Annie Jane
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Annie Jane was a ship carrying 450 people that sunk on 28 September 1853 en route from Liverpool to Montreal, Canada when the ship broke up on rocks in a storm off Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides, while attempting to reach the island of Barra. Annie Jane left for Canada in August of 1853. The owner of Annie Jane was Thomas Holderness, who resided in Liverpool. Many of the ship's passengers were Irish and Scottish.[1][2][3]
Wreck
[edit]The ship left Liverpool on August 18, 1853. Due to poor weather which damaged the ship's mast, Annie Jane returned to Liverpool, leaving once more on September 9. Bad weather continued during its second attempt, and despite making repairs to the ship at sea, many passengers wished to return to Liverpool again. The captain, William Mason, initially turned the ship back towards Liverpool, but changed course for Canada again the next day. Mason threatened to shoot anyone who attempted to reverse his decision, having allegedly shouted "To Quebec or the bottom!" After suffering severe damage to its topsail on the 21st, Annie Jane began to drift in the ocean before arriving near Barra on the 28th. While attempting to reach a bay on the island and evade a storm, Annie Jane struck ground near Vatersay.[2][4] 350 people died, out of around 450 passengers.[5][6] It is possible the death toll was higher as children were not listed on the ship.[3] 102 passengers survived by floating to shore on pieces of the ship, who were later cared for by the residents of Vatersay before they could return to the mainland.[2][6] The ship's sinking was ruled to have been due to excess cargo, which, combined with poor stowage, had led the ship to roll excessively.[7][8]
As residents of the islands lacked the resources to properly handle the large numbers of dead passengers, over 250 were buried in two mass graves, located on a set of beach dunes.[9][10] The incident, alongside other maritime accidents around the same time period, prompted authorities to recommend the usage of azimuth compasses during voyage.[7] The bay at Vatersay where many of the bodies washed ashore is now the site of a memorial.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Branigan, Keith (15 May 2012). Barra: Episodes from an Island's History. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4456-1226-3. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ a b c Maculay, Susy (25 September 2021). "'To Quebec or the bottom!': Fateful cry of captain of doomed emigrant ship wrecked off Barra". Press and Journal. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ a b Paterson, Kirsteen (29 September 2018). "Annie Jane shipwreck disaster to be remembered in Scottish island ceremony". Scotland: The National. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ Grimsditch, Lee (10 October 2021). "Liverpool ship's captain sailed 350 people to their death". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ "Wrecking of Annie Jane off Vatersay to be marked". BBC News. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ a b Liu, Paul C. (31 January 2007). "A chronology of freaque wave encounters". Geofizika. 24 (1): 57–70. ISSN 1846-6346. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ a b MacDonagh, Oliver (1958). "Delegated Legislation and Administrative Discretions in the 1850's: A Particular Study". Victorian Studies. 2 (1): 29–44. ISSN 0042-5222. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ Buxton, Ben (12 September 2012). The Vatersay Raiders. Birlinn. ISBN 978-0-85790-492-8. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ "Memorial service to mark 165 years since shipwreck in which 350 people died". The Herald. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ "Ship Annie Jane lost 1853". liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ "The 'Annie Jane'". The Orkney News. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
Further reading
[edit]- Allan F. Murray (2018). The Wreck of the 'Annie Jane'. Acair Ltd. ISBN 9780861524129.