Shipwrecks
 

These old newspapers didn't hold back: Newcastle Courant 15 March 1755,

"The Caroline, Parker, from London for this port (Newcastle), with merchant goods, value upwards of £3000 rode at anchor off Amble Pans till within two hours of the storm's abating, at seven o'clock on Sunday morning, when her cable parted, and then drove over the rocks: By the great assiduity of Mr John and Mr Edward Cook, of Togston, and Mr Taylor, of Amble, most of the goods were saved without damage. Actions like these are worthy every gentleman, as they derive true honour from themselves, and we hope to see the late Act put in rigorous execution, for securing the distressed from the rapacious maw of these devouring cannibals, who came down in flocks in the hope of plunder." (That'll be you and me folks :D)
The same article deals with a brig carrying allum from Whitby to London, ashore near Warkworth and a Pink, carrying coal from Sunderland to London, breaking up near Amble, all perished.

Can't see why these boats were around Amble, unless a storm had forced them north?

And here are some of those cannibals being given appropriate sentences :)

Newcastle Courant 26 July 1755:
"At the last General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for Northumberland, at Hexham, Robert Matthews, of Amble, fisherman, was tried and convicted of stealing and taking away goods stranded and cast on shore on the Northumberland Coast, contrary to the Act of Parliament lately made, and was sentenced to be committed to the House of Correction, and kept at hard labour for three months, and to be publicly whipped three times thro Morpeth Town on Wednesday, the Market day, each whipping to be at the end of each month. John Falcus and George Thompson were charged with the like offence, but having made satisfaction to Mr John Jobson, master and mariner, for the goods by them so unlawfully taken, the said Mr Jobson did not proceed any further in the prosecution against them."

Yet more wrecks:
Newcastle Courant 25 March 1786:

"A small brig called the Betsey and Nelly, said to belong to Mr Smith of Sunderland, is on shore at Amble Sands, but expected to be got off the next Spring Tides. People all saved;
The Betsey of Sunderland, said to belong to Mr Hay, of that place, is on shore to the north of Warkworth, and expected to be got off again:
Another small vessel, supposed to belong to Mr Dodd of Sunderland, drove to pieces, near the Betsey, and all perished."

Is there anything just a little further back from that 1st one - that is early December 1754, that might match with the Warkworth register burials of 9/12/1754?

Thomas Ball, Serjeant, Thomas Watt, barber and Elizabeth Clark from a shipwreck at Bondicar. Of Dundee.


spelling of Bondicar might be a problem in a search, Bondi-carr, Bondicarr Bondi-car?

That quite a description of us gentle Amble folk.... Hey.. maybe it was that lot from Warkworth ? :D

Janwhin, just noticed your post in the other thread regarding 'Find my past' getting access to the newspaper archive- whoopee doo that means me!

Derby Mercury 31/1/1755-27/2/1755
Country News
Newcastle Jan. 25
Fifteen men are committed to Morpeth Jail, to take their trials at the next Assizes, for plundering, and stealing diverse goods wreck'd and cast ashore from the ship owner's Goodwill, John Jobson master, on Bondicar rocks, on the 9th December Last

This looks like the same event as your second post.

Certainly looks like the same event. I see it didn't take you long to get stuck into FindmyPast newspapers :D

Strange that Messrs Matthews, Falcus and Thompson didn't appear at the Spring Assizes, the Hexham court seems to relate to the June quarter sessions. Its good that everything seems to link: The Goodwill with John Jobson master, wrecked at Bondicar and some drowned and buried in Warkworth.

The papers don't seem to mention the shipwreck itself as a separate event. I would like a date for the wreck, it could be earlier than the 9th. I note that at this time burials were quick, the Warkworth registers for the early 19th century show date of death and date of burial, burial being 1, 2, or 3 days after death normally. I assume it would be the same in the mid 18th C.

I might just have found it, now all we need to do is work out the date :) I tried searches in Dec using storm and Goodwill, nothing, used "Dundee", since one of burials mentioned it.
Caledonian Mercury Thursday 19 Dec 1754 but reporting news from Edinburgh of 17 Dec.
"We have advice, that the ship of Captain Jobson of Dundee, from London, was lost on Monday se'en-night upon the Carr Rocks near Cokket Island; the whole cargo, 28 passengers and the cabbin boy all perished. Among the passengers were a Serjeant and 20 Private men belonging to the Regiment now lying at Perth, but six of whom were happily saved, by means of the wreck."
I think that makes it Monday 9th Dec...so buried immediately.

These newspapers just keep on giving!
Newcastle Courant Saturday 14 December:
"Last Monday evening , a Brig loaden with merchant goods fro Dundee from London, struck on Bondacar Rocks, near Coquet Island, and beat her bottom entirely out. The Captain and crew were saved, except a boy, and 29 passengers perished."

Wow. this is quite a major event. I'll add it to the shipping losses page.

Apparently storms and rocks were not all that boats had to contend with.
Newcastle Courant 20 April 1799:
"The mate of the John and Elizabeth, of Chichester, which arrived at Hull on Sunday last, from Aberdeen, reports, that on Thursday Se'en-night, early in the morning, he descried a brig privateer off Coquet Island, then in chase of the Experiment, Greenlandman, Capt Bell of Lynn. -At ten, both vessels came up to the John and Elizabeth; and the Experiment commenced firing at the privateer; who then wove round and stood to the SE. The privateer was a brig cutter, apparently of 16 or 18 guns, yellow sides and very white sail."

Wasn't there an American privateer operating up the coast round about that time, I seem to recall he started firing on Alnmouth?

Looks to be too late for John Paul Jones. Must be some other Pirate!
I would go for a French Privateer. They were up to no good at this time.

Privateer.
 

John Paul Jones reputedly fired on Alnmouth and overshot, there was supposed to be a cannonball found in the loft of a barn at Wooden Farm which could possibly have been in the line of fire.

Would've been interesting standing on Church Hill watching that event.

The sea has uncovered the engine room of a ship in the low water area about 1/4 mile north of Birling Carrs caravan site (not to be confused with the engine room left in situ of the Hanseat by Warkworth golf course) Does anyone know anything about it?, I looked up 3 suspects - Spey, Lafonia and Moto but they have coordinates too far out in Alnmouth bay. My father thinks it is the stern of the bow section that stood on Alnmouth rocks for years but can't remember the name. Judging by the size , smaller than the Hanseat, it was possibly a fishing boat?

Do we know anything about when it was likely wrecked?

1 November 1900, Alnmouth lifeboat rescued 8 crew from steam trawler, Lily Dale, of North Shields which ran on rocks in fog.

March 1902, salvage attempts to refloat North Shields trawler, Premier, proving difficult after heavy seas pushing her further on to beach near Alnmouth. Ran ashore on 25 February at Birling Carr.