It is said people from Strabane, Derry and Donegal plus further afield were involved in this tragedy......the names of those lost are listed below. From: Martin Elliget Subject: Loss of Emigrant Ship Exmouth, 1847 (incl. casualty list) Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:56:18 +0000 Hi all. Apologies for the length of this message but, while browsing The Times, I came across a casualty list for the emigrant ship Exmouth (bound for Quebec from Londonderry), which was wrecked on the coast of Islay in 1847 with the loss of 220 souls (only 3 of the crew survived), and as far as I can tell (I may be mistaken), there doesnt seem to be a casualty list for the Exmouth on the internet, hence my post. I know, strictly speaking, this is not directly related to Australian or New Zealand genealogy, but I thought it might be of general interest and, afterall, someone somewhere may find some connection. A word of caution: at the end, theres a brief description of recovered bodies that some might find slightly disturbing. A very sad catastrophe, by all counts. Particularly poignant for me were the mentions of children amongst the casualties, whole families lost in some cases and, saddest of all, several mentions of infant at the breast. Best regards, Martin Elliget London The Times Tue 04 May 1847, p.4 DREADFUL SHIPWRECK (From the third edition of the Scots Reformers Gazette of Saturday night.) One of the passengers of the Modern Athens, arrived at the Broomielaw from Islay yesterday, gives the following awful account of the total loss of the ship Exmouth, of Newcastle, from Londonderry, with 168 passengers and crew, for Quebec. From what we gathered from the gentleman above re- ferred to, as well as the three survivors, it appears the unfortunate vessel sailed from Londonderry on Sunday,- had her canvas all blown away during the severe storm on Monday and Tuesday,- that she became perfectly unmanageable, and at half-past 12 on Wednesday morning drifted on the rocks at Ballanavie, on the west coast of Islay, with so great a force that she went to pieces in ten minutes after she struck. The captain, crew, and passengers were all lost, with the exception of three sailors, who were in the shrouds, and who were thrown upon the rocks. The Modern Athens passed the wreck on the afternoon of Wednesday, when there were a considerable number of the bodies being washed on shore. The survivors came here with the Modern Athens yester- day, on their way to South Shields, to which place they belong. Their names are John Stevens, George Lightford, and William Coultard. The captains name was Isaac Booths, and the owners, Mr. John Edons, of South Shields. The Times Mon 31 May 1847, p.6 THE LOSS OF THE EMIGRANT SHIP EXMOUTH OFFICIAL REPORT The report of Lieutenant Ramsey, the Government Emi- gration Agent, relative to the condition of the Exmouth 48 hours before she met with the sad catastrophe on the coast of Islay, received on Saturday, contains the following par- ticulars:- The Exmouth (although an old vessel, built at Sunderland in 1818) was in a perfect state of repair, and underwent a thorough survey by Lieutenant Ramsey and an experienced shipbuilder. She was properly fitted out for emigrants, the aggregate number of superficial feet in the several compart- ments set apart for steerage and intermediate passengers being 1,675, and well provisioned, with three suitable boats and every requisite for their use, and two life buoys. It states the names of the passengers were as follows (most of them were middle class farmers and possessed of property):- Margaret, Mary, and James Kelly; Ann Sweeney; Owen Curren, Sarah his wife, and three children under 14 years of age; Thomas Gallagher; Sally Curran; Redmond MCool, Catherine, his wife, Hannah and Ca- therine their daughters, and give children; James Duro; Beavan Donnell, Barnard Donnell, William Donnell, and John Donnell; John Dixon, Martha Dixon, Jane Dixon, their three children, and one infant at the breast; Robert Blaire, Nancy Blaire, Isabella Blaire, and Amy Blaire; Joseph Riddles, and Peggy Riddles; Sarah Smith; James Donaghy; Edward MGettigan, Mary and Hannah, and four children; James Bradly; Machael MGauchey, Mar- garet, his wife, and an infant at the breast; James Kelly; John Wilson; Christian MLaughlin and Jane MLaughlin; Jane Flanagan, John Flanagan, Patrick Flanagan, Ann Flanagan and four children; Margaret MGettigan; Nancy MGettigan, three children, and one infant; Patrick Linagh, John Dermott, Catherine, Hugh, and Peggy Dermott, and three children; Ann Alone, James Wright, Mary Haynes, Peggy and John Haynes, three children, and one infant; George Cunningham, James Cunningham, Letty Henderson, Martha Miller, Patrick Kelly, Fagan Kelly, and Gormley Kelly; James MCree, William MCree, Joseph MCree, Moes(?) MCree, Robert MCree, Margaret MCree, and one child; Andrew Jewin, Ann Jewin, Rose Jewin, Susan Jewin, Sarah Jewin, and one child; Barnard MGaffray, Biddy MGaffray, Mary MGaffray, and one child; John Callaghan, James MGuire, Patrick MGuire, John MCon- nell, James Bloyd, Isabella Bloyd; James Patterson, Jane Patterson, Ellen Patterson; Patrick Leonard, Catherine Leonard, his wife, two children, and an infant in arms; Ann Gallagher, John Gallagher; Peter Cox, Patrick Fee, William MEllemry, Mary MEllemry, his wife; John Develin, Margaret Develin, his wife, an infant at the breast, and one child; Terence Hilby, Bridget Hilby, George Hilby, and four children; Patrick Woods, Catherine Woods, Charles Woods, and three children; Hugh MCrosson, Margaret MCrosson, his wife, and one child; Mary Forgriste, David Stern, Martha Stern, his wife, and four children; James Smythe, James Cochran, Sarah Mogel, Sarah Mogel, her daughter, and one child; Peter MElhill, Ann and Mary MElhill, three children, and an infant in arms; John Crawford, Ann Crawford, John Crawford, and three children; Ann Carroll; James Cald- well, Margaret and Mary Caldwell, five children, and one infant; Patrick MGuckin, James Patrick MGuckin, Sarah MKervin (MKervis?), - MGrouch, and Mary MGrouch, his wife; William Smith, Margaret and Ann Smith; James MGirr, Edward MGirr, and Rachel MGirr; Dennis Brogan, Biddy, Michael, Peggy, James, John, Dennis, and Patrick Brogan, and three children. There were also three cabin passengers, two of them ladies (names not mentioned). Every soul was lost. Their number is described in Lieu- tenant Ramseys report thus:- Male emigrants - 74 Female emigrants - 62 Male children, under 14 years - 29 Female children, under 14 years - 34 Infants - 9 (To be added to which)- Cabin passengers - 3 Master (Captain Booth) - 1 Crew - 8 Total number drowned - 220 By the last accounts received from the island, no fewer than 108 bodies had been recovered. They were hooked up by men who were lowered from the summit of the rocks by ropes. Most of them were woman and children, who were entirely naked. They were dreadfully mutilated; some without faces, others without heads or limbs. They were each separately wrapped in sheets by two gentlemen named Campbell, who say to their decent interment in a beautiful spot near the point where the mournful event occurred. We understand Her Majestys Government have been pleased to notify to those gentlemen (Mr. Campbell, of Ballinabay, and Mr. Henry Campbell, of Rockside) their sense of such meritorious example and exertion, and to add a gratuity to the men who have been engaged in recovering the bodies. [End]
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 09:33:10 +0000
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