Maritime record MWX2075 - Skylark

Brig-sloop 10, Cherokee class, wrecked on Kimmeridge ledge 25-APRIL-1845.(2)

Stranded / Total Loss (3)

Bound for Spithead, there was little wind as the brig steered up the channel, and she had all plain sails set, as well as royals and studding sails. Lieutenant Morris was confined to his cabin with a severe and agonising attack of the gout, and this led the master William Crane, to take charge of her Passage. During the morning of the 25th April she found herself in very thick fog, the men on the quarterdeck barely seeing the bowsprit. Crane did not seem at all concerned, and continued under sail; he did not order the lead to be cast and indeed, left the deck. At ten o'clock that morning she ran hard aground on the Kimmeridge ledge off the Isle of Wight, all sail was thrown aback but she did not move. The boats were lowered to try and lay out the anchor, but the heavy surf made it impossible, and it was found that the swell was driving them further up the ledge, the waves beating over the stern. Unable to be moved and with the hull pierced in several places, she was abandoned. The master William Crane, was found guilty of gross neglect and dismissed from the service.(4)

Year Built: 1826 Where Built: Pembroke Dock Armament: 10 cannon; 6 Cannon (4) Owner: Royal Navy Master: Lieut. Smith RN; Lieutenant George Morris(4) Crew: 102 Date of Loss Qualifier: A

Summary of report from Portsmouth, Wednesday:

'The SKYLARK, 2, Lieutenant-Commander George Morris (1823), having sailed from Portsmouth on Thursday, April 24, with 68 supernumeries on board, which with her own crew made a total of 110 men on board, struck on Coalpit Ledge near Kimberidge on the 25th, in thick fog. After about an hour the fog lifted, and the crew could hear shouting from the nearby cliffs that rescue was on its way from the coast-guard station. The coast-guard were under the command of Lieutenant Smith. One of the SKYLARK's boats upset as the coast-guard approached and Commander Morris' 11 year old son was nearly drowned, but was saved by one of the coast-guards named Crawley who swam out to him and held him up until Lieutenant Smith could get to them. Eventually all were saved, some by the coast-guard and others making their own way in the SKYLARK's boats under assistance from the coast-guards.' (5)

Built: 1826 (3)(4)
Where Built: Pembroke Dock (3)(4)
Armament: 10 cannon; 6 Cannon (4)
Owner: Royal Navy (all sources)
Commanding Officer: Lieut Smith RN (3) [this is in fact the name of the Coastguard Commanding Officer (5); Lieutenant George Morris (4)(5)
Crew: 102 (3); 110 (5)

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

<2> Colledge, J J, 1969, Ships of the Royal Navy. Volume 1: major ships, p319 (Monograph). SWX4826.

<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> Hepper, David J, 1994, British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859, 164 (Monograph). SWX4575.

<5> The Times, 01-MAY-1845 (Serial). SWX3285.

<6> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 614 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 900974 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:37PM