Four drown near Findon (1843) |
In these early tragedies along the coast and out at sea, where loss of life is reported, details are sketchy and often incomplete. Nowadays if four people were to lose their lives in a boating accident it would be headline news on the main bulletins; that wasn’t the case in the mid 18th century where such incidents only warranted one or two paragraphs tucked away in a corner of the local newspaper.
Despite the lack of information available in these news articles, they sometimes, occasionally, manage to make more impact than if they were embellished with too many details. Once again I’ll quote directly from the Aberdeen Journal of that time to describe what happened off Partan Ha’ near Findon on 3rd February 1843:-
“While the vessel Mary & Isabella, of Wick, was
proceeding on her voyage from Wick to Leith, she was overtaken by that
tremendous gale on the night of Friday last, when opposite to the
village of Findon, where she became quite unmanageable, was dashed on
the rocks, and became a total wreck. She had on board besides the
captain and a crew of four men, a man and two females, as passengers
from Wick. We regret to have to record that, besides the loss of the
vessel, the captain and the three passengers were all drowned. The four
crew men made a providential escape with their lives, and, having got to
shore in a state of exhaustion, and destitute of every article of
clothing, had every attention paid to their wants by the fishers of
Findon, who also supplied them with such articles as clothing as they
could spare. The poor men were able to reach Aberdeen next day, when
they applied to the Honorary Agent for “The Shipwrecked Fisherman and
Mariners Benevolent Society”, who supplied their immediate wants, and
has undertaken to find them passages to their home. They also received
assistance from the funds of that Society through the funds of the Rev.
Mr. Thom of Nigg, the Honorary Agent for that district”.
What is clear, in respect to this tragedy and others like it, is that the local communities and societies pulled together to ensure that survivors and dependants of those who lost their lives, were looked after and compensated as much as was possible.