More information : `The brig (sic) WILLIAM of Sunderland, from Odessa, with 2,000 quarters of wheat, for Falmouth, was driven ashore in Porthleven harbour and had one of her crew drowned. She was seen at daybreak on Friday morning about a mile off the shore and a little to the westward of the harbour, almost buried by the tremendous seas, which carried away a man and her two boats. She got in safely past the seaward jetty but was wrecked in the mouth of the artificial harbour, across which she now lies. Her rigging was standing yesterday but her decks had blown up, and her cargo had to a great extent drifted away, and the efforts made to save it on Saturday being prevented by the violence of the weather. Coming in, another of the crew lost his life. He jumped from the vessel to the jetty, and was swept off by a heavy wave. John Pascoe of Porthleven ran along the jetty to try to save him, but was swept off likewise, and would also have been drowned had not his uncle, Peter Pascoe, jumped overboard after him with a rope around his waist. It is feared at this place that a brig sank while the WILLIAM was coming in, being seen one moment then missed the next.' (5)
`The WILLIAM (barque), Wright...is on shore at Porthleven, full of water. The vessel is much damaged. The cargo will be partially saved, but damaged. The materials are being landed...' (4)
A picture of the WILLIAM wrecked in Porthleven Harbour in 1865, which is part of the C.J. Davis collection held at the museum. She was driven into Mounts Bay in a SSW gale that had blown for 3 days. She managed to get into Porthleven harbour but missed the narrow inner harbour entrance and smashed into the jetty, her stern resting on the roadway, 20 feet above the water. The storm also claimed five other vessels along the Cornish Coast.(6)
Built: 1857
Where Built: Sunderland
Master: John Weight (3); Wright (4)
Crew: 11
Crew Lost: 2
Date of Loss Qualifier: A
|