During the night of Wednesday [28 August 1829] and morning of Thursday, a violent storm of wind and rain caused much damage to shipping in the Liverpool region.
On the same night, about twelve o'clock, the Liver, a flat belonging to Mr John Mercer, of Park lane, in this town[Liverpool], which had left the Black and Blue on the previous evening, grounded near the Point of Ayr. The wind was at that time blowing a perfect hurricane. The crew, consisting of the master (John Simmonds), two men, and the master's wife, fastened themselves in the rigging. About three o'clock, the unfortunate woman perished, from cold and exhaustion. At six o'clock on Thursday morning, the crew of the lifeboat were mustered, and made an attempt to reach the vessel; but the boat instantly filled. They succeeded, however, after four determined efforts, when the two men descended into the lifeboat; but the master, who was upwards of 60 years of age, could not, for a considerable time, be induced to quit his perilous situation; he was at length prevailed on to do so, but in making the attempt, he missed his hold and fell into the sea, and every effort to save him was unavailing. The other two men were brought to land. The crew of the lifeboat were engaged on this perilous service from six in the morning to four in the afternoon, and their exertions were beyond all praise. We understand that the Dock Trustees have the power of rewarding such services; if so, we are sure that these gallant men ought not to be passed over.
On the same night on which the wreck mentioned above took place, the Olive and Eliza was driven on shore near the Dingle, in Toxteth Park. The storm continued during the whole of Thursday and part of Friday, when several other vessels were driven on shore on the Cheshire or Welsh coast, of the Hoyle Bank, four of the crew perished.
These losses were the barque, Friends, lost on the West Hoyle sandbank, with the loss of four of her twelve crew; the ship Lilly was driven ashore and wrecked at Wallasey; and the ship Olive and Eliza was driven ashore at Liverpool, she was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana to Liverpool.
The vicar of Llanasa (parish near Point of Ayr) records an internment on 30 Aug 1829 of Jane Simmons, Liverpool, aged 66, drowned near the Lighthouse on board the Liver. She was tied up in the shrouds.