Maritime record LWT 822 - Wreck of a brig

1771 wreck of brig which foundered after grounding and capsizing on the Holm Sand. Constructed of wood, she was a sailing vessel.
Status: Casualty

'A loaded ship, name unknown, is lost on a sand off Corton on the coast of Norfolk, and sunk in deep water. Crew perished.' (1)(2)

The following appears to describe the same incident in more detail, the Holm Sand being off Corton:

'Extract of a letter from Lowestoffe, Oct. 15. Last Sunday in the afternoon, during a violent gale of wind at SW, a little brig, supposed to be North-Country built, and almost a new vessel, ran aground upon the south-west part of the Holme-Sand, off this place, and in a few minutes overset. The unhappy crew, to the number of 7 men, betook themselves to that part of the vessel which was highest above water, but the sea at that time ran so high, and the wind blew with such increasing violence, that no relief from the shore could possibly be afforded them. As it wanted ten hours to the time of high water when the vessel struck, the unfortunate men had, probably, that long period of time to struggle with inevitable death, in all its accumulated horrors!...suffice it to say, that the whole crew perished in the succeeding dreadful night, and the wreck was the next morning discerned floating upon the waves at some distance from the place where the vessel overset. Neither the ship's name nor the master's can at present be ascertained.' (3)

The following may be an alternative account of the same incident, in terms of date and general location of loss, as well as loss of all the crew:

'London, October 29...By a letter from Capt. Thomas Anderson, of the BENJAMIN, belonging to Newcastle, we are informed, that in his passage from thence to London he met with the most violent storms of wind he ever knew in his time. That on Sunday the 13th inst. he saw a vessel lost, and all hands perished, supposed to belong to Lynn...' (4)

However, given the weather conditions, this putative identification cannot be conclusive, and the "North-Country" appearance of the vessel in (3), and the fact that the vessel in (4) was thought to belong to King's Lynn, may indicate that these were two different vessels. A separate record has accordingly been constructed for the Lynn vessel, and they have been linked. This interpretation is quite likely, given the following account:

'London, October 17. A letter from Yarmouth, dated the 13th instant, says that great damage is done by the high winds to the shipping in Yarmouth Roads; that two or three ships have been totally lost...the letter also adds that large pieces of wrecks are thrown upon the shore every tide, and that a number of poor people are night and day watching for the goods that are brought on shore.' (5)

NB: This vessel appears in source (1) indexed under a reporting date of 18-OCT-1771, the issue date of source (2) in which the reference above-quoted appears.

Crew: 7 (3)
Crew Lost: all (1)(2)(3)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss