About half-past three o'clock those on duty at the Tynemouth Life Brigade Station observed the lights of vessel bearing down-for the harbour from the south-eastward. She succeeded in weathering the end of the South Pier, but when a little past the end of the Inner Point, her lights Were suddenly lost. On bringing the night glasses to bear upon her, it was discovered that she had got on to the Herd Sand, striking forward, and swinging round with her head to the southward, which was the cause of her lights being lost sight of. The Pomfret and Goole was at once manned, and put off to the assistance of the vessel, and after some difficult rowing through the broken water, she was laid alongside. Here however, a difficulty suddenly presented itself. Although the waves were breaking over the vessel in terrific manner, and the crew stated that the water was up to the cabin deck in their vessel, the captain refused to leave her. The Northumberland and the Providence, of South Shields, now came up, and added their entreaties to those of the boatswain of the Pomfret and Goole lifeboat, and at one time the captain seemed as if about to comply with the requests of those around him, as he put his leg over the rail, and seemed about to get into the lifeboat. In an instant, however, he returned to his former decision, from which no entreaties seeded to move him, and after twenty minutes thus spent in useless expostulation during which the lifeboat was running great risk of being damaged by the way in which she was incessantly forced up against the vessel's side, the crew at last decided to abandon the latter and leave the captain on board, and were then rowed ashore at the sand end in the lifeboat. On arriving there, they were taken into the public house of Mrs M'Culloch, from whence, after a short stay, they were .conveyed to Mrs Armstrong's Temperance Hotel, at Tynemouth. The vessel was now found to be the brig Emanuel Boutcher, Captain Walker, of Whitby, which sailed from the Tyne on Friday morning for London, but with meeting with bad weather, she had been forced to run back to the Tyne for shelter. As daylight dawned, the fury of the gale seemed spent, and the sea rapidly went down. The brig was seen to be the same position in which she was when the lifeboats were off, and during the forenoon, at their own request, the crew were put on board again to their captain, who had spent the whole of the time since the vessel struck in any thing but a pleasant position, as may be imagined. As the tide rose, the services of three steamtugs were called into requisition, and at half-past three the vessel gradually left her position, and was towed up the harbour. Captain Walker is said to be part owner of the Emanuel Boutcher, and before starting on her last voyage she was taken out of the insurance clubs. Her loss, therefore, would have been a severe one to her owners. She appeared to be full of water when taken from her position on the Herd Sand. During the morning, the Pomfret and Goole lifeboat was landed on the Union Quay, at North Shields, and taken by road to their station at Tynemouth. The captains of the Tynemouth life brigade, who were on duty on Saturday night, were Messrs John Morrison; J. F. Spence; Joseph Spence, and Robert Reed. The crew of the Pomfret and Goole lifeboat consisted of 13 men, and were as follows :—William Moffitt; Thomas Davison; James Blackburn; John Thorpe; .John Rookes; John Laffey; Robert Arkley; James Mills; John Chisholm; John Lisle; George Richardson and Henry Pearson, and James Gilbert (coxswain.).
Source: Shields Daily Gazette 7 January1867
On the same day [ January 6th 1867] at 3 a.m. the Emmanuel Boucher of Whitby drove on shore at the Herd end (coal laden casting back) the “Tyne” “Providence” & “Northumberland” all proceeded down but the National boat was there before them & took her crew out this vessel afterwards got off
Tyne’s crew (17 men)
|
Andrew Harrison |
John Houlsby |
Geo Smith |
Edward Dixon |
Wm Wright |
Robert Young |
Geo Young |
John Hutchinson |
John Blair |
Robert Bone |
Thomas Young |
Mathew Young |
Michael Ammis |
Ralph Shea |
Robert Chambers |
Lancelot Burn |
James Burn |
|
Providence crew 18 men
|
Jacob Bone |
John Purvis |
Thomas Brown |
Cuthbert Peel |
John Ridley |
John Shutton |
Geo Chambers |
David Young |
Robert Shutton |
George Brown |
David Young |
Mathew Heslop |
Robert Chambers |
Wm. Tinmouth |
Thos. Stephenson |
Wm. Peel |
Wm. Purvis |
Wm .Young |
Source: Tynemouth Lifeboat Institute Service Record