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.
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Other events that occured in February
Jersey’s wrists are slapped by the Home Office
- Jersey refused to pay for a census to be carried out when it felt that the only benefit would be to the mainland.
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Mainlanders arrested on explosives charges
- Mainlanders arrested at a Jersey hotel were charged with possessing explosives and sent back to the UK for trial.
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Jersey appoints its first postmaster
- Charles William Le Geyt was Jersey’s first postmaster and remained in the role for 20 years, until he was in his 80s.
- Read more…
Safe-breaking results in a Jersey arrest
- Three men appeared in court after being arrested in Jersey on charges of using explosives to rob a safe at the Co-op.
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