Maritime record LWT 658 - Wreck of the George

1820 wreck of English brig which foundered in the Stanford Channel after grounding during a gale. En route from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to London with coal, she was a wooden sailing vessel.
Status: Casualty

`On their way to the wreck of the SARAH AND CAROLINE, the Lowestoft lifeboat had been hailed by a brig, which was boarded on their return from the sloop. This proved to be the GEORGE, which was waterlogged. Her crew were all taken into the lifeboat and at about 6pm, all twelve survivors were landed on Lowestoft beach. The sloop's mast fell about half an hour after the men had left it, and the brig sank soon afterwards.' (2)

`Lowestoffe, 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...The GEORGE of London, Dixon, laden with coals, coming in at the Stanford, struck and sunk in deep water: crew saved by the lifeboat...

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

`The GEORGE of London, from Newcastle with coals, is lost near Yarmouth. Crew saved.' (4)

`The GEORGE of London, from Newcastle to London, was lost coming over Stanford; crew saved.' (5)

`[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 sea broke upon the shore...

`In approaching the sloop [the SARAH & CAROLINE] the lifeboat passed and was hailed by a brig, coal laden, which on her return she boarded, and found her in a sinking state. She proved to be the GEORGE of London, John Dixon, master, with 7 hands on board; these were also taken into the lifeboat, and about 6 o'clock in the evening the whole 12 persons were safely landed at Lowestoff...The sloop's mast fell about an hour after the men left it, and the brig sunk soon after.' (6)

[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.]

Master: Dixon (3); John Dixon (2)(6)
Crew: 7 (2) - vide SARAH AND CAROLINE; (6)

Date of Loss Qualifier: A

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