Bristol Channel Shipping Memories

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On 10th February the French ketch, “ Notre Dame de Paris” was reported in distress off Oxwich Point, Gower, and the Mumbles Lifeboat, Charlie Medland, went to her aid. She was found to have shipped a lot of water and her sails had been blown away. Her crew were exhausted and her master asked for men to board her and try to save her. After three quarters of an hour four lifeboat men got aboard and managed to free her anchors which had been fouled by an underwater obstruction, and a tug was able to tow her to Swansea. September 8th, the thirty foot Ilfracombe sloop “Anne & Sarah”, with coal for Llanelli, sprang a leak while crossing Rhossili Bay. The Master, James Irwin, climbed the rigging while the two crew members took to the boat, which capsized as they were nearing the shore. The boy was drowned but the other crew member grabbed an oar which kept him afloat. On reaching the shore he raised the alarm and three local men, Moses Gibbs, John Thomas and William Harry launched their boat and rescued the Master after he had spent many hours clinging to the mast.

On 22nd January the “ Exeter City”, of Bristol, and the “London”, of Dundee, fouled one another whilst at anchor sustaining considerable damage in high seas, whilst the Sea Serpent, of Dover, was in danger of also becoming entangled. The Barry lifeboat (John Wesley) stood by whilst a pilot cutter went to get tugs which eventually removed the vessels from danger.In a cruel twist of fate, Cap Lt Kiesewetter was once again enlisted as part of Adolf Hitler’s Kriegsmarine (Navy) during the Second World War. Records show that at the age of 62, he was called up to command the UC-1 submarine, though it completed no operational missions.

March 13th. The barque “France” and the brig “Eliza B” both sailed from Swansea on the morning tide. Later that evening they collided south of Oxwich in a strong gale, which coincided with a spring tide. The barque was badly damaged and the crew, with the exception of the Mater and one trapped crew member went aboard the brig. The barque sank during the early morning hours and the Master took to the ships boat which was blown up to the Mumbles where he was rescued. The unfortunate trapped man went down with the ship.The Glenart Castle, built by Harland and Wolff in 1900, had originally been named Galicia. The steamship was converted to a hospital ship after the outbreak of the First World War, and was clearly marked on its sides with the sign of the Red Cross, and was illuminated brightly at night. For some of the marine objects we have provided the function Ports Nearby, as for example for BRISTOL CHANNEL these ports are remote to the distance as follows: On the 31st August the ketch “Trebiskin”, of Padstow, Cornwall, became stranded on Cardiff Grounds and the Barry lifeboat (John Wesley) was launched but a change in the wind allowed the three man crew of the Trebiskin to refloat her. He says it can be viewed most days at low tide, with storms either revealing more or less of the ship depending on the way the sand shifts.

There’s no conclusive evidence. My own view is that [the claims] were part of the reaction to the horrific torpedoing of an unarmed ship, and the killing of the nurses.” On the same day, 23rd March, the Whitby brig “ Vesta” foundered in Swansea Bay. The crew of seven took to the rigging and were saved by the Mumbles lifeboat (Martha and Anne).April 23rd. The London barque “Nebula”, Antwerp to Cardiff in ballast, ran aground on Porteynon Point. The crew were all saved. The vessel was badly damaged but later repaired and refloated.

January 21st. The Arendal barque “Mercur”, Boston to Penarth with a cargo of maize, was driven ashore at Slade . The crew got ashore safely but the vessel was a total loss. Later in January the brigantine “Sofia”, Naples for Swansea in ballast, was driven ashore during a south easterly gale at Longhole Gut, between Paviland and Overton. The crew of nine and the pilot managed to get ashore. windsurfroundbritain.co.uk". windsurfroundbritain.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017 . Retrieved 2 May 2017. October 19th. The Arklow owned schooner, “James & Agnes”, Swansea for Cowes, I.O.W. with 220 tons of anthracite, sailed on the morning tide. A gale blew up in the evening and the vessel was sighted by another Arklow owned schooner, the “Venedocian”, as she passed to the east of Lundy. The “James & Agnes was never seen again and a Board of Trade enquiry concluded that she must have been run down by an unknown steamer in the vicinity of Lundy Island. .The crew consisted of Captain Horan and four other Arklow men. On 3rd December the Penarth lifeboat, George Gay, made her first successful attempt at rescue when the full rigged “Jupiter”, of London, and the barque “ Ellings”, collided in Penarth Roads in a heavy N.W.gale. The “Jupiter's” crew of 8 jumped into the lifeboat as she pulled alongside the ship but were persuaded to return to the ship to try to save her, which, after two hours was accomplished sufficiently for her to find safety. November 16th. The Milford ketch “Favourite”, became disabled in a heavy gale. The next day she had drifted to a point three miles off Worms Head where the Mate left the vessel and rowed up the coast. The Porteynon lifeboat was launched and brought him ashore. The Master and a seaman were brought off the vessel just before she founderedOf course that made me think that something was wrong and I remarked to my mate at the wheel that it was funny.” Lundy Island Marine Nature Reserve". Lundy.org. Archived from the original on 12 September 2007 . Retrieved 5 September 2007. December 5th, the “Friendship”, Bristol from Ireland, ran onto the Nash Sands. Five members of the crew of twelve perished. The vessel and cargo were saved.