Charles Fox Bennett (1853/11/18)

Ringbolt Bay

Apart from the tonnage, the specifications of this vessel are not known. It was sailing from Liverpool to Melbourne with a general cargo that included ‘a steam sawmill, contrived somewhat like a locomotive, so that it can be wheeled about by a couple of horses…an iron-store, parts of iron houses, 10 000 bricks, &c.’ (Gazette, 16 December 1853: 2d). In command was Captain Arthur Burns, with a crew of ten and fifteen passengers, including three women and one child. The owner and his family were on board.
THE LOSS
The master of the Charles Fox Bennett decided that because of ‘a severe scorbutic [scurvy] attack’ aboard his vessel he would call at Augusta, which he had noted on his chart, for fresh food. Doing two knots before a light breeze the vessel struck a rock 2½ miles (4.6 km) from Cape Leeuwin and a mile (1.85 km) from the shore. Two hours later the rudder broke adrift. The crew were set to lightening the vessel, but:
As night approached squalls rain thunder and lightning prevailed. The sea getting up the vessel struck heavily on the rocks and the crew would not remain on board during the night she came on shore (Molloy to Colonial Secretary, 3 December 1853).
The deserted Charles Fox Bennett came free of the reef during the night and drifted ashore, where it ‘was wrecked on a flattish ledge of rocks 2 miles to the eastward of Cape Leeuwin’ (Inquirer, 30 November 1853: 3d). However the weather worsened and the following night the waves washed the vessel off, and it sank very close to the shore:
…lying on a ledge of rocks within 15 or 20 yards from the shore, the water being up to her decks, showing considerable injury to her bottom, otherwise the hull is uninjured. A great portion of her cargo has been landed…(Gazette, 16 December 1853: 2d).
The mate travelled to the Vasse aboard the American whaler Henry and Mary to report the wrecking. The Resident Magistrate at Vasse, John Molloy, immediately dispatched a police officer named Guerrin (probably Roger Guerin) to prevent any ‘mutiny and insubordination.’ The master and the owner of the Charles Fox Bennet also travelled to the Vasse to make their report on the disaster, returning to Augusta on 3 December 1853.
The captain of the William Pope, which had been in Castle Bay on its way south, travelled to the Vasse to inform Molloy that he would call in on his passage to collect the passengers with a view to taking them to Melbourne should an opportunity arise.
INQUIRY
A very brief report of the accident was sent by John Molloy, R.M., on 25 November 1853 to the Colonial Secretary in Perth (see illustration):
Port Vasse
25th Nov 1853
Sir
I have the honour to acquaint
you that by information received
this afternoon from the first mate
Arthur Burns master
of the vessel Charles Fox Bennett
burthen 127 tons from Liverpool
general cargo bound to Melbourne
crew ten men—has altogether 15
passengers including 3 women &
1 child—that on the 18th instant in
the bay of Augusta a light wind
prevailing within two miles to the
eastward of Cape Lewin [sic] she went
on shore on a flatish ledge of
rocks & there remains. The mate…
[last two lines undecipherable].
I have the honour to be
Sir
Your obedient [?]
J. Molloy
(State Records Office CSR Vol 279/206)
This was deemed to be lacking in detail and Molloy was requested to submit a fuller report. He did so on 3 December 1853. There does not appear to have been a formal inquiry carried out.
INITIAL SALVAGE
Salvage of the cargo of the Charles Fox Bennett was commenced almost immediately using a landing stage built from the beach to the wreck, and in a little over a week the crew had landed about 100 tons of cargo, including the mobile steam sawmill. This was purchased by Henry Yelverton for £210. Other sales brought the total figure raised to £2 500.
We understand that in most instances the articles realised full English prices, notwithstanding the risk of their having received more or less damage (Gazette, 27 January 1854: 2b).
Although in shallow water, only 2.4–2.7 m deep, the vessel could not be salvaged and some of the bricks and heavy iron remained in the hull.
SITE LOCATION
It has been suggested that a wreck found in Ringbolt Bay in 1980 may be that of the Charles Fox Bennett, although this has now been shown to most probably be the wreck of the cutter Eva. The Resident Magistrate’s report and newspapers would seem to indicate that the Charles Fox Bennett was wrecked a little further east than Ringbolt Bay, possibly near Matthew Point, and much closer to the shore than the Ringbolt Bay wreck. Also, the rudder of the Ringbolt Bay wreck lies at the site, whereas that of the Charles Fox Bennett is reported as having broken adrift prior to the vessel reaching its final position.