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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Sceach kelly on Sunday 30 March 14 20:44 BST (UK)
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The ship named the seahorse was wrecked in Tramore bay Ireland in 1816 with a loss of over 300 soldiers and their wives and children from the British 59th foot bat. I am trying to find out more information on the ship itself., where it was constructed, the designs etc. The reason for this is that we have found a potential relic of this ship, the front portion, the prow, concealed for years in an old building. we need to try and find out more about this but have found that the details given on all websites, historical references, books etc have mistaken this ship with another ship also named the seahorse. The Seahorse that was shipwrecked in tramore bay in 1816 is not listed anywhere. in 2016 it will be the 200th anniversary and we hope to remember the dead and the tragedy of the last leg of a long journey home from war of the 59th foot battalion. The Seahorse listed in all websites, books etc is a British Navy Frigate converted to transport ship built 1874 (also incorrectly listed as 1894). Seahorse was paid off for the final time in March 1784, and was sold on 30 December 1784 for the sum of £1,115, to Richard Buller. Seahorse was subsequently rebuilt by John Randall, of Rotherhithe, and entered mercantile service under the new name of Ravenscroft. This is not the ship involved in the tragedy in 1816. i am trying to trace any details of the actual seahorse that sunk in Tramore Bay in 1816 and any information on its crew, passengers and soldiers.
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There's a very detailed account of the incident including people saved, people died, in The Scots Magazine of Thursday 1 February 1816. I found it on a subscription site, British Newspaper Archive, though it may be available elsewhere on the web.
Drosybont
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Will of Edward Waldron Showel or Showell, Officer belonging to His Majesty's Ship Seahorse and being Number 250 on the said Ships Books
Date: 18 April 1816
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D568370
I know the will wont help any but at least you have another name of someone on the ship at the time.
I have also found some newspaper articles. If you would like a copy of them just PM me your email and i will forward them onto you :)
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33 persons among them 11 children & some women were buried in Drumcannon Churchyard.
Officers lost
Major Douglas
Capt M'Gregor
Surgeon Hagan
Assistant Surgeon Lambe
Lieut Veale
Lieut Gent (Adjutant)
Lieut Scott
Lieut Gillespie
Ensign Ross
Ensighn Hill
Quarter Master Baird
R
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hi and welcome to rootschat .
also have you looked in the wreck site www.wrecksite.eu they have a little info .
and this one may help www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/articles/wreck_sea_horse.htm
also I just found a description of seahorse as a transport brig so another one to add to the list .
it seems it was the 2nd bat 59th foot that were on board also 2 other ships went down on the next day , the lord Melville also carrying men of the 59th and Boadicea this one carrying men of the 82nd foot .
regards
trevor
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Bookmarked the thread, following with interest.
Regards.
Frank.
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QM Baird was lost with his wife & 2 children
R
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Have you also tried Lloyds Lists? http://www.lr.org/about_us/shipping_information/Lloyds_Register_of_Ships_online.aspx
There are several Seahorses from the relevant era, the problem is searching for them because of the old typeface using an f for a lower case s. Search using the words nymph or gull, then scroll up or down from Sea Nymph or Sea Gull to find Sea Horse. From other information about the owner or captain you may have, you may then be able to work out the type, size and other features of "your" Seahorse.
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From earlier newspaper reports it seems that prior to serving as a transport, Seahorse was a 36 gun frigate. In August 1814 it was involved in action on the Potomac during the attack on Washington.
Drosybont
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Apologies, looks as though the frigate was a different ship, broken up in 1819.
Drosybont
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Calendonian Mercury
Thursday February 15 1816
On the 30th ult, Major Charles Douglas, 59th Regiment, son of Captain William Douglas, late of the ?th foot. He commanded the attachment of his regiment on board of the Seahorse transport, wrecked on the coast of Ireland.
Lost,in the Seahorse transport, near Waterford, on the coast of Ireland, on the 30th ult Lieutenant James Geddes, of the 59th Regiment, son of Mr John Geedes of the adjustant General's Office Edinburgh, a promising young man of 18 years of age.
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33 persons among them 11 children & some women were buried in Drumcannon Churchyard.
Officers lost
Major Douglas
Capt M'Gregor
Surgeon Hagan
Assistant Surgeon Lambe
Lieut Veale
Lieut Gent (Adjutant)
Lieut Scott
Lieut Gillespie
Ensign Ross
Ensighn Hill
Quarter Master Baird
R
Following along the above post..
A handsome mausoleum was ordered to be placed over their remains; the work is now finished,(1824),but the expense of it being still unpaid, it has not yet been erected.
The following inscription is on the stone
"BENEATH THIS TOMB ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF
Major Charles Douglas 29
Capt. James Macgregor 23
Lt. & Adj. Abraham Dent 26
Lieut. William Veal 21
Lieutenant Robert Scott 23
Lieutenant James Geddes 21
Lieut. William Gillespie 19
Ensign Andrew Ross 19
Ensign Rowland F Hill 19
Surgeon James Hagan 30
Assistant Surgeon Lambe 26
Qr. Master William Baird 38
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/waterford/cemeteries/mem-wat-tramore.txt
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Not likely to help but for others who have shown an interest
http://www.waterfordcoco.ie/en/localauthorities/tramoretowncouncil/historyoftramore/themetalmanandthetragedyoftheseahorse/
And this
http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/ships/id307.html
Which says she was built of Irish oak had 3 decks and 3 masts
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Hi,
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3323702/ART6/seahorse
For the people who do not have access to the subscription sites - This will take you straight to a newspaper article in 1816 about the wreck for free ( The national library of Wales -welsh papers online)
Kind Regards
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Hi,
This below is a must read if you haven't read it, really interesting , accounts taken from the survivors:
"Narrative of the loss of the Sea Horse Transport " Printed in 1816
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0yq1/
(Google Books)
It weighed about 350 tons burthen, it states it was "The head quarter ship", it's mess-plate was estimated between $1500 to $2000 (which I take to mean it's cargo?)
Hope that helps
Kind Regards
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I've being researching this one for quite awhile myself. The Captain, James Gibbs stated that the ship was 350 tons burden and Lloyd's list give her origin as London. Everything else written about the ship's origin appears to be erroneous. http://www.1812privateers.org/LLOYDS/1816/02-06-1816.jpg
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The Seahorse listed in all websites, books etc is a British Navy Frigate converted to transport ship built 1874 (also incorrectly listed as 1894).
Should that be be 1784 and 1794?
To add to the confusion, I have read this: The transport Sea. horse, No. 2, Thos. Scott, master, as being the vessel involved, which differs with other reports.
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The account mentioning 'Thos. Scott, master' was originally published in the Waterford Chronicle on 1 Feb 1816. The next publication on 3 Feb stated; 'We stated erroneously, the name of the master of the transport, which is Gibbs'.
The Thos Scott account was republished in Newspapers and periodicals all over the UK and also in the States.