George Downie Sarclet

[Ashes]

Hi I have some information on George Downie from Sarclet who died in the Pentland Firth in Feb 1893: lost at sea with 10 family members. My wife has been researching the family history and has quite a bit of information going back to 1793, from Ross and Cromety to Sarclet. Its good to see the youngster's interested in family history!

Kind regards Ashes

[Ashes]

Sorry but I'm down as a junior member, I dont think so at my age 59
Ashes

[Bruce Humphrey]

I am certainly interested in whatever information you have on the 14th/15th July drownings. A disaster for Sarclet. Like you, I am related to most, if not all, of the victims as a Sarclet/Corbigoe More descendant.

Bruce H

[lassieinfife]

Sorry but I'm down as a junior member, I dont think so at my age 59
Ashes

Its more to do with number of post rather than your age ashes....

[elizabeth forbes]

Hello Ashes,
I also would like to share your info of the boat disaster of the Downie Family
my links with them are through Downie/ Oag. George Downie b. 1793 Rosemarkie to George & Helen Taylor.
Regards Teeny

[Tricia]

I am certainly interested in whatever information you have on the 14th/15th July drownings. A disaster for Sarclet. Like you, I am related to most, if not all, of the victims as a Sarclet/Corbigoe More descendant.

Bruce H

Hi Ashes
Same goes for me. Very interested. Bruce and I share many Sarclet/Wick family.

Tricia
born a MORE in Wick

[peter macdonald]

can anyone tell me the name of the boat that was wrecked in the pentland firth?? Many thanks

[marionq]

Was it the "Thomas Dryden"? If you google Pentland Firth disaster 1893 you should get some details.

[Ashes]

Hi, the name of the boat was CHARLOTTE, WK.327. Owner and skipper David Gun. David Gun jr. Donald Mackay. brother in law to David Gun. Joseph Anderson. Alex Anderson. Francis Miller. John Bremner. William Oag. George Downie. John Downie brother of George Downie. These are all more or less related. My grandmother was Williamina Downie daughter of George Downie.I will add more info later.
Kind regards Ashes

[marionq]

Sorry to suggest the wrong info. McGonigall the poet wrote about the Pentland Firth sinking of the "Thomas Dryden" and I thought that might be the one you meant. I gather that a lot of boats have sunk in the Pentland!

[Bruce Humphrey]

This is the report from the Northern Ensign, 21st February 1893 :


Destructive Storm on the Caithness Coast
A Wick Boat and Ten Men Missing

One of the most violent storms which has been experienced on this coast for the last sixteen years broke out on Tuesday morning, and continued with increasing fury until the evening. About fifty boats left Wick harbour on Monday afternoon, and they nearly all proceeded in a north easterly direction, and shot their nets six or eight miles off "the draught" of the Pentland Firth. During the night there was a pretty strong breeze, and some of the crews hauled their nets as early as ten or eleven o'clock. As the morning advanced, the breeze increased to a gale, which blew from the southeast. Matters were made worse by a thick and blinding sleet, which added to the peril in which the boats were placed. Some made for Portmahomack and Cromarty, some for the Morayshire coast, where they found shelter, whilst others went to Scrabster, Stromness and Kirkwall.

The hurricane reached its worst about two o'clock in the afternoon. At that time Wick Bay was a mass of white foam. Huge waves rose and broke both outside and against the harbour wall and the shore; and it need not be said that the greatest anxiety was felt regarding the brave fellows who had to contend with the fury of the tempest. By and by telegrams from boats, which had found shelter, began to come in from various quarters, but still a good many remained unaccounted for. ByWednesday all had been heard from except six - five of these having been engaged at the fishing at Scrabster. The sixth was the Charlotte, WK327, David Gunn, skipper, with whom were nine other men. The Charlotte was one of the biggest boats belonging to the port of Wick. On Thursday morning news came to hand that the five boats, which had gone out from Scrabster, were safe. They took refuge in Loch Erriboll, and the long distance between that place and a telegraph office prevented word being received from them until the men themselves wired from Thurso on their return from Scrabster.

Day after day passed in painful suspense without any information being received regarding the missing Wick boat Charlotte. The last that was seen of her was about four o'clock on Tuesday morning. The crew had shot their nets near the place called the Sandy Riddle, which is considered dangerous with a southeast wind and spring tides. The two Pultneytown boats Express and Mary Bell shot their nets, the former on the north and the latter on the south side of the Charlotte. When these boats left at four in the morning, the lights of the Charlotte, then apparently riding at her nets, were seen burning brightly. That is the last information that has been got regarding the Charlotte. In spite of a determination to hope against hope, it is difficult to avoid coming to the conclusion that the worst fears regarding her and her gallant crew have been realised. There is much reason to believe that a disaster has happened, and a great sorrow has filled the minds of the community and called forth the deepest sympathy with the wives and children and aged parents who mourn the loss of those whom they loved and on whose industry they depended for their homes and for their daily bread. The following are the names of the crew:

David Gunn, Laurelbank, Wick, skipper, about 50 years of age and married.
David Gunn, jun., Laurelbank, Wick, 23, son of David Gunn, sen., has a wife and one child.
Daniel Mackay, diver, Pultneytown, about 50, married to a sister of David Gunn, sen., but no family.
George Downie, Sarclet, about 35, married and large family.
John Downie, Sarclet, brother of George Downie, about 30, unmarried.
Alexander Anderson, Sarclet, about 50, unmarried, but sole supporterof his mother, aged about 90.
Joseph Anderson, married to a sister of the Downies, and has a large family.
Francis Miller, Sarclet, unmarried.
Alexander Miller, Sarclet, brother of Francis Miller, unmarried.
John Bremner, Sarclet, unmarried.
The two Millers and Bremner are young men between 25 and 30 years of age. Daniel Mackay and John Downie went in the boat to work handlines. Mackay had not been previously at sea this winter. David Gunn sen., has long been known as one of the most enterprising and successful fishermen belonging to Wick. His wife, who mourns the loss of a husband and an only son, is a daughter of the late Mr Sinclair Miller, Clayquoys, Wick.

On Saturday it struck some of the fishermen that it would be desirable to get the gunboat "Watchful," stationed at Cromarty, to search for the missing boat. Accordingly Messrs R Thomson, John Wares, Dan Alexander and James Coghill saw Provost Dunnet and Mr Miller, convener of the county, who was in Wick on that day, and asked them to telegraph to the commander of the Watchful. This was done, but no reply was received. After waiting several hours, a wire was sent to the coast guard at Cromarty, who replied, "Watchful left in the forenoon going south. Cannot tell where."

On Sunday morning about seven o'clock the Watchful came in to Wick bay. Mr James Coghill went on board from the Pultneytown side and Messrs Thomson, Wares and Alexander followed from the Wick side. They offered to assist in the search for the missing boat, but the commander declined the offer. He asked what course he should take, and they advised him to take a southeast course for a certain distance and then to turn to the northeast. The fishermen say that only part of this advice was followed. They pressed hard to be allowed to remain on board, but with no success, and they then left for the shore. They were much disappointed, as they considered that from their long experience they knew the tides and the track that should be followed better than any stranger could.

The Watchful left the bay to search about 8am and returned in the afternoon. Provost Dunnet was about to leave for the gunboat to inquire what the result was, when Mr Shepperd of the Royal Naval reserve came in to the harbour, and stated that no trace of the missing boat had been seen.

Several pieces of a boat hatch, identified as belonging to David Gunn's boat, were picked up yesterday by boats returning from Scrabster to Wick. A boom has been washed ashore near Keiss, and an oar and boat hook in Freswick bay. Our Keiss correspondent writing yesterday says "A boat's "setting" boom has been found washed ashore here, marked "WK327." It, no doubt, belongs to the missing boat of which David Gunn was skipper. About ten feet of a boat's bulwarks, painted green, and supposed to be part of David Gunn's boat, was found on the beach at Aukengill yesterday.

The Tuesday of the storm was 14th February 1893.

(The Thomas Dryden of McGonagall fame was fifty years earlier, in 1843)

[Bruce Humphrey]

can anyone tell me the name of the boat that was wrecked in the pentland firth?? Many thanks

Go (on this site) to :
http://www.caithness.org/history/art...landfirth1.htm

for the many, many, Pentland Firth shipwrecks.

[peter macdonald]

Many thanks for the info from you all .This has helped me a long the way to solving a mystery .
again thanks
Peter Macdonald

[marionq]

Once again I am impressed at how knowledgeable the subscribers to this website are. You certainly can come up with the goods time and again. I wonder if any of you know which family of Bremners the young man John Bremner came from. My great grandmother Elizabeth Bremner had a brother and no doubt numerous cousins called John.

I am off to study the Brebner/Bremner website which is another wonderful source of information and a credit to its originator.

Thanks to you all.

Marion

[Bruce Humphrey]

This John Bremner was born (in Sarclet) on 20/12/1866, the son of John Bremner and Annie Donaldson. They were married 29/12/1851. Hope that helps!

[marionq]

Its a strange thing Bruce but I had a kind of feeling it was my branch of the family. My great grandmother Elizabeth Bremner (Fleming) was from the John Bremner, Henrietta Sinclair branch through their son Alexander. This John from the shipwreck seems to have been her nephew.

Elsewhere on the site I have asked about her own son John George Fleming who appears on the Maritime Register in 1894 but is then heard of no more. I have had no luck tracing him so about the time her nephew was drowned her own son also disappears out of sight.

Thank you for your help.