The Sinking of the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales
Encyclopedia
The Rochdale and the Prince of Wales were two troop ships that sank in Dublin Bay in 1807.
Dublin Port
had long been dangerous because it was accessible only at high tide and was subject to sudden storms. Many ships were lost while waiting for the tide, but little was done until this disaster. The impact of 400 bodies being washed up on an urban shore had an effect on public and official opinion. This event was the impetus to the building of Dún Laoghaire
Harbour.
On November 19, 1807 several ships left Dublin
carrying troops bound for the Napoleonic war
. The next day, two ships, the brig
Rochdale and H.M. Packet ship
Prince of Wales, having been caught in gale force winds and heavy snow, were lost. Troops on the Prince of Wales may have been deliberately locked below deck while the ship’s captain and crew escaped. No lifeboat
was launched. There was looting.
was hampered by a sandbar
, which meant that ships could enter or leave only at high tide. A solution, the building of the North Bulll Wall, had been identified by Vice-Admiral William Bligh
in 1800. If there was a storm, a ship would have to ride out, waiting for the tide, the storm in the open sea.
A pier had been built at Dún Laoghaire, now known as the “coal harbour”, in 1767, but it had rapidly silted up. The early nineteenth century was unusually stormy. Dublin Bay was notoriously treacherous for boats. The remains of at least 600 vessels rest at the bottom of the bay.
On November 19, 1807, the sea began to swell. Wind speed
increased to hurricane force. Sleet and snow fell to such intensity that visibility was reduced to zero; they may not have realised how close they were to shore. The east wind blew the ships back towards the shore.
While the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales were lost, another troop transport, the Lark, which left earlier, safely reached Holyhead
. Other ships were lost at that time. A collier
was lost at the South Bull (outside Dublin Port). The inbound Liverpool
packet was lost off Bray.
signed the Treaties of Tilsit
with Russia
and Prussia
leaving him master of central and eastern Europe. He then turned his attention westward to Spain
and Portugal
. Britain was alarmed. Soldiers were recruited to defend England’s coast and to intervene in Spain (see Peninsular War
) under Wellington
.
Fear of an invasion of Ireland was further increased by the building of Martello Tower
s on the southern and eastern coasts and watchtower
s on the other coastlines.
French troops had invaded Ireland on August 22, 1798, under General Humbert
establishing the short-lived Republic of Connaught
. On that occasion the Mayo
Militia was ingloriously defeated in what became known as the Races of Castlebar . In 1807 many members of the North Mayo and South Mayo Militias volunteered and were lost from the Prince of Wales. The joined the 97th Regiment of Foot, Minorca Regiment, which was known as the “Queens Own Germans”. It was initially formed from Swiss and German mercenaries. (In 1816, the 97th was renumbered as the 96th).
The North Cork
militia was active in suppressing the Irish Rebellion of 1798
. They suffered their defeat at the Battle of Oulart Hill
. In 1807, while most joined the 18th Regiment of Foot
so many members of the North Cork Militia volunteered that they had to be dispersed over 25 different regiments!
They joined the British Army for a shilling a week and three meals a day - an alternative to terrible poverty.
was a sloop of 103 tons with a draught
of 11 feet. She was built in Parkgate, Cheshire
in 1787.
She sailed under Captain Robert Jones of Liverpool carrying the 97th regiment on 19 November. The next day she had progressed only to a point opposite Bray Head
, a matter of a few miles. She cast anchor, but the sea was so violent that she failed to come to anchor; she was blown back past Dún Laoghaire. Her sails were completely torn. She was driven onto rocks at Blackrock.
There was just one longboat
aboard. Captain Jones, nine seamen, two women with children (family members), and two soldiers escaped on this lifeboat. They did not know where they were, or how close they were to the shore. They rowed parallel to the shore until one of the sailors fell overboard and found that he was standing in shallow water.
It was alleged that the troops were locked below deck, the ladder withdrawn, and the hatch battened down. All 120 soldiers drowned in the storm and are interred in Merrion Cemetery
not too far from where the incident occurred.
To see another ship named Prince of Wales see Prince of Wales (ship)
.
in Monkstown with a memorial.
, Bullock, Howth
, Dún Laoghaire and Islandbridge none were launched.
for plundering bodies or articles.
having been abolished, from January 1 1801 Irish Members of Parliament
had to travel to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. That meant frequent travel across the Irish Sea
.
A campaign to build a harbour at Dún Laoghaire was already under way. The person chiefly responsible was a resident Norwegian master mariner
and shipbroker
named Richard Toucher, who worked tirelessly campaigning to bring about the construction of a safe port. His Asylum Harbour was conceived as a refuge for sailing ships in trouble in Dublin Bay.
After this tragedy, the campaign received the support required. The term ‘asylum’ in this context means a harbour where ships can seek refuge from a storm.
Construction commenced on a packet harbour at Howth, which was completed in 1809. Travelling from Dublin to Howth meant travelling through the ‘badlands of Sutton
’, where coaches were liable to be raided. . Howth was a shallow harbour, and as larger ships were built, in particular with the introduction of steam packets from 1819, it became unsuitable, its rocky bottom precluded any dredging.
In 1815, eight Harbour Commissioners were appointed to supervise the building of a new harbour at Dún Laoghaire. George IV
visited in 1821, arriving at Howth and departing from Dún Laoghaire. He renamed the town “Kingstown”.
The name reverted to Dún Laoghaire in 1921.
Dublin Port
Dublin Port
Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...
had long been dangerous because it was accessible only at high tide and was subject to sudden storms. Many ships were lost while waiting for the tide, but little was done until this disaster. The impact of 400 bodies being washed up on an urban shore had an effect on public and official opinion. This event was the impetus to the building of Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
Harbour.
On November 19, 1807 several ships left Dublin
Dublin Port
Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...
carrying troops bound for the Napoleonic war
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The next day, two ships, the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Rochdale and H.M. Packet ship
Packet ship
A "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers...
Prince of Wales, having been caught in gale force winds and heavy snow, were lost. Troops on the Prince of Wales may have been deliberately locked below deck while the ship’s captain and crew escaped. No lifeboat
Lifeboat (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...
was launched. There was looting.
Maritime Background
This tragedy was the impetus to the building of Dún Laoghaire Harbour, Which was initially called “Dunleary”, then “Kingstown”, and now “Dún Laoghaire”. Dublin portDublin Port
Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...
was hampered by a sandbar
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
, which meant that ships could enter or leave only at high tide. A solution, the building of the North Bulll Wall, had been identified by Vice-Admiral William Bligh
William Bligh
Vice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...
in 1800. If there was a storm, a ship would have to ride out, waiting for the tide, the storm in the open sea.
"The bay of Dublin has perhaps been more fatal to seamen and ships than any in the world, for a ship once caught in it in a gale of wind from ENE to SSE must ride it out at anchors or go on shore, and from the nature of that shore the whole of the crews almost invariably have perished." - Captain Charles Malcolm of George IV's royal yacht.
A pier had been built at Dún Laoghaire, now known as the “coal harbour”, in 1767, but it had rapidly silted up. The early nineteenth century was unusually stormy. Dublin Bay was notoriously treacherous for boats. The remains of at least 600 vessels rest at the bottom of the bay.
On November 19, 1807, the sea began to swell. Wind speed
Wind speed
Wind speed, or wind velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric rate.Wind speed affects weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction projects, growth and metabolism rate of many plant species, and countless other implications....
increased to hurricane force. Sleet and snow fell to such intensity that visibility was reduced to zero; they may not have realised how close they were to shore. The east wind blew the ships back towards the shore.
While the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales were lost, another troop transport, the Lark, which left earlier, safely reached Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. Other ships were lost at that time. A collier
Collier (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...
was lost at the South Bull (outside Dublin Port). The inbound Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
packet was lost off Bray.
Military Background
In July 1807, following military successes, NapoleonNapoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
signed the Treaties of Tilsit
Treaties of Tilsit
The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the town of Tilsit in July, 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland. The first was signed on 7 July, between Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon I of France, when they met on a raft in the middle of the Neman...
with Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
leaving him master of central and eastern Europe. He then turned his attention westward to Spain
Mid-nineteenth century Spain
Spain in the 19th century was a country in turmoil. Occupied by Napoleon from 1808 to 1814, a massively destructive "war of independence" ensued, driven by an emergent Spanish nationalism. An era of reaction against the liberal ideas associated with revolutionary France followed the war,...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Britain was alarmed. Soldiers were recruited to defend England’s coast and to intervene in Spain (see Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The 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...
) under Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
.
Fear of an invasion of Ireland was further increased by the building of Martello Tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
s on the southern and eastern coasts and watchtower
Watchtower
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
s on the other coastlines.
French troops had invaded Ireland on August 22, 1798, under General Humbert
Jean Joseph Amable Humbert
General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert was a French soldier, a participant in the French Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798....
establishing the short-lived Republic of Connaught
Republic of Connaught
The Irish Republic, more commonly referred to as the Republic of Connacht, was a short-lived Irish breakaway state established with French Directory military support for 13 days during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.-Proclamation:...
. On that occasion the Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
Militia was ingloriously defeated in what became known as the Races of Castlebar . In 1807 many members of the North Mayo and South Mayo Militias volunteered and were lost from the Prince of Wales. The joined the 97th Regiment of Foot, Minorca Regiment, which was known as the “Queens Own Germans”. It was initially formed from Swiss and German mercenaries. (In 1816, the 97th was renumbered as the 96th).
The North Cork
North Cork (UK Parliament constituency)
North Cork , a division of County Cork, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 to 1922 it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.Until the 1885 general...
militia was active in suppressing the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
. They suffered their defeat at the Battle of Oulart Hill
Battle of Oulart Hill
The Battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27 May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spreading rebellion in county Wexford.-Background:...
. In 1807, while most joined the 18th Regiment of Foot
Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)
The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. Also known as the 18th Regiment of Foot and the 18th Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in...
so many members of the North Cork Militia volunteered that they had to be dispersed over 25 different regiments!
They joined the British Army for a shilling a week and three meals a day - an alternative to terrible poverty.
HM Packet ship Prince of Wales
HM Packet ship Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
was a sloop of 103 tons with a draught
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 11 feet. She was built in Parkgate, Cheshire
Parkgate, Cheshire
Parkgate is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in the part that lies in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the North West of England...
in 1787.
She sailed under Captain Robert Jones of Liverpool carrying the 97th regiment on 19 November. The next day she had progressed only to a point opposite Bray Head
Bray Head
Bray Head is a hill and headland located in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Bray and Greystones. It forms part of the Wicklow Mountains and is a popular spot with hillwalkers. At the top of the head is a concrete cross which was placed there in 1950 during the holy year...
, a matter of a few miles. She cast anchor, but the sea was so violent that she failed to come to anchor; she was blown back past Dún Laoghaire. Her sails were completely torn. She was driven onto rocks at Blackrock.
There was just one longboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
aboard. Captain Jones, nine seamen, two women with children (family members), and two soldiers escaped on this lifeboat. They did not know where they were, or how close they were to the shore. They rowed parallel to the shore until one of the sailors fell overboard and found that he was standing in shallow water.
It was alleged that the troops were locked below deck, the ladder withdrawn, and the hatch battened down. All 120 soldiers drowned in the storm and are interred in Merrion Cemetery
Merrion Cemetery, Bellevue
Merrion Cemetery, Bellevue is a cemetery located off the Merrion Road in County Dublin. It is located adjacent to the hotel Tara Towers, which is between Booterstown and Merrion...
not too far from where the incident occurred.
To see another ship named Prince of Wales see Prince of Wales (ship)
Prince of Wales (ship)
The Prince of Wales was a First Fleet transport ship of 350 tons, built on the River Thames in 1786. She was 31.4 metres in length. She was built by the firm Christopher Watson and co. of Rotherhithe, who are also thought to have built HMS Sirius in 1786...
.
Rochdale
The Rochdale was larger than the Prince of Wales. She was built in 1797; she was a brig of 135 tons and a ten foot draught. She sailed under Captain Hodgson. She was driven along a similar path as the Prince of Wales. She cast anchors but the cable snapped. On shore cries of the terrified passengers could be heard. As she swept past Dún Laoghaire, soldiers on board fired their muskets to attract attention. At Salthill, would-be rescuers had to shelter from the gunfire. Off Blackrock, blue lights were seen and gunfire heard. She stuck the rocks at the Seapoint Martello tower. A twelve foot plank would have rescued them, but all 265, including 42 women and 29 children, on board were lost. Their bodies were unrecognisable, being mutilated by the sea and the rocks. Most of those who perished are interred in Carrickbrennan ChurchyardCarrickbrennan Churchyard
Carrickbrennan Churchyard located on Carrickbrennan Road, Monkstown, County Dublin, Ireland is a graveyard that can still be seen today, but is no longer in use. It is notable as the burial place of many people who perished in local maritime disasters...
in Monkstown with a memorial.
Lifeboats
Although there were lifeboats stationed at ClontarfClontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
, Bullock, Howth
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
, Dún Laoghaire and Islandbridge none were launched.
Looting
There was looting of the ships and the items washed ashore. An immense amount of baggage was washed ashore and troops were put on guard. Looters gathered as was usual at the time and one from Dún Laoghaire was drowned. All the weekend was spent in collecting the bodies for burial. The Regimental Silver Plate of the Queens Own Germans was lost. Rewards were offered. Six persons were convicted and sent to Kilmainham GaolKilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Kilmainham in Dublin, which is now a museum. It has been run since the mid-1980s by the Office of Public Works , an Irish Government agency...
for plundering bodies or articles.
Murder Charge
Captain Robert Jones and his crew survived in the only lifeboat. Two soldiers also survived. The captain was accused of murder. The Captain said that the lifeboat was not launched; rather, it was cast into the sea by the storm, so he ordered those on deck to get into it. Anthony McIntyre of the 18th Royal Irish said that the captain launched the lifeboat andthat the ladder from the hold to the deck was withdrawn. Andrew Boyle, also of the 18th Royal Irish, spoke through an Irish interpreter, saying that the ladder was not removed because “persons below held on to it very tightly”. The verdict was "Casual death by shipwreck". The case was dismissedDún Laoghaire Harbour
The Irish ParliamentParliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
having been abolished, from January 1 1801 Irish Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
had to travel to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. That meant frequent travel across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
.
A campaign to build a harbour at Dún Laoghaire was already under way. The person chiefly responsible was a resident Norwegian master mariner
Licensed mariner
A licensed mariner is a person who holds a license issued by one or more countries to hold senior positions aboard ships, boats, and similar vessels. The United States Coast Guard grants licenses to members of the United States Merchant Marine in five categories: deck officers, engineers, staff...
and shipbroker
Shipbroking
Shipbroking is a financial service, which forms part of the global shipping industry. Shipbrokers are specialist intermediaries/negotiators between shipowners and charterers who use ships to transport cargo, or between buyers and sellers of ships.Some brokerage firms have developed into large...
named Richard Toucher, who worked tirelessly campaigning to bring about the construction of a safe port. His Asylum Harbour was conceived as a refuge for sailing ships in trouble in Dublin Bay.
After this tragedy, the campaign received the support required. The term ‘asylum’ in this context means a harbour where ships can seek refuge from a storm.
Construction commenced on a packet harbour at Howth, which was completed in 1809. Travelling from Dublin to Howth meant travelling through the ‘badlands of Sutton
Sutton, Dublin
Sutton is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.-Location and geography:...
’, where coaches were liable to be raided. . Howth was a shallow harbour, and as larger ships were built, in particular with the introduction of steam packets from 1819, it became unsuitable, its rocky bottom precluded any dredging.
In 1815, eight Harbour Commissioners were appointed to supervise the building of a new harbour at Dún Laoghaire. George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
visited in 1821, arriving at Howth and departing from Dún Laoghaire. He renamed the town “Kingstown”.
The name reverted to Dún Laoghaire in 1921.
Reading
- Bourke, Edward J. The sinking of the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales lecture text http://www.mariner.ie/history/articles/ships/rochdale
- Bourke, Edward J. Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast ISBN 0-9523027-2-1
- Blacker, Rev. Beaver Brief Sketches of the Parishes of Booterstown and Donnybrook (Dublin 1860)
- de Courcy Ireland, JohnJohn de Courcy IrelandJohn de Courcy Ireland was an Irish maritime historian and political activist.-Biography:Born in Lucknow, India, where his County Kildare native father served in the British Army, he was educated at Marlborough College, Oxford University and Trinity College Dublin, where he was awarded a PhD in 1951...
, History Of Dún Laoghaire Harbour (De Burca Books, 2001) ISBN 0 946130 27 2. - Scott Roberts, Peter. The Ancestry, Life and Times of Commander John Macgregor Skinner R.N. ( Holyhead Maritime Museum, 2007)