Maritime record LWT 808 - Wreck of the Flora

1789 wreck of English cargo vessel which stranded at Lowestoft during a gale on her passage from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Laden with coal, she was a wooden sailing vessel.
Status: Casualty

'Yesterday se'nnight at night, a violent gale of wind suddenly came on from the ENE, which continued, without intermission, till Saturday morning, attended with hail and snow...The ships below named are reported to be lost, and on shore, but the accounts being very contradictory, we can by no means vouch for the authenticity of the very melancholy intelligence conveyed to our readers...FLORA, Ridley, master drowned...' (1)

'The following vessels have suffered damage etc. in Yarmouth Roads, in the gale of wind on Friday night...FLORA, -, of Newcastle, 3 men lost...on shore...' (2)

'The following ships were driven and wrecked on the main between Lowestoft, 9 miles to the south, and Eccles, 18 miles to the northward, of Yarmouth...

'At Lowestoft: FLORA, Ridley, and HANNIBAL, Rogers...from Newcastle, with coals...' (3)

'To be sold by auction, on the sixth day of January, 1790, at the warehouse of Mr Matthew Smith, in South Shields: All the materials saved from the late ship FLORA, 20 keels burthen, consisting of masts, yards, anchors, cables, sails, standing and running rigging, long boat, etc. The sale to begin at 10 o'clock in the forenoon.' (4)

'The fatal effects of the late gale on the Norfolk coasts, are dreadful to relate, both from the loss of property and the bad consequences arising from the want of that temporary supply the cargoes of coals would have been to the metropolis at this present time, when they are so much wanted, and still more from the number of lives lost in the storm . . .

'The following ships have suffered in the late storm off Yarmouth . . . the FLORA, of Newcastle, captain and carpenter drowned . . . ' (5)

Master: Ridley (1)(3)
Crew Lost: 1 (1); 2 (5); 3 (2)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss