The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate, by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B, April 3 will be C, and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been published. Blog posts are usually on a theme, or you can choose to post each day with no theme at all. My theme for 2024 is “Haverfordwest in the News”. Haverfordwest is a town in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.
The following article reporting the lost of Haverfordwest steamer The Frolic, appeared in Australian newspapers.
from: The Sydney Gazette and NSW Advertiser (NSW: 1803-1842), Thursday, 04 August, Page 4
LOSS OF THE FROLIC STEAMER.
(From the Bristol Gazette.)
We have the melancholy task this week of recording the loss of the above packet, on her passage from Haverfordwest to this port, on Wednesday night, when every soul on board
perished. The scene of this most distressing event was the Nash Sands, on the Glamorganshire coast, a short distance from Cowbridge. She was of large size, of 80 horse power, commanded by Captain Jenkins, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and had a full and competent crew; so that the accident must be ascribed to the dark and tempestuous weather, which blew at the time.
Passengers from Milford, Tenby, and the surrounding country, usually came by the Frolic, and we are sorry to say she had a greater number of passengers by this trip than usual. It is impossible to state, accurately, how many were onboard, and there are very contradictory reports in circulation.
We have subjoined a letter from a respectable individual residing at Haverfordwest, who rates the number as high as 80, including the crew; but we are glad to say that the Steam Packet Company, who ought to possess the best information, think that number to be much over-rated.
Amongst those who have been ascertained to have perished, are Gen. McCleod and suite, Col. Gordon (formerly of the Queen’s Bays) and servant, Major and Mrs. Boyd and servants, Miss Richardson (Mrs. Boyd’s niece), and Mr. Anderson, of the dock-yard, with his only son and eldest daughter.
The body of the captain was picked up on Friday, and brought to this port on Sunday, 16 other bodies, including that of a woman with a child in her arms, and Miss Anderson, have been already washed ashore.
The captain was found lashed to the rigging, and his watch had stopped at a few minutes before four, about which time it is supposed the accident happened. From the circumstance of the captain being lashed to the rigging, it has been thought that he must have existed some time after the vessel struck . but nautical men are of opinion that she must have gone over almost immediately after taking the sands.
A very great sensation was felt in this city on the first announcement of the event, and numerous and anxious inquiries have been daily made on the arrival of the Welsh mail, for the names of the unfortunate individuals who have perished, but from the circumstance of many persons going on board from various places, who do not give their names, it is impossible to state either names or numbers accurately, as not one individual survives to tell the melancholy tale of the disaster.
**Please note: Punctuation and paragraphs have been added to the above transcription for ease and speed of reading.
1831 ‘LOSS OF THE FROLIC STEAMER.’, The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 – 1842), 4 August, p. 4. , viewed 12 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2201858
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Thanks for letting me know. I’ve been having an issue but thought it was sorted. Those pink pills sound like they’d fix anything
I can’t find the link to comments on your G post so am acknowledging it her. Perhaps a few little pink pills would help me find it.
So much sadness in the old newspapers Liz.
There seems to have been so much sadness in the newspaper at the time.
What a heartbreaking story — and doubly sad for the families of those who were not named in the coverage.
What a very sad tale.
It’s very sad Jill that they weren’t considered worthy of names. Most of my ancestors would have been in that position which is why it’s so difficult to find information about that before 1800s.
After yesterday’s frivolity it’s a sad and serious post. Sad to see the the servants aren’t named – it’s as if their lives were of lesser value than military or gentry.