8:19am Tuesday 13th May 2008
By Brian Keitch
UNLIKE the appalling weather conditions which prevailed on the night of March 17, 1831, which caused the Frolic packet to break into pieces on the Nash Sands, the evening of October 23, 1817, was calm, with a light breeze and moonlight.
William and Mary was a regular Bristol to Waterford packet ship and this was a routine sailing.
The events of that night of horror are, perhaps, best recounted in the following report from the Cambrian newspaper of Swansea (in slightly 'dated' English!): "It is our painful duty this week to record the most melancholy case of shipwreck that has occurred on the Welsh coast within our recollection.
"About eight o'clock in the evening of yesterday s'enight, the sloop William and Mary, W.Manley, master, a regular packet between Bristol and Waterford, sailed from the former port, with a fair wind, good weather, and moon shining beautiful bright.
"She had on board between sixty and seventy passengers, exclusive of her crew, consisting of the Captain, mate and two men.
"Ere she had been four hours at seas, from some unhappy negligence, she struck on the Willies or Wolves rock, near the Flat Holmes.
"The utmost alarm was instantly manifested, but the Captain, after a slight examination, stating that no harm had been done, confidence was in some measure restored.
"Fifteen minutes, however, had scarcely elapsed, when the hold was declared to be rapidly filling with water; the passengers (many of whom had retired to rest) all rushed on deck, and in a moment, consternation and terror were visible on every countenance, all giving themselves up as lost.
"An active sea-faring young man (a passenger) now took the helm which had been deserted in the confusion which prevailed, and steered for Sully Island.
"Although in a sinking state, the vessel drifted in that direction, but when within three-quarters of a mile from the shore, she went down stern foremost!
"Here a scene of horror ensued of the most agonising description, nearly seventy souls (including four or five and twenty females and six or seven children) floating on the water, uttering the most piercing and heart rendering shriek for relief which could not be obtained, and sinking one after another into eternity.
"About twenty male passengers clung to the upper part of the mast and rigging, which remained above water, while the mate and two men, the Captain having sank amongst the earliest, secured the (ship's) boat - from which they excluded a lady who attempted to get in, and rowed towards the shore.
"On their way they picked up three passengers who were swimming, and having landed on Sully Island, proceeded to a point about two miles distant, where they procured a larger boat and after assistance, with which they went off to the wreck, and rescued twelve or fourteen who had strength to retain their hold of the rigging during the two hours and a half which had elapsed from the period of the crew first quitting the vessel.
"The remainder had dropped off and perished in the interval."
The first question to be addressed was, of course, how could such a dreadful disaster occur in near perfect sailing conditions?
Why did the ship have one small boat available with so many passengers aboard?
Why was the helm abandoned at such a critical moment when the ship was sinking?
Newspaper reports suggested that the ship's mate was flirting with a female passenger at the time....
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