Dublin Merchant
Wooden sailing vessel: Parkgate to Dublin
Captain White and 4 crew, 40-70 passengers
Wreckage ashore at Port Patrick and Mull of Galloway.
Left Parkgate in 17 October 1758
This vessel seems to be variously described as "Dublin"; "Dublin Trader", "Dublin Merchant" or "Chester Trader". There are reports that she struck on a sandbank on leaving the Dee Estuary and then continued on her voyage.
Reports from 12 November 1758 describe wreckage found around the Mull of Galloway (for a distance of twenty miles on each side) and at Port Patrick: a carriage, timber, cases, the body of a Mrs Ford found at Girvan (identified by papers and bills in her pocket-book and a ring). It was presumed that the vessel had foundered at sea with everyone on board lost. She had a valuable cargo: £70,000 in specie [coins] and £80,000 value in goods. The passengers were almost all eminent Dublin linen-drapers and shop-keepers returning from Chester Fair. It was feared many families would be destitute as a result. Named passengers were the Earl of Drogheda and his son; Mr Tobin; Mr Richard Shaw, Mr Fletcher. A violin in a case and a trunk of drama books were cast ashore - with the name inscribed of Mr Theophilus Cibber, a well-known actor who was aboard, as was Mr Maddox, a celebrated wire-dancer[tight-rope performer]. They were travelling to Dublin to perform in Sheridan's Theatre. No substantial part of the vessel was driven ashore, so she was presumed to have foundered at sea.
Several other reports (contradictory or, possibly, preceeding the
shipwreck) were published in contemporary newspapers:
-that she was safe, with
many passengers including Mr Cibber, at Douglas (Isle of Man).
-that out of nearly forty passengers, only
the captain and eleven more were saved;
-that the Dublin Merchant arrived safely at
Carlingford on 15th November;
However, the biography of English actor Theophilus Cibber states: born 26 November 1703, London; died October 1758, Irish Sea in shipwreck off coast of Scotland on way to perform in Dublin. Also the biography of Edward Moore, 5th Earl of Drogheda, states that he was among sixty passengers who died when the ship "The Dublin Trader" sank in the Irish Sea in the year 1758 on 27 October.
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It was reported that the Dublin was an old vessel and had an
inadequate crew: just 3 sailors plus a boy, as well as the master.
A newspaper article, citing the loss of the Dublin Merchant and
the loss of the Neptune some 10 years before, suggests that annual
inspection of Parkgate passenger vessels and their crews should be
instigated. It would be many years before such regulations came into
force.
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In December, 1670, the packet boat from Holyhead was lost with a
hundred and twenty two passengers, including Lord Berkeley's brother.
John, Lord Berkeley of Stratton, was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
1670-1672, and had four brothers, his older brother Henry (b 1601) is the most
probable identification.
At that date there were three packet boats, provided by a Major Deane,
that served the Holyhead - Dublin route.
From 1689 John Vickers was reponsible for providing 3 packet ships for the Holyhead - Dublin Mail service. In 1692, one of his vessels, Grace was captured by two French privateers, and he had to pay 60 guineas ranson to regain the hull.
Another of these,
on the 10th of November 1696, William, a packet boat from
Holyhead carrying mail and 80 passengers was caught in a storm and
dashed to pieces on the shore between Sutton and Raheny in Dublin Bay.
Only the
Master and galley boy survived. The passengers included General
Edward Fitzpatrick, whose body was found lying on the rocks, and who was
later buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral.
The heirs of John Vickers, who was responsible for providing 3 ships
on the Holyhead-Dubin service, petitioned for compensation for the loss
of Anne on 24 October 1706. More details not known.
A packet boat, Ann, on the Holyhead-Dublin route was reported
to have been taken on 3rd May 1712 by a French privateer. She had left Dublin on 1 May 1712.
It was reported that, before she was taken, the mails were thrown overboard and sunk - to
avoid them falling into enemy hands. By this time, the service was run
by J. Mackey.
On 8 March 1780, two of the Holyhead-Dublin packet boats,
Bessborough and Hillsborough, were captured by French privateers and had
to be ransomed, for over £ 5000, by the Post Office, which had now taken over the service.
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