1815 wreck of English craft which stranded behind the South Pier at Sunderland; a wooden sailing vessel.

1804 wreck of English brig which stranded on the Black Middens during a gale, while on her passage from Newhaven to Sunderland in ballast; a wooden sailing vessel. `The MARGARET...the HOPE, Todd, from Newhaven to Sunderland...the RACHAEL...and the ACTIVE...are lost near Shields.' (1)

`Newcastle, January 14...On Monday last, in a most tremendous gale from the south by east, about high water...Same afternoon, the brig HOPE, of Sunderland, Capt. Wm. Dodd, from Newhaven to Sunderland, in ballast, was driven upon the rocks at the entrance of this harbour, and wrecked; crew saved.' (3)

`On Monday morning...the wind blew so strong from the south...the snow BOUNTIFUL was driven upon the rocks near the Spanish Battery...The brig HOPE, Captain William Todd, of Sunderland, from London, in ballast, was also driven on shore, and fortunately she ran close alongside of the BOUNTIFUL; the crew of the HOPE (the vessel being old) fearful of her going to pieces, took the opportunity of removing on board the new ship. Great praise is due to the Commander of the Royal Artillery at Tynemouth, for his spirited exertions to assist the seamen, who were all landed in safety on the ebbing of the tide. The above vessel has since gone to pieces.' (5)

[NB: The BOUNTIFUL (q.v.) came to rest on the Black Middens.]

`SHIP HOPE. All persons to whom the owners of the late ship HOPE, of Sunderland, William Todd, master, stand indebted in respect of that ship, are hereby required to deliver in a particular of their demands forthwith, at the office of Mr George Parker, in Sunderland aforesaid, in order that the same may be liquidated. Sunderland, 16th Feb., 1804.' (4)

NB: Source (2) expresses the date of loss as a reporting date of 17-JAN-1804, based on the issue date of source (1).

Master: Todd (1)(2); William Dodd (3); William Todd (4)(5)

Feb. 8th 1870. The barque HELENA of Scarborough, when running for the Tyne entrance, during a gale of wind from the east, and a heavy sea running, was driven ashore on the Black Middens. The lifeboats NORTHUMBERLAND and TYNE went to her assistance, and rescued the crew of 14 hands and one coasting pilot. (1)

The Shields Gazette of 9th February 1870 reports:

"Between 2 and 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, snow began to fall thickly and the gale now blowing from the south-west perceptibly increased in violence. About an hour afterwards, the signal guns from the Spanish Battery and HMS CASTOR were fired. Crowds of people soon gathered...but the attention of those on shore and the efforts of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade were at first directed to a large barque (the HELENA of Scarborough) which had been driven on the rocks about 300 yards to the south-east of the Brigade house. The dangerous position of the vessel had been observed before she struck, almost simultaneously at the Brigade and Lifeboat houses, and ere the signal guns were fired, the crews of the lifeboats NORTHUMBERLAND and TYNE had launched, and pulled off towards the vessel...

...The NORTHUMBERLAND succeeded in picking up the crew and landed them at the low lights, then they were taken to the Dolphin Inn..." (2)

Barque of 448 tons; entry stamped "wrecked". (3)

Built: 1856 (3)
Where Built: Sunderland (3)
Construction: felt and yellow metal; copper fastened (3)
Master: W Wilson (3)
Crew: 14 (1)
Passengers: 1 (1)
Owner: H Smith, Scarborough (3)
Lloyd's Classification: AE1 (3)

1852 28th December, HARMONY and MARGARET wrecked on Black Middens.

1825 wreck of English schooner which stranded on the Black Middens on her arrival at Shields from Scarborough in ballast; a wooden sailing vessel. `North Shields, 19th March. The schooner HANNAH, Rimer, of Scarbro', was wrecked upon the Blackmiddings on Thursday night. Crew saved.' (1)

[NB: This source indicates the date of loss as 17-MAR-1825.]

`On the 18th inst. the HANNAH, Rymer, of and from Scarbro', to this port, when taking Tynemouth Bar, drove upon the rocks near the Spanish Battery, and went to pieces. Crew saved.' (2)

`The schooner HANNAH, William Rymer, master, in ballast, got upon the rocks at the entrance of Shields harbour, on Friday morning the 18th inst. and has since gone to pieces.' (3)

Master: Rimer (1); Rymer (2); William Rymer (3)

1814 wreck of English cargo vessel which stranded on the Black Middens on entering Shields from Riga and/or St. Petersburg, bound to Plymouth. Laden with iron, timber, and deals, she was a wooden sailing vessel. `The HALLIDAY, Snowden, from Riga to Plymouth, was on shore on Wednesday, on the Black Middens, and it was feared would be wrecked.' (1)

`The HOLIDAY, Snowdon, from Petersburg, with a cargo of iron and deals, is on shore on the rocks, at South Shields.' (3)

`The HALLIDAY, Robt. Snowdon, of Liverpool, bound to Plymouth, and the CORNWALLIS... both from St. Petersburg, with iron, timber, deals, etc., are wrecked at Shields. The cargoes partly saved.' (4)

Master: Snowden (1)(2); Snowdon (3); Robert Snowdon (4)

BRITISH CRAFT, 1766 `The GRAFTON, -, from London to Shields, is lost on the Black Middings.'

Source (2) states the reporting date of loss in a transposed form, i.e. 13-OCT-1766.

1758 wreck of British cargo vessel which stranded on the Black Middens on entering the Tyne from Portsmouth; a wooden sailing vessel. `Newcastle, February 25...For these several days we have had very blowing weather, by which the GOOD INTENT, from Portsmouth, is stranded on the Black Middins, at Shields Bar...'

22nd November 1848: GEORGE of South Shields wrecked on the Black Middens.
NB: This may be a revised or variant account of the loss of the GEORGE of Sunderland a week earlier. The NMR has another entry for George on the Herd Sand 1848 (NZ 36 NE 734 1362228). No further information has been given. We are assuming these are the same ship.

1830 wreck of English sloop which stranded on the Black Middens on her arrival at Newcastle-upon-Tyne from London; a wooden sailing vessel. The ORIGINAL, the first true lifeboat in the world, was lost in rescuing the men from this wreck. The GLATTON sloop of and for Newcastle-upon-Tyne from London, was wrecked on the Black Middens on 21-JAN-1830. Six of her crew were rescued by the ORIGINAL lifeboat which was itself wrecked.

`On Thurdsday night, 21st inst. the ship GLATON was driven upon the Black Middings, at the entrance to Shields harbour. The South Shields life-boat succeeded in reaching her, when as many as the boat could carry got on board; three men were left in the rigging of the vessel, for which the boat was to return, but she got only a short distance from the ship, when she struck upon a rock and instantly sunk. Nothing now remained but death or exertion, and though the sea was tremendously high and the men worn out with former fatigue, the whole saved themselves by swimming on shore. A poor boy on the point of sinking was observed by a generous tar, who swam to his assistance and succeeded in preserving the little fellow, not 12 years of age, from a watery grave. As the vessel was pitching dreadfully amongst the rocks, it was feared she would go to pieces, when Captain Manby's apparatus was had recourse to, and the three men left in the rigging were by that means got on shore...The GLATON is expected to become a total wreck.' (2)

`North Shields, 23rd Jan. The GLATTON, of South Shields, was driven on the rocks near the Spanish Battery, on Thursday night, during a heavy gale from SE...Crew and materials saved. The life boat belonging to South Shields, in endeavouring to save the GLATTON's crew, was wrecked upon the rocks, and the crew with difficulty saved.' (3)

Crew: 6 (1) + 3 (2) = 9