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Summary

The Berar, full rigged iron vessel, presumably converted to a barque at a later date. It was wrecked half a mile west of Charton Bay on the 7th October 1896. The remains of the vessel are still visible at low water.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY28NE/274

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WRECK (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD)

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105985.

Nmr give erroneous ngr sy252899. Above ngr is approx mid way between charlton bay and culverhole point.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105986.

Nmr=sy28ne2.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105987.

Des=admiralty chart/1123 26-12-80.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105988.

Des=admiralty chart/2454 06-05-77.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105989.

Des=admiralty chart/2656 28-05-82.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105990.

Des=admiralty chart/3315b 25-05-73.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105991.

Des=admiralty chart/2675 18-08-78.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV105992.

Hydrographic office/013304239.

National Monuments Record, Untitled Source (National Monuments Record Database). SDV1181.

Berar. Cargo vessel lost 1896. Finnish barque, baga to swilley in wood. Berar broke in two, the wood floated away covering local beaches for miles. She struck a rock mid way between the centre of charlton bay and culverhole point.17-may-1972 culverhole point in position 50 41 52n 003 00 12w, there appears to be remains of a steel sailing vessel, approximately 100 feet by 30 feet. Carrying iron ore ballast, hull reduced by wave action to keel and one section of rib 12-15 feet above seabed, but only 100 yards offshore at low water only inches below water level.24-jun-1985 the stern still visible with small propshaft, appropriate to a sailing barque (nmr).

Daniel, N., 2021, Wreck of the Berar, Charton Bay, Axmouth (Correspondence). SDV364207.

The Italian registered barque was wrecked half a mile west of Charton Bay on the 7th October 1896. The remains of the vessel are still visible at low water.

The Berar (902 tons) was built by William Pile of Sunderland in 1863 for Tyser & Haviside. The full rigged iron vessel (presumably converted to a barque at a later date) had two near identical sister ships, the Himilaya and the Trevelyan (coincidently a name very much associated with local Seaton land owners who had interests in the North East). The three vessels were built for trading with India, carrying a combination of cargo and passengers. With the opening of the Suez Canal, sail could not compete with advent of steam on the route to India. Berar was transferred to the New Zealand and Australian immigrant trade under charter to Shaw-Savill. Subsequently, she was used for transporting indentured labour from India to Fiji and Guyana. Eventually she came under Italian ownership and it was whilst on passage form Borga, Finland to Seville, that she encountered heavy weather in the Channel.

The following was transcribed by local Axmouth historian Mike Clement from the 1908 Seaton & District guide:

The Italian three masted barque ran ashore on the rocks near Rousdon, west of Charton Bay on the 7th October 1896. There was no loss of life, but the crew suffered terrible hardships and privations. The ship was a fine new iron vessel, that was smashed to pieces.

The south of England was swept by a succession of heavy gales which did a great deal of damage on land and worked much havoc on the sea coast. The Berar was on her way from Finland to Spain, laden with about 1,200 tons of planks and in tacking from the Casquets (west of Alderney) off the coast of France, to Start Point, in the face of strong westerly gales, the captain then unsuccessfully attempted to make for Portland.

The weather worsened, and the gales increased in force, so that the vessel could only be sailed under close - reefed topsails and staysails. It was then that the captain must have lost his bearings, for on Tuesday the vessel was seen beating about hopelessly in the bay. When darkness came on, the crew heard the roar of the breakers on the shore, in spite of the effort made to bring the vessel around, the force of the wind and waves drove her broadside onto the rocks, about 200 yards on the Axmouth side, of the Rousdon boundary. The jagged rocks soon tore, her plates asunder, and she quickly filled with water.

The crew consisted of Captain Bertolotto, thirteen men, and two boys, nearly the whole crew being of Italian nationality. When the vessel struck the rocks most of the crew took to the rigging, on a wild wretched night and in a spot of sheer desolation, no one but the poor fellows on board had any knowledge of the disaster. When the tide had receded, the crew scrambled over the sides and managed to reach dry land in safety. Coastguardsman Duckham, attached to the Whitlands station, was the first to discover that the wreck had happened, he was on night duty, and in patrolling near the western end of Charton bay, he saw what he thought seemed dim lights and heard faint sounds of voices. A closer but still cursory examination disclosed a ship on the rocks, but as yet he saw no men. He at once returned to the Whitlands coastguard station, and notified Chief Boatman James Pride (in command there) of the occurrence, with the result that the rest of the crew were called out assist. When near the spot a blue light was burnt, and the boatmen were sent off searching, the signal rocket apparatus was requisitioned. On proceeding to the scene, one of the crew was encountered, but nothing could be gleaned from him as he could not speak English. Four members of the crew were on the beach, in the course of the search, and they were taken to the coastguard station (Whitlands), nearly a mile away by 2.30.a.m. on Wednesday.

In the meantime, the inhabitants of the four houses in the coastguard station (Whitlands) had been informed there was a wreck, so that by the time the four men reached the station fires and refreshments were awaiting them. The search being continued, in the course of a few hours, all the remaining members of the crew were discovered, assistance being given by five men from the Axmouth coastguard station, who had been called by message to the scene.

The crew were in a half-naked condition, the attire of one consisting of an oil- skin coat. the captain was found on the beach in a dazed condition, and he had to be literally carried to Whitlands. The rest of the crew were thirteen men and two boys. None of the crew except the captain could speak or understand a word of English. One of the lads particularly aged about 14 was in an exhausted condition, the other lad was also in a bad state when found.

About 7.0 clock on Wednesday morning, Mr F. Greenham. steward to Sir Henry Peek of Rousdon mansion (above Charton Bay), at the request of the coastguards, placed at their disposal a farm wagon in which the sailors were conveyed into Lyme Regis, and handed over to the care of Mr W.R. Rugg, the local representative of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society, who had previously been informed of the wreckage of the vessel. Being assured of the helpless state of the mariners, Rugg at once took them to the coffee tavern, where Mr H. Long catered for them a substantial breakfast. After the meal a return was made by the sailors to the wreck, with the object of saving what they could of their personal effects.

Eight of the men were able to recover a considerable portion of their belongings - mostly clothing - but the remainder had left their goods and chattels on the port side of the barque, which was full of water therefore they were irrecoverable. The men were again brought to Lyme Regis in a conveyance hired by Mr Rugg and were regaled with a hot meal. The eight unfortunates who had lost all their clothing were taken to Mr H. Lane's, and rigged up in necessary attire, at the expense of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society'.
On Wednesday, Mr Butt, acting vice Italian consul at Weymouth for Sir Richard Howard, visited Lyme Regis and interviewed the men, also making arrangements for their future movements. The crew slept at the Dolphin Inn for the night, and after breakfast on Thursday morning were conveyed to Axminster railway station whence, they proceeded to London, by means of passes issued by the mariner’s society.

It was first thought that, with luck, the vessel might be got off the rocks and again made seaworthy. But this hope was rudely dispelled two days after vessel came ashore, when a rough sea again set in, and the masts went over the sides of the ship shortly afterwards the vessel split in two, as shown in the photograph - the heavy wrought ironwork in the shape of stays and decking being bent about like paper. Salvage operations immediately commenced, and the whole of the cargo and fragments of the vessel that could be saved were submitted to the hammer.

The Berar’s figure-head (just the head of a female) was recovered and for many years graced the entrance hallway of local fisherman Ken Tolman’s thatched cottage in Queen Street, Seaton. On his death the figure head was presented to the Seaton Museum, along with other artefacts recovered from the wreck. A lignum vita dead-eye from the Berar’s standing rigging was recovered in 1988, it is now displayed in the Pilot Bar of the Harbour Inn with photographs of the wreck. The mahogany counter in Akerman’s hardware shop, Fore Street, Seaton was salvaged by Mr. Akerman from the Berar and still survives to this day (2021). The deadeye from her rigging is now a door stop at No.1 Reals!

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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