For such a small island group, Tristan da Cunha has had a surprising number of shipwrecks: however, the amount of shipping rounding the Cape of Good Hope in the 19th Century meant that islands such as Inaccessible were often used as navigational aids, and were also used as a source of water and fresh meat. Islands such as Inaccessible are still poorly charted, and old sailing ships were often at the mercy of the elements.
The Tristan da Cunha Group has claimed at least 22 ships, and in the past their wreckage was used to furnish islander's homes.
The three confirmed wrecks on Inaccessible are as follows:
- The Blenden Hall, wrecked at Blenden Hall in 1821;
- The Shakespeare, wrecked at Pig Beach in 1883;
- The Helen S Lea, wrecked at North Point in 1897.
Of these wrecks, by far the most dramatic was that of the Blenden Hall in 1821.
The Wreck of the Blenden Hall
The Blenden Hallwas a ship of 450 tonnes, built in Southampton (UK) in 1811: she was owned by Captain Alexander Greig and was chartered to the East India Company. Though she sailed frequently between the UK and India, she was not a purpose-built Indiaman. As voyages in these times were often dangerous, she was armed and had a large far beyond that required to work the ship.
Blenden Hall sailed from Gravesnd (Kent) on May 6th, 1821, with a large number of passengers aboard. The ship made good progress through the Bay of Biscay, but was becalmed as they reached the Equator. After crossing the Equator, the ship was carried by currents towards South America: she had to set a South-Westerly course past St Helena , but was then carried towards Tristan da Cunha by adverse currents.
She ran aground on Inaccessible Island in misty conditions at 10 AM on July 22nd, 1821. The ship's back was broken, but fortunately the forecastle broke away and was carried inshore. All but two of the 84 passengers and crew survived.
The survivors were now in a terrible condition - cold, hungry, some naked and without shelter. The next few months illustrated many of the worst aspects of human nature - many of the survivors argued, fought, stole, drank and behaved abominably.They managed to eke out a living on wild celery, seals and penguins, but it soon became apparent that they were on an uninhabited island, not Tristan da Cunha , and they began to build boats.
Even this activity provoked arguments, and many small teams began building instead of pooling resources. The first boat to try to reach Tristan was made by the cook and 5 seamen: they were never heard from again.
Later another boat made the attempt, succeeded, and on November 10th, 1821, the islanders on Tristan arrived to rescue them. Once on Tristan they overwhelmed the local population, again behaving badly, and William Glass , the Governor of Tristan was releived to be rid of them when the Brig Nerinae took away all but 7 of the survivors to Cape Town.
Passenger & Crew List of the Blenden Hall
- Mrs. Lock, wife of a doctor resident in Bombay with her infant son and a daughter of 4 years;
- Mrs Lock's maid Peggy, a Portuguese half-caste of Madras (or Bombay?);
- Miss Morton (or Martin) niece of Mrs. Lock;
- Lieut., (Indian Navy), John Pepper, of Tenterden, Kent;
- Lieut. Painter and Mrs Painter;
- Major Reid, and Shabberdeen, his servant;
- Dr. Law, R.N. Surgeon;
- Dr. J. Patch;
- Capt. Miles, and six assistant surgeons in the Hon. Company's military service;
- Dr. George Symoners, the ship's doctor;
- Dr. McTavish;
- M. Gibson, cadet;
- Stephan Newcome, Master of the Hon. Company's marine;
- Hornsby, quartermaster, his wife Elizabeth and infant daughter;
- Mr. McLennan;
- James McCulloch, sailmaker;
- Robert Perry, Carpenter;
- Leonard Hawksley, boatswain;
- Andrew McAllister, gunner;
- Richard Gilbert, boatswain's mate;
- Peter Wilson, William Taylor, Joseph Harry, Joseph Fowler, James Smith, Stephen White, Jacob McDougall, William Smith, Joseph Thomas, Thomas Elliott, John Carter, George Leggatt; James Western, Black Francis, all able seamen;
- Joseph Nibbs, cook;
- Edward Hurry, steward;
- Thomas Symmers, 2nd officer;
- Mr. Scrymgeaour, Chief Officer; and
- Captain Alexander Grieg, and his son Alexander M Grieg., the historian of the wreck.
