“The Loss of the Albion”
Description
The Albion [sailing from New York to Liverpool] is caught in a storm which washes captain and many hands overboard. The ship is finally wrecked upon the [Irish] rocks; only one man survives
Notes
The date of this event is somewhat uncertain. Eckstorm, cited by Laws, gives the date as April 22, 1822. Craig Brown, ed., _The Illustrated History of Canada_, states that a ship Albion was wrecked November 1819. (It also shows a poster advertising, in English and Welsh, for migrants to go to America. The name of the _Albion_ has been crossed out and another name listed. Not the most encouraging advertising).
Plus Bennett Schwartz sent in this report, "April 1, 1822: '... wrecked about a mile west of the Old Head of Kinsale ... struck ... rocks under 60 foot cliffs'; at least one survivor (source: Bourke in _Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast_ v2, p. 119; more details at v1, p. 116)."
In addition, Terence Grocott's _Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras_ has a report from February 6, 1810, from the Shaw, which describes a ship _Albion_, sailing from New Brunswick, which had encountered a storm and lost her masts some stores; 10 of 13 crew apparently starved or died of dehydration.
There was also an _Albion_ wrecked in 1797, though without loss of life.
Not a very well-omened ship name! - RBW
Historical references
- April 22, 1822? - Wreck of the Albion
Cross references
- cf. "The Cedar Grove" [Laws D18]
Broadsides
- Bodleian, 2806 c.17(235), "The Loss of the Albion," W. Armstrong (Liverpool), 1820-1824; also 2806 c.17(236); c. 2806 c.17(237), R. Peach (Birmingham), 1855-1875
- LOCSinging, as108080, "Loss of the Ship Albion", L. Deming (Boston), 19C
References
- Laws D2, "The Loss of the Albion"
- Ranson, p. 101, "The Loss of the Albion" (1 text)
- Chappell-FSRA 30, "Loss of the Albion" (1 short text)
- DT 609, ALBION LOSSALBN
- Roud #2228
- BI, LD02