Hangings and Shipwrecks - Life onshore and off shore in scarborough

George Tinker described harbour events at Scarborough. There was the singular instance of no ship in the harbour except new ships on the 28th June 1814. Shipbuilder Joseph Heward was buried that year. A heavy gale on Friday December 15th took a vessel onto Ramsdale rocks. Tinker recorded the sailings of the "Charlotte" in the Riga trade in 1815. There were foot prints on the sands and fireworks on the cliff on the fourth of September .

Crathorne's new ship was launched from George Smith's yard in October and on 16th November the "Sportsman" left the Tindall stocks. The pier man was hanged in "the xxxxhouse on new pier" in 1816. That Winter,Tinker saw ice candles on ships bottoms, and in February, painter's brushes frozen in the paint. During 1817, Donkin of Hunmanby shipped twelve horses out in the "Robin Redbreast". A ship foundered in April on the castle rocks. Bart Fowler's ship "Atlas" was launched at Tindalls in 1818 and a 74 gun ship was seen passing by on its way to the Portsmouth naval review.

Maritime life was always hazardous. James and Anthony Pearson in late November 1803 had been cast off from the ship "Satisfaction" ashore on Lesoisland in the Kattegat. The master Anthony died overnight, in snow. James made shore at Jutland ,but lost feet and fingers. He was later governor of Scarborough spa. Lightning struck a ship on the Scarborough stocks in July 1805 shattering the sides and killing two men and a boy at work. In the same year another man William Church was killed by lightning working in Tindalls shipyard . Buckley remembered the life of James Wrigley, apprenticed for seven years in 1794, and serving his time in several vessels.

Out of his time, he was taken by the Press Gang and only released in 1814. He broke three ribs in 1832, damaged his foot, ribs and skull in succeeding years, and dislocated his shoulder in a later decade. Starting at the age of eleven, he finally sought poor relief at the age of 65. A man was whipped at cart tail from the west pier to Bland'scliff for stealing in 1820. The Harbour Commissioners paid a doctor's bill for James Healey maimed while working on Vincent's pier. Mosey & co's brig"Charles" was fired in the harbour on 5.1.1825, due to a boy going in the cabin with a candle. During 1853, Scarborough vessels saw seven die from exposure , 38 drowned , 17 die from injuries, two deaths from cholera and 21 other deaths on sea service.

Research compiled by John Rushton 2012

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