The Wreck of the East India Ship,
'HALSEWELL'
1786
By David John Allen
I
have
often
been
asked
why,
of
all
the
comparatively
safe
and
more
friendly
sports
there
are,
I
should
chose
scuba
diving.
Well
it
certainly
wasn't
the
thought
of
entering
the
cold
grey
waters
that
surround
the
British
Isles.
In
fact
my
very
first
expedition
into
this
enchanting
world,
was
in
the
distant
warm
clear
waters
of
the
Indian
Ocean.
It
may
be
said
that
the
main
reason
for
my
indulgence
was
to
enhance
the
deep
interest
I
have
in
maritime
history
but
that
would
not
be
quite
true. I
suppose
if
I
were
pressed
to
give
a
reason,
I
would
have
to
say
it
was
a
combination
of
curiosity
and
the
chance,
nay,
privilege,
to
explore
one
of
the
two
remaining
frontiers,
virtually
unknown
to
man.
However,
having
the
ability
to
dive
has,
as
you
can
imagine,
proven
to
be
the
most
significant
of
all
my
pursuits
in
the
quest
to
explore
the
tragic
story
of
the Halsewell.
It was in 1988 when I had
my first brush with the Halsewell, a name then, that I was
totally
unfamiliar
with. On a rather cold Sunday morning in
early April a diving acquaintance of mine, having suggested the night before
that I, being interested in ancient ships, should dive the wreck site of an
eighteenth century East Indiaman that had foundered on
rocks and was lying
in about seven meters of water. Thrilled, I nodded my approval eagerly, at the
thought of visiting an ancient shipwreck, but alas, I soon found myself
shivering in the murky green waters of the English channel, gliding over a thick
forest of waving kelp which completely obliterated the sea bed and all hope of
seeing any wreckage. My
initial enthusiasm began to wane and finally foundered amongst
the kelp along with the Halsewell; if there was such a ship! Numb with
cold, I longed for the dive to be over and drooled over the thought of a hot cup
of tea. How green I was, and little did I know that at that particular moment in
time, in the very near future, I would be spending many cold, wet hours lying on
this sea bed, surrounded by
the thick kelp, in a painstaking excavation of the site.
It seems that the Halsewell,
according to my companion, was outward bound for Bengal, India
and
had
encountered
severe weather in the
Channel.
After
many
unsuccessful
manoeuvres
carried
out
by
a
frantic
crew,
exhausted
by
fatigue
and
benumbed
with
cold,
it
had
been driven on to
a lee shore with a terrible loss of life. I was absolutely enthralled.
It was
obvious
to
me that this wreck needed to be thoroughly researched along with the
unfortunate people who perished with her. Finally, although I didn’t exactly
relish the thought, I would perform a detailed excavation of the site. All
shipwrecks, especially if resulting in a substantial loss of life, as it was
with the Halsewell, tend to promote a morbid fascination. Tales are told,
with wide eyed exuberance, of the raging tempest and seamen, whose impending
fate must involve
feats
of
heroism
that
would
excel
the
most
vivid
imagination
together
with the terrors of drowning. The Halsewell was no exception. Only in this
case the stories of courage and terror were in most part true.
Throughout
maritime
history,
the
rugged
Dorset
coastline
has
always
presented
a
navigation
hazard
to
shipping,
and
if
we
associate
this
with
the
most
prominent
and
unpredictable
factor
that
the
sailing
ship
had
to
contend
with,
namely
the
weather,
then
we
can
perceive
a
situation
which
spells
tragedy.
Evidence
of
this
is
sadly
portrayed
in
the
many
wrecks
that
litter
the
seabed
along
this
particular stretch of coast. Even today, pieces of wreckage can still be found
among the rocks from ships long since devoured by the sea. The
ensuing story tells of the East Indiaman Halsewell, which was one of
those unfortunate ships.
From her launch in 1778, to her untimely and disastrous end eight years later, her pathetic remains
now lay amongst the rocks. She was to become yet another casualty in a long line
of maritime disasters. In my view, to say this is a story of just another
shipwreck would be wrong, for it is an epic tale of both heroism and tragedy.
It
relates to compassion, and the suffering endured by passengers and crew and
above all it was a disaster of such magnitude, that it stunned the whole nation
into mourning. In 1789 King George III, and several members of the Royal family
came to Seacombe to view for themselves, the site where this catastrophe took
place. At the time, a William Holloway composed a
poem, as a commemorative
tribute to the Royal visit, which was then published in the Western County
Magazine. So engrained was the loss of the Halsewell that in later years
it became an inspiration for Charles Dickens'
'Lost Voyage'.
In the following
pages, an attempt has been made to paint a picture of the Halsewell, and
of the events leading to her tragic end. Also to convey to the reader, the
horror and utter despair the crew must have felt, on finding themselves in that
desperate situation on the night of the 6th January 1786. However, it would
leave an incomplete picture at this point, not to blend into the background a
little of life on board vessels in the service of the East India Company during
the eighteenth century. The Halsewell,
as
indeed
many
other
East
Indiamen
had
before
her,
carried
the
priceless
cargos
of
the
Company
since
1600.
Spices
and
perfumes,
pearls,
rubies,
diamonds
and
cinnamon,
guaranteed
immense
profits
for
the
Company's
shareholders
and
ship
owners
alike.
It
is
however,
important
and
necessary
to
remember
that
this
wealth
was
in
a
major
part
achieved
by
the
consummate
courage,
patience,
skill
and
long-suffering
of
that
race
of
beings,
the
intrepid
seamen,
who
rarely
received
their
due
from
the
landsmen
they
made
rich
and
comfortable.
I hope this record
will serve as a token to the memory of the Halsewell and as a tribute to
the bravery of
many
of those who perished. Perhaps also as a symbol, not just to the
ships lost in similar circumstances while in the service of the East India
Company, but to
the
brave
mariners,
ancient
and
modern
from all
vessels
that
have
been
wrecked
along
the
Dorset
coastline. Although I do not take any credit
whatsoever for the re-discovery of this
particular wreck; I feel that my team and I are the
first to conduct a detailed and documented investigation. Underwater archaeology
is not always recognised as a discipline. There will always be those who merely
wish to plunder historically important sites and unfortunately, over the years,
the Halsewell,
as
well
as
many
other
sites
around
the
British
Isles,
has
not
escaped
their
attention.
Sadly, due to
the predatory actions of
some
diving
groups
who
have
gone
before,
a
great
deal
of
material
has
been
removed
and
consequently
valuable
information has been denied us and
is
now
lost
forever. Nevertheless,
important
finds
have
been
made
which
hopefully,
after
careful
study,
will
yield
important
information
concerning
this
unfortunate
ship
and
perhaps
tell
us
something
of
the
cargo
and
people
who
sailed
with
her.
Some
of
the
finds
you
will
see illustrated
in
the
archive.
We are
fortunate indeed to day, for the publication of 'Memoirs' by William
Hickey (1749--1830) Attorney at law, who travelled extensively on board English East Indiamen.
Also
'Barlow's Journal', written by Edward Barlow
during his life at sea. He, Barlow, was born
on, 6th March 1642, and went to sea at the tender age of seventeen in 1659, as
an apprentice aboard the
Naseby,
a
First
Rate
Navel
ship
of
76
guns.
He
also
served
in
East
&
West
Indiamen
between
1671
to
1703.
These
very
important
volumes
in
particular,
portray
a
very
clear
window
from
whence
we
can
look
back
over
the
centuries
to
gain
a
fascinating
glimpse
of
the
true
reality
faced
by
seventeenth
and
eighteenth
century
seamen
which
otherwise
would
be
shrouded
in
the
mists
of
time.
Those
ancient
wooden
ships
were,
by
to-days
standards,
very
small
and
the
seamen
who
sailed
them
were
tough
and
resilient.
Upwards
of
a
hundred
men
would
be
cramped
together
within
the
confines
of
a
small
vessel
for
months,
sometimes
years
on
end.
Their
tiny
ships
tossed
and
broken,
sometimes
being
completely
overwhelmed
by
the
power
of
the
tempest
and
being
forever
at
the
mercy
of
the
winds.
Not
knowing
whether
they
would
ever
reach
their
intended
destination.
Yet,
with
this
knowledge,
they
put
to
sea
regardless.
We,
today,
could
never
begin
to
imagine
the
hardship
they
endured,
or
of
the
constant
dangers
that
confronted
them.
I hope the reader will share with me the
historical
insights
into
the
workings
of
the
East
India
Company,
details
of
the
Halsewell, events which led to her loss, and the
results
of
our excavation
of
the
wreck
site.
DAVID JOHN ALLEN.
