The Suffolk was lost as she entered Shields harbour, September 1830, when she struck against the Sparrowhawk Sand, and eventually drifted upon the rock below the Spanish Battery. Crew and passengers saved.

Built: 1825
Builder: St. Peter's Shipyard
Where Built: Ipswich
Machinery: John Penn of Greenwich
Propulsion: Screw driven, twin cylinder engines; auxiliary sail [rigged fore-and-aft]
HP: 40
Owners: Thomas Shields, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; ex. Samuel and Henry Alexander

'The Shields Gazette of Wednesday 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...were fired. Crowds of people soon gathered...Through the blinding drifts of sleet, the masts and sails of what appeared to be a schooner were dimly visible at the back of the north pier, 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)...

'...As soon as the lifeboat NORTHUMBERLAND had left the barque HELENA and her crew, the crowds rushed to Tynemouth pier, which was in a few minutes packed from end to end. The Tynemouth Life Brigade, had, as soon as they were certain that their services were not further needed by the HELENA, gone to the pier with the apparatus, with the view of rescuing the crew of the schooner, which, shortly after the HELENA struck, was observed to be rapidly drifting behind the pier. When the Brigade arrived, the schooner, which proved to be LIGHT OF THE HAREM of Lowestoft, was rolling heavily from side to side, and the crew, five in number, were clinging to the sides of the vessel, and in imminent danger of being carried by the waves, which were dashing over the vessel, into the sea. The first line missed, but the second went over the vessel. The crew, however, either did not understand the working of the apparatus, or were unable to secure the rope. Several members of the Brigade shouted directions to the men, but although the schooner was only distant about 80 yards from the pier, they were not heard owing to the noise of the sea. Signs were made to the crew to fasten the hawser to the foremast, but the men signalled that the masts could not safely support the strain. The Brigadesmen then signalled to the crew to fasten the hawser to some other part of the vessel, and ultimately it was attached to the capstan. The breeches buoy was then pulled to the side of the vessel, and two fo the crew secured themselves in it. As it was being pulled from the vessel's side, the shcooner made a heavy lurch, and the two men sank overhead in the water. They were, however, quickly pulled through the waves, and in a couple of minutes were safely landed on the pier. In like manner, two others of the crew, and lastly the captain, were rescued. The Brigade displayed great collness, and throughout evinced great skill in the management of the various apparatus. The crew, who were thoroughly drenched, were conducted to the Brigade House, where they received the usual attentions and afterwards were taken to the Sailors' Home. The schooner was commanded by Captain E Rhodes." ' (1)

Photograph of the figurehead of LIGHT OF THE HAREM, now in the Volunteer Life Brigade Watch House at Tynemouth. The caption underneath the figurehead reads: "LIGHT OF THE HAREM, wrecked behind North Pier, Feb. 8th, 1870".

'...the collier LIGHT OF THE HAREM which was wrecked on the shore at Tynemouth during a gale in February 1870. People carried off coal and other items washed ashore from the vessel and from two other ships also wrecked at the river mouth.' (2)

Master: E Rhodes (1)
Crew: 5 (1)

Vessel lost between the piers in wind conditions SSE force 6, whilst under tow for the spoil grounds. (1)(2)

...on 18th February when the Commissioners' HOPPER NO 28 drove ashore behind the north pier, owing to the breaking of the tug tow rope. The men of the Tynemouth Volunteer Brigade quickly rescued the two-man crew. (3)

On Monday 18th February, 1884, the men of the Tynemouth Brigade were again called upon for their services. Here is an eyewitness account as published in the Shields Gazette for Tuesday, 19th February, 1884:

"Yesterday morning, the wind was fresh from the eastward, with a strong sea upon the Bar. Two of the Commissioners' hoppers had been out to sea with ballast, and when upon the bar, one of them broke her towline and drifted behind the North Pier. As the craft came up among the great Sunken Rocks by the side of the pier, the large seas swept her decks, and great anxiety was felt for the two men on board, who were clinging to the steering gear. A steam tug made a gallant attempt to rescue the vessel, but the sea was too high...A rocket was fired across the vessel, and the two men were speedily rescued, which event was loudly cheered by the spectators. The hopper was number 28, and belonged to the Tyne Commissioners, and the names of the men rescued are John Parker and John Bruce...From the man on lookout at the Tynemouth Brigade House we learn that the steam tug NORTHERN LIGHT was returning from the ballast ground with two hoppers, and when about 200 yards off the end of the north pier, the towline snapped, owing to a severe jerk, and both hoppers immediately began to drift towards the rocks. The tug was quickly put about, and succeeded in picking up one of the hoppers, number 40, but the other had been carried too far shorewards, and she eventually grounded upon the Sunken Rocks within 20 yards of the bend of the pier." (4)

Built: 1868
Master: J Druces or John Bruce
Crew: 2
Owner: The Tyne Improvement Commissioners

Stranded and lost on Battery Rocks whilst entering Tynemouth in wind conditions ESE force 8. The wreck lies off the North Pier in an area known as The Priory, close to the foundations of the old breakwater, which are visible at low tide. (1)

Date of loss stated as 07-JAN-1897. (1)

SS WANSWORTH [sic]. Just off the wall of the Tyne North breakwater, some 75m before the lighthouse, lies the midships of the wreck of the 1754-tonnes WANSWORTH. The site is near the antiquity called The Priory at GR 375695. The foundations of the old breakwater are visible at low water and the wreck, which sank on 7th January 1897, can be located here. (2)

1897 January 8th. During a severe storm the steamship WANDSWORTH, owned by Watkins of London, wrecked on Spanish Battery Point. The lifeboats BEDFORD, coxswain John L Burn, and JAMES YOUNG, coxswain Thomas Gibson, were launched. The crew of 22 were rescued by the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade. (3)

...reported in the Shields Daily Gazette for Friday, 8th January, 1897:-

"The strong south-east gale which came away early on Wednesday continued throughout yesterday, and consequently a tremendous sea was running on the coast...At about a quarter past eight at night, a steamer was sighted making for the harbour. She cleared the pier ends quite satisfactorily, but had barely passed the bar when she was seen to be in difficulties. It is stated that she failed to answer her starboard helm. Whatever the real cause of her sudden incapacity might be, she found it impossible to regain her course, and commenced to drift steadily before the gale, towards the north shore...

"The ship had settled with her head upstream on the rocks directly eastward from the Spanish Battery, on almost the exact spot where the schooner PEGGY struck, over five years ago.

"Immediately after giving the alarm, Mr E Jones, Chief Officer of the Coastguard, and his staff, assisted by Captain John Anderson and other members of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade who were present, had the rocket apparatus conveyed down to the shore. The tide was about two hours' ebb...It was impossible to approach nearer than some 150 yards off the side of the vessel, the intervening space being filled with rough broken water. A firm position being found from which to fire, a rocket was directed beautifully over the vessel. The line was caught by a stay, and the crew had some difficulty in securing it; when at last they did so, it was found that it had become fouled in the rocks. The same fate attended a second, and a third, rocket...a fourth rocket being discharged with an aim as true as that which had characterised the three preceding ones, the line fell amidships...after the lapse of some time, everything was clear and a few minutes before 11 o'clock, a youth was hauled through the surf and landed...It was not until then that it was learned that the steamer was the WANDSWORTH, Captain Watkin, of London. There were 22 hands all told, the majority being foreigners. After the first man had been rescued, the work went on smoothly...until all were brought ashore. One of the men bore in his arms a dog which gave token of being exceedingly thankful for its rescue..." (4)

Built: 1878 (1)
Propulsion: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine (1)
Boilers: 1 (1)
Lloyd's Classification: A1 (1)
Master: R B Gwatkin (1); Watkin (4)
Crew: 22 (3)
Owner: Watts, Ward & Co., London (1); Watkins (3)

1852 wreck of English brig which stranded on the Battery Point Rocks on entering the Tyne. Bound from London for Shields in ballast, some of which consisted of barrel staves, she was a wooden sailing vessel. This is likely to be the same vessel which grounded twice in 1824. Whilst entering the River Tyne at 7.30pm, tide three-quarter ebb, wind conditions SE force 6 and clear, this vessel grounded on the Bar and beat over onto Battery Point Rocks. The lifeboat proceeded to render aid and give protection to the crew; however, they succeeded in reaching the shore by themselves. The vessel became a total wreck and broke up in fragments. Whilst the vessel was insured with the North Shields Clubs for £900, nothing was saved from the wreck other than a few pieces of timber and damaged barrel staves.

NB: A vessel of the same name (q.v.) was reported aground twice in 1824, the first time in OCT-1824, and the second in DEC-1824. In view of the date of building (1815) this is likely to be the same vessel although the connection with Scarborough varies: the 1824 ANN'S RESOLUTION was registered at Scarborough but her date and place of building is not known; the 1852 ANN'S RESOLUTION was built at Scarborough.

For this reason one of the records for 1824 has been retained.

Built: 1815
Where Built: Scarborough
Master: Richard Oaks
Crew: 7
Owner: John Morrison, South Shields

1811 wreck.

`Saturday the HOPEWELL and MARY, loaded colliers, got upon the Bank Edge, at the lower end of North Shields, owing to the high tides and very insecure mode of mooring ships in a crowded harbour at Shields. The latter, by delivery, is got off, and into dock; but the former is a wreck.'

`To be sold by auction, for the benefit of the underwriters (W DALGLIESH, auctioneer) at Mrs Thrift's, Sign of the Newcastle Arms, North Shields, on Tuesday the 9th day of April, 1811, between the hours of 3 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon: The hull of the ship HOPEWELL, with the windlass, etc., on board, burthen 19 keels of coals, or thereabouts, now lying at the low end of North Shields.

`And on Wednesday, the day following, will be sold by auction, at the Dock, High End of North Shields, all the valuable materials of the said ship HOPEWELL, consisting of lower and other masts, yards, sails, bowsprit, standing and running rigging, anchors, cables, towlines, warps, kedges, buoys, boats, etc. etc.

`The sale to commence at 11 o'clock in the forenoon.

`NB: The above materials are nearly all new, and well worth the notice of the public. North Shields, March 28, 1811.

`Any person having any claim or demand on the above vessel, previous to her being wrecked, will send them in to Mr John Humble, Church Street, North Shields, the owner, in order to make arrangements for their discharge.'

Owner: John Humble, Church Street, North Shields

1976 wreck of a Scottish fishing vessel which foundered approximately 7 miles ENE of Tynemouth north pier following an explosion in her engine room. She was built of steel and powered by a screw-driven diesel engine. Charted in approximate position 55°02.75N, 001°13.10 [OSGB36] in a general depth of 53m as FRANCE BREIZE SN 108. The status of her charted position was amended to DEAD when no remains of the vessel could be found in 1999. The position at which she was charted was 'determined by the last reading of her... Decca Navigator... which the skipper remembered. This is approximately 55°02.45N, 001°14.00W which plots in about 50-53m of water in Chart 152.'
This Stornoway-registered fishing vessel sank within five minutes of an explosion in her engine-room approximately 6 to 7 miles east of the Tyne North Pier. Her crew are said to have been rescued by another fishing vessel.

Stranded Smack, 1858.

NB: The named location of Cullercoats has been selected to represent the approximate position of loss, being some 2 miles north of Shields but south of Blyth and within Tyne & Wear.

Crew: 6
Crew Lost: 1

1795 wreck of English lugger, which foundered a few leagues off Tynemouth Bar on being scuttled by a Dutch privateer; a wooden sailing vessel.

Tug foundered in wind conditions NE force 2 when the bottom of her hot well fell out, in 1900.

Built: 1875
Propulsion: Screw driven, 2 cylinder compound engine
Boilers: 1
Master: J Gibson
Crew: 4
Owner: T Gibson, South Shields