The Barque John
After the wreck of the "Dispatch" and
"Primrose" the parish registers are
comparatively silent for forty six years and only
scattered entries of the burials of drowned individuals
intermingle with those of the local inhabitants.
Commander Lory however affirmed in 1855 that he
believed that 25-30 vessels had been wrecked during the
interim on the same rocks, that seven to eight hundred
lives had 'been lost and that the destruction to
property had amounted to between three and four
thousand pounds.
But of these there are no entries, until the wreck of
The John" appears in all its singular mysterious
horror.
No gale ravaged the coast when Edwin Rawle (Captain)
and his crew of eighteen steered the barque from
Plymouth to the Lizard, on its outward bound journey to
Quebec. The weather was fine, a NNW wind filled her
sails - the moon was one day past her full - the month
of May had begun the emigrants were hopeful -
everything indicated a pleasant voyage. When without
any warning the "John" struck on one of the
eastern rocks of the Manacles.
The "John" however beat over this obstacle
and did not become stationary until she received an
impact from another rock nearer the shore. Then her
fate was sealed, and slowly she began to fill with
water. Her upper deck was never-the-less dry half an
hour later and her passengers and crew might have been
saved had proper means been taken for their
preservation.
But all that the Captain did in this terrible crisis
was to assure his charge that there was no danger, and
to forbid the lowering of the large boats. Help, he
said, would come from the shore before the tide
commenced to flow. His knowledge of the tides was
inaccurate, and through his ignorance one hundred and
ninety six beings were hurled into eternity.
The "John" was lost through stupidity,
ignorance, carelessness and muzzy bewilderment, and the
fearful loss of life accompanying it may principally be
attributed to the same cause. That this incapacity did
not hinder the Captain and crew from taking care of
themselves was demonstrated by the fact that when the
boats arrived from the shore they were ready to step
into them with their bags, and that every seaman was
saved, while women and children and the other men cried
in vain for help.
The shore, says an old inhabitant of Porthoustock, was
a sight never to be forgotten. One hundred children had
sailed in the "John" and side by side in a
long row numbers of these little ones were laid
awaiting identification. Parents too were there,
sisters, brothers, struggling hard-working men and
women (as a list of their occupations showed them to
be). Such men were fitted to build up our colonies, and
Canada had need of them, but the negligence of one man
intervened, the unreclaimed land remained untilled and
the would be labourers were borne to St.Keverne
churchyard.
A verdict of manslaughter was passed on Captain Rawle
at the Inquest and he was removed to Bodmin to undergo
another examination at the Cornwall Assizes.
The story of the "John" however is not
entirely devoid of heroism, and self sacrifice. After
midnight the wind sprang up and the tide began to flow,
never-the-less the men of Coverack collected by the old
Inn in order to put out the boats if possible. It was
not considered possible so they despatched a messenger
to Porthoustock to see what could be done by the
fishermen there and went themselves to that cove to
help in the work of rescue. What followed is best
described in evidence given by Thomas Clear,
Coastguardman of Coverack at the Inquest.
"We proceeded to Porthoustock, which was a weather
port, to see if we could reach the wreck from thence.
We divided ourselves into three parties. On reaching
Porthoustock we found the Coastguard there knew nothing
of the wreck. This was between 12 and half past. We got
a boat from one of the cellars, and launched two other
boats, but the boat I was in was over manned, and the
sea was so rough we were obliged to put back. We tried
a second time with fewer men, but with no better
result. After about an hour we tried again. The crew
consisted of Townsend Mark Daniel, Baker and John
George -coastguardmen, and John Matthews a fisherman of
Porthoustock and myself. We made three trips at great
risk and saved about 35 from the wreck."
James Hill, another witness, tells a story of
indomitable perseverance and unostentatious bravery. He
says
"I went to Porthoustock half dressed, and got two
boats out. Finding we could not clear the point we
returned, and all got out except two men and myself. We
started again on our way we met the other boat return
ing and were told it was impossible to reach the wreck.
An hour after we launched the boats again and succeeded
in reaching the wreck. We took one man from a boat
which was floating and we also took one woman and 9 men
from a raft and landed them at Tom's Cove from
whence they were handed up the over the cliff by some
of the neighbours and coast- guards. We made three
other trips to the wreck and saved about 50 lives in
all. our crew consisted of myself, my son James,
William Matthews, Thomas Pearce, Henry Tripconey and
James Connor, a coast guard. There was a heavy sea
running and the crews of each boat went out at great
risk of themselves."
With such records it is little wonder that the conduct
of these gallant rescuers was highly commended at the
Inquest. A piece of slate inscribed with the following
marks the burial place of the victims in St.Keverne
churchyard, erected by one of the survivors.
"Sacred to the memory of 120 persons here interred
who were drowned in the wreck of the "John"
May 3 1855.
The next wreck of importance was in 1869 when the
"Aurora" steamed on the Manacles and became a
total wreck, on the spot where the "Mohegan"
now lies. A year previous to this catastrophe the Life
Boat Institution had placed the "Mary Ann
Storey" in Porthoustock Cove.
