Document Reference: T 1/564/205
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Filename: t564_205.htm
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T 1/564/205 -
No life saved except one dog - 1781
T1/564/205 - "No life saved except one dog" - 1781
Covering letter from Charles Lutwidge, Receiver-General, though seldom on Island
and probably written from London to the Treasury
Sir
In obedience to the directions of the Right Honorable the Lords Commissrs
of his Majesty's Treasury signify'd in your letter of the 8th Ulto having
transmitted to my deputy the representation of his Grace the Duke of Athol
relating a vessel wrecked upon the Coast of the Isle of Man, which had been
taken possession of by Mr Clague & other officers of his Majestys Revenue
in that Island, I beg leave to transmit the inclosed letter containing a circumstantial
account of that affair together with the affid't of Mr Robt Marrow of Liverpool
there one of the principal owners of the said ship & cargoe, and of Mr
Clague relating the conduct of himself & the other officers in that transaction
which I beg you will lay before their Lordships - I have further to obseve
that Mr Wilson in his letter ye 1st inst informs me he was prevented executing
the directions of their Lordships signify'd your letter the 9th Ulto of proceeding
in the sale of the several articles salved from the wreck, Mr Marrow having
been put in possession of the whole except a few trifling articles by a decree
of the Court of Chancery in the Isle of Man, before he received my letter.
I am &c Chas Lutwidge 14th March 1781
Enclosed letter from Senhouse Wilson to Lutwidge
Custom house Douglas 6th March 1781
Sir
In obedience to your letter of 21 ult I now give you a circumstantial acct
of the vessel wreck'd in Pt la Marie Bay, on the night of the 20th of Jany
last
As soon as it was known at Castletown Mr Clague and the officers of Darbyhaven
went to the place where the wreck was, and there met with the Duke of Athol's
Moar, who had the Masters pocket book and papers & was giving directions
about the saving of the Cargo - but upon Mr Clague's telling him that he was
the proper officer to direct in such cases, the Moar resign'd the charge,
but continued to assist, under Clague, till all was saved, and he was paid
for his trouble; soon afterwards Mr Heywood the Duke's agent here, arrived
at the spot and demanded possession for the Duke, which Clague refused to
give unless he should have orders from me for that purpose, but said they
might take an acct of the cargo & have copys of the ship's papers if they
choice it. Mr Heywood then quitted the place I got there a little while after,
and from the quantity of goods that were likely to be saved, and the papers,
dog and other matters appearing which wou'd make it easy for the concerned
to prove their property, I made no doubt they woud be claimed; therefore persisted
in saving and preserving as much as possible and holding possession for the
benefit of the proprietors.
The next morning Mr Heywood called upon me and demanded that it should be
given up immediately, which I positively refused, as I saw by the bills of
Lading who the Proprietors were, and was at that time writing to acquaint
them with the melancholy accident. The broken part of the hull of the vessel
was sold in publick auction & produced £120 0 10. I mentioned to
you in my letter of the 1st Inst that the proprietors had sent over an agent
to claim and prove their respective propertys, and that the said agent had
petition'd the Lieut Governor to put him in possession - that is done by a
decree of Jany 28th ulto. - only some little hardware & porter still lies
over till he gets proper powers to receive them having been omitted when he
came away. The process appeared very clear to the court.
The inclosed affidavits shew clearly that no forcible means were use in taking
possession of the wreck & goods - and prove the identity of the dog.
The last packet brought over an order from the Duke of Athol to give up the
vessel & cargo that was wreck'd near the Pt of Ayr in Nov last to the
master and proprietors whose agent with the sd master have been anxiously
waiting here for it since Dember last.
I have the honor &c Senhouse Wilson
Annexed affidavits provided by Senhouse Wilson (punctuation of the first is
left as an exercise for the reader)
This day personally appeared William Clague Dept Collector of the Port of
Derbyhaven before me William Callow Esqr High Bailiff of Castletown and the
distruct thereunto belonging and made oath upon the holy Evangelist that early
in the morning of Monday the 29th day of Febry last came to the deponents
house Richard Cubbon of Balladool Borders in the Parish of Kk Arbory in the
Isle of Man who informd the deponent that a ship was wreck'd on that coast
the preceding night the Captain and all his Crew perished and there was no
life saved except one dog but that the masters pocket book was found amongst
the wreck and that there was a great quantity of butter and that the people
were mostly all drunk meaning as the deponent apprehended the country people
who appeared at sd wreck That about ten minutes after the sd Cubbons first
coming into the deponents house came John Watterson from sd place who told
the deponent that he was sent express by William Qualtrough Esqr in order
that the deponent should be aquainted with the particulars of the above and
at the sd time requesting the deponents assistance to sd wreck.
That the deponent from long experience being sensible that he himself and
the officers of the sd Port could not pretend to secure the goods so wreck'd
from being plundered and stolen the deponent immediately waited on the Honble
Richard Dawson Esqr Lieutenant Governor of the said Isle and related to his
honr the melancholy event and intimating that some of his Majestys subjects
must be great sufferers & requesting a Corporals Guard of Fencibles as
assistance to secure from being plundered and stolen what could be saved of
the said wreck whereupon his Honr sent a Serjeants Guard of Fencibles for
that purpose That the deponent immediately took horse and rode to where the
wreck lay and being there half an hour before the other officers of the sd
Port and the said Serjeants Guard of Fencibles arrived In the interval enquired
who had the masters pocket book to which some persons replyd that John Costain
the dukes moar had it upon which the deponent demanded the same of the said
moar telling him at the said time that the deponent looked upon himself to
be the proper officer to take charge of the said goods and that provided the
same should be sold in the Island by the claimers thereof that he the deponent
was chargeable for the duty thereof upon which the said John Costain moar
readily delivered and gave to the deponent the masters sd pocket book as the
deponent apprehended the same did belong to the said master from the bills
of lading light bills private papers and many vouchers for cash paid on the
ships account found in the said pocket book nor did the deponent pretend to
receive or take delivery of sd book or inspect the same but by the consent
of the sd moar who deliverd the same as foresaid and in the presence of the
most reputable gentlemen then present that at the same time the sd John Costain
requested of the deponent to be employd by him in saving the said wreck to
which the deponent made for answer that he the said John Costain shud be employd
therein and shud also receive higher waghes for his troubles than a common
labourer desiring at the same time that the sd Costain might use his utmost
vigilance and care on the occasion for which service he the said Costain has
been since paid and satisfied witness the deponents subscription 6th March
1781 Wm Clague
Isle of Man, to wit
High Bailiffs District March 6th 1781
This day personally appeared Mr William Clague Deputy Collector of the port
of Derby Haven in the said Isle and deposed on the Holy Evangelists that the
before written affidavit is true in every particular - And John Costean the
Moar therein also named personally appeared & deposed on the Holy Evangelists
that the said affidavit is also true as relates to him in every particular.
Before me William Callow
And that by Robert Marrow, agent acting for the owners Peter Marrow & Co
of Liverpool
This day personally appeared Robert Marrow of Liverpool before me William
Callow Esq. High Baliff of Castletown and the district thereunto belonging,
And made Oath on the Holy Evangelist. That before he left Liverpool he was
informed that the ship London George Evans Master bound from Liverpool to
London was wrecked near Pt le Marie Bay in this Isle and that no living Creature
was found belonging to said ship only one dog, upon which this deponent immediately
wrote to Mr William Clague Collector of this Port acquainting him the name
and colour of the dog that belongs to said Ship London - and this deponent
further saith that on his arrival at this place he apply'd to said Mr William
Clague in whose possession he found the dog and that he is the very identical
dog belonging to said ship London and that the said dog was on board her when
she sailed last from Liverpool. And the deponent further declareth that on
his arrival here and upon examining the situation of the wreck &c he is
fully satisfied with what hath been done in the preservation of said wreck
and cargo by Mr William Clague and his assistance and verily believe that
had he not had the care of it so much would not have been saved for the benefit
of the owners, by any other person having had the management thereof. In witness
whereof I subscribe my hand this 6 day of March 1781 Robert Marrow
Notes
Following the Revestment of 1765, and the death of his father, the 4th Duke
of Athol was intent in regaining as many of his feudal manoral rights as possible
- one of these was claiming all wrecks - hence his Moar's attendance and the
Duke writing to Treasury about possible infringement of his claimed rights..
The statement by William Clague deputy Collector that "from long experience
being sensible that he himself and the officers of the sd Port could not pretend
to secure the goods so wreck'd from being plundered and stolen" indicates
the usual situation.
The ship, supposedly bound for London, would appear to be significantly off-course.
In 1790 Gore's Liverpool directory Peter Marrow, London ship broker 8 Cleveland
Sq (same address as Elizabeth Marrow broker) with counting house &c 31 Dry
Dock and Peter Marrow & Co porter vaults 58 Old Dock. A Thomas Marrow is
also noted as victualler; The wrecked vesseel would seem to have been carrying
foodstuffs including butter as well as porter.
Feltham in his parochial account
of Manx churchyards mentions a now lost memorial to the crew:
Captn. George Evans, Commander of the London, Samuel Evans, mate, and Thomas
Evans, both his sons. John Kurry, Wm. Higgins, John Roscoe, Robt. Johnson,
Thos. Wainwright, Wm. Hughes, John Powel, Benj. Curry, Rob. Bisbrown mariners,
who perished by sea, near Stranhall, January 28th [1781] Erected by order
of Mr. Robt. Marow, merchant,Liverpool.
The Parish register, which appears to be a copy from an older register, has
under 1782[sic],
Captn Evans & ten of his crew cast away near Pole vash Jany 30
one more Febry 2
Anothr Febry 12
which would imply a crew of thirteen including the captain, whereas the quoted
memorial names only twelve.
Lib Canc, under date 23rd Feb 1781 has the petition of Robert Marrow
to be put into possession of the salved goods
To the Honourable Richard Dawson Esq Lieut Governor of the Isle of Man
The Humble Petition of Robert Marrow of Liverpool Merchant Sheweth
That your petitioner and others did in the month of January last, at the
Port of Liverpool Ship on board the London, George Evans master, for London
a quantity of butter and other articles for accts of sundry merchants residing
in London - that unfortunately this ship on the 28th of the sd month of January
was driven on shore in stormy weather, near Pt Le Marie bay in the Isle, where
she was broke to pieces every person on board perished - that the freighters
& owners hearing that a part of the said cargo, as also the materials
&c of the sd ship had been saved, have jointly implored your petitioner
to reship the said goods or dispose of them and the materials &c in such
manner as your Petitioner may judge best for their respective interests.
Your petitioner therefore humbly requests your Honor will be pleased to order
your Petitioner to be put into full possession of all sd goods and materials
&c that have been saved from the wreck of the sd ship as also of whatever
money the broken parts of the wreck hence been sold for And your petitioner
as in duty bound will ever pray &c Robert Marrow
Ordered that this petition do come to be heard before me at Castle Rushen on
Wednesday next the 28th instant whereof all proper parties & persons to
have due notice - Given at Castle Rushen 23d Frebruary 1781 R Dawson
At Castle Rushen the 28th Feby 1781
Upon hearing the petition in presence of the Attornies as well of the the
petr as of his Grace the Duke of Atholl Lord of the Manor and of Mr William
Clague Deputy Collector of the port of Derbyhaven and upon reading a certain
power of Attorney from Wm Buckland, Wm and N Field, C Dorking, Jam Strange,
Robt Bern[], H amd L. F Freeman, Prentice Talbot and Co, Puddle and Maud,
Wm Smith, Leonard Bell for Thomas Bell, Nic Joyce, C[] Martin, D. White, B
Wood, Cotgrave and Roden, Mattheus and Holmes, David D[] and Wm Wheeler, late
owners and freighters of the Ship or vessel called the London, Geo Evans late
master, to the patr Robt Merrow bearing date the 13th day of Febrary 1781
and also divers Bills of lading of the cargo in this petition mentioned exhibited
by the petr and corresponding with the duplicates of the said bills of lading
found in the pocket book of the said Geo Evans in the petition mentioned and
upon consideration of what was pleaded [by] officers and alledged by and on
behalf of each party. It appears to this court that the said Wm Clague possessed
himself of [] much and such part of said ship [] and her materiels and appurtenances
and several [] articles of the said ship's cargo as were thrown on shore as
in the petition mentioned. And that the petr hath produced a legal power and
sufficient authority to receive the sd parts of the said ship or vessel and
her materials and appurtenances and also to receive the sevl articles aftermentionedthat
is to say 204 pigs quantity fifteen tons of lead shipped by Chas Wollam and
son for Messrs Henry and Saml Flour Freeman and specified in bills of Lading
dated the 3d January 1781 and indorsed by them to the petr; 521 firkins of
butter shipped by John Fury for and on acct of Nichs Jace Esqr and also 100
casks of butter for and on acct of Messrs Maud and Priddle sepecified in two
Bills of Lading dated the 16th January 1781. 300 firkins of butter shipped
by the petr for and on the acct of Messrs Talbot and Co. and also three hundred
and ten firkins of butter shipped by the petr for and on acct of Ro. Barnevelt
specified in two several Bills of Lading dated respectively the 18th January
1781 and severally indorsed to the petr Robt Marrow. It is therefore hereby
ordered that the said Wm Clague do deliver unto the petr Robert Marrow such
parts of the said ship or vessel and her materials and appurtenances as have
been by him saved and are now in his possession and also that the said Wm
Clague do account with the petr Robt Marrow for such parts as have been sold.
And also that the said Wm Clague do deliver do deliver unto him the sd petr
Robt. Marrow so much and such parts of the said cargo mentioned and specified
in the said sevl Bills of Lading and herein before recited as have been saved
by him and are now in his possession. And as the petr hath not shewn any formal
Authority to receive the several casks of hardware the barrels and half barrels
of porter the several empty barrels and half barrels or the scythe stones
shipped on the several Biills of Lading produced in Court, this Court therefore
declines granted any order respecting the same.
signed R Dawson
The need for the formal Authorities to receive the hardware, barrels &c
resulted in a second petition and Court hearing on 6th June 1781 by which Danl
Callow acting as attorney for Robt Marrow was authorised to receive the said
items.
Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor
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