A
NARRATIVE
OF THE
DREADFUL LOSS
OF THE
EARL
OF
ABERGAVENNY,
INDIAMAN,
Wrecked
February 5, 1805, on the
SHINGLES,
OFF THE BILL OF PORTLAND,
AS COMMUNICATED TO
THE
Directors of the
India House,
BY ONE OF THE
SURVIVORS.
__________________________________________________________________
" Again she
plunges! hark! a second shock,
Tears her strong bottom on the marble rock !"
FALCONER.
__________________________________________________________________
LONDON :
Printed for J.
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Friars Road ; sold also by Champante and Co.
Aldgate; Kemmish, King Street, Borough; Perks,
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__________________
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Theodore Page,
Printer, Black Friars Road
5
THE
LOSS
OF
THE
ABERGAVENNY.
ON Friday, February 1, 1805, sailed
from Portsmouth, the EARL of ABER-
GAVENNY EAST INDIAMAN, com-
manded by CAPT. WORDSWORTH.
The ship was of the largest tonnage,
being above 1500 tons burthen, and
was destined to Bengal and China, hav-
ing in company the Wexford, Royal
George, Henry Addington and Bombay
Castle, under convoy of His Majesty's
Frigate Weymouth.
She was laden to Bengal with a most
valuable cargo, having on board, on
the Company's account, the value of
100,000l. and 250,000 ounces of silver
A 2
6
on private account; besides goods to
the value of half a million : she is sup-
posed to be the richest ship that has
sailed for India these several years past.
This ill-fated ship was loaded with
passengers, to an unprecedented degree;
above forty sat down every day to din-
ner at the Captain's table; and above
fourteen at the third mate's, among the
passengers were the following persons,
viz.
Mr. Thomas Evans, sen. merchant,
Miss Amelia Evans,
Miss Rebecca Jackson,
Mrs. Margaret Blair, proceeding to
settle the affairs of her late husband,
Mr. Archibald Grant, writer,
Mr. R. M. Strange, sen. merchant,
Mr. H. Durant, Assistant Surgeon,
Mr. C. Davis,
Mr. J. D. Leadbeater,
Mr. P. Lane,
Mr. W. Craig,
Mr. E. Bellew,
Mr. J. Hamilton,
Mr. R. Michael Oginski Gramshaw,
Mr H. R. Barwell,
Mr.
7
Mr. R. Matsack,
Mr. H. J. Glover,
Mr. J. Grace,
Mr. J. Forbes,
Mr. C. Robinson,
Mr. W. Baillie,
Mr. Rice Price,
Mr. C. Taylor,
Mr. J. Johnson,
Mr. J. Thwaites,
Mr. Alexander B. Manson,
Mr. A. Innes,
Mr. J. Dent,.
Mr. R. Dent,
Mr. J. Rutherford, Cadets.
The weather proving unfavourable,
and the wind strong against them, in-
duced them to run into Portland Roads.
The Weymouth frigate separated the
very first night. The Wexford, Captain
Clarke, being the oldest Captain, and
of course Commodore, made the signal
for the ships that had pilots on board to
run for port.
On Thursday the 7th of February,
at a quarter past six o'clock in the
morning,
8
morning, Mr. Stuart, the Purser of the
Abergavenny, arrived at the East India
house, with the melancholy intelligence
of the loss of the ship, by striking on
the Shingles, a dangerous ridge of
rocks, off the Bill of Portland. Intel-
ligence was immediately given to Mr.
Ramsey, the Secretary, who resides at
the India House; and before ten o'clock
all the avenues leading to the Secre-
tary's office, were completely blocked
up with enquirers on this unfortunate.
circumstance. Mr. Stuart, the Purser,
was the first person who arrived at the
House, from the ship ; after him, Mr.
Taylor, a Cadet; and Mr. Gilpin, the
fourth officer, from whom the follow-
ing particulars of the melancholy loss
of this vessel, and the principal part of
her crew and passengers, were commu-
nicated to the Court of Directors:
The Abergavenny reached the en-
trance of Portland Roads, on the coast
of Dorsetshire, on Tuesday about noon,
but not being at that time supplied
with a pilot, she waited a few hours till
she had got one.
About
9
About three P. M. having obtained
one, she bore up for Portland Roads.
The weather had by this time, become
tolerably moderate, and notwithstanding
a strong ebb tide was setting in, no dis-
aster was at this time apprehended. In
a few minutes, however, the ship's
company learned their dangerous situa-
tion, the ship having struck on the
Shingles, off the Bill of Portland, about
two miles from the shore. Capt. Words-
worth, and his Officers, were notwith-
standing, of opinion, that the ship
might be got off without sustaining any
material damage, and accordingly no
signal guns of distress were ordered to
be fired.
Whilst the ship was on the rock, the
bell, by the motion kept tolling, as if
ominous of their approaching fate, 'till
the Captain ordered the clapper to be
lashed. What a dreadful moment must
this have been to the unfortunate suf-
ferers; to have an awful eternity in
view, and the bell, as though by in-
stinct, tolling their departing knell.
About five P.M. things bore a still
More
10
more unfavourable aspect : the carpen-
ter announced that a considerable leak
was discovered near the bottom of
the chain pumps, which it was not in
his power to stop, the water gushed in
so fast. The pumps being all in readi-
ness, were set a going, and a part of
the crew endeavoured to bail her at the
fore-hatch, but all their attempts to
keep the water under were in vain.
At six P. M. the inevitable loss of
the ship became more and more appar-
rent ; other leaks were discovered, the
wind had increased to a gale, and the
severe beating of the vessel upon the
rocks, threatened immediate destruction.
Captain Wordsworth and Officers were
far from shrinking from the perils
around them. They gave their orders
with the greatest firmness and coolness,
and by their proper conduct were ena-
bled to preserve subordination : which,
at such a time, is not easily preserved,
as it too often happens that the crew,
thinking that its all over with them,
(to use their own phrase,) generally
attack the spirit room, where they in-
toxicate
11
toxicate themselves, and are in that mi-
serable state, launched into eternity.
As the night advanced, the situation
of all on board became the more terrible;
Miss Evans, and several other passen-
gers, entreated to be sent on shore; but
this was impossible It was as much as
all the ship's company could do to
keep the vessel afloat. In order to
tempt the men to exert their utmost
powers at the pumps, the officers stood
by cheering them, and encouraging
them, by giving them allowances of
liquor.
At seven P.M. the ship's company
being almost exhausted, it was thought
adviseable to fire fresh signal guns, in
hopes of obtaining boats from the shore,
to save as many of the people on board
as possible.
From that time till eight o'clock, the
situation of all on board was dreadful in
the extreme; it was impossible to save
the ship, which was eventually sinking
fast, and settling in the water. At eight
P. M. the guns of distress were fired in-
cessantly,
12
cessantly, for boats to come off to save
the crew, passengers, and King's and
Company's troops on board. The Purser
Mr. Stuart, was dispatched in one of the
ship's boats, with the papers and dis-
patches in order to save them. The
Third Mate, Mr. Wordsworth, a Cousin
of the Captain's, accompanied the
Purser, with about six seamen. Thus
were those eight men snatched from the
jaws of death, which were gaping, to
swallow them, and into which so many
of their miserable shipmates were soon,
after precipitated.
One boat came off from the shore,
which took on board,
Mr. Evans, sen. merchant, and his
daughter.
Miss Jackson.
Mr. Routledge, and
Mr. Taylor, a Cadet, all passengers.
Mrs. Blair, companion to Miss Evans,
chose, in spite of all intreaties, to re-
main on board; indeed, there were
many who would have made the same
choice, so little hope was there of the
boat
13
boat contending successfully against the
high sea in so dark a night
It was now about nine o'clock, and
several boats were heard at a short dis-
tance from the ship, but they rendered
no assistance to the distressed people on
board.
About ten P. M. the water had got
above the orlop-deck, in spite of the
most unremitting endeavours of the of-
ficers and crew, who behaved in the
most cool; exemplary manner. In the
mean time all on board were anxiously
looking out for the boats from the shore.
As the ship was going down, the First
Mate told the Captain she would sink in
a moment - The Captain (looking in his
face, and with a look, in which was
strongly depicted a true sense of their
dreadful situation, replied, " it can-
not be prevented - God's will be done."
- From that instant the Captain was
motionless.
The, dreadful crisis was now fast ap-
proaching, every one on board seemed
and
14
assured of his fate, At ten o'clock the
ship was nearly full of water, and as
she began gradually to sink, confusion
commenced on board. A number of
sailors begged ardently for more liquor,
and when it was refused, they attacked
the spirit-room, but were repulsed by
their officers, who never once lost sight
of their character, and continued to
conduct themselves with the utmost for-
titude. One of them was stationed at
the spirit-room door, with a brace of
pistols, to guard against surprise, and
there remained, even whilst the ship was
sinking. A sailor was extremely solici-
tous to obtain some liquor from him,
saying, " It will be all as one an hour
hence." - " Be that as it may," replied
the officer, "let us die like men."
It is a circumstance hardly to be ac-
counted for, that in the midst of all this
distress, the ship's boats were never at-
tempted to be hoisted out.
When the passengers and crew were
acquainted with their situation, they
made several efforts to save their lives;
some laid hold of pieces of the wreck,
and
15
and committed themselves to the mercy
of the waves. A Mr. Forbes stripped
off his clothes, and being an excellent
swimmer, plunged into the sea, and was
one of those who was picked up by a
boat from the shore.
A great number ran up the shrouds,
to the tops of the masts, and on the
yards; and several got into the long
boat, which floated when the ship went
down, by which means they were res-
cued from a watery grave.
And now, lash'd on by
destiny severe,
With horrow fraught, the dreadful scene drew near !
The ship hangs hovering on the verge of death,
Hell yawns, rocks rise, and breakers roar beneath ! -
In vain alas ! the sacred shades of yore
Would arm the mind with philosophic lore ;
In vain they'd teach us, at the latest breath,
To smile serene, amid the pangs of death.
At about eleven o'clock, a heavy sea
gave the vessel a sudden shock, and in
an instant she sunk to the bottom in
twelve fathoms water.
As
16
As the ship sunk, Capt. Wordsworth
was seen clinging to some ropes, and
many who had climbed the shrouds,
descended to save him, but to no effect.
In this exertion, Mr. Gilpin, the Fourth
Mate, was foremost ; and those who have
arrived in town from the wreck, una-
nimously agree, that this gentleman's
name deserves to be written in letters of
gold for his endeavours on this occasion.
Thus in one moment were precipi-
tated into the dreadful abyss of death,
about 300 unhappy victims, who, but a
few hours before, perhaps, were
" Counting on whole years of
pleasure here !"
When the ship sunk, she did not go
down in the usual way that vessels do
by falling first upon her beam ends ; this
deviation was supposed to have arisen
from her being laden with treasure and
porcelain ware.
Many of those unfortunate persons
who had ran up the shrouds for safety,
were unable to sustain the motion of the
vessel in going down, and met an un-
timely
17
timely fate with their unfortunate com-
panions below. Between eighty and
ninety persons, however, were still able
to maintain their situation, and were ul-
timately saved.
Their situation, however, was fright-
ful beyond all possible description ; the
swell of the sea was dreadful, and every
moment they perceived some friend float-
ing around them for a while, then sink-
ing into the abyss to rise no more.
Down on the vale of
death, with dismal cries,
The fated victims shuddering roll their eyes,
In wild despair." -------------------------
For some time after the vessel had
gone down, she kept gradually sinking
deeper in the sand, insomuch, that se-
veral persons were under the necessity
of climbing higher up the masts. The
main mast was estimated to be above the
water about twenty-five feet; and the
persons aloft could plainly discover the
end of the bowsprit.
Several boats were heard paddling
about the wreck, at half past eleven
B 2 o'clock,
18
o'clock, and although they were hailed
by the unfortunate persons on the shrouds
and masts they could not be prevailed
upon to take them on shore. The reason
which was afterward assigned for this
apparently inhumane conduct, was, that
they were fearful that every person on
board, being eager to save himself, the
whole would attempt to jump in, over-
load the boats, and sink them.
About twelve o'clock, a sloop that
had been attracted to the spot by the
signal guns, came to an anchor close to
the ship, sent a boat, and took off all
the persons we have mentioned as being
above water, about twenty at a time,
and conveyed them to Weymouth which
was at about two miles distance.
So far were the people from crowding
improperly into the boat, that they got
off the shrouds one by one, and then
only as they were called by the officers
who were with them. When it was sup-
posed that every person was brought off,
and the boat was about to depart for the
last time, a person was observed nearly
at
19
at the top of a mast in the shrouds ;
he was called to, but did not answer :
one of the officers, much to his credit,
returned, and there found a man in an
inanimate state, arising from the pierce-
ing cold weather. The officer brought
him down on his back into the boat :
The person proved to be Serjeant Hart,
When they reached the shore every pos-
sible care was taken of him, but he
is since dead.
The sloop that came from the shore,
after having taken most of the people
from the tops, was scudding with all the
sail she could carry for the shore, when
Mr. BAGGOT, the chief officer of the
Earl of Abergavenny, was discovered
close astern of the ship. The sloop im-
mediately lay to for him ; but this no-
ble-spirited young man, although he
had a rope in his hand, quitted his hold,
and, disregarding his own safety, plunged
after Mrs. BLAIR, an unfortunate fel-
low passenger, whom he perceived float-
ing at some distance. He succeeded in
coming up with her, and sustained her
B 3 above
20
above water, while he swam towards
the sloop ; but just as he was on the
point of reaching it, a terrible swell
came on, and his strength being totally
exhausted, he sunk and never rose again.
The unfortunate Mrs. BLAIR
sunk
after him, and this generous and
gallant youth thus perished in vain.
Not a single article of property,
which we have mentioned before as
being of immense value, was saved, ex-
cept the dispatches and some valuable
prints, which had been sent out to Ge-
neral Lake.
The boats that took the people from
the tops carried them to Weymouth,
where they received the most liberal and
humane attention from Mr. Weston, a
respectable Merchant of that town. The
East India Company will not fail to re-
ward him as he deserves.
When the Abergavenny left Ports-
mouth, the first and third mates were
on shore, and paid forty guineas for a
boat, to enable them to overtake this
ill-fated ship.
The
21
The exertions of Cornet BURGOYNE
and the officers, were most exemplarily
gallant ; they did all that human nature
could do, in so trying a moment, at the
hazard of their lives
Cornet BURGOYNE,
of the 8th Dra-
goons, has, by loosing his baggage, sus-
tained a loss of fifteen hundred pounds
value.
At eleven o'clock Thursday morning,
he appeared in the passages of the India
House. He was instantly surrounded
by the anxious friends of the several per-
sons who had embarked in the Earl of
Abergavenny. We are happy to state,
that this Gentleman, though so severely
afflicted from this misfortune, as to lose
the use of his right leg, was yet able to
give every satisfaction required to the
friends of the parties ; and, from him
and the other officers who arrived at the
India House, the Secretary was enabled
to issue the following list of persons
saved from the wreck :--
Official Account
of Passengers saved.
Thomas Evans, Esq. sen. Merchant,
Miss Evans,
Miss
22
Miss Jackson,
Mr. Routledge
Cornet Burgoyne, 8th Dragoons,
Dr. Maxwell.
Messrs. Evans's Black Servant,
Mr. Baillie,
Mr. Gramshaw,
Mr. C. Taylor,
Mr. Thwaites,
Mr. Johnson, Cadets, and
Thirty-three Soldiers.
CREW
SAVED.
Mr. W. E. G. Stewart, Second Mate,
Mr. Joseph Wordsworth, Third Ditto,
Mr. Thomas Gilpin, Fourth Ditto,
Mr. John Clark, Fifth Ditto,
Mr. H. Mortimer, Sixth Ditto,
Mr. John Davis, Surgeon,
Mr. C. H. Stewart, Purser,
Mr. Thomas Abbot, Gunner,
Mr. John Adwater, Carpenter,
Mr. W. White, Midshipman and Cox-
swain,
Mr. Edward Pitcher,
Mr. George Rason,
Mr. Benjamin Yeates, and
Mr. John Barnett, Midshipmen,
Mr.
23
Mr. Williams Akers, Ship's Steward,
Mr. William Ivers, Boatswain's Second
Mate.
Mr. Charles Dunn, Gunner's First
Mate,
Mr. Joseph Williams, Gunner's Se-
cond Mate,
Mr. Ambrose Barnett, Quarter-Master,
Mr. Charles Boyd, ditto,
Mr. J. Palmer, ditto,
Mr. Daniel Lundie, Baker,
Mr. James Parsons, seaman dis-
charged at Portsmouth,
Mr. John Swinney, ditto,
Mr. George Thompson, Quarter-
Master,
Mr. John Thompson, ditto,
Mr. John Thompson, Chinese Ser-
vant, and 69 seamen.
PASSENGERS
DROWNED.
Ensign Whitlow, 22nd Foot,
Mrs. M. Blair,
Mr. A. Grant, writer,
Mr. Henry Durant, Assistant Surgeon,
Mr. T. D. Leadbeater,
Mr. Pynsent Lane,
Mr. W. Craig,
Mr. L. Bellew,
Mr.
24
Mr. H. R. Barwell,
Mr. R. Marsack,
Mr. H. J. Glover,
Mr. C. J. Stewart,
Mr. A. Wight,
Mr. W. Graham,
Mr. J. Grace,
Mr. J. Forbes,
Mr. C. Robinson,
Mr. W. Baillie,
Mr. Rice Price,
Mr. C. Taylor,
Mr. J. Johnston,
Mr. J. B. Manson,
Mr. A. Innes,
Mr. J. Dent,
Mr. R. Dent, and
Mr. J. Rutherford
CREW
DROWNED.
Captain Wordsworth, Commander,
Mr. Bagot, First Mate,
Mr. Savage, Midshipman, and
The Boatswain.
Drowned in all 300, including crew,
soldiers, Chinamen, and some Portu-
guese.
The crew consisted of 160 men, and
there were between 50 and 60 passen-
gers ; the rest were recruits for his Ma-
jesty's
25
jestys's and the Company's service :
about 30 Chinamen were also on board.
The Greyhound and Rover cutters
have been engaged to prevent the wreck
from being plundered. Great hopes are
entertained that part of the cargo may
yet be saved, and one of the Company's
Master Attendants left town on Friday,
the 8th of February, to ascertain whe-
ther any efforts to that purpose would
be attended with success.
Her jib boom is nearly all above wa-
ter ; her poop supposed to be about
twenty feet under water ; but, by the
observations which have been made, it
is ascertained, that her decks had not
been blown up, and that she remained
exactly as she sank. Several bodies have
been floated ashore at Weymouth.
It was supposed that the ship's bottom
had been beaten in exactly under the
pumps, and that, therefore, they could
not work with effect. During the two
hours the passengers remained in the
tops, the ship had gradually sunk seven
feet, from whence it was supposed, that
she had struck upon a mud bank.
It is an extraordinary fact, that Cap-
tain
26
tain WORDSWORTH from a dreadful
presentiment, which often is the fore-
runner of some great misfortune, felt
such an unaccountable depression of
spirits, that he could not be persuaded
to go through the usual ceremony of
taking leave of the Court of Directors
on the day appointed ; and it was not
until the Wednesday following, which
was specially fixed for that purpose,
that he yielded to the wishes of his
friends, and reluctantly attended the
Court. He had been two voyages as Com-
mander, and expected that this his third
voyage would make his fortune. He
has left a wife and large family to de-
plore his loss.
He was a man of remarkable mild
manners ; and of a so temperate a dis-
position, that he was known among his
ship-mates, by the appellation of the
" Philosopher." It may be justly said
of him, that
Tho' train'd in boisterous elements, his mind
Was yet by soft humanity refined.
Each joy of wedded love at home he knew ;
Abroad confessed the father of his crew !
Brave, liberal, just ! the calm domestic scene
Had o'er his temper breathed a gay serene.
FINIS.
Page,
Printer, Black Friars Road.
