Granny Rebekha's Shipwreck.

Granny Rebekha's Shipwreck.

1791

A wooden sailing ship called The Increase was run aground off Druidstone Head. She was carrying a cargo of rum and gunpowder. Rebecca would have been 22 at the time. I haven't found any evidence to place Rebekha anywhere near this event. At this time, she would have been an unmarried mother aged twenty two. Baby Ann would have been just six months old. I can't know for sure what she was doing at the time but personally I hope that she was at home minding the baby. However, it is impossible to believe that she was unaware of this event.

I've been given an eye witness report of the incident thanks to the National Museum of Wales. It is a single sheet report, handwritten, giving a detailed account of the event.

The Testament of Francis Warlow.

Here is a transcription. A few of the words are illegible. It tells the story of the wreck of the sailing ship The Increase on January the fourth 1791 and of the wreck of another ship, the Linen Hall, wrecked at almost exactly the same place nineteen years later. Incredibly hard to read but we should all remember, this was written with a quil pen and a bottle of ink.

The Testament of Frances Warlow

January 4th 1791

This evening at ten or eleven o’clock the ship Increase of Scarborough in the ordnance service having  sailed last August with gunpowder to the West Indies. On her return with condemned gunpowder and other stores last from Saint Christopher’s was stranded on Druidston. All the crew, consisting of Francis Pawson, master, Joseph Anthony  of ……………..a woman…………. together with eight men and boys  being in all eleven, continued on board ‘till the tide left the ship and then took refuge at Druidston.

The people on the shore ……….. the crew to save their lives and their property; but one trunk was carried off and broken for which , Thomas Philphane and Richard Lewis of Little Haven. (name) and William  (name) of Simbre, yeoman were tried at Haverford in the March following and acquitted.

No measures being there that night, nor next morning nor anybody sent to by the master to ……….in protecting the ship from being plundered and the ship deserted.. The next day being Old Christmas Day which ever since the alteration of the time in 1742 is observed by the common people as a Holy Day, a large body of people collected, some for plundered others to look on and took …..of the ship, as soon as the tide permitted, about nine or ten o’clock of which time, Moses Grant, the rector of the parish watched, chilly and having asked the sail master storekeeper what they wished to save firstly. Carts were sent for and orders given to take the gunpowder over the side next to the sea which was done but the people on board being intoxicated on rum were in general very disorderly and threw several barrels of gunpowder over the side next to the cliff, dashing them on the stones in order to get the copper hoop. John Watts of Little Haven, miller, threw an iron crow and gun barrel  on the stones on that side about twelve o’clock of noon of the fifth which fired the gunpowder scattered among the pebbles on which the crowd was thick as they could stand and there being about sixty or more were burned by three explosions were heard within three or four seconds of time - The Gunpowder after the casks were beaten off remaining in large lumps.

One woman, Elizabeth Lewis of Haroldstonwest was killed on the spot. Two others were of Folkenny being arm in arm with the other died in three days. Harry and ……. men of Sinibra died the next day. Thomas Miller, lad of Nolton died in a week . Elizabeth Williams girl of the wood also died. Joseph Jones of Nolton languished in great misery for several weeks and Page, Lad of Walter also died being in all eight who lost their lives by this calamity women suffering more than the men on account of their flowing dresses; and the burning cloth did more harm in general than the gunpowder. The faces of almost all were scorched and continue to subject on the ……. of many that recovered dreadful marks of their temerity and will continue when they approach the grave. One Lad, J Miller recovered the burned……..had his skull fractured in two places.

This calamity is plainly intended as a warning to desist from wreck plundering for none were hurt on the side next to the sea where the persons stood who were endeavouring to save. This side only, where the fine were, the plunderers stood. May this be a warning on future occurring for it find but little effect in the spirit; For then, the cliff resounded with the groans of the miserable suffering - with the lamentations and eager enquiries of fathers by their children every one being reluctantly anxious for the safety of fathers, for their wives, of brothers, for sisters, of children of their parish, everyone being mutually anxious for the safety of their nearest relatives, and thereby ………… ……. from plunder took place. Get the goods……………burning and continued until the evening when by request of Captain Pawson a few military men arrived and apprehended several about twelve o’clock that night two of whom were also tried at Hereford and acquitted.

The rigging, mast and hull were preserved.

This memorandum is recorded by a spectator of the calamity and to perpetuate the memory of such a singular disaster which sends out a providential judgement. May all of this in the future be warned from such depredations.

August 24th 1791

Another ship called the Linen Hall from Dublin, bound for the West Indies in ballast was stranded on the night of 25th of December 1810 in the same place as the above, that is she was driven against the Northern side of a little creek called Hespifo (?) under Druidston Cliff. Totally wrecked. No lives lost. Little plundered. She was tore up and her timber and rigging sold to the country people.

                                                                          Francis Warlow.

I know very little about the life of Rebekha Esmond. I do know that three major events in her life happened on Christmas Day.

• Th wreck of the sailing ship The Increase. (On Old Christmas Day) (1791)
• The burial of her infant son Thomas. (1805)
• The wreck of the sailing ship The Linen Hall. (1810)

Note. Reading that document wasn't easy. It took about a week. Eventually I resorted to projecting the image onto a wall. With Lynda, my wife's help we managed to read most of it with just a few words defeating us. 

One line in particular made me feel as if somebody was walking over my grave.

• This memorandum is recorded by a spectator of the calamity and to perpetuate the memory of such a singular disaster which sends out a providential judgement. May all of this in the future be warned from such depredations.

Towards the end of reading through the document I was starting to feel that the last line would read something link:- "And the treasure will be found beneath the third pine tree to the left of the big rock." but sadly it didn't, so the quest for the family silver goes on.

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