Maritime record LWT 657 - Wreck of a brig

1820 wreck of brig which foundered after grounding on the Beacon Ridge in attempting Lowestoft via the Stanford Channel; a wooden sailing vessel.
Status: Casualty

`In a gale, that increased to a hurricane at noon, tried to gain the Inner Roads.' (2)

This vessel would appear to be identifiable with the following:

`Lowestoft, Oct. 23. Yesterday morning between 5 and 6 o'clock, the wind blew very strong at SSW, and increased to a tremendous gale during the day. About 12 o'clock a collier brig struck on the ridge, after coming in at the Stanford, and in ten minutes went down with all on board...

Yarmouth, Oct. 23. We had a severe gale of wind at south yesterday...other vessels are reported to have foundered off Lowestoffe...' (3)

`[Lowestoft] On Sunday morning last, a heavy gale of wind from SSW was experienced at this place, which, towards noon, had increased to a hurricane. The whole sea was one continued foam, and a most tremendous surf broke upon the shore. About 12 o'clock, the inhabitants of the town had the pain of witnessing the distress of a vessel, which, in attempting to gain the inner roads, through the Stamford Channel, struck upon a sand called Beacon Ridge, and in about the space of 7 minutes, went to pieces, and all on board perished...

`A second vessel soon after followed...The loss of these two vessels (names unknown) was so awfully sudden, as to afford no time for assistasnce from shore.' (4)

[NB: The phrase "Sunday morning last" was usually used in Norfolk/Suffolk dialect to indicate "a week last Sunday", not "last Sunday", i.e. the Sunday just past. It appears that this item has been copied verbatim from a Norfolk/Suffolk source, since the date of loss has not been altered accordingly - a not uncommon practice in such wreck reports.]

Crew Lost: all (3)(4)

Date of Loss Qualifier: A

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
SLL.p12-13