Wreck of the Wensleydale - 1852

Newcastle Courant Friday 5^th November, 1852:
The coal laden brig Wensleydale, of South Shields, struck the Longscar rock, between four and five, and speedily went to pieces. The cabin boy of this vessel had been washed over on Wednesday night, about ten. The nine remaining of the crew are thus accounted for :-The captain and the carpenter were hurled over- board from the main rigging and drowned, shortly after the vessel struck; two more of the crew were discovered in a state of exhaustion; the bodies of three dead from cold and exhaustion were taken off by the Seaton life-boat, with the mate and a seaman, the sole survivors of the wreck, in a state of extreme exhaustion. In these two latter cases the daring conduct of William Hood, the commander of the Seaton life-boat, and his gallant crew of sixteen (which numbered amongst them four of his sons), is described as beyond all praise. It was a deliverance effected at the imminent peril of all their lives. The masts had gone - the vessels were rapidly breaking up, under the irresistible force of a tremendous sea, and the danger to the lifeboat from the large fragments of the vessels was extreme; however the crew persevered, made three attempts and the saving of nine lives was the consequence.

Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury 6^th November, 1852:
The coal laden brig the Wensleydale, of and from Shields, to London, with crew of ten men and boys, struck on the Longscar rocks on Thursday afternoon. She soon went to pieces. The Seaton lifeboat, commanded by Mr. William Hood, and manned by 16 fishermen, made a gallant effort to save the crew. After a hard struggle they were able to take two men off alive, the bodies of three others who had died of exhaustion; the master, the carpenter, and cabin boy of the ill-fated vessel had been washed from the rigging and drowned, previous to the life - boat reaching her; two more of the crew also perished.

Related items :