Maritime record LWT 841 - Wreck of the Westmoreland

1821 wreck of English brig which was beached at Common Style, after a grounding en route from Stockton-on-Tees to London with goods; a wooden sailing vessel.
Status: Casualty

`Attempted to pass through the Stanford Channel at nearly low water. In coming to leeward she struck the Stanford Sand and unhung the rudder. Becoming unmanageable, she went onto the Newcombe Sand and promptly hoisted a distress signal in the main rigging. Two gigs put off to her assistance, followed by two yawls, and later the lifeboat. The gigs when they got to the vessel found the surf too much for them, so laid off until the yawls came up, one of which, the SEAMAN'S ASSISTANCE, got alongside and two of her crew boarded. A little later the lifeboat came up, and although the yawl told them their assistance was not needed, she made fast alongside the wreck, only to have her ropes cut by someone on board the brig. With their combined help the brig was refloated, but making water fast, was beached on the flats opposite the Common Style, now Claremont Road. Some of the crew left, but the captain and five refused, four of them drowning.' (2)

`Yarmouth, Dec. 8th. The WESTMORELAND from Stockton, came on Pakefield Beach last night, and is a total wreck. Master, mate, and two men drowned. Two men, one boy, and a woman saved by the boats from the shore. Part of the cargo has been washed up on the beach.' (3)

Brig WESTMORLAND in distress of Lowestoft in hands of salvagers, who cut adrift Lowestoft lifeboat. (4)

`The WESTMORLAND, Ryder, of and from Stockton, bound to London, with a valuable cargo of merchants' goods, went on shore on Pekefield Beach, near Lowestoff, on Friday night last. The master, mate, and two men were drowned; two men, one boy and a woman passenger saved by boats from the shore. A great part of the cargo is expected to be saved. Three of the unfortunate sufferers have left large families to lament their loss.' (5)

Source (6) is identical to the above, but spells the name of the vessel as WESTMORELAND.

`At the Admiralty Sessions on Tuesday, John Stebbing, Wm. Butcher the Younger, Thomas Ellis, and William Butcher, were charged with a conspiracy to commit piracy on the high seas. The circumstances were briefly these: - The brig WESTMORELAND, Ryder, from Stockton to London, with a valuable cargo, experienced great distress on the 7th of December, near Lowestoff. The prisoners, with several others, in a craft called the MERCHANTS ASSISTANCE, put off, and arrived a short time before a life-boat. The life-boat, however, came up, and was lashed to the side of the brig; the prisoners, Stebbing and Wm. Butcher, having previously got on board, with a view that his party should be the sole salvors, cut the line by which the boat was fastened to the brig; the boat drifted some distance, and was rendered incapable of assisting the distressed vessel, which afterwards went to pieces, drowning Capt. Ryder and four men; the cargo, which was worth £6,000, was also lost. Evidence proved the facts very clearly, but on the other hand, it was attempted to shew that the prisoners acted under a belief that those who came first to the relief of a ship had a right to do as they had done. This was entirely negatived by the court...' (7)

Built: 1809 (2)
Where Built: Stockton-on-Tees (2)
Master: Thomas Rider (2); Ryder (5)(6)(7)
Crew: 7 (2)
Crew Lost: 4 (2)(5)(6); 5 (7)
Passengers: 1 (2)(5)(6)
Owner: Metcalf (2)
Construction: SDB (2)
Lloyd's Classification: E1, London - coasting (2)

Date of Loss Qualifier: A

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
SLL.p13-14; LR 1821 No.129(W)

Additional sources cited in The Salvagers:
Colchester Gazette 26.01.1822; Malster, Saved from the Sea