Fatal accident to PS Escape 1832

Late Melancholy Death of Captain Skinner RN [contemporary newspaper report]:
  Captain Skinner, commanding the Escape post-office steam-packet, sailed from Howth on Tuesday morning, at nine o'clock, with a fair wind, for Holyhead. Between two and three that day [13 October 1832], about five miles from the land, the packet was struck by two very heavy waves following each other. The second dashed Captain Skinner, and his mate William Morris, (a stout and able seaman), through the bulwarks overboard, carrying away binnacle and compass, and knocked down the man at the helm who fortunately got entangled in the chain of the wheel, which was broken, and by this means he was saved. It is supposed Captain Skinner and the mate were killed on the instant, as they were seen for twenty minutes floating with their faces downwards, and no appearance of life. Every exertion was made, and several times they were caught with the boat hook by clothes which gave way.
  On the arrival of the packet at Holyhead, the pier was crowded by persons of all ranks, anxious know what misfortune had happened, having previously learnt by signals made at the station-house on the top of Holyhead mountain, that an accident had occurred. It is totally impossible to describe the effect the melancholy tidings had on the multitude - the screeches and lamentations were awful. The loss of Captain Skinner will be severely felt at Holyhead, particularly by the poor, to upwards of one hundred of whom he weekly gave out of his private purse an allowance of bread. He was esteemed by every person who knew him; and from the length of his servitude in his Majesty's packet service, (nearly forty years), together with his civil, obliging and gentlemanly manners, he became a decided favourite, and most families of distinction preferred crossing by the vessel he commanded. In the year 1821 be had the honour of bringing over his late Majesty George the Fourth, by whom he was offered a knighthood, which he declined. The highest honour that could be bestowed on him, so as to retain the situation of Captain in the Holyhead station, was graciously conferred, by his Majesty promoting him to be Master and Commander of the Royal Navy.
  Captain Davis of Holyhead has offered a reward of £10 for the recovery of his body.

Postscript
  The bodies of Captain Skinner and his mate were not recovered for some weeks. When Captain Skinner's body was discovered, it gave reason to suppose that it had been found some time before, when valuables had been removed before casting him back into the sea.
  Captain John MacGregor Skinner was 70 years old, and had been in public service for 59 years. He was born in Perth Amboy in New Jersey, North America, in 1760. He joined the Royal Navy in 1776 and was a midshipman on HMS Phoenix during the American War of Independence; he had only served for a short time before he lost his arm and received other wounds from gunfire, in 1776, from Fort Washington on the Hudson River. He had lost an eye during service in the West Indies. He served with the Navy until 1793 when he entered the Post Office shipping service. In 1807, he astonished seasoned mariners by successfully bringing his ship into Holyhead harbour during an exceptionally severe gale; Captain Skinner had to navigate, under sail, past numerous rocks and small islands to enter the harbour which was, at that date, much less well protected. He was well loved and respected by the people of Holyhead. Captain Skinner became master of Paddle Steamers (when introduced from 1821, including Lightning and Escape). He was master of the Lightning when it carried King George IV to Howth in 1821. He was often accompanied by his raven who would recognise the Escape and fly out until it was perched on its Masters' shoulders.
  In 1832, he became the principal witness of a Committee drawn up by Parliament to look into the fact that Holyhead should have been grown in prosperity due to great sums of money being spent on roads - but with the cramped accommodation on the boats, people were opting to go to Ireland from the port of Liverpool. Captain Skinner was to investigate this. He reported that high fares and bad accommodation were turning passengers away from Holyhead, together with the report that the Holyhead packets had only iron knives and forks and earthenware, compared to their rival packet ships in Liverpool who could boast being magnificently fitted and provided plates, table linen, mattresses, feather beds and an abundance of blankets. Sir Henry Parnell corroborated Captain Skinner's evidence and concluded that the Admiralty take over management of the packets from the Post Office. The Committee made a statement that the Holyhead route was a major one, and that no expense should be spared on it.

So much and so sincere was the grief in the town of Holyhead, at the tragic loss of Captain Skinner, that an obelisk to his memory was erected by public subscription on a dominating crag of rock overlooking Holyhead harbour (east side of old harbour). Image of text in 2019; it bears the words:-

This monument was erected by his numerous friends to the memory of John Macgregor Skinner, R.N., and for 33 years captain of one of the post office packets on this station, in testimony of his virtues, and their affectionate remembrance of him in his public capacity. He was distinguished for zeal, intrepidity and fidelity. In private life, he was a model of unvarying friendship, disinterested kindness and unbounded charity.MDCCCXXXII.

A report into the accident revealed that Captain Skinner had died because of the neglect of the Post Office, who were impervious to any lesson and incapable of grasping the needs of the time. The Sea Service did not improve, and nothing was done to introduce modern paddle steamers on the Holyhead route. An inquiry was held in 1836 due to the blatant mismanagement of the Post Office ships, and it revealed a financial loss in every station, but a particularly great one in Holyhead. Concern was also raised about the inadequate fire fighting facilities aboard vessels. At last, a decision was finally made to transfer the packets to the Board of Admiralty and in 1837 the six Holyhead Packets were transferred and renamed Zephyr, Doterel, Otter, Sprightly, Cuckoo and the Gleanor.

PPS: Many years ago, I took some dive trips out of Abersoch with Richie Bufton aboard his boat Captain Skinner. It is unusual for a boat to be named after a man - but now I understand the significance of the name.

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