Maritime record MWX2102 - Colville

Dreadful effects of the late tempest:...Portland...Seventeen men belonging to the COLVILLE, Wilson, wrecked in West Bay, have been picked up and buried in Portland...A part of the wreck has been saved, viz 8 casks of rum, 1 of wine and 15 bales of cotton... (2) `One of the 17 men picked up in West Bay and buried was Henry Gosling, passenger, who had the singular presence of mind to cut off a piece of his shirt and, having written his name and London address on it, and the fact that the captains wife lived at No.53 Mount Street, Whitechapel, the poor fellow tied it round his neck and died in the sea with the rest. (3) `A most tremendous gale at about SSW was experienced on Monday night, and throughout the whole of Tuesday... (4) `Weymouth, 25th Nov. We have experienced one of the severest hurricanes that ever visited this coast - nothing but ruin and devastation surrounds us - the loss of property and lives is immense. The COLVILE, Wilson, from Demerara to London, came on shore about 3 miles to the westward of Portland on Monday, and in five minutes not a vestige was to be seen; all on board drowned; 17 bodies are already thrown up by the sea; 8 casks of rum, 15 bales of cotton, and one cask wine saved. (4) Source (1) states the date of loss as 23-NOV-1824, but 22-NOV-1824 is indicated in (4). NB: The loss of the CARVALHO (q.v.) may be a variant account of this loss, since the two vessels virtually all details in common.
Additional references quoted in (6)
Master: Wilson
Crew: 25
Crew Lost: 25
Passengers Lost: all (at least 1)

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> 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.

<2> Sherbourne Mercury, p3, 29-NOV-1824 (Serial). SWX4820.

<3> 1975, Dorset magazine : the county magazine vol. 49, p23 (Article in serial). SWX4562.

<4> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, pg 2 (Serial). SWX8434.

<5> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 546 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<6> Le Pard, G F, 1999, The Great Storm of 1824. (Article in serial). SWX7729.

<7> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 23 (Monograph). SDO16406.

‘…Times, Saturday, November 27, 1824, Issue 12509 – Wrecked; Colville, Wilson: Johannes; Christiana; Two Sisters plus four unknown. Times: Wednesday, December 1, 1824, Issue 12512 – Weymouth, November 28: Two Sisters, from Malaga, of and bound for Hamburg, laden with fruit was wrecked in West Bay off Abbotsbury at eleven o’clock on the Monday night. The Master and three men saved, one was drowned; The Sally of Portsmouth, is lost in Weymouth Bay, nearly opposite Osmington Mills; the Captain’s son saved himself by leaping on board the Nancy Brig, of Weymouth; the rest of the crew were drowned. The Ebenezer, George Pett, Master from Plymouth to Portsmouth, with King’s stores, was thrown by the sea on top of Portland Beach, the master was drowned; Ageneria, Elliot of Weymouth safe in Portland Roads; Colville, Wilson, wrecked in West Bay, 17 bodies picked up and buried at Portland. The number of bodies picked up in the island of Portland amounts to 25. More details on the ship incidents and the distressed state of the Island of Portland. Gales.’

Record last edited

Jan 23 2020 12:07PM