Maritime record MWX1855 - Emmanuel

"Early on Wednesday this vessel was seen by persons in the West Bay lookout to be in a perilous condition, beating about in an unmanageable state, the crew having given up all hope of being able to reach port again. Signals made from the shore to advise the vessel to run in there as the only course left open to them were obeyed, and she went ashore at the calmest place on the beach, at the back of Chesil village. By the time she beached, hundreds had gathered to watch. In terrific surf, she exposed her beam to the sea and one man, seeking to save his life leapt from the wreck and tried to reach the shore but was swept away and drowned. Ropes were then thrown and the remainder saved, the captain being the last to leave. The vessel broke her back and over 100 people worked all day to save what stores they could, certain that she would break up at high water. All loose tackle, masts, anchors and spars were saved. She went to pieces that Friday." (1)(3) `...anchor parted, throwing vessel on to the beach...she remained together, giving an opportunity of saving her cargo...the ship broke up early on Friday Morning...300 yards West of the rocks at Chesil Cove. (2) EMMANUEL stranded, total became a total loss in Chesil Cove, West Bay, wind SW 12.(4)(5)

Year Built: 1858
Master: Gerrel
Crew: 8
Crew Lost: 1

<1> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<2> Various, Dorset County Chronicle, 30-NOV-1865 (Serial). SWX6464.

<3> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<4> Board of Trade, 1865, Parliamentary papers 1865, Board of Trade Casualty Returns 1865,, p47 (565) (Monograph). SWX5808.

<5> Board of Trade, 1865, Parliamentary papers 1865, Board of Trade Casualty Returns 1865., p50 (568) (Monograph). SWX5809.

<6> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 677 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

Record last edited

Sep 17 2008 4:22AM