Maritime record MWX2060 - Robert Shaw

1847 wreck of American brig which was abandoned on fire off Ushant en route from New Orleans and/or Charleston for Le Havre with rice and cotton, after being struck by lightning. She stranded under Clavell Tower at Kimmeridge. Constructed of wood, she was a sailing vessel. Status: Casualty

Report from Weymouth in the Dorset County Chronicle: `...Ship seen on fire in our bay on the 9th and 10th inst... The report goes on to give detail from a letter written by the captain of the vessel from France where they landed their boat after abandoning the vessel: `...struck by lightning, passing down the forecastle and setting on fire the cotton in the hold...made all sail the ship could carry in order to get her into some port on the English coast before the fire broke out, but we found that impossible and were obliged to leave the ship, in the longboat...when left the ship was about 40 or 50 miles south of Portland. (2)

Went ashore as a hulk near Saint Albans Head.(1) Master: G Howland Master: George Shaw (4) Crew: 16 Date of Loss Qualifier: A Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: GPCS. P52

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.

Net tonnage

Derelict and on fire she drifted into West Bay, her captain and crew already having abandoned her, she went ashore near St Albans Head. (4)

The ROBERT SHAW was struck by lightning off Ushant and abandoned by the crew. Because of the current and the SW gale off St. Alban's Head she ran ashore beneath Clavell Tower at Kimmeridge. (5)

'Portsmouth, 9th Dec. An American ship, on fire, was passed this morning, 10 miles SW of Portland, by the TAGUS (s), arrived here.' (6)

'Cowes, 10th Dec. The ROBERT G SHAW, of Boston (cargo cotton), apparently from New Orleans to Havre, was passed on fire and abandoned 8th inst., 20 miles SW of Portland, by the ANN HENZELL, Davison, arrived here.

'A vessel, burnt down to the gunwales aft, was seen yesterday 3 leagues SW of Portland, by the MARGARET SHELLY, Topping, arrived here.' (7)

'Weymouth, 12th Dec. The wreck of a large ship, apparently American, burnt to the water's edge, came on shore 10th inst. on Kimmeridge Ledge; upwards of 200 bales of cotton have been saved in a damaged state.' (8)

'Weymouth, 12th Dec. The American ship, which was burnt to the water's edge, and the wreck of which afterwards came on shore on Kimmeridge Ledge, is the R G SHAW.' (9)

'A list of certain ships of the Merchant Navy, from 400 to 800 tons, destroyed or severely damaged by Lightning, nearly all since the year 1830:

'Dec. 1847. ROBERT SHAW. Set on fire off Ushant; drifted and sunk off Portland.' (10)

Master: George Shaw (4)
Crew: 16 (4)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
Illustrated London News.18.12.1847®

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

<2> Various, Dorset County Chronicle, 23-DEC-1847 (Serial). SWX6464.

<3> Farr, Grahame, 1971, Wreck and rescue on the Dorset coast, p84 (Monograph). SWX1056.

<4> 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.

<5> Legg, R, 1984, Guide to Purbeck Coast and Shipwreck, 52 (Monograph). SWX8140.

<6> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, 10-DEC-1847, No.10525, column 7 (Serial). SWX8434.

<7> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, 11-DEC-1847, No.10526, column 6 (Serial). SWX8434.

<8> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, 13-DEC-1847, No.10527, column 9 (Serial). SWX8434.

<9> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, 14-DEC-1847, No.10528, column 12 (Serial). SWX8434.

<10> Forbes, R B, and Snow Harris, Sir William, 1853, Shipwreck by Lightning: papers relative to Harris' lightning conductors, 38 (Monograph). SDO20652.

<11> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 616 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 900977 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 4 2024 4:27PM