Maritime record MWX1980 - Polly 1786

`The POLLY, King, from New Providence to London, is lost near Portland Beach. (1) Master: King Date of Loss Qualifier: R

`Extract of a letter from Weymouth, Jan. 27. "Last night was driven on shore on Portland Beach, the ship POLLY, of Stockton, in Durham, burthen 500 tons, George King, from New-Providence bound for London. Her cargo consists of mahogany, brazileto, fustick, logwood, boxwood, etc. Soon after she struck, she went to pieces. The whole of the crew, being 13 in number, and 4 passengers, were saved; and also part of the cargo." ' (2)

"Brazileto", properly "braziletto", was a term for "Jamaica-wood", a form of dyewood [OED]; "fustick" being another form of dyewood.

Master: King (1); George King (2)
Crew: 13 (2)
Passengers: 4 (2)

Date of Loss Qualifier: A

The building date for this vessel is an estimate based on an average age at wrecking of twenty years. This average is derived from those vessels wrecked on the Dorset coast whose age at wrecking is known.

<1> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, 31-JAN-1786, No.1747 (Serial). SWX8434.

<2> The Newcastle Journal, 11-FEB-1786, No.582 p3 (Serial). SDO20672.

<3> Cumming, E, 2014, The Portland Shipwreck and Maritime Incident Directory (Monograph). SDO14012.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1327144 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 10 2024 12:23PM