sligo to Liverpool, was in
contact 28th inst. with the Mary, of Douglas, I. M., from Wales, lying at
anchor in this Bay; the former slipped from her anchors and drove on shore
near Port Lavullen [sic]; the latter sunk immediately, the Crews of both,
except the Masters, saved.
Wooden sloop Chester, built Northwich 1830, 46 tons, registered Chester, ON 16496. Also described as a flat (flats were mostly sloop rigged). Voyage Chester to Caernarfon, foundered off Great Orme 18 December 1845. Raised by Jones Bros, divers, 23rd August 1846, at a location described as near Puffin Island, and put back in service. In 1872 owned Flint, from 1880-1889 registered Beaumaris.
[from Liverpool Mail - Saturday 20 December 1845]:
Beaumaris, December 18. The flat Chester, from Chester to Carnarvon,
foundered off the Ormshead, crew drowned.