John Wesley voyages from Parkgate
The Methodist founder John Wesley (b 1703) was a frequent traveller to Ireland:
21 visits from 1747 until 1789. Many of these used the Packet ships from
Parkgate to Dublin: his diary records voyages in vessels Dorset(1762); King
George(1769); Nonpareil(1760, 1771 and 1775); Prince of Wales (1787) and Princess
Royal (1789). After the loss of the Nonpareil and Trevor in 1775; he
records, on two occasions, that there was no vessel available at Parkgate and he went on
instead on the Duke of Leinster from Liverpool (1778) or on the Clermont from Holyhead (1785).
He describes many delays, waiting for better weather, and one trip with
a potentially serious outcome:
In the afternoon [11 July 1787 at Dublin] I went
down with my friends, having taken the whole ship, and went on board the
Prince of Wales, one of the Parkgate packets. At seven we sailed with a fair,
moderate wind. Between nine and ten I lay down, as usual, and slept till
nearly four, when I was awakened by an uncommon noise and found the ship lay
beating upon a large rock, about a league from Holyhead. The captain, who had
not long lain down, leaped up; and, running upon the deck, when he saw how the
ship lay, cried out, "Your lives may be saved, but I am undone!" Yet no sailor
swore, and no woman cried out. We immediately went to prayer; and presently
the ship, I know not how, shot off the rock and pursued her way, without any
more damage than the wounding a few of her outside planks. About three in the
afternoon, we came safe to Parkgate; and in the evening went on to Chester.
Dee Wrecks Index
Main Index