Maritime record MWX1944 - Thomas

1795 an English cargo vessel which stranded off Fleet in a gale. A wooden sailing vessel which was en route from London for Oporto with a cargo of logwood.

Built: 1791 Where Built: New Brunswick Owner: Thomas Brown Master: Brown Crew: 12 Crew Lost: 10 Passengers: 5 Passengers Lost: 4 Date of Loss Qualifier: R Those lost included the captain, his son, the surgeon, seven seamen, a young male passenger and three female passengers. The saved were two seamen and a male passenger named Smyth. (1)(4) The ship THOMAS of London, burthen about 350 tons, Thomas Browne master, bound to Oporto, partly laden with bale goods...went to pieces... (5) `234 bodies were found on the Chesil after the tragic night of 17-18 November, and the total number drowned was probably much higher. The officers and women who died were buried in the churchyard at Wyke Regis, but the 208 soldiers and sailors lost from the six wrecked ships lie in graves now unmarked on the landward side of the beach. (3)(4) `The THOMAS, Brown...is totally lost on Portland Beach. (2) `The worst instance, within historic knowledge, both of wreck and wrecking on the Dorset coast occurred in 1795. Rear-Admiral Christian with a squadron of men-of-war and upwards of 200 transports with 16,000 troops on board left St. Helens for the West Indies on 16 November; on the 17th they were caught west of Portland in a terrible gale, and on the 18th six transports went to pieces on the Chesil beach where 234 dead bodies were immediately thrown up, a number increased to 1,600 by the 26th. The worst part of the story was the behaviour of the people ashore, mostly Portlanders, who are always praying for wrecks on their coast and whose whole attention was devoted to plunder instead of the rescue of the drowning. They were soon reinforced by a considerable mob from different parts solely intent on plunder, until soldiers brought on the scene dispersed them with volleys of musketry... `...nearly opposite to the Village of Fleet and Chickerell, the PIEDMONT, VENUS, and CATHARINE Transports were driven on the Bank; and very soon after the THOMAS, a Merchant Ship bound for Lisbon, shared the same `In the THOMAS, of London, a Merchant Ship bound to Oporto, the Master, Mr. Brown, his Son, and all the Crew, except the Mate, three Seamen, and one passenger, were lost: this passenger was a young Gentleman, about the age of fifteen, of the name of Smith, who was going to Lisbon. He too was probably preserved by remaining on board after all the rest had left the Ship, or had been washed from it by the waves. It had then drifted high on the bank, and he leaped from it to the ground. Weakened as he was, and encumbered with his wet clothes, he got on the other side of the stony bank, and seems to have possessed equal presence of mind and humanity. On looking around him over the dreary beach, his first idea was, that he was thrown on an uninhabited coast. At length he saw a fishing boat, and approaching it, heard the groans of the unhappy old Soldier...whom he attempted to relieve but he could do nothing alone, and he was long before he saw any assistance near; till at length he perceived a man at some distance, to whom he hastened, and enquired eagerly if a Surgeon could be procured for a poor creature with a broken limb, who lay under the boat. The man probably shewed no great alacrity, for Master Smith found it necessary to purchase his good offices by giving him half a guinea, which he imagined would engage him to seek for a surgeon. The man pocketted the half guinea with the greatest composure, then, saying he was a Kings Officer, and must see what bales of goods were driven on shore, he hastened away without giving himself any farther trouble, than telling Master Smith that there was a ferry about four miles off, by which he might get to Weymouth. Of what happened on board the THOMAS, previous to her total destruction, Master Smith related one striking circumstance: Mr. Brown, the Master of the vessel, was carried away by an immense wave, just as he was stripping to endeavour to save himself, his son exclaiming 0h, my father! my poor father! instantly followed him. They seem to have been worthy people, and are spoken of with great regard by this young man. The bodies of these two unhappy people, father and son, were believed, by the description of them, to be among those that were afterwards interred at Wyke... (Taken from Ann. Register, Account of an Eyewitness; Smith (Charlotte), Narrative of the Loss, and c. Lond. 1796.) net tonnage

Record last edited

Jun 19 2015 12:17PM