Maritime record MWX1955 - Arethusa

`Among the dead was John Gill, nephew of the Reverend Dacre Clemetson, chaplain to the gaol in this town. He sailed in the ARETHUSA three weeks since, leaving London, and the lapse of time led to a reasonable hope that the vessel was safely through the channel before the tempest. The shock therefore to his uncle and sister, who reside with the vicar, on finding that his body had been washed up on Monday, so close to their residence. The remains were buried on Tuesday in Fleet church. We grieve to add that whilst lying on the beach, the corpse was plundered of a valuable gold watch, prized beyond intrinsic value due to its family associations. The vessel has since gone to pieces. (1)(3)

'Weymouth 29th Nov:...was totally wrecked near this port last night; crew drowned. (4) Sources (1) and (3) give the date of loss as the reporting date of 29-NOV-1838. Master: Follins (4); Follius (1)(3) Crew Lost: All.

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.

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: DCC 06 12 1838(Th )®

…The Arethusa, from London to Antigua, was wholly wrecked near this port last night; crew drowned. A large ship, supposed to be an American, went to pieces last night about a mile and a half from Chesil Bay; crew drowned. It is reported there are several other wrecks between this and Bridport, and the crews drowned. About 100 sail are riding well, in Portland Roads. Other refs. Dorset County Chronicle: 6/12/1838 & Dorset Magazine: 1975, No. 49 p:23. - Chesil Beach, off Fleet, Victim of the 1838 Gale. (7).

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

<2> 1975, Dorset magazine : the county magazine vol. 49, 24 (Article in serial). SWX4562.

<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.

<5> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, 586 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<6> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, 30-NOV-1838, No.7718 (Serial). SWX8434.

<7> Cumming, E, 2014, The Portland Shipwreck and Maritime Incident Directory, 10 (Monograph). SDO14012.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 900940 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 19 2023 4:02PM