Liner Paris being towed off Lowland Point, The Lizard, July (?) 1899
After going aground on Lowland Point in fog on 21 May 1899, the American liner Paris was towed off for repairs in July Distant view from a high vantage point of the salvage operation Ref: WR iii, 113-114
Wandsbek stranded off Lizard Point, 1900
Steel full-rigged ship Wandsbek from Hamburg, on passage from Falmouth to Liverpool with wheat, on the Dales reef off Lizard Point, 26 May 1900; total loss Distant view of ship from beach Ref: WR iii, 72
Albumen print; some damage to upper corners
SS Brankelow, wrecked at Gunwalloe, the Lizard, April 21st 1890.
The 1, 661-ton brigantine-rigged Brankelow of Liverpool was under charter to the Russian government, laden with coal from Cardiff to Kronstadt, when she grounded near Gunwalloe in a light south-westerly breeze and slight haze at 12:30 a.m on April 21st 1890. The Brankelow was owned by the Brankelow Steamship Company and was built by M Pearse of Stockton in 1882. Porthleven LSA soon fired a rocket line aboard but it was mysteriously severed, a boat trying to pull ashore capsized and confusion reigned for some time. Finally her crew of twenty-nine did come ashore, except for Captain Stewart who remained on board until late afternoon, by which time the Brankelow was settling deep into the sands. Tugs and salvage gear were rushed to Gunwalloe, but a strong south-west gale on April 26th put an end to operations, and on May 9th the underwriters, via Edward Mitchell, auctioneer of Lelant, offered her for sale. Prices were ridiculous even for those days: the coal cargo, valued at £825 brought a top bid of £1 before it was withdrawn, and the Brankelow, worth £25,000 afloat, was sold at a London firm for £405. They re-sold her that evening for £840, but further storms caused her new owners to abandon hopes of refloating her, and the engines and all fittings were removed. On June 11th, again under new ownership, the now empty hulk broke up completely that autumn. Description from Richard Larn and Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1971), p.161-162.
Brankelow, Wrecked at Gunwalloe, Lizard, April 21st 1890
Seine wrecked at Perranporth, December 27th 1900
The largest and best-known sailing-ship wreck in Perran Bay was the French nitrate clipper Seine, an elegant three masted steel barque of 2,630 tons gross launched in 1889 by La Porte of Rouen for the celebrated fleet of A.D Bordes et Fils of Bordeaux. She and others like her were known as 'Bounty Clippers', owing their handsome looks to the French navigation bounties, a subsidy which enabled owners to sacrifice capacity for fine lines, instead of settling for the 'wall-siders' and 'bald-headers' of their British counterparts. The Seine was a particularly smart ship, sporting whit masts and yards and the traditional painted ports, with a long forecastle and poop deck. On December 27th 1900, eighty-one days from Iquique to Falmouth for orders with nitrate, the Seine encountered a WNW gale of Scilly. By midnight, Captain Guimper had abandoned all hopes of making port, and at 10:00am, the Seine, under reefed fore-topsails, was sighted from St Agnes Head. The Perranporth and St Agnes rocket brigades were assembled when, early in the afternoon, the big clipper ran in the north of Chapel Rock, and they spliced both their hawsers into a single long one to reach her. Six sailors and a delirious cabin boy were landed before the Seine, gave and an extra violent roll that broke the hawser. Six Newqay youths waded out under her bows, a line was flung down to them, and another five men slid to safety. Captain Guimper was the last to leave the doomed to the breakers, a gutted steel shell which broke up on the next flood tide. A fortnight late the wreck of this once beautiful clipper was sold to Newquay sea captain for a mere £42. Description from Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The North Coast (London: Pann Books LTD, 1970), p.86-87.
Plymouth trawler Reginald stranded at St. Mary's, 1902
The Plymouth Steam Trawler went ashore went ashore on Porth Hellick, St. Marys in 1902. The image shows how the crew were waiting for the eventual high tide to eventually re-float the vessel. Description of wreck from Richard Larn, Cornish Shipwrecks: Isles of Scilly (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1971), p. 120.
Steam coaster Fleswick on Hayle bar, January 28th 1902
The Fleswick, launched at Troon in 1900, wrecked at Black cliff on January 28th 1902. The lifeboat crew rescued six men and a pilot from the 195-ton Whitehaven coaster Fleswick which, inward bound from Neath, lay with decks awash off Black Cliff. Description from Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The North Coast (London: Pan Books Ltd, 1970), 72.
Albumen print; damage to top right corner
Detail of collision damage amidships to SS Trooper, 1902
Detail of collision damage to SS Trooper, in Penzance harbour, 1902
Voorspoed, Dutch barquentine ashore Perranporth, March 7th 1901
The 286-ton steel schooner Voorspoed of Amsterdam, W.K. machinery and general cargo, failed to weather Droskyn Point, in a fresh northerly gale on March 7th 1901. Sampson Mitchell of Alma fame, hit her mainmast with the first rocket, and the exhausted, seasick Dutchmen, and a young English cabin boy fresh from training ship were landed. Captain de Grooth refused to leave until coastguards and a local doctor, who had gone out to attend a sailor prostrated with expourse and rum, showed him the wreck of the Seine. The Voorspoed, listing slightly to starboard, ebbed dry at noon, when stores, gear, clothes, and a stuffed alligator were landed by breeches-buoy. How and when the looting started was never determined, but Captain de Grooth later said, "I have been wrecked in different parts of the globe, even in the Fiji island, but never among such savages as those of Perranporth." Most of the blame fell on the Navvies working on the new GWR branch line from Chasewater to Newquay, though Perran men were seen on deck surrounded by the beach in aprons of local women. The Voorspoed, ex-Foxham, ex-Jan Derks, launched in 1892 by Neistern & Co of Martenshoek was refloated a fortnight later by the Falmouth tug Triton, but on her next voyage disappeared with all hands while bound for Newfoundland. Description from Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The North Coast (London: Penn Books Ltd, 1970), p87.
King Edward VII landing in Mounts Bay, April 1902
King Edward VII landing in Mount's Bay, April 1902
Marie Celine, wrecked at Porthscatho, January 19th 1901.
The French schooner MARIE CELINE, Blanchard master, sailed from Falmouth port yesterday for Gijon, with pitch, and during last night's gale went ashore near Portscatho, and likely to become a total wreck. Crew saved. She was lying on rocks badly holed and broken. It was feared that there was no chance of getting her off. It was recommended the owner sell her as she lies. It was understood cargo only worth 10s ton, so could not salve it for double that money. It was later recommend it be sold with vessel. On 22 January 190, instructions from owners to sell vessel soon possible. Description from Wreck Site . Com
King Edward VII and entourage embarking or disembarking from a launch, probably in St Mary's harbour, with onlookers visible at top of steps, 8 April 1902; small boats visible in background
S.S.Benwick of Newcastle, wrecked at Porthcurno, 1903
S.S. Benwick (1,884 t) from Newcastle, on passage from Antwerp to Barry, ashore in surf at Porthcurno, 13 Feb 1903, after striking the Runnelstone Ref: CSI, 226
King Edward VII in carriage leaving the Star Castle, St Marys, during his visit to Scilly, 8 April 1902
King Edward VII in carriage leaving the Star Castle, St Mary's, during his visit to Scilly, 8 April 1902
Albumen print, damaged at left and bottom left edges
S.S. Koch stranded at Coverack, crew and animals rescued by LSA. 1904
S.S. Koch, stranded near Coverack on the Lizard; crew and animals saved by LSA, March 1904
Lady of Isles being being assisted into Penzance
Lady of the Isles (1875) being towed into Penzance after refloating, Sept 1904 Ref: CSI, 198-9
S.S. Rosalia, wrecked at Hartland, 27 May 1904
Debris of full-rigged ship Khyber (1880), 2,026 t, Calgate Co, wrecked on passage from Melbourne to Queenstown, Ireland with cargo of wheat, on Tol'pedn beach, 15 March 1905. View of foreshore from cliff, with figures among the wreckage. There were 23 fatalities in the wreck Ref: DSA i, 381; CSI, 231-3
Packet steamer Lady of the Isles beached at Lamorna Cove, 1904
Packet steamer Lady of the Isles (1875) beached just off the Lamorna Cove jetty after striking the Little Heaver ledge near Carn-Du while carrying sightseers, 1 Sept 1904. She was subsequently refloated, then sold and refitted as a salvage vessel. After attending many wrecks around the Cornish coast, and occasionally substituting for the ferry Scillonian, she was mined and sunk on 3 Oct 1940 Ref: CSI, 198f
Ship Khyber wreck site, high tide at Tol-pedn, 1905
High-tide view of Khyber wreck site, figures in close foreground, debris visible in surf Ref: CSI, 231-3