| Summary : 1830 wreck of the English brig HOPE, which stranded on a rock on the north side of St. Martin's Island, Isles of Scilly, on the return from Ghana to London, after mistaking the St. Martin's daymark for the St. Agnes lighthouse in fog. Two boats were put out to get away from the wreck, one containing a Dutch naval officer and his wife, a black boy, and another passenger, while the other boat contained the Captain, mate and four crew. The mainmast collapsed across the boat carrying the passengers and smashed it to pieces, so that none of the passengers survived. Palm oil, elephant tusks, a box of silver dollars, and two boxes of gold dust were salvaged. Constructed of wood, she was a sailing vessel.
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| More information : Primary Sources:
'The weather being unusually severe and boisterous, on Tuesday morning this vessel was wrecked on St. Martin's having mistaken the day-mark for the lighthouse on St. Agnes. She dropped her anchor, but this broke and she was driven on a large rock and went to pieces. The weather was very thick at the time. Before the ship went down, a boat containing a Dutch officer, Major H. van der Breggenpauwer, his lady, a small black boy and others put off for the shore, but the mainmast
of the brig fell on them and crushed the boat to pieces, whereby the officer, his lady, a black boy, and A B Bidock or Snaddock, of St Mawes, were drowned. All were buried in St. Martin's churchyard except the female, whose body was never found. 175 casks of palm-oil, 450 elephants' tusks, 1000 silver dollars, and 7 boxes of gold dust (one weighing 330 oz) as well as some pepper, was shipped to London on board the brig EX, on 09-MAR-1830.' (1)(12)
'Scilly, 23d June. The HOPE, of London, Noble, from Cape Coast Castle, was totally wrecked at St. Martin’s, 19th inst. during a heavy Gale from SE. The Master, Mate, and four of the Crew saved : a Passenger, his wife, a Seaman, and black Boy, drowned. About 100 whole casks of palm oil, and from 30 to 40 broken casks, are saved ; also a cask of pepper, and about 100 elephant’s teeth. The anchors and cables will probably be saved.' (2)
'Scilly, 26th June. A box of dollars, and about 240 more elephants' teeth, have been saved from the wreck of the HOPE from Cape Coast Castle.' (3)
'Scilly, 15th February. Two small boxes of gold dust and 47 more elephants’ teeth, have been saved from the wreck of the HOPE from Cape Coast Castle to London. 20th. Five more boxes of gold dust have been got up from the wreck of the HOPE and about 40 more elephants’ teeth.' (4)
Further coverage in the newspapers (7-9)
'On Tuesday morning last, the brig HOPE, from Africa for London, Champion Noble, master, was wrecked near the island of St. Martin's. This calamitous circumstance occurred in consequence of the Day-mark on the island being mistaken by those on board for the lighthouse on St. Agnes. The weather was very thick at the time, and the gale violent. On the mistake being discovered, the brig immediately broke, and the vessel drove on a large rock, where she soon went to pieces. What adds an afflicting interest to the melancholy of this detail is, that a boat containing a Dutch officer, from the settlement of Elmina, his lady, a black-boy, and others, having just put off for the shore, before they had got to any distance, the mainmast of the brig fell upon her, and crushed her to pieces, by which disastrous event the three before-mentioned individuals, together with one of the crew, were drowned. They have not since been picked up, but part of the cargo of the brig has been saved.' (10)
The brig HOPE from London, Alfred Noble master, from Bristol to London from Accra, laden with palm oil, ivory and gold dust, was wrecked on St Martins Head near the day mark which she mistook for the lighthouse. (13)
Secondary Sources:
Secondary sources (5)(6)(11) and (12). Source (12) gives departure as Cape Coast Castle.
Master: Alfred Noble
Crew: 7
Crew Lost: 1
Passengers Lost: 3 (Source 12)
Owner: Shillitoe and Co.
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
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