Merseman
Joined: 07 Aug 2013 Posts: 339 Location: Duns, Berwickshire
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Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:34 pm Post subject: Midshipman Samuel RA Swinton (Napoeleonic Wars) - Edrom P Ch |
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Lost at the age of just 14 when the Honourable East India Company's ship Lady Burgess, having left Portsmouth on March 31st foundered between 2 of the Cape Verde Isles. His cousin, the commander, survived the sinking.
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http://www.sunkentreasurebooks.com/shipwrecks.htm
The Lady Burgess belonged to the English East India Company and set sail for India at beginning of April, 1806. She weighed 820 tons, carried 30 guns and a crew of 100 men. In the early hours of the 20th of April 1806 the Lady Burgess found itself in shallow water off the Cape Verde Islands and could not escape the breakers.
There is no indication in the Commerce Journal of the East India Company that the Lady Burgess was carrying bullion. Her cargo consisted of iron, lead and general merchandise.
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http://publications.aww.pt/capeverde/arqcvpub/wrecks_val002_wreckage_cv.aspx
In the early hours of the 20th of April, 1806 the Lady Burgess and the Lord Melville ships found themselves separated from their fleet and in great peril. Captain Swinton was able to turn his ship into deep waters; Lady Burgess however, could not escape the breakers.
During the hours of hardship, longboats were sent out and a large part of the crew could be saved.
An account of the loss can be read in Captain Swinton's logbook of the Lord Melville. The logbook reads:
"Sunday 20 April… At 2 a.m. saw breakers on the starboard beam, off one calbes length [608 feet], put the helm a starboard the ship struck 3 times abaft the main channel and got afterwards into deep water. Sounded 25 fathoms [210 feet]. One ship on the starboard quarter was standing in the middle of the breakers, at a quarter past 2 a.m. she fired guns in distress. Hove to the larboard tack, and … most of the fleet S by W one mile distant at daylight. Tacked and stood to the NNW saw a ship on the reef with his masts gone and the sea breaking over her, made the signal to the commander he heading west 1.5. miles, the most part of the fleet a long a long way to leeward. At 8 am hove to and Capt. Swinton and a part of the crew and passengers came on board. Found it to be the Lady Burgess. At 11 received the longboat full of men, sent two boats from the ship to assist in taking off the crew. At 10 a.m. [she] was in the middle of the breakers, at 11 the wreck disappeared."
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