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  #1  
Old 04-10-2013, 04:46 PM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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Default Shipwrecks

I was browsing the Lesbury parish registers (makes a change from Warkworth ) when I came across the burials of a number of mariners in 1799. The ship was the Thetis from Shields and the captain was Brown.
The Newcastle Courant of 13 April talks about a tremendous storm when about 200 ships from Shields and Sunderland were caught in "a dreadful tempest with the wind inshore" About 22 are listed as lost including the Thetis which lost all her crew.
The registers give the date of deaths of the mariners as April 5th and the burial of the captain (George Brown of Bedlington, aged 38) states that the ship was wrecked on "Whawbourn Sands"

Now where is that?
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  #2  
Old 04-10-2013, 07:22 PM
Grim_up_North Grim_up_North is offline
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Hi janwhin - the Whaw Burn discharges (probably not visibly) in the bay north of point where Foxton golf club is. It follows field boundaries south from RAF Boulmer SAR to Field House Farm then heads SE to the sea. The Lesbury to Boulmer road passes over it in a dip where there is a layby to the right-hand side (when heading to Boulmer).

Cheers
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  #3  
Old 04-10-2013, 07:57 PM
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hollydog hollydog is offline
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A quick google map lookup confirms it is also the site of many a lost golf ball just before it reaches the beach! I know it well. Amazing to think what happened on the beach there, good find Janwhin - another piece of significant history brought back to light.
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Old 04-10-2013, 08:49 PM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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Wonder how it got a name like "Whaw". Polite replies only
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:31 AM
brownknees brownknees is offline
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Default Shipwreck

I can remember as a child seeing a wreck at the north end of the beach at Alnmouth ,a sailing vessel I think.Can anyone remember this?This would be the late 1940,s.
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:19 PM
janwhin janwhin is offline
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I had a quick gander at some of the coastal parishes to see what else was wrecked in April 1799. Embleton buried five mariners from the wreck of the Charming Harriet near Craster and two from the wreck of the Auspicious near Newton.

Lesbury buried, over several months, nine, from the Thetis, and one from the Swan.

Warkworth buried an unknown, initials G F from an April 5 wreck.

Woodhorn buried seven, all of Cresswell, drowned on the 5th. The Newcastle Courant mentions the George and Mary of Sunderland wrecked on Cresswell Sands and all lost apart from the master.
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  #7  
Old 09-09-2018, 01:59 PM
CHobbs CHobbs is offline
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Default Shipwrecks on Marsden Rocks

Quote:
Originally Posted by brownknees View Post
I can remember as a child seeing a wreck at the north end of the beach at Alnmouth ,a sailing vessel I think.Can anyone remember this?This would be the late 1940,s.
I remember the wreck on Marsden Rocks between Alnmouth and Boulmer.

The bow section made of steel was visible at all states of tide in the 1950s onwards until its removal in late 20th century when I believe it was removed by a scrap metal merchant.
I have heard stories that the cargo was cement and the wreck happened in the 1930s with the crew being rescued by Boulmer Coast Guard using breaches boy.
Can anyone confirm, correct or add to the storey I was given.
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  #8  
Old 24-11-2018, 06:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CHobbs View Post
I remember the wreck on Marsden Rocks between Alnmouth and Boulmer.

The bow section made of steel was visible at all states of tide in the 1950s onwards until its removal in late 20th century when I believe it was removed by a scrap metal merchant.
I have heard stories that the cargo was cement and the wreck happened in the 1930s with the crew being rescued by Boulmer Coast Guard using breaches boy.
Can anyone confirm, correct or add to the storey I was given.
Looks like it was the SS Monaleen

this from the Berwickshire News and General Advertiser 28 August 1928:

BERWICK BOUND STEAMER ASHORE.

LIKELY TO BECOME A TOTAL WRECK.

After a trying ordeal Captain Pirrie, master of the Middlesborough steamer Monaleen, and the nine men forming his crew were safely brought ashore at Amble on Tuesday morning following the stranding of their vessel on the Marden rocks near Boulmer.

Bound with a cargo of salt and cement from Hamburg to Newcastle and Berwick, the Monaleen ran onto these dangerous rocks at about 1.30 the morning.

She was badly holed and immediately began to fill with water. The engine room soon became flooded and all on board were in peril of their lives. Flares were shown and, in order to attract notice on shore some of the crew burned their bedding as distress signals.

Not until the decks were awash, however, did Captain Perrie give orders to lower the two boats, and when the two parties left her the ship appeared to be imminent danger of foundering.
It was then only about an hour after the vessel struck, and in the black darkness of the night, the small craft were taken seaward, where the cruised about waiting for break of day.
About 4.30 their plight was observed by those on board the Amble tug Ayr, some distance from the mouth of the Coquet. No time was lost and picking up the shipwrecked seamen and taking them to Amble, where, housed at the Harbour, they were made as comfortable as possible.
Meanwhile the Holy Island lifeboat and the Alnmouth lifeboat containing the Boulmer lifeboat crew had drawn alongside the stranded ship, but by that time she had been abandoned. After putting in at the Tyne, the “Monaleen” was proceeded to Berwick. A Middlesbrough ship owned by R.Chester and Co., it was built in 1923 and is registered 450 tons.

The Coxswain’s Story.
Mr Robert Stephenson, coxswain of the Boulmer lifeboat who also acted as coxswain in the Alnmouth boat, give a “News” representative a graphic version of the part played by the lifeboats at the wreck. ‘The maroon was fired at Boulmer just before 2 o’clock,’ he said, ‘and we all quickly tumbled out. It was very dark and it was raining. Mr Hugh Stephenson our secretary who lives at Alnmouth, had his car ready for us, and took us to Alnmouth. Floodtide had been running about an hour when we launched. The launch was made at 3:20 a.m. was satisfactory. As a lifeboat was launched we noticed a bright light out to sea selling off in that direction we showed him our white lights but got no answer. We weren’t sure whether it was the boat we were after or not, but drawing nearer we give hail and there was no reply. A good bit swell was running but we managed to get alongside; there was no one on board. Our craft was only a rowing boat — we had no sails, but we pulled about knowing that the crew must be somewhere near.
As it was breaking daylight the Amble tug boat came on the scene. I hailed the tug and asked the crew if they had seen anything of the men we were searching for — the answer was ‘no’. I then told them that I thought they’d gone south and I asked them to keep a sharp lookout. We were still looking for the crew when the Holy Island lifeboat came up to us. I let them know what had happened and instructed them to look around near the Coquet. Afterwards we learned the crew had been picked up by the tug somewhere near Amble. Stephenson gave a grim smile as he added — ‘it was lucky for the crew that the ship struck where she did. Had it been any of the surrounding rocks it would have been a bad job.

The Crew Interviewed.
The crew were lounging in the bar of the ‘Harbour Inn’ Amble, where they had been conveyed on being brought ashore, when discovered by our reporter. They were wonderfully cheery despite the ordeal through which they had just passed and while some smoked or chatted others were enjoying a quiet snooze. One survivor was missing however, he was ‘Mickey’the cat and his feline soul craving for further adventure he had gone in search of pastures new for despite a chorus of ‘Mickers!’ no’ Mick.’ All spoke of the terrific shock when the vessel struck the rock and the thrills experienced in getting away in the two boats. One man who was below at the time the ‘Monaleen’ struck said that when he came up the water had completely flooded the engine room. The crew spoke in grateful terms of the kindness meted out to them by Pearson the licensee of the Inn.
Both Boulmer and Alnmouth seethed with excitement on Tuesday morning, and for holiday makers especially the thrills experienced overnight were doubly interesting. The ship was an object of much curiosity throughout the day. With her bows pointing due north she is wedged hopelessly on the rock and is expected to become a total wreck.
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File Type: jpg ss-monaleen-on-the-marden-rocks-boulmer.jpg (112.6 KB, 20 views)
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  #9  
Old 24-11-2018, 06:04 PM
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Mickey the cat remained in Amble. Some of the local moggies are said to claim ancestry to Mickey.
Quote:
The bow section made of steel was visible at all states of tide in the 1950s onwards until its removal in late 20th century when I believe it was removed by a scrap metal merchant.
So nothing remains today of this one? Anyone had a look?
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  #10  
Old 24-11-2018, 06:27 PM
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Market Harborough Advertiser and Midland Mail 27 November 1942:

"The wreck of the steamer Monaleen which has been on the Marden Rocks Northumberland since 1928, was blown up for scrap"
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  #11  
Old 24-11-2018, 07:21 PM
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Default Wreck of the Monaleen

Anyone remember where it was? where do I look? some numbers on a pic of Marden rocks:

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Old 24-11-2018, 09:25 PM
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I have asked the question with some Alnmouth friends via Zuckerberg. I will report back if anything of note
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Old 03-12-2018, 06:13 PM
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Around the area of numbers 4 and 5 I am told by someone who remembers the wreck
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  #14  
Old 04-12-2018, 10:16 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hollydog View Post
Around the area of numbers 4 and 5 I am told by someone who remembers the wreck
Wonderful. I think we've missed the latest spring tides but I've have a look soon. I wonder if there is a ship's hold shaped block of cement on the site?
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boulmer lifeboat, captain pirrie, harbour inn amble, marden rocks alnmouth, mickey the ship's cat, wreck of the monaleen

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