3rd February 1884
A sailing boats sinks on its way to Jersey
The Dewdrop, a brig with two large, square-rigged masts, was badly damaged while sailing from Turk’s Island to Jersey on 3 February 1884. Her masts snapped, she sprang a leak and sank.
Fortunately for the crew, they were rescued by a passing Norwegian schooner, the Sirglinn, which was travelling from Trinidad to London, although there was some confusion in the newspapers of the time over whether they were eventually landed in Liverpool or Gravesend on 27 February.
Either way, they made it back to the mainland, and the following year, the Sirglinn’s captain, Soren Carlsen of Christiana, was awarded a telescope by the Board of Trade for his kindness and humanity.
Turk’s Island is now part of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern West Indies.
FREE Jersey history newsletter
Don't miss our weekly update on Jersey's fascinating history. We promise never to sell your data to anyone else, and there's a super-easy unsubscribe link on the bottom of each email so you can leave whenever you want.
Other events that occured in February
The government of Jersey is unveiled
- The council of ministers adopted the ‘Government of Jersey’ as the island government’s official identity at home and abroad.
- Read more…
Women are jailed for smuggling gold in their knickers
- Four women were caught smuggling gold in their knickers and were sent to prison at the end of their trial.
- Read more…
Fishermen discover an unexpected coffin
- When a paddle steamer was grounded, and sank, some of its cargo was lost, including a coffin and the corpse inside it.
- Read more…
A cargo ship sinks, killing its crew
- A 565-ton cargo ship was wrecked on Jersey's coast, and although the some of the crew mad it to the lifeboats, they were capsized.
- Read more…