List of shipwrecks of Cornwall
Encyclopedia
The list of shipwrecks of Cornwall lists the ship
s which sank on or near the coasts of mainland Cornwall
. The list includes ships that sustained a damaged hull, which were later refloated and repaired. Around a coast of approximately 250 miles an estimated 6000 ships have been wrecked, more than any other comparable coastline of the British Isles.
N.B. For those wrecks in the Isles of Scilly, see List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s which sank on or near the coasts of mainland Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The list includes ships that sustained a damaged hull, which were later refloated and repaired. Around a coast of approximately 250 miles an estimated 6000 ships have been wrecked, more than any other comparable coastline of the British Isles.
N.B. For those wrecks in the Isles of Scilly, see List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly
1314
- April 1 (first report) – ChepstowChepstowChepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
registered sailing vessel Shoreham on voyage, in ballast, to PoitouPoitouPoitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, wrecked in Widemouth BayWidemouth BayWidemouth Bay is a bay and beach on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England, UK, approximately 3 miles south of Bude. This stretch of coast is steeped in the smuggling history of times before, and not far south of Widemouth Bay can be found many little inlets and coves.-Activities:The beach is...
.
1318
- February 8 (first report) – unidentified sailing vessel on voyage from Portugal to Flanders ″.. cast away when anchored by contrary winds in PadistowePadstowPadstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
″. Men and cargo saved.
1321
- April 30 (first report) – a cargo (including jewels) worth £6000 was lost when the sailing vessel St Bartholomew of BilbaoBilbaoBilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
lost near Lizard Point whilst heading for La Seyne.
1343
- February 10 (first report) – sailing vessel Tarite wrecked on the south coast of Cornwall whilst heading for Falmouth. Cargo valued at £3000.
1527
- January 27 – St Anthony or Santo António (
Portugal) was a carrackCarrackA carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
which foundered in GunwalloeGunwalloeGunwalloe is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Lizard Peninsula three miles south of Helston and partly contains The Loe, the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall.-History:...
Bay, Cornwall, in 1527 en-route from LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to Antwerp. She had a mixed cargo including copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
ingotIngotAn ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s.
1589 or 1590
- A small galleonGalleonA galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
captured on the Spanish MainSpanish MainIn the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
in the summer of 1589 by George CliffordGeorge Clifford, 3rd Earl of CumberlandSir George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, KG was an English peer, as well as a naval commander and courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I.-Background:...
, the Earl of Cumberland, and sent home as a "prize" the following winter. Under the command of Christopher Lister and with a cargo of looted silver, she was lost with all hands in a gale near Penzance.
1635
- February – a galleon (
Spain) homeward bound from the IndiesCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
was captured and looted by the Dutch. Putting into "Guavers Lake" (Gwavas Lake) off Newlyn she hit the Low Lee ledge. Attempts at salvage by the authorities were opposed by the inhabitants of Mousehole and Market JewMarazionMarazion is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the shore of Mount's Bay, two miles east of Penzance and one mile east of Long Rock.St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore from Marazion...
who raided the ship at night and took away "two hundred hides". A looted cannon from this ship was salvaged by the Greencastle in 1916 and for many years was in front of Penzance Library, before being stolen.
1639
- unknown date – a ship carrying garments and other possessons of Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
wrecked at Godrevy. Only a boy and a dog survived.
1649
- January 30 – the Garland on voyage to France was wrecked on Godrevy Island in a "great storm". Of the sixty crew and passengers only one man, a boy and dog survived.
1659
- unknown date – a Dutch West Indian ship wrecked off Sennen Cove with a cargo of silver ingots.
1667
- an 800 ton ship (
Republic of Genoa) with 48 guns and a value of £100 000 lost on the LizardThe LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
. This wreck may be the ship the Ferdinand Research Group discovered in 1969 below Angrouse Cliff near Mullion CoveMullion CoveMullion Cove is a harbour on the Lizard peninsula in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated facing west into Mount's Bay approximately six miles south of Helston and one mile southwest of Mullion village....
1669
- San Salvador near the Lizard. This wreck may be the ship the Ferdinand Research Group discovered in 1969 below Angrouse Cliff near Mullion Cove.
1684
April 4 – the Schiedam a Dutch built fluit and, at the time, a sixth rate transport ship of the English fleet wrecked at Jangye Ryn near Gunwalloe Church Cove.1721
- November 10 – the 127 ft , the last oared fighting ship built for the Royal Navy hit the Stags off Lizard PointLizard Point, CornwallLizard Point in Cornwall is at the southern tip of the Lizard Peninsula. It is situated half-a-mile south of Lizard village in the civil parish of Landewednack and approximately 11 miles southeast of Helston....
whilst enroute to the West Indies with Lord BelhavenLord Belhaven and StentonLord Belhaven and Stenton, of the County of Haddington, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1647 for Sir John Hamilton, 2nd Baronet, with remainder to his heirs male. This branch of the prominent Hamilton family descends from John Hamilton Lord Belhaven and Stenton, of the...
, the new Governor of BarbadosBarbadosBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. Loss of 182 crew, 25 gentlemen and only three survivors. Designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act.
1748
- a ″large mob of villagers″ from Porthleven looted the Jonge Alicada of 170 tons of Bordeaux wine. She was on voyage to Amsterdam.
1753
- December 4 or 14 – whilst enroute from BordeauxBordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
for AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
the Heneda of Wergham lost in Mount's Bay about a league from Penzance. Most of the cargo of nuts and wine was saved.
1760
- Autumn – a xebecXebecA xebec , also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. It would have a long overhanging bowsprit and protruding mizzen mast...
ca the Cavalla Bianca (
Ottoman Empire) wrecked on Chimney Rock, Penzance. The crew of Algerian corsairs and Turkish soldiers were delighted to find they were wrecked in Cornwall rather than Spain and they were repatriated to AlgiersAlgiers' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
aboard a British warship.
1767
- August 28 – the Olive Branch from Liverpool caught fire about two leagues off Penzance and went down with her cargo. The crew were saved by local fisherman.
1780
- a ship with several tons of gold coins wrecked at Gunwalloe. The cove is sometimes known as Dollar Cove.
1801–1850
- An estimated 25–30 vessels were lost on the ManaclesThe ManaclesThe Manacles are a set of treacherous rocks off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall close to Porthoustock, which is a popular spot for diving due to the shipwrecks around them. The name derives from the Cornish for 'church stone', the top of St Keverne church being visible from the area.The rocks...
off the east Lizard coast between about 1810 and 1855 with the loss of 700 to 800 lives.
1802
- March 2 – Suffolk (
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of London carrying bale goods and rice from BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
driven ashore near the mouth of the Hayle river in a NE gale. Nineteen of the crew were saved by a line floated ashore from the ship, two died in their hammocks, too ill to move.
1803
- several wrecks in Mount's Bay during the winter of 1802–03 led to the setting up of a lifeboat station at Penzance followiing a donation by LloydsLloyd's of LondonLloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
and public subscription.
1807
- November 4 – brigantine Harmonia on voyage from Oporto to SligoSligoSligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
with cork, wine and oranges driven ashore at PortreathPortreathPortreath is a civil parish, village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately three miles northwest of Redruth....
. An attempt to save the crew ended when three of the would-be rescuers drowned. Captain and eight crew of the Harmonia were eventually saved. - December 29 – driven on to the Loe Bar with the loss of an estimated 60–100 lives. Local solicitor, Thomas Grylls, drafted a new law which became the Burial of Drowned Persons Acts 1808Burial of Drowned Persons Acts 1808 and 1886The Burial of Drowned Persons Act 1808, also known as Grylls' Act, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The act provides that unclaimed bodies of dead persons cast ashore from the sea should be removed by the churchwardens and overseers of the parish, and decently interred in...
(also known as the Grylls' Act) to provide decent burial for drowned seamen; and Henry TrengrouseHenry TrengrouseHenry Trengrouse inventor of the ‘Rocket’ life-saving apparatus, was born at Helston, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on 18 March 1772....
developed a rocket apparatus to shoot lines across the surf to shipwrecks, an early form of the breeches buoyBreeches buoyA breeches buoy is a crude rope-based rescue device used to extract people from wrecked vessels, or to transfer people from one location to another in situations of danger. The device resembles a round emergency personal flotation device with a leg harness attached...
.
1809
- January 22 – transport ship Dispatch and Brig-of-War HMS PrimroseHMS Primrose (1807)HMS Primrose was a Royal Navy Cruizer class brig-sloop built by Thomas Nickells , at Fowey and launched in 1807. She was commissioned in November 1807 under Commander James Mein, who sailed her to the coast of Spain....
both sank after hitting the Manacles with the loss of almost two hundred lives.
1812
- Mar 20 – the diary of a fisherman recorded "This night seven vessels which were in the Mount Road riding, parted and was driven on shore. Three to the Westward ... are an entire wreack ... out of which four or five men and a boy was drownded".
1814
- January 13 – Troop transport ship Queen wrecked off Trefusis Point, Mylor returning from the Peninsular WarPeninsular WarThe Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
with loss of over 250 lives. The survivors were 99 (including 85 soldiers). - unknown date – The Mentor a West Indiaman from MartiniqueMartiniqueMartinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
driven on the Chyandour rocks. Only one of the 25 crew survived.
1815
- October 19 – ″A most stormy night, when the Dutch East Indiaman was wrecked in Mount's Bay″.
1816
- July 16 – Scilly packet the Lord Howe ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) hit a rock off Kemyel Point, beyond Mousehole. A fishing fleet nearby took off the passengers, crew and most of the cargo.
- September 15 – Pilot schooner on her way to patrol the Irish Sea took refuge from a gale and tried to enter Padstow harbour without a pilot. She grounded on the Doom BarDoom BarThe Doom Bar is a bank of sand at the estuary of the River Camel where it meets the Celtic Sea on Cornwall's north coast. It represents a significant hazard to shipping, and there have been many ships wrecked there through the centuries...
on an ebb tide
1817
- January 19 and 20 – a storm with huricane force winds caused damage to property from Plymouth to Land's End. At Penzance two ships sank within the harbour, a third filled with water and a fourth broke her moorings and went ashore. At PolperroPolperroPolperro is a village and fishing harbour on the south-east Cornwall coast in South West England, UK, within the civil parish of Lansallos. Situated on the River Pol, 4 miles west of the neighbouring town of Looe and west of the major city and naval port of Plymouth, it is well-known for...
thirty boats and two seines ″shared in the common calamity and exposed the unhappy sufferers to distress from which the industry of years can scarcely be expected to relieve them″. - March 20 – brig Mary wrecked at Fassel Geaver Cove near GodrevyGodrevyGodrevy is an area of west Cornwall, United Kingdom, found on the north coast within St. Ives Bay and is popular with both the surfing community and walkers. It is home also to some areas administered by the National Trust, and a lighthouse maintained by Trinity House.- Godrevy Head :The headland ...
during a northerly gale. All crew saved. A number of people described as ″Camborne Miners″ were committed to trial at the Assize after stealing the anchors, food and clothing.
1818
- April – Brig Victoria with a cargo of wine driven ashore . Looters swarmed on board but driven away by the Penrith Yeomanry.
1828
- April – Brig Albion wrecked near Penzance and crew saved by the rocket apparatus and by a gig.
1837
- unknown date – the Riot ActRiot ActThe Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorised local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action...
was read by the Rev. Mr. Buller of St Just after looting of the Le Landois by a ″drunken mob of over 4000 people″ when she went ashore near Cape CornwallCape CornwallCape Cornwall is a small headland in Cornwall, UK. It is four miles north of Land's End near the town of St Just. A cape is the point of land where two bodies of water meet and until the first Ordnance Survey, 200 years ago, it was thought that Cape Cornwall was the most westerly point in...
1838
- unknown date – 122 ton schooner Rival ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) on voyage from BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
grounded on Porthminster beach with a cargo of salt. All five crew survived.
1843
- unknown date – Jessie Logan enroute from Calcutta to Liverpool with cotton and wool onboard wrecked at BoscastleBoscastleBoscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is situated 14 miles south of Bude and 5 miles north-east of Tintagel....
.
1844
- October 10 – during an exercise the unnamed BudeBudeBude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
LifeboatLifeboat (rescue)A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
(
Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized when the steering oar broke followed by four on the port side. Two crew drowned.
1847
- November 20 – Elizabeth (
Norway) of BergenBergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
wrecked at Gunwalloe. The Master and three of the crew saved by breeches-bouy.
1851
- January – brigantine New Commercial ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of WhitbyWhitbyWhitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
on the Brisons. The Captain and his wife were rescued from the rocks of Little Brison after over 24 hours of failed attempts, the wife dying of exposure before she could get ashore. One other crew survived after building a makeshift craft from wreckage and drifting to Whitsand Bay.
1854
- unknown date – Swift with a cargo of coal was driven onto a sandbank during a gale whilst seeking shelter at St Ives. All the crew saved. During the same storm the Concord carrying a cargo of iron was also driven onto the same sandbank. All six crew saved.
- unknown date – a propeller driven steamship Nile hit the Stones reef and sank..
1855
- May 3 – barque John hit one of the eastern rocks of the ManaclesThe ManaclesThe Manacles are a set of treacherous rocks off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall close to Porthoustock, which is a popular spot for diving due to the shipwrecks around them. The name derives from the Cornish for 'church stone', the top of St Keverne church being visible from the area.The rocks...
in fine weather. The Captain (Edwin Rawle) forbade the lowering of boats and 196 lives were lost. He was later found guilty of manslaughterManslaughterManslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
.
1856
- unknown date – 77 drowned when Cherubim and Ocean Home collided off Lizard Point.
1857
- unknown date – the schooner-brigantine Mary Welch with a cargo of coal wrecked on the Stones at Godrevy with the loss of all the crew. Godrevy LighthouseGodrevyGodrevy is an area of west Cornwall, United Kingdom, found on the north coast within St. Ives Bay and is popular with both the surfing community and walkers. It is home also to some areas administered by the National Trust, and a lighthouse maintained by Trinity House.- Godrevy Head :The headland ...
was built on the island for £7000 following an outcry over the loss of lives.
1861
- February – a BidefordBidefordBideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
polaccaPolaccaA polacca is a type of seventeenth-century sailing vessel, similar to the xebec. The name is the feminine of "Polish" in the Italian language. The polacca was frequently seen in the Mediterranean...
brigantine Hero ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) slipped her moorings in Penzance harbour in SSW hurricane force winds. Four of her crew and two others drowned.
1862
- – a brigantine, Sainte Prospere in difficulties under Rinsey Head. There was some controversy as the Penzance lifeboat failed to assist.
1865
- January 29 – LifeboatLifeboat (rescue)A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
Alexandra ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) went to the aid of the brig Willie Ridley of PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
off the western green. Eight lives saved - October 28 – the St Ives lifeboat Moses ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) rescued four crew from brigantine Providence . The Moses capsized twice during the rescue and the coxswain and crew received gold and silver medals from Napoleon III, Emperor of France. - November – the brig Rhederenden ( Norway) of PorsgrundPorsgrundPorsgrund is a porcelain flatware company in Porsgrunn, in Telemark county, Norway.-History:The company's production plant is a popular tourist attraction...
was washed out of the harbour at St Michael's Mount and wrecked on Marazion beach. - November 24 – the barque William ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) carrying linseed from OdessaOdessaOdessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
to Falmouth ran for shelter at Porthleven. The ship came to rest with her stern overhanging the quay and road, and the crew climbed to safety. - November 24 – brigantine Tobaco (
German Empire) saved by Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
).
1866
- January 11 – SS Bessie ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of Hayle, saved by the St Ives lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) and the Penzance lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) which was hauled seven miles by eight horses. - unknown date – Prometheus last seen twenty miles from St Ives during a severe gale. She was on voyage from Cardiff to St Ives.
1867
- January 5 – two schooners Salome ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of DartmouthDartmouth, DevonDartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
and Heiress ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of TeignmouthTeignmouthTeignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
were each attended by the lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) which was launched twice at Long Rock. - January 5 – brigantine Selina Ann ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) saved by Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
). - January 7 – on voyage from DemeraraDemeraraDemerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
to London, the Glasgow registered barque John Gray ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) at Long RockLong RockLong Rock is a village in southwest Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately one mile east of Penzance and 1½ miles west of Marazion in the civil parish of Ludgvan.Long Rock is effectively an eastern suburb of Penzance...
in a tremendous SSW gale. Thirteen crew saved by the lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
). - February 6 – during a service to the schooner Georgiana of Boston, (Lincs) whilst she was dragging her anchors and being driven onto the Doom Bar, the lifeboat Albert Edward ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) was driven ashore at St MinverSt MinverSt Minver is the name of an ecclesiastical parish, a civil parish and a village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom.The civil parish of St Minver is in Bodmin Registration District and is nominally divided into St Minver Highlands and St Minver Lowlands .The combined parish is bounded on the south...
with five of the lifeboat crew drowning. One crew from Georgiana also drowned. - March – an East Indiaman, the Jonkheer Meester Van de Putterstock (
Netherlands) with a cargo of sugar, coffee, spices and Banca tinBangka IslandBangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...
with a value of £50,000 under Angrouse Cliff near Mullion Cove. - unknown date – Channel Island brig Providence ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) collided with the Gambia of Plymouth and sank off Penzance harbour. Both crew saved.
1868
- December 6 – an old softwood bluenoseBluenoseBluenose was a Canadian fishing and racing schooner from Nova Scotia built in 1921. She was later commemorated by a replica Bluenose II built in 1963. A celebrated racing ship and hard-working fishing vessel, Bluenose became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol in...
barque North Britain ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran ashore on Long Rock beach. She was on a journey from QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
with 950 tons of timber to her home port, SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. The lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized but still managed to save eight of the ship's crew. Five RNLI Silver Medals awarded - unknown date – Newquay lifeboat Joshua II ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized whilst training.
1869
- January – lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) carried over nine miles by road to aid the Choice at Praa Sands. - March 20 – brigantine The Lizzie of Newport went aground on the bar at Hayle. One life lost and eight saved by Moses ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) based at St Ives. - unknown date – brigantine Glynn sprung a leak in Hayle harbour and the five crew members were saved by the Hayle lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
). - unknown date – the Aurora steamed into the Manacles.
1870
- November 30 – Penzance boat Jane and Mary (ex Van Tromp) driven ashore and broke up on Chyandour rocks.
- unknown date – barquentine Bessie of St Ives heading for her home port from BaltimoreBaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
drifted in the Atlantic for three weeks. The City of Tanjore rescued the crew and took them to Penzance.
1873
- January 26 – brig Otto ( Norway) of MossMossMosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
58 days out from BahiaBahiaBahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
to Falmouth wrecked. The Penzance lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) rescued eight men, a dog and a pig at the third attempt, Wrecked again in 1888. - February 2 – easterly, hurricane strength winds wrecked the schooners Rose ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) and Treaty ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) whilst the lifeboat was oncall off the Eastern Green, Penzance to aid the schooner Marie Emile which was heading for her home port of LorientLorientLorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
with a cargo of coal from Cardiff. All four saved on board. - March – the Boyne, a 690 ton iron–hulled barqueBarqueA barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
, under Angrouse Cliff near Mullion Cove.
1877
- March 3 – sailing barge Elizabeth Scown ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) with a cargo of granite hit the reef near the Bude breakwater. The Bude Lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) was struck by a large wave breaking her rudder and several oars, and capsized when hit by a second wave. The coxswain James Maynard was the only crew member not to wear a regulation cork lifejacket and the only casualty.
1878
- unknown date – fishing boat Jabez of St Ives ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) drifted onto rocks in a gale. Three members of one family, the Basset's, drowned and two other fishermen survived.
1879
- May 17 – brig Ponthieu of VannesVannesVannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
saved in Mount's Bay by lifeboat Richard Lewis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
).
1880
- October – the luggerLuggerA lugger is a class of boats, widely used as traditional fishing boats, particularly off the coasts of France, Scotland and England. It is a small sailing vessel with lugsails set on two or more masts and perhaps lug topsails.-Defining the rig:...
Jane ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) was swamped by heavy seas, off Penzance, during a SSE hurricane force gale. All seven crew lost.
1882
- November 16 – when attempting to help the crew of the schooner Susan Elizabeth which was driven under the Black Cliffs in a gale, the lifeboat Isis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized. No lives lost from either vessel. - unknown date – Welsh schooner Nive sprung a leak eight miles southeast of Penzance
1883
- September 1 – NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
registered barqueBarqueA barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
G I Jones ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) carrying phosphatePhosphateA phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
rock from Bull River, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Falmouth, driven ashore at Stackhouse CovePerranuthnoePerranuthnoe is a civil parish and a village in southwest Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the east side of Mount's Bay approximately one mile east of Marazion and four miles east of Penzance....
in a SSW gale and quickly broke up. All thirteen crew were lost.
1884
- January 26 – the 381 ton barque Cviet of RagusaDubrovnikDubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
was deliberately run aground, 300 m east of Porthleven harbour, during a severe gale, in an attempt to save the lives of the crew. 600 ton of logs were salvaged and three of the crew lost their lives.
1885
- February 1 – the BarquentineBarquentineA barquentine is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.-Modern barquentine sailing rig:...
Petrellen ( Norway) of PorsgrundPorsgrundPorsgrund is a porcelain flatware company in Porsgrunn, in Telemark county, Norway.-History:The company's production plant is a popular tourist attraction...
beached at Long Rock, Cornwall. The ten crew were the first to be rescued by the Penzance lifeboat - April 17 – the 85 ton steamer ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) hit the Low Lee rocks off MouseholeMouseholeMousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
. With pumps working on full she sank just a few metres short of PenzancePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
harbour, her captain's home town. Within six days bad weather had destroyed the wreck.
1886
- September – steamship Suffolk ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), was wrecked in fog on the eastern side of Lizard Point. The 45 persons aboard were saved.
- October – Trebarwith StrandTrebarwith StrandTrebarwith Strand , is a coastal settlement and section of coastline located on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, 2½ miles south of Tintagel...
, Tintagel, was the scene of the shipwreck of the Sarah Anderson in October 1886 (all on board perished). - October 16 – brig Albert Wilhelm (
Germany) on voyage from RamseyRamsey, Isle of ManRamsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
to FoweyFoweyFowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
hit the Stones reef at GodrevyGodrevyGodrevy is an area of west Cornwall, United Kingdom, found on the north coast within St. Ives Bay and is popular with both the surfing community and walkers. It is home also to some areas administered by the National Trust, and a lighthouse maintained by Trinity House.- Godrevy Head :The headland ...
and drifted onto the sands at LelantLelantLelant is a village in west Cornwall, England, UK. It is on the west side of the River Hayle estuary about 2½ miles southeast of St Ives and one mile west of Hayle....
. Four saved by the Isis ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) of Hayle and four by breeches-bouy. - December 9 – the Alliance ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked on the seaward side of the Albert Pier, Penzance.
1888
- May 17 – the 111 ton wooden brigantine Jeune Hortense dragged her anchors in Mount's Bay and went ashore at Eastern Green to the east of Penzance. The crew of three and the boy were saved by the Penzance lifeboat Dora ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
). - May 17 – the Otto stranded. Later renamed Providence and operated out of Penzance.
- May 17 – brigantine Nulli Secundus ( German Empire) stranded. Previously named Tobacco and stranded on the Eastern Green in 1865.
1889
- October – Welsh collier ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) at Land's End (also wrecked on the Cornish coast in October 1899)
- October – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) at BotallackBotallackThe Botallack Mine is a former mine in Botallack in west Cornwall, United Kingdom.The village is in a former tin mining area situated between the town of St Just in Penwith and the village of Pendeen....
Head, St Just in Penwith; vessel was a complete loss but no lives were lost
1891
- March – the smack The Dove driven ashore at Porthoustock CovePorthoustockPorthoustock is a hamlet near St Keverne in Cornwall, United Kingdom, on the east coast of Lizard Peninsula. Aggregates are quarried nearby and Porthoustock beach is dominated by a large concrete stone mill. The mill was once used to crush stone but is now disused. Container ships of up to 82m can...
. All three crew saved by James Henry Cliff carrying a line through the surf. On the same night two other vessels at the mouth of the cove were too far out to offer assistance; and the Bay of Panama was wrecked between the cove and Pennare Point on 10 March with some of the crew freezing to death in the rigging. Nineteen saved by the rocket apparatus.
- December 8 – the BrixhamBrixhamBrixham is a small fishing town and civil parish in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Brixham is at the southern end of Torbay, across the bay from Torquay, and is a fishing port. Fishing and tourism are its major industries. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of...
schooner Torbay Lass ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) sank within a few hundred metres of PenzancePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
harbour. On tow after unloading her cargo of coal on St Michael's MountSt Michael's MountSt Michael's Mount is a tidal island located off the Mount's Bay coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is a civil parish and is united with the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water....
the tug Merlin suffered a drop in steam pressure and Torbay Lass drifted onto the Cressars off Penzance promenade. Pulled clear by the steamship Lady of the IslesWest Cornwall Steam Ship CompanyThe West Cornwall Steam Ship Company was established in 1870 to operate ferry services between Penzance, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly.-History:The company was formed on 5 February 1870, principally by the shareholders in the West Cornwall Railway...
she sank after a few hundred yards. - unknown date – a brig The Baron (
France) wrecked on the Lowlands, the Lizard.
1893
- 20 December – the Iota (
Italy) sank off the coast at TintagelTintagelTintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
(one life was lost). - Cintra ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked on Porthminster Beach, St Ives, CornwallSt Ives, CornwallSt Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
, five crew rescued. - SS Rosedale ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked on Porthminster Beach, St Ives, CornwallSt Ives, CornwallSt Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
. Sixteen crew saved.
1894
- November – in two separate incidents the Forester and the Dryad hit the Manacles.
1895
- January 1 – Barque AntoinetteAntoinette (barque)The Antoinette was a 1,118 ton barque, built in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1874 and was used for the transportation of goods. She struck land on Tuckernuck in 1889, requiring the entire crew to be rescued. Although she was reinstated later that year, she was finally wrecked on the Doom Bar off...
on voyage from Newport to Brazil with coal lost parts of her masts near Lundy, then broke her tow and drifted onto the Doom Bar. All crew saved. - January 25 – Hayle lifeboat New Oriental Bank ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) was dragged over eleven miles to Portreath to come to the aid of the SS Escurial. Eleven crew of the Escurial drowned. - January – the Andola struck the Carclew Rocks, the Porthoustock Lifeboat saved 28 crew.
- May 13 - French passenger steamship Paknam was wrecked at Morvah Cliffs.
- November 26 – barque Anne Elizabeth hit the Manacles. Five drowned and four saved by the rocket apparatus.
- December 24 – Schooner Pilgrim ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) went missing off Land's End
1896
- March – Brigantine Henry Harvey United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland stranded on Battery RocksBattery RocksBattery Rocks are a rocky headland situated to the west of the harbour of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The rocks take their name from a gun battery that was situated there from 1739, following a petition by Penzance Borough council for protection from French naval attacks.-History:Of the Battery, Craig...
, Penzance during a gale. Five persons aboard were rescued by lifeboat. - March – Sailing ship Bay of Panama was wrecked under Nare Head, near St KeverneSt KeverneSt Keverne is a civil parish and village on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 started in St Keverne. The leader of the rebellion Michael An Gof was a blacksmith from St Keverne and is commemorated by a statue in the village...
, during a great blizzard. The ship carried jute from Calcutta; 18 of those on board died but 19 were saved. - September 26 – Alexander Yeats ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran aground at Gurnard's HeadGurnard's HeadGurnard's Head is a prominent headland on the north coast of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is near the hamlet of Treen in the parish of Zennor....
. Crew of 19 rescued. - November 8 – Giles Lang of St Ives deliberately beached at Bude Haven in order to save the lives of the crew.
1897
- unknown date – the crew of the Plantagenet landed on Blackhead after she hit the Manacles.
1898
- October 14 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran aground on The ManaclesThe ManaclesThe Manacles are a set of treacherous rocks off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall close to Porthoustock, which is a popular spot for diving due to the shipwrecks around them. The name derives from the Cornish for 'church stone', the top of St Keverne church being visible from the area.The rocks...
, off The LizardThe LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
with 106 lives lost and 44 saved.
1899
- January – the steamer Voorwaarts at MorwenstowMorwenstowthumb|Parish Church of St Morwenna and St John the Baptist, MorwenstowMorwenstow is a civil parish and hamlet in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated near the coast approximately six miles north of Bude....
. - February 4 – the PenzancePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
schoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Mary Hannah ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) on passage from CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
to PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
with a cargo of coal. Disabled after the main boom was damaged in a huge sea and gale off the Lizard, she headed for NewlynNewlynNewlyn is a town and fishing port in southwest Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Newlyn forms a conurbation with the neighbouring town of Penzance and is part of Penzance civil parish...
but was unable to enter the harbour and ran ashore at Tolcarne. All four crew were rescued by breeches-buoy. - May – the liner Paris was grounded at Lowland Point near CoverackCoverackCoverack is a coastal village and fishing port in Cornwall, England, UK. It is situated on the east side of the Lizard peninsula approximately nine miles south of Falmouth....
. The Falmouth and Porthoustock lifeboats helped transfer her passengers to tugs; the ship was successfully salved after seven weeks work. - October – the WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
collier Llandaff ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) at BudeBudeBude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
(also wrecked on the Cornish coast in 1889)
1900
- March – Concord ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) sank on the Triggs, just outside her home port, PorthlevenPorthlevenPorthleven is a town, civil parish and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom, near Helston. It is the most southerly port on the island of Great Britain and was originally developed as a harbour of refuge, when this part of the Cornish coastline was recognised as a black spot for wrecks in days...
. - April 11 – the ketchKetchA ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
Peace and Plenty of LowestoftLowestoftLowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), struck the Greenaway Rocks, off Padstow. Five of her crew were rescued by the Trebetherick Rocket Brigade and three were drowned. The lifeboat Arab ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) was struck by a tremendous wave which buried the lifeboat, washed eight of her crew overboard and broke all 10 of her oars. The lifeboat was wrecked on the rocks and all the crew got ashore safely. The steam lifeboat James Stevens No. 4 ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) then launched and, as she was leaving the harbour, she was caught by a heavy swell and capsized. - December – Barque Capricorno at BudeBudeBude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
, Cornwall, United Kingdom - December – the crew of the Seine 27 saved by the Coastguard rescue team at Mawgan PorthMawgan PorthMawgan Porth is a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated north of Watergate Bay approximately four miles north of Newquay, on the Atlantic Ocean coast....
- Unknown date – Ketch Star of Scilly United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland wrecked on Porthminster Point, St. Ives, crew rescued by lifeboat.
1901
- November – the schooner Mary James ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) lost her mast off the LongshipsLongshipsLongships is the name given to a group of rocky islets situated approximately 1 miles west of Land's End, Cornwall, United Kingdom....
and wreckage was washed up on the BrisonsBrisonsThe Brisons is a twin-peaked islet in the Atlantic situated 1 mile offshore from Cape Cornwall in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The Brisons are 22 and 27 metres high and often said to resemble General Charles de Gaulle lying on his back....
the next day. The crew had been taken off by the Sennen Lifeboat - December 7 - the sailing ship Rodney was wrecked on the coast of Cornwall on voyage from IquiqueIquiqueIquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census...
to France with a cargo of nitrate.
1902
- January – Barque Glenbervie ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked at Lowland Point near Coverack, laden with 600 barrels of whisky, 400 barrels of brandy and barrels of rum. The 16 crew were saved by lifeboat.
1903
- September – Enterprise ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) lost her sails and wrecked in hurricane force winds off St Ives. The three crew rescued by lifeboat.
1904
- September 1 – steamship ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) on an excursion hit a sunken ledge off Carn Du and later beached at Lamorna Cove. The passengers had to walk the four miles back to Penzance. She was later salvaged by the Little Western Salvage Company who fitted her out as a salvage steamer and attended most Cornish wrecks over the next thirty years
1905
- March 14 – the 1,967 ton barque wrecked under the cliff at Tol-Pedn-PenwithGwennap HeadGwennap Head is the most southerly headland on the south coast of the Penwith peninsula, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The South West Coast Path closely follows the entire coastline around the headland. Its intricate and varied granite cliffs include the famous Chair Ladder crag, making it a popular...
. Neither the Penzance or Sennen Lifeboats could reach the ship and 23 crew lost - July 5 – Newlyn lugger Diana ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) steamed into the Hamburgans Rocks off Penzance promenadePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
when the watch fell asleep. Floated on the late afternoon tide. - August 4 – the 400 ton steel barque Noisiel (
Early Modern France) was blown ashore in a violent storm at Praa SandsPraa SandsPraa Sands is a coastal village in the Parish of Breage, located off the main road between Helston and Penzance in Cornwall, England, UK...
. She was en route from Cherbourg to SavonaSavonaSavona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
with a 600 ton cargo of armour plate from the gun turrets of obsolete battleships.
1906
- February – the WorkingtonWorkingtonWorkington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
collier ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) almost wrecked on the Runnelstone and caught fire. Managed to make her way to Penzance where she was repaired. - February – the St Ives pilot boat Buller ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) with seven pilots on board, capsized, in St Ives Bay when she was hit by a schooner, throwing all her occupants into the water. No fatalities.
- July 31 - the French ship Socoa was stranded off Kildonan Point, Lizard in dense fog, she was re-floated after jettisoning 50000 barrels of cement and beached in Cadgwith Cove. She was later towed round to Falmouth and repaired.
- August 23 – the steamer ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) on a journey from her home port of GarstonGarston, MerseysideGarston is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, and Speke.-History:Gaerstun, meaning 'grazing settlement' or 'grazing farm' in Old English, is one possible root of the name....
with coal, hit the Low Lee rocks in a thick fog one mile from her destination, NewlynNewlynNewlyn is a town and fishing port in southwest Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Newlyn forms a conurbation with the neighbouring town of Penzance and is part of Penzance civil parish...
.
1907
- February – BrigantineBrigantineIn sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
Julien Marie ( Early Modern France) ran aground at Porthminster Beach, St Ives. - March 17 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) White Star LineWhite Star LineThe Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
vessel ran aground on Lizard Point. She was blown in half by salvagers using dynamite and the stern section taken to SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
to be assembled to a new bow. The old bow was dispensed to the sea. Four lifeboats saved 456 persons from the wreck (the largest number ever saved by the RNLI from a single vessel). - October 17 – SchoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Susan Elizabeth ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked on Porthminster Beach and the crew rescued by lifeboat. Remains dynamited two years later. - November 1 – Thames sailing bargeThames sailing bargeA Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers....
Baltic ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran onto St Clement's Isle, Mousehole en route to Newlyn with cement for the harbour works. Her crew were saved by Mousehole fishermen on the crabber Lady White who were unimpressed with the non–appearance of the lifeboat stuck in the mud at Penzance. The Baltic ended her days as a hulkHulk (ship)A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
in an Essex creek.
1908
- January 7 – Schooner Lizzie R Wilce ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked on Porthminster Beach. Crew saved.
- January 8 – Schooner Mary Barrow ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) beached on Porthminster beach. Crew saved. Refloated a week later.
- March 6 – the lifeboat at Newquay James Stevens No 5 ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized during a practice launch with the loss of one life.
1909
- January – fishing lugger FV Pendeen ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) lost in a gale. A search by the St Ives LifeboatSt Ives, CornwallSt Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
did not find any wreckage - February 3 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of Great YarmouthGreat YarmouthGreat Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
in the area for the mackerel season ran ashore by Penzance railway stationPenzance railway stationPenzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The station is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line from London Paddington station. The current journey time to or from London is about five hours....
. - May – schooner Loango en route from Southampton to Newport with a cargo of scrap metal dragged her anchor near St IvesSt Ives, CornwallSt Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
. All four crew were saved - unknown date – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) swamped by a wave off St Ives. Three people swept overboard were rescued.
1910
- September 5 - steam cargo ship William Cory carrying a cargo of timber from Uleaborg to Newport was wrecked at Pendeen.
- October 10 – Schooner Olympe ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) beached at GunwalloeGunwalloeGunwalloe is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Lizard Peninsula three miles south of Helston and partly contains The Loe, the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall.-History:...
Church Cove, Cornwall. - November – Steamer Wimborne ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) was wrecked under Carn Barra Point near Land's EndLand's EndLand's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
, Cornwall, United Kingdom; the crew were rescued by rocket lines from the shore. - unknown date – ore carrying ship Febrero hit an un–named rock to the north–east of the Runnel Stone; all hands lost bar, the cook.
1911
- April 29 – SS Cragoswald ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) hit the Low Lee Reef off MouseholeMouseholeMousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
on a journey from Barry Docks to VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
with 4000 tons of coal. The steamer was on a detour to drop the Chief Engineer at PenzancePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
(for hospital), and mistook the Low Lee buoy for a similar looking one near PorthlevenPorthlevenPorthleven is a town, civil parish and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom, near Helston. It is the most southerly port on the island of Great Britain and was originally developed as a harbour of refuge, when this part of the Cornish coastline was recognised as a black spot for wrecks in days...
. Refloated. - November 3 – Sailing ship ( Norway) was wrecked at Penolver on the eastern side of the LizardThe LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
, three men were saved by lifeboat and the rest were taken off by rocket apparatus. - November 12 – SchoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
, Island Maid, hit the Doom BarDoom BarThe Doom Bar is a bank of sand at the estuary of the River Camel where it meets the Celtic Sea on Cornwall's north coast. It represents a significant hazard to shipping, and there have been many ships wrecked there through the centuries...
. All five crew saved by the Padstow lifeboat Arab ( . - November 12 – BrigantineBrigantineIn sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
, , ran aground on the Doom Bar, Padstow. with only one survivor, the ship's captain - December (before the 8th) – (
Belgium) stranded on the Wolf RockWolf Rock, CornwallWolf Rock is a treacherous rock located east of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and southwest of Land's End, in Cornwall, United Kingdom. A lighthouse, known as the Wolf Rock Lighthouse, was built on the rock by James Walker from 1861 to 1869; it entered service in January 1870.The lighthouse is in...
. All but three of the crew killed when a lifeboat capsized. Refloated herself and taken in tow by a trawler whilst adrift and arrived at PenzancePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
on 8 December. Returned to service. - December 13 – Barque ( Norway), of Christiansand, wrecked at Cudden PointPrussia CovePrussia Cove , formerly called the King's Cove, is a small private estate on the coast of Mount's Bay and to the east of Cudden Point, west Cornwall, UK. Part of the area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest , a Geological Conservation Review site and is in an Area of Outstanding...
in Mount's BayMount's BayMount's Bay is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head on the eastern side of the Land's End peninsula. Towards the middle of the bay is St Michael's Mount...
. The ship was a total loss but the Newlyn lifeboat Elizabeth & Blanche ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) took the crew of 13 men off when she was half a mile off the Greeb Rocks. The ship was bound for the West Indies and was the last big sailing boat rescued in Mount's Bay. - unknown date – Mousehole lugger Weatherall ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) sank about four miles off the Longships when she collided with Lowestoft sailing trawler Trevone ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) All the crew, bar Paul Humphreys, scrambled aboard the trawler.
1912
- February - German barque Pindos was wrecked on the Guthen Rocks near CoverackCoverackCoverack is a coastal village and fishing port in Cornwall, England, UK. It is situated on the east side of the Lizard peninsula approximately nine miles south of Falmouth....
. All 28 of the crew were rescued by the Coastguard and the Coverack lifeboat. A few days later the ship was broken up in a storm. - February 12 – FleetwoodFleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
trawler ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) drifted ashore at Kynance Cove when her tow broke. - March 21 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked at NanjizalNanjizalNanjizal is a beach and cove situated one mile to the south-east of Land's End, Cornwall, UK. Nanjizal has no direct access via road and is usually reached via the South West Coast Path by walking from Land's End, and so is often very quiet...
, two miles south of Land's End. The Sennen Life–Saving Apparatus Team took the crew off by breeches buoy. - April 6 – Gunvor ( Norway) wrecked on Pedn-Men-an-Mor rocks, Black Head, The LizardThe LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
; the crew scrambled to safety. - April 6 – Barquentine Mildred ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) struck rocks at Gurnard's HeadGurnard's HeadGurnard's Head is a prominent headland on the north coast of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is near the hamlet of Treen in the parish of Zennor....
in dense fog and sank with her sails set. No lives lost. - July – the steamship ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of North ShieldsNorth ShieldsNorth Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
with ballast from St Nazaire to the Tyne for coal went ashore south of MouseholeMouseholeMousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
in thick fog. The salvage steamer Lady of the Isles hauled her clear and she resumed her journey undamaged. - December 26 – SS Tripolitania , was wrecked on Loe Bar, near Porthleven in 100 mph winds whilst in ballast from GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
to Barry for coal. All of her 28 crew, bar one, were saved and the ship was finally broken up for scrap after attempts to refloat her failed. Two of the crew of the Penzance Lifeboat Janet Hoyle ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
)died of pneumonia the following Thursday. - unknown date – fishing ketch Triumph sunk on the Doom Bar.
1914
- January 18 – : Sank in Whitesand BayWhitesand BayWhitesand Bay is a wide sandy beach in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It stretches for one mile north from Sennen Cove.Whitesand Bay beach is popular with surfers...
, Sennen, with the loss of 11 lives. - March 15 – barque Trifolium (
Sweden) at Whitesand BayWhitesand BayWhitesand Bay is a wide sandy beach in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It stretches for one mile north from Sennen Cove.Whitesand Bay beach is popular with surfers...
, Sennen; six crewmen saved, five were drowned.
1915
- April 16 – the 72 ton steam drifter the Pearl ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) was stranded at 0900 in fog off Penzance promenade whilst trying to enter Newlyn harbour. She refloated at 1630.
- May 23 – bound for Falmouth from ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Liverpool square–rigger Cromdale ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) grounded on rocks at Bass PointBass Point (England)Bass Point is a headland on the coast of Cornwall, England. It is at the southern tip of the east side of the Lizard peninsula. The former HM Coastguard station at Bass Point was the first location refurbished by the voluntary National Coastwatch Institution, in 1994, following the deaths of two...
, the Lizard and abandoned within ten minutes. Broke up in SSW gale a week later. - July 2 – ( Belgium) was torpedoed and sunk by south of Lizard PointLizard Point, CornwallLizard Point in Cornwall is at the southern tip of the Lizard Peninsula. It is situated half-a-mile south of Lizard village in the civil parish of Landewednack and approximately 11 miles southeast of Helston....
.
1917
- January 2 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) torpedoTorpedoThe modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed and sunk by 7 nautical miles (13 km) east north east of the Wolf RockWolf Rock, CornwallWolf Rock is a treacherous rock located east of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly and southwest of Land's End, in Cornwall, United Kingdom. A lighthouse, known as the Wolf Rock Lighthouse, was built on the rock by James Walker from 1861 to 1869; it entered service in January 1870.The lighthouse is in...
. - February 12 – (
Greece) torpedoed and sunk 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off Pendeen Lighthouse. - April 25 - P & O liner Ballarat (
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) Torpedoed by , taken in tow but sank the next day 8.5 nautical miles (15.7 km) off The LizardThe LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
. She was carrying a cargo of antimonyAntimonyAntimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
and copper ore gold bullion and general cargo. - November 27 – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland torpedoed and sunk by 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south east of Dodman PointDodman PointDodman Point is a high headland near Mevagissey, Cornwall. It was once an Iron Age promontory fort. At its seaward end is a large granite cross, erected to help protect shipping from this headland...
with the loss of one crew member. - unknown date – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) torpedoed and sunk by U-60SM U-60|SM U-60 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-60 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
off Clodgy Point, St Ives. - December – whilst helping the SS Osten (
Denmark) of CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
which had lost her funnel and part of her superstructure the Newquay lifeboat James Stevens No 5 ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized and was lost. Her thirteen crew were saved. - unknown date – torpedoed by . She was taken in tow but broke loose and hit Lee Ore, part of the Runnel Stone reef.
- unknown date – 4000 tonne The Zone torpedoed and sunk off the north coast of Cornwall..
1918
- November 5 – the armed cargo vessel (
United States) beached at Penzance railway station after a gunfight off Land's End with a surfaced German submarine. Whilst refloated and towed to Falmouth for repairs; an Admiralty tug Epic ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) went on to the rocks, for two days. A second tug Blazer ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) was later wrecked on the Isles of Scilly
1919
- November 30 – one of three Royal Navy Armed Motor Launches under the escort of a destroyer on passage from QueenstownCobhCobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
to Southampton suffered from a disabled engine in heavy seas off Land's End. HM ML No 378 . Towing hawsers parted on two occasions and she drifted towards the Longships. Her crew of nine took to a dinghy which capsized and four were picked up by the Sennen lifeboat Ann Newbon ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
). Four other crew made it to the Longships and also rescued by the lifeboat.
1920
- January – the steam trawler ran ashore on Loe Bar.
- March – several vessels ran aground in thick fog including the Lowestoft steam trawler ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) which ran aground on the Larrigan Rocks, Penzance. Refloated on the next tide.
- unknown date – steamship hit Lee Ore, part of the Runnel Stone reef and sank.
1921
- November – the steamship ( Greece) stranded on the eastern side of Praa SandsPraa SandsPraa Sands is a coastal village in the Parish of Breage, located off the main road between Helston and Penzance in Cornwall, England, UK...
. Driven further ashore by successive gales, she was refloated in January 1922 by The Lady and Greencastle of the Little Western Salvage Company.
1923
- 23 February - the barquentineBarquentineA barquentine is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.-Modern barquentine sailing rig:...
(
Weimar Republic) was wrecked at Bass Point on her maiden voyageMaiden voyageThe maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
. All crew saved by breeches-buoy. - 8 October – the 6,000 ton bound from Belfast to Rotterdam with a cargo of South African maize knocked the top of the Runnelstone reef clean off. A total of 48 people were taken off by the Sennen and Penlee lifeboats and a further 25 in the ship's boat were towed to Newlyn by the steam drifter Pioneer. Today the remains lie in 30m of water, jammed into a gully on the eastern side of the stone.
1924
- August – Cardiff collier ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) grounded on Mousehole Island. Later towed to Penzance by the Greencastle ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), a salvage ship belonging to the Western Marine Salvage Company.
1928
- October – Schooner S F Pearce ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) spent a few hours under Trewavas Head, Mount's Bay in a southerly gale. The crew managed to get the engine going and clear of the rocks
- unknown date – steel barque Alice Marie hit the Runnelstone, drifted and sank in Mount's Bay where it is now a dive site.
1929
- December 5 – the 1200 ton collier Ornais II driven ashore at PerranuthnoePerranuthnoePerranuthnoe is a civil parish and a village in southwest Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the east side of Mount's Bay approximately one mile east of Marazion and four miles east of Penzance....
in hurricane force winds. She was on her way from Le HavreLe HavreLe Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
to Port TalbotPort TalbotPort Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
to pick up coal. - December 5 – the King Harry FerryKing Harry FerryThe King Harry Ferry Bridge is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the Carrick Roads reach of the estuary of the River Fal in the United Kingdom county of Cornwall. The ferry crosses between the villages of Feock and Philleigh, roughly half way between the city of Truro, the lowest bridging point...
was rammed by a coal elevator and sunk at her moorings. Later re–floated and repaired
1931
- September – Lyminge ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran aground on Ebal Rocks off Gurnard's HeadGurnard's HeadGurnard's Head is a prominent headland on the north coast of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is near the hamlet of Treen in the parish of Zennor....
. The crew and passengers rowed ashore, Ship's catShip's catThe ship's cat has been a common sight on many trading, exploration, and naval ships, and is a phenomenon that goes back to ancient times. Cats have been carried on ships for a number of reasons, the most important being to catch mice and rats. These rodents, when aboard, could cause considerable...
rescued later. - November 3 – the schooner Sainte Annen went ashore while attempting to enter Porthleven harbour, for repairs, whilst on a voyage from Port TalbotPort TalbotPort Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
to VannesVannesVannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
with coal. All six crew were saved.
1932
- unknown date – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) on voyage from Bristol to Penzance grounded in fog near Cape Cornwall. The fourteen crew and one passenger rowed ashore to safety.
- October – schooner Sarah Evans ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) near PorthtowanPorthtowanPorthtowan is a small village in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom, and is a popular summer tourist destination which lies within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a World Heritage Site. Porthtowan lies on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about west of St Agnes, north of...
, the three crewmen were rescued
1935
- January – ketch Cicelia ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) broke her moorings in St Ives harbour and collided with numerous vessels. Broke up on Pednolva Rocks.
1936
- January 27 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of London hit the Gear Rock, off Penzance promenade whilst heading to Newlyn to pick up roadstone. All nine crew saved. Broke up and sank three days later.
- October – SS Bessemer City wrecked at Clodgy Point, St. Ives. All crew rescued, cargo salvaged by local people after washing up on beaches and said to have fed them for months.
1937
- unknown date – steamer sail ship Aida Lauro (
Italy) on voyage from Liverpool to Hull went aground on Castle Rocks near Cape Cornwall in dense fog. All seventeen crew saved by the St Ives lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
).
1938
- January 31 – : Ran aground at Porthmeor Beach near St Ives. All 23 crew rescued after a wait of seven minutes whilst they packed their suitcases, but five later drowned when the lifeboat Caroline Parsons ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) capsized. The remaining men were saved by the Life Saving Apparatus (LSA) crew and bystanders.
1939
- January 2 – HMS MedeaHMS M22HMS M22 was a First World War Royal Navy M15-class monitor. Later converted to a minelayer and renamed HMS Medea , she was wrecked whilst being towed for breaking up on 2 January 1939.-Design:...
: The parted her tow and was driven ashore at Trebetherick Point, near Padstow with the loss of one of her four crew. - January 21 or 24 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran aground at Wicca Pool, ZennorZennorZennor is a village and civil parish in Cornwall in England. The parish includes the villages of Zennor, Boswednack and Porthmeor and the hamlet of Treen. It is located on the north coast, about north of Penzance. Alphabetically, the parish is the last in Britain—its name comes from the Cornish...
. All crew lost. The unnamed steamer mentioned below may be this ship - January 23 – St Ives lifeboat John and Sara Eliza StychSt Ives Lifeboat StationSt Ives Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution search and rescue operations at St Ives, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was built for the town in 1840 and the present station was opened in 1994...
( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) launched to go to the aid of an unnamed steamer off Cape Cornwall. She capsized three times off Clodgy Point, The Island and Godrevy Point. Only one member of the crew survived. - January 30 – Julie ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): The sailing shipSailing shipThe term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...
was abandoned in a sinking condition 15 nautical miles (27.8 km) south south east of the Eddystone LighthouseEddystone LighthouseEddystone Lighthouse is on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom. While Rame Head is in Cornwall, the rocks are in Devon and composed of Precambrian Gneiss....
. The crew were rescued by the trawler Roger Robert ( Belgium).
1940
- January 20 – ( Houlder Brothers & Co Ltd), London struck by a mine laid by and sunk off Falmouth.
- January 30 – ( N.D. Lykiardopulo). part of Convoy OA 80G, torpedoed and sunk by Off Lands End (48°37′N 7°46′W)
- May 31 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) torpedoed off west Cornwall.
- July 1 – Ocean Liner ( Blue Star Line) torpedoed by the German submarine U-43 on 30 June, sank the next day.
- October 3 – former Isles of Scilly ferry the Lady of the Isles , requisitioned by the Admiralty as an Auxiliary vessel, sunk by a mine off Killigerran Head near Falmouth together with the tug Aid. Six ships in as many weeks were sunk off Falmouth by mines.
- November 24 – Belgian trawler Simone Marguerite ( Belgium) sunk by gunfire whilst fishing in Mount's Bay. Her crew were picked up by another trawler Roger Denise ( Belgium).
- November 25 – a small convoy of two steamers and a tanker from Plymouth attacked by German destroyers in Mount's Bay. Tanker ( Netherlands) sunk by the Karl GalsterGerman destroyer Z20 Karl GalsterZ20 Karl Galster was a built for the Kriegsmarine in the late 1930s.-External links:*...
. Fourteen crew killed and 20 survivors. Steamer ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) left afloat, when the German destroyers left, but not seen again. - Unknown date – requisitioned trawler Royalo sank at the entrance to Penzance harbour whilst clearing a string of magnetic mines. Nine survivors.
1941
- March 8 – Steamer ( Norway) sunk and collier ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) heavilly damaged by aircraft in Mount's Bay.
1944
- January 5 – a small convoy (WP457) under escort by the destroyer attacked by German E-boats which were laying in wait under the shelter of land between Porthcurno and the Runnelstone. Escort trawler torpedoed, steamer blown up, steamer ( Norway) sunk (14 survivors) and the Cornish owned coaster ( Netherlands) went down with all 11 crew killed.
- January 6 – several ships in different convoy, to that mentioned above, sunk by E-boats and crews rescued by the Penlee lifeboat.
- January 20 – sunk by U-413 off Trevose HeadTrevose HeadTrevose Head is a headland on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately west of Padstow. The South West Coast Path runs around the whole promontory and is within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Trevose Head Heritage Coast...
. Over half of her crew were lost.
1945
- March 15 – liberty shipLiberty shipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
torpedoed and sank off Whitesand BayWhitesand BayWhitesand Bay is a wide sandy beach in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It stretches for one mile north from Sennen Cove.Whitesand Bay beach is popular with surfers...
. Now a popular dive site.
- March 21 – coaster Pacific ( Netherlands) on voyage from MaryportMaryportMaryport is a town and civil parish within the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England, in the historic county of Cumberland. It is located on the A596 road north of Workington, and is the southernmost town on the Solway Firth. Maryport railway station is on the Cumbrian Coast Line. The town is in...
to Penryn torpedoed by . The U-boat herself was sunk by the escort of a nearby convoy with no survivors. This was the last enemy action near Mount's Bay.
1946
- March 16 – Finisterre : Fishing vessel driven ashore at St. Ives. Three crew killed.
- May 8 – whilst sheltering in Mount's BayMount's BayMount's Bay is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head on the eastern side of the Land's End peninsula. Towards the middle of the bay is St Michael's Mount...
from an easterly gale, the 4765 ton light cruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
Diomede drifted onto the LarriganWherrytownWherrytown is a small settlement in west Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated between Newlyn and Penzance on the east side of the Larigan River. The village bore the brunt of the Ash Wednesday storm on 7 March 1962 with most of the buildings destroyed along with nearly one mile of the seafront from...
, rocks and stranded at low tide. Refloated several hours later she continued on her journey from FalmouthFalmouth, CornwallFalmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
to the ClydeRiver ClydeThe River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
for scrapping. - June – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) ran aground on Porthminster Beach, St. Ives whilst under tow to breakers yard. Later refloated and continued her journey.
1947
- March 22 – SchoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Empire Contamar ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): Ran aground in St Austell BaySt AustellSt Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
. Seven crew rescued by the FoweyFoweyFowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
lifeboatLifeboat (rescue)A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
. Refloated in June and declared a constructive total loss but rebuilt as a coasterCoastal trading vesselCoastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....
and returned to service. - April 23 – in storm force winds, the tug Bustler's hawser parted and the tug Melinda III slipped hers leaving HMS Warspite to run aground whilst being towed to the breakers yard. She initially beached on the Mount Mopus Ledge near Cudden Point. Later refloating herself she went hard aground a few yards away in Prussia CovePrussia CovePrussia Cove , formerly called the King's Cove, is a small private estate on the coast of Mount's Bay and to the east of Cudden Point, west Cornwall, UK. Part of the area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest , a Geological Conservation Review site and is in an Area of Outstanding...
and was partially scrapped. In 1950 she was towed to, beached and broken up at MarazionMarazionMarazion is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the shore of Mount's Bay, two miles east of Penzance and one mile east of Long Rock.St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore from Marazion...
.
1950
- The salvage boat ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) standing guard overnight under the Warspite’s bows, at Prussia Cove was holed in the engine room, towed off and eventually drifted ashore at Long Rock, a few miles to the west.
- Steamer United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ran aground at St. Ives Head while bringing coal from Barry to Hayle. All crew saved and she was refloated the following day.
1952
- unknown date – hit the rocks under Pendeen Watch whilst on voyage from NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
to La GouletteLa GouletteLa Goulette is the port of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The Kasbah fortress was built in 1535 by Charles I of Spain but was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1574...
. All the crew saved. - unknown date – minesweeperMinesweeper (ship)A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
HMS Wave dragged her anchor and went aground near St Ives Harbour in a 60 mph gale. All the crew were saved by breeches buoy. She was refloated and towed to Devonport.
1954
- unknown date – coaster bound from Cardiff to Ostend with coal struck rocks near Gurnard's HeadGurnard's HeadGurnard's Head is a prominent headland on the north coast of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is near the hamlet of Treen in the parish of Zennor....
. The crew and dog were saved by breeches buoy.
1956
- January 2 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): The collierCollier (ship type)Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
sank off The LizardThe LizardThe Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
, CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. All ten crew were rescued, but one later died. - March 14 – trawler Vert Prairial of DieppeDieppe, Seine-MaritimeDieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
driven ashore at Wireless Point, PorthcurnoPorthcurnoPorthcurno is a small village in the parish of St. Levan located in a valley on the south coast of the county of Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is approximately to the west of the market town of Penzance and about from Land's End, the most westerly point of the English mainland...
. All seventeen crew lost. - July 8 – ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland): The 827 ton steamship stranded in dense fog on the rocks of Trevean CovePerranuthnoePerranuthnoe is a civil parish and a village in southwest Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the east side of Mount's Bay approximately one mile east of Marazion and four miles east of Penzance....
, whilst carrying cement between CliffeCliffe, KentCliffe is a village on the Hoo peninsula in Kent, England, reached from the Medway Towns by a three-mile journey along the B2000. Situated upon a low chalk escarpment overlooking the Thames marshes, Cliffe offers the adventurous rambler views of Southend-on-Sea and London...
and BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The captain believed he was near the Brisons at Cape CornwallCape CornwallCape Cornwall is a small headland in Cornwall, UK. It is four miles north of Land's End near the town of St Just. A cape is the point of land where two bodies of water meet and until the first Ordnance Survey, 200 years ago, it was thought that Cape Cornwall was the most westerly point in...
.
1957
- unknown date – St. Ives fishing lugger ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) grounded at Pedn-vounder Beach near Porthcurno in fog whilst heading for Newlyn with pilchards. The ship was a total loss but the crew climbed the cliffs and walked to the village of Treen with their catch, nets and fishing gear worth over £1000.
1958
- August 15 – fishing vessel Hesperian hit an underwater ledge between Carn Du and Penzer Point, west of Mousehole. Penlee lifeboat W & S towed her to Newlyn harbour.
1962
- November 3 – Dieppe trawler wrecked on Dr Syntax's Head, Land's End. The crew were trapped in an air pocket in the wheelhouse for six hours until low tide when they were rescued by Whirlwind Helicopter.
- unknown date – 259 ton DieppeDieppe, Seine-MaritimeDieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
trawler beached near Zennor Cove. The crew were taken off by breeches buoy and she was towed off the rocks by the St Ives lifeboat.
1963
- September 13 – ran aground in fog at Portheras Cove, near Pendeen Watch lighthousePendeen LighthousePendeen Lighthouse is located to the north of Pendeen in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. Designed by the Trinity House Engineer Sir Thomas Matthews, the 17 m tower, buildings and surrounding wall was constructed by Arthur Carkeek of Redruth. The five-wick Argand lamp provided by Messrs...
.
1966
- April – the small coaster Saba ( Netherlands) was aided by the Scillonian III after her steel cargo shifted and she sank off PorthgwarraPorthgwarraPorthgwarra is a small coastal village in the civil parish of St Levan, Cornwall, UK situated between Land's End and Porthcurno. Access to the cove is via a minor road off the B3283 road at Polgigga and leads to the car park in the village. There is a public convenience, public telephone and small...
1972
- January 27 – the cruise ship ( Greece) was driven aground in the Fowey EstuaryRiver FoweyThe River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last ....
after breaking free from her moorings in a storm. - November 5 – Nefili steamed into Dollar Cove, Land's End in fog when her radar failed. Crew saved by breeches-buoy. She sits directly on trawler La Varenne.
1973
- December 13 – the fishing vessel Kergall of GuilvinecGuilvinecGuilvinec or Le Guilvinec is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Guilvinec are called in FrenchGuilvinistes.-Breton language:...
dragged her anchor whilst sheltering from a southerly gale and went ashore at ChyandourChyandourChyandour is a small settlement within the boundaries of the parish of Penzance in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is on the north-east edge of the town straddling the A30 trunk road....
100m west of Penzance railway station.
1975
- January 25 – coaster Lovat sunk in a WNW gale gusting to hurricane force, 25 miles south of Penzance. All crew lost.
1977
- September – Kerland : a trawler sinking off the Runnelstone was aided by the Isles of Scilly ferry RMV Scillonian III
- December 7 – the Boston Sea Ranger ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of LowestoftLowestoftLowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
foundered off Gwennap Head during a southerly gale. - December 25 – ( Denmark): The coaster sank off Cornwall, with loss of life including two children.
- December 26 – on her first voyage after a major refit, the Conqueror ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) of GrimsbyGrimsbyGrimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
went ashore at Penzer Point, south of Mousehole. It was believed the crew were down below having breakfast and the trawler was on automatic pilot! The Penlee LifeboatPenlee Lifeboat StationPenlee Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution search and rescue operations for Mount's Bay in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The lifeboat station was opened at Penlee Point in Mousehole in 1913 but was moved to Newlyn in 1983...
had insufficient power to tow the Conqueror off the rocks, assumed a 35° list and broke up on the rocks.
1980
- March 19 – Trawler Normauwil ( Belgium) stranded near the north pier of Newlyn harbour and towed clear by the LifeboatLifeboat (rescue)A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
Solomon BrownePenlee lifeboat disasterThe Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall, in England, UK. The Penlee Lifeboat went to the aid of the coaster Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas...
( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
).
1981
- December 19 – LifeboatLifeboat (rescue)A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
Solomon BrownePenlee lifeboat disasterThe Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall, in England, UK. The Penlee Lifeboat went to the aid of the coaster Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas...
( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) lost whilst attempting to rescue the crew of the (
Republic of Ireland) off Tater du, near Lamorna. 8 crew lost from each vessel.
1984
- unknown date – the St Ives lifeboatSt Ives Lifeboat StationSt Ives Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution search and rescue operations at St Ives, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was built for the town in 1840 and the present station was opened in 1994...
Frank Penfold Marshall ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
) rescued fourteen people from the coaster ( Netherlands) and tug
1988
- February 8 – Trawler Simone Marguerite ( Belgium) ran ashore on the Cressars Rock, Penzance, in a SW gale after steering the wrong side of the pole. Refloated by the Penlee LifeboatPenlee Lifeboat StationPenlee Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution search and rescue operations for Mount's Bay in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The lifeboat station was opened at Penlee Point in Mousehole in 1913 but was moved to Newlyn in 1983...
. - September – Trawler New Pioneer ran aground at Merthen Point, St Loy. The Penlee Lifeboat took off her three crew.
1995
- May 30 – sailing ship Maria Assumpta ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) wrecked on Pentire Head with the lost of three lives. She was launched in 1858 from the beach at BadalonaBadalonaBadalona is a city in eastern Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the comarca of the Barcelonès, near the city of Barcelona and part of its metropolitan area. It is situated on the left bank of the small Besòs River and on the Mediterranean Sea, backed by the Serra de la Marina mountain range...
, Spain.
2002
- January 1 – tanker dragged her anchor and grounded in Cawsand BayCawsand BayCawsand Bay is a bay on the south-east coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom.The bay takes its name from the village of Cawsand at , to the north-east of the Rame Peninsula...
whilst awaiting orders, after discharging her cargo of unleaded petrol at the CattewaterCattewaterThe city of Plymouth, Devon, England is bounded by Dartmoor to the north, the river Tamar to the west. The open expanse of water called Plymouth Sound to the south and the river Plym to the east....
, Plymouth two days previous.
2003
- 22 March - (
Antigua and Barbuda) on a voyage from CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
to LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, Germany, transporting 2,200 tonnes of scrap car plastic ran aground at in Gamper Bay, between Land's EndLand's EndLand's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
and Sennen CoveSennen CoveSennen Cove is a small coastal settlement in the parish of Sennen, in Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the Penwith District Council, the population of this settlement was estimated at 180 persons in 2000.-Geography:...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Declared a constructive total loss on 24 March.
2004
- March 27 – HMS ScyllaHMS Scylla (F71)HMS Scylla was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard and was the last RN frigate to be built at the Dockyard so far. Scylla was launched in August 1968 and commissioned in 1970...
deliberately sunk to form an artificial reef for diving in Whitsand Bay.
2008
- May 29 – Newlyn fishing boat The Girl Patricia ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) sank 28 nautical miles NW of Land's End. All four crew winched to safety by RNAS CuldroseRNAS CuldroseRoyal Naval Air Station Culdrose , based in Cornwall, near Helston, on the Lizard Peninsula, has three major roles: serving the Fleet Air Arm's front line Sea King and Merlin helicopter squadrons; providing search and rescue for the South West region; and training specialists for the Royal Navy...
helicopter.
2010
- March 11 – fishing vessel ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) started to sink seventeen miles NE of the Isles of ScillyIsles of ScillyThe Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
and four of the crew taken off by RNAS Culdrose helicopter and one by the St Mary's relief lifeboat Daniel L Gibson ( Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
). Ship taken in tow by fisheries protection vessel ( United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) and sank a mile off Gwennap HeadGwennap HeadGwennap Head is the most southerly headland on the south coast of the Penwith peninsula, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The South West Coast Path closely follows the entire coastline around the headland. Its intricate and varied granite cliffs include the famous Chair Ladder crag, making it a popular...
, Cornwall.
2011
- August 3 – ( Netherlands): The cargo ship ran aground off the Trevean Cliff, MorvahMorvahMorvah is a civil parish and village on the Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately eight miles west-southwest of St Ives and 5½ miles north-west of Penzance....
. She refloated and continued her voyage from CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
to RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
External links
- Protected Wreck Sites http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/our-planning-role/consent/protected-wreck-sites/
- Map of Designated Sites in UK http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/discover/maritime/map/