More information : Carrying a cargo of ore shipped by John Williams Bevan of Redruth, which was consigned to the Mines Royal Copper Company, at 11.45am on 11.08 the vessel fell beneath a heavy sea, which carried away her bowsprit, and in rising out of the trough, parted her forestay which caused to masts to fall over her lee quarter. The crew then cut away the foreyard and topsail yard to enable the ship to stand before the weather. They then got the fore boom rigged as a jury mast, and set a topmast sail on it. While rigging this jury mast, her master spoke to the pilot boat ELLEN of Pill, which stood by them until 7pm, with the intention of taking the vessel in tow. But the weather increasing, and the vessel unmanageable and drifting onshore, the crew took to their boat and went on board the ELLEN, but lost sight of their own craft during the night. The schooner was found on Friday at about 8pm on the beach at Morwenstow, where the Receiver of Wreck took charge of her cargo and stores. (1)
'...the owners of the schooner PRIMROSE, wrecked at Morwenstow on 12 August 1852, had presented a mahogany case to Hawker [vicar of Morwenstow] "as a grateful acknowledgement of his unwearied kindness and hospitality to the Captain and Mate, and for his preservation of the hull and stores of the said vessel"...' (2)
'Stratton, near Bude, 12th Aug...A vessel is reported to be on shore at Morwenstow, about 8 miles to the northward, and it is feared the crew are lost.' (3)
'Stratton, 13th Aug. The PRIMROSE, of Truro, Harris, with copper ore, supposed from Truro to Neath, was the vessel reported yesterday as stranded at Morwenstow; no account of the crew; it is feared the vessel will be a wreck, but the greater part of the cargo may be saved.' (4)
There are two entries for this vessel in the United Kingdom Shipwreck Index, both under North Cornwall (AC); the first is as UNIDENTIFIED, based source (3) only; the second is as the PRIMROSE.
' . . . I, in Cassock and Slippers, rushed down to the Shore. There she [the PRIMROSE] lay with a jury Mast and Sail (her proper masts were gone). I was first on her deck, and made haste below. The cabin door was shut, and there was a noise within. I called - opened the door, and two little dogs, pets of the Sailors, leaped out and devoured me with caresses of joy. The Crew had been taken off the wreck by a Bristol Pilot Boat just before she stranded, and they had shut the dogs in to save their lives. When I had searched the Berths and found no one there, I went on deck, and looking down the hold, I found she was freighted with copper ore. My man (a farm Servant) and I then hauled in every rope, and by the time the country people came down we had fasted a cable round a rock. I then spoke to them over the bulwarks - told them if they would work to save the property, the law would give them double wages, but that if they robbed the Vessel of the smallest thing I would myself see them sent to Bodmin Gaol. The result was that all the Cargo was carried up a zigzag path, cut in my own cliffs for the purpose by the owners, on the back of donkies, and the ship was taken to pieces, and sold on the Beach. Not Sixpennyworth even of her tackle was stolen." R S Hawker, reminiscene of the wreck of the PRIMROSE in August 1852.
'As a reward for his actions, Hawker's request for the captain to be given another chance was granted. A new schooner was built for him and named the MORWENNA. Hawker also received a glass case filled with valuable mineral specimens from the owners' Cornish mines.' (5)
Built: 1838 (1)
Master: Thomas Harris (1)
Crew: 4 (1)
Passengers: 2 (1)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
Deposition Book, Bude (CRO.Truro File X/117/2); RCG.20.08.1852; BOT.Wk.Rtn.1852 p99(101) [under the UNIDENTIFIED entry].
Additional sources cited in The Wreck at Sharpnose Point:
C E Byles, The Life & Letters of R S Hawker, p223 |