Incident in which a brig grounded on the Herd Sand on her passage from Blyth, but which was subsequently recovered by jettisoning part of her cargo of coal. Master: Hodgson.There are two entries for this ship on the NMR see also NZ 36 NE 214 (No.971603). There seems to be confusion over the date of the incident. NZ 36 NE 133) states the year as 1802, whereas NZ 36 NE 214 has it as 1820. 1820 is probably correct as the Sylvanus (HER 14955) was stranded at the same time as the Thomas and Alice.

1820 wreck of English craft which stranded on the Herd Sand during a snowstorm. The storm also saw the PROVIDENCE...THOMAS & ALICE and TWO BROTHERS...RESOLUTION stranded on the Herd Sand.

1810 wreck of English cargo vessel, laden with cork and wine, which stranded on the Herd Sand, on her arrival at Newcastle-upon-Tyne from Oporto. The crew were saved but after the ship had broken up the plundering began. '170 pipes of wine, much cork-wood, large floats of the wreck, drove in amongst the ships and keels in Shields harbour; some were picked up by seamen, keelmen, scullermen, etc. After getting them to land, gimlets, axes, etc., were applied, and several pipes drunk...by blackguards. Pools of wine stood upon the Lowlight Quay...81 pipes are now in a good state on the above quay, some on board the tenders, and upon the whole, only about 30 are missing.' (Courant)

Where Built: North America
Master: Hawkins

1820 incident in which an English cargo vessel grounded on the Herd Sand on her arrival from Littlehampton with timber, to be recovered shortly afterwards.There may be some confusion in the sources between this entry and HER 14250 Success which ran aground in 1815.

1791-1811. The eastern part of the Grand Allies Heaton Royalty was served by a waggonway which ran from Heaton High Pit, past Middle Pit and Old Engine Pit to Lawson's Main Pit (South Heaton Pit). From this point the waggonway ran to staiths at St. Anthony's. The route was realigned in 1805 but the older route only fell out of use when Lawson's Main was flooded and closed in 1811. Heaton Waggonway was probably the first iron railway in the north of England when it replaced its wooden rails with cast iron in 1797. Part of the line functioned as an inclined plane. Archaeological excavations in 2011 in the playing fields at the Lightfoot Centre by Pre-Construct Archaeology revealed evidence of the timber colliery waggonway running NW-SE towards the River Tyne. The trackbed was recorded incorporating four rail impressions and tentative evidence for wooden dowels for securing the rails. There were drainage ditches running to either side, which were filled with coal waste.

1806 incident in which an English cargo vessel grounded on the Herd Sand on entering Shields from Hamburg in ballast. This wooden sailing vessel was shortly afterwards recovered. Master: Wood

Listed as wrecked upon the Herd Sand, January 4th 1854 during the great gales which lasted from 3rd January until the 10th. However, it has also been suggested that the SIR ROBERT PEEL was wrecked on the Black Middens. Her cargo consisted of saltpetre and about one ton of silver in ingots and so the army was called in to protect her from looters. It is reported that most of the silver was recovered...Even to this day there are some strange unconfirmed stories about some of the ingots which somehow went astray.

Having left Hartlepool three days earlier, this vessel lost her rudder when it was carried away by heavy weather, in wind conditions NNE force 9. The vessel broached to, and drove ashore on the sand in a snowstorm to become a total wreck.

Built: 1818
Crew: 5

Newcastle Courant 2nd February 1838:
`On Monday morning the SHAKESPEARE of North Shields, coal laden, in entering Shields harbour, got upon the Herdsand, and has since gone to pieces. Crew saved by lifeboat.' Master: Fawens

23rd March 1870...On the same day a few hours later during that severe north-east gale, the SAXON of Montrose was wrecked on the Herd Sand. The lifeboats TYNE and NORTHUMBERLAND were launched again, and rescued her crew