Northumberland (1868/06/20)

Bald Head

Northumberland (1864-1868)

Official Number: 50568
Port of Building: Newcastle, UK
Year built: 1864
Port of Registration: Liverpool, UK
Rig Type: Ship
Hull: Wood
Length: 181.0 ft (55.17 m)
Breadth: 37.0 ft (11.28 m)
Depth: 24.0 ft (7.32 m)
Tonnage: 1 168
Port from: Newcastle, UK
Port to: Albany
Date lost: 21 June 1868
Location: South-west of Rock Dunder
Chart Number: AUS 110, AUS 118, AUS 759 & BA 2619
Protection: The site when found will be protected under the general provisions of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
Significance criteria: 1 & 4

THE VESSEL
The Northumberland was ship-rigged, and owned by Richard Davis and Sons of Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales. It was fastened with iron, and had been sheathed with felt and yellow metal. The ship was owned by Messrs Davies and Son of Menai Bridge. Under the command of Captain John Humphrey with a crew of 22 the ship departed Newcastle-on-Tyne for Albany on 2 March 1868. The cargo consisted of 1 727 tons of coal for the P&O Steam Navigation Company at Albany, and the vessel was only partly insured. It had been surveyed just prior to leaving England.

THE LOSS
On Sunday 14 June the Northumberland was south-west of Cape Leeuwin when it was struck by a severe gale from the north-north-east. By the following day the gale had increased to such an extent that all sail had to be taken in. By 10.00 p.m., despite having no sails set, the ship was on its beam ends, and with its lee rail ‘three to four feet under water, spars, that were all lashed on the leeside, broke their lashings, and floated over the lee-rail, doing the ship considerable damage before they went’ (South Australian Advertiser, 6 July 1868: 2). The following morning the centre of the storm passed over the ship, the direction of the wind then veering to the south-west. As this was blowing the Northumberland towards the coast the reefed foresail was set, but the wind blew it completely to pieces. The vessel, fighting extremely heavy seas, was leaking badly even though all hands were at the pumps it continued to take in water. Eventually the foretopsail was set, enabling the ship to be steered away from the coast. The Northumberland had a list and had settled lower in the sea.

Despite continuous pumping from the crew, by midnight on 16 June there was 3 m of water in the hold. The wind, which had been lessening, backed around to the north and freshened again to a strong gale. The ship continued to labour heavily. Around noon on 18 June the wind again began to moderate, but at 2.00 p.m. it veered rapidly to the south-west. The lower fore and main topsails were set in an effort to keep the ship heading to the eastward, but they were both blown out of their boltropes by a powerful gust. From then until midday the following day the Northumberland lay with the sheer poles in the water. All hands continued at the pumps, often being washed from them by the seas. ‘Every movable article on the starboard side of the ship had been washed away, forecastle and forehouse completely gutted; even the bunks were all washed away’ (South Australian Advertiser, 6 July 1868: 2).

The water had gained on the pumps, there being an extra foot (0.3 m) in the hold. Two lower topsails were bent on and the Northumberland steered towards the land, sighting West Cape Howe at 1.00 p.m.. This heading was kept until 4.00 p.m. when the course was directed along close to the coast in order that lives might be saved if the ship foundered. By this time there was 15 feet (4.57 m) of water in the hold, and with so much water in it the vessel (which was nearly on its beam ends) ‘was all but unmanageable’ (Inquirer, 8 July 1868: 3b-c). At 10.00 p.m. land was sighted ahead and the Northumberland tried to steer away, but it then struck a reef off Bald Head. The ship did not stop, striking again as it passed over the rocks, but losing the rudder as it went. The ship’s head was canted to seaward, and ‘directly afterwards opened the light on Breaksea Island, which had been previously masked by Bald Head (South Australian Advertiser, 6 July 1868: 2).

I now gave up all hope of saving the ship; stopped the pumps, got the boats, and got into them with what clothes we could get hold of; water at that time over the lower deck beams. Laid under the lee of the ship till towards morning, when I left in hope of getting some assistance, and landed on Breaksea, and the lightkeeper hoisted the signal of distress, which brought the Harbour-Master off, but too late, for about 9 the ship foundered in a line between Cape Vancouver and Breaksea Island, distant from the latter about eight or nine miles…(report by Captain Humphrey, quoted in South Australian Advertiser, 6 July 1868: 2).

According to an item in the Western Mail, the Northumberland, after striking the reef and losing its rudder ‘drifted to Rock Dunder, struck it, and sank in deep water (Nathaniel William McKail quoted in Western Mail, 27 January 1927: 17b). McKail, born in 1850, was 18 years of age at the time the ship was wrecked.

The Northumberland went down head first, with nothing left floating to indicate the exact position where it sank. The two boats in which the crew had abandoned the ship were commanded by Captain Humphries and the 2nd mate, the 1st mate being too ill. The boats initially landed on Breaksea Island, from where the harbour master towed them into Princess Royal Harbour as the crew were completely worn out with the incessant pumping. At 4.00 p.m. they arrived in Albany where seven of them were subsequently hospitalised.

The captain and 14 of the crew of the Northumberland travelled to Melbourne on board the RMS Bombay (1 186 tons, Captain George Nelson Hector), arriving on 6 July, while seven (most probably those hospitalised) went to Adelaide on the Australian Steamship Navigation Company’s steamer Rangatira (Captain Grainger) at a cost of £44.2.0 for their passage. The first mate, John Thomas, had been off duty sick for 14 days during the struggle to reach Albany prior to the loss of the ship. On arrival he was found to be so exhausted that he remained in Albany and was not expected to recover.

INQUIRY
A Court of Inquiry was held on 26 June 1868 at the Albany Court House before Sir A.T. Cockburn Campbell, Resident Magistrate, with Charles Louis Van Zuilecom and the harbour-master, George T. Butcher, as nautical assessors. The inquiry found that no blame could be attached to the master regarding the loss of the Northumberland.

It was pointed out by the inquiry that the means of signalling between the lighthouse on Breaksea Island and the pilot station at the entrance to Princess Royal Harbour was defective. It recommended that a semaphore or some other more effective means should be adopted. The recommendations continued with:
We also further recommend gathered from the opinions of several nautical men frequenting this part more materially confirmed by two officers of high standing of H.M.R.N. who recently visited this Port that a light should be placed at the extremity of the land off Bald Head, as a vessel making the land to the westward, and close in there is entirely excluded from the benefit of the light on Breaksea Island until Bald Head is cleared. We are also of the opinion that in order to distinguish it from the light on Breaksea a red light visible some 8 or 10 miles from the first point round by south to N.E. is most desirable (quoted in MA 195/72).

In a letter dated 28 January 1869 the Board of Trade in Whitehall rejected the proposed idea of a lighthouse on Bald Head.

INITIAL SALVAGE
The only items saved from the wreck of the Northumberland were a case containing reflectors for lighthouses and the two ship’s boats in which the crew had abandoned the ship:
One of these boats was for many years used as a passenger boat; the other was bought by my people for pleasure purposes. A Mr Harris, whose grandson is now Harbour Master at Albany (a member of one of the old families) bought the first boat. Both boats every year took part in the Albany regattas (Nathaniel William McKail quoted in Western Mail, 27 January 1927: 17b).

SITE LOCATION
The wreck of the Northumberland has not been found. However the search area can be narrowed slightly by combining Captain Humphrey’s statement that it sank in a line between Cape Vancouver and Breaksea Island, distant from the latter about eight or nine miles, with the harbour master’s statement that at dawn from the mainland he had seen a vessel between Michaelmas and Breaksea islands and about eight miles to the eastward of the latter. He pulled off in the pilot boat at 8.00 a.m. for Breaksea Island, noting that the ship, which he had thought to be a whaler, was still there. When nearing the island he noted that the ship had disappeared.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
HISTORIC (1)
There is a Northumberland Rock marked on some charts just south of Bald Head, and is presumably the place on which the Northumberland struck.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL (4)
When found the wreck of the Northumberland will provide information on mid-19th century wooden sailing ship construction. Being in relatively deep water and with nothing having been salvaged, it may provide many artefacts giving an insight into the lives of the officers and crew.

REFERENCES
Argus, 6 July 1868: 5g & 7 July 1868: 4a-b.

Henderson, G. & K., 1988, Unfinished voyages: Western Australian shipwrecks 1851-1880. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands.

Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1868-69. Lloyd’s, London.

South Australian Advertiser, 6 July 1868: 2f.

Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 1868: 4a & 15 July 1868: 8f.

The Inquirer and Commercial News, 8 July 1868: 3b-c.

Western Australian Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, File No. 175/2/2 & 195/72.

Western Mail, 27 January 1927: 17b.

The 1168 ton wooden ship Northumberland was carrying a cargo of coal from Newcastle, England for the P&O Company’s coal depot in Albany, with 22 crew on board. After being strained in a severe storm, the ship started taking on water and the crew manned the pumps. Nearing land five days later and with eleven feet (3.3 metres) of water in the hold, the exhausted crew believed they were in imminent danger of sinking. At 10pm on 20th June 1868 they struck a reef off Bald Head and broke the rudder. As the ship drifted past Bald Head two minutes later the crew saw the light of the Breaksea Island lighthouse, and took to the ship’s boats, tying off to their stricken ship while waiting for daylight. The Northumberland stayed afloat until daybreak, and the crew went to Breaksea Island to alert the lighthouse keeper to raise the distress signal, but while they were on the island the Northumberland sank in a line between Breaksea Island and Cape Vancouver.
The site of the Northumberland has not been located and would lie in between 50-60 metres depth. The reef off Bald Head that the ship struck was subsequently named Northumberland Rock.