St. Patrick
Wooden paddle steamer b 1833 Humble, Hurry & Milcrest, Liverpool,
[third St Patrick] 269 tons burthen, 149' x 29'.
Owned St George Steam Packet Co of Liverpool then Waterford
Commercial S N Co.
Captain George Shute
Voyage Liverpool to Waterford
Struck Rocks near Churchtown
(north of Hook Tower) on 28 November 1838
Approximate position 52° 8' N, 6° 56' W.
Wreckage reported 1989: 52° 9' N; 6° 55' W [OSI DATUM].
4 crew and 2 passengers lost; 23 saved.
[from Liverpool Albion - Monday 01 October 1832]:
LAUNCHES. On Tuesday a fine steam boat was launched from the
building-yard of Messrs. Humble, Hurry, and Milcrest, Trentham-street.
She has been built for Sir John Tobin, and is intended for the Waterford
trade, in which the worthy knight has a beautiful packet, the Gipsy,
already engaged. The launch was attended by some hundreds of ladies and
gentlemen, as well as by a large crowd of the humbler classes. The
Mayor honoured the ceremony with his presence. About half-past eleven,
the majestic vessel was committed to her destined element, amidst the
cheers of those upon her deck, answered by the shouts of the spectators
on shore. The St. Patrick is an excellent specimen of naval
architecture. She is built with a round stern, which, though we cannot
avoid considering less susceptible of symmetry and beauty than the
ordinary mould, will, no doubt, afford ample compensation in strength
and capacity. When the vessel is supplied with her engines, which will
be of 190 horses' power, she will be one of the most superior
conveyances between this port and the sister country; and we sincerely
hope she will prove as succesSful as her esteemed and spirited
proprietor can wish. A handsome collation was provided in one of the
moulding-rooms, which was very tastefully fitted up and decorated
profusely with flags. The refreshments were furnished in the greatest
excellence and plenty by Mr. Horne, of the Mersey Coffee-house, and
gave the highest satisfaction to the 400 guests who partook of Messrs.
Humble, Hurry, and Milcrest's, hospitatlity.
LOSS OF THE ST. PATRICK STEAMER. (From the Waterford Mirror of Saturday
morning and an addendum).
We regret to have to announce the total
wreck of the St. Patrick steamer, George Shute, master, and the loss of six
persons - her two mates (John Tuckey and William Trail), two of her seamen
(Rowley Jones and David Humphrey), and two steerage passengers, man and wife,
natives of the County Tipperary, who had just landed at Liverpool after a
three years' residence in America. They had fondly anticipated spending the
remainder of their term of life in their native land, enjoying that competence
for which they had travelled so far and toiled so hard but the hope was
disappointed, under circumstances most melancholy.
The St. Patrick left Liverpool at seven on Tuesday morning, with a tolerably full cargo of merchandize, assorted in the usual variety. She experienced a dreadfully rough passage, during some part of which she was "hove to," unable to make progress against the gale, and at twenty minutes to five o'clock, on Wednesday evening, she was driven on the rocks at Churchtown, in the County of Wexford, a quarter of a mile inside Hook Tower, the entrance of the harbour, where she instantly became a total wreck - losing six persons - twenty-three persons being providentially saved. An hour before this final and melancholy catastrophe, while approaching Hook Tower, she was struck by a sea that carried away her boats and some of her bulwarks. Immediately afterwards, she was struck by another surge, which carried away her steering wheel and binnacle, and the first mate, who, with others, was steering at the time. She was then worked by tackles, the hook of one of which broke, and the second mate was carried awav. The vessel thus became unmanageable, and yielded to the irresistible force of the storm.
More details (from Waterford Mirror) of the stormy passage from Liverpool
to Waterford:
On Tuesday, 27th Nov., at past 6 a.m., the vessel sailed from Liverpool for
Waterford, wind E., blowing strong gale which came on in heavy squalls towards
midnight. About half-past one p.m., when off the South Stack Light House by
Holyhead, the fore-gaff was entirely carried away. At one o'clock in the
morning of the 28th, the wind then blowing from S.S.W., she shipped a quantity
of water fore and aft in a squall of wind and rain, with a heaving beam sea.
At half-past four a.m., the Tuskar light was seen at a distance of four
miles, bearing North, steering W. half N., which course was continued until
eight a.m., when the Captain conceived he was abreast of the light ship. Gales
with heavy rains increasing. The vessel then hauled to, under balance reefed
mainsail, with her head to the Westward. At this time passed a brig in great
distress, but could render her no assistance. The vessel then lay to till
half-past twelve; blowing a heavy gale, and thick rainy weather. We then bore
away for the harbour of Waterford, the carpenter busily engaged in battening
down the crank hatches, the vessel labouring heavily, and shipping a quantity
of water. At half past 2 p. m., the foresail was torn to ribbons by a heavy
squall from S. S. E; no appearance of land; hauled to under balance reefed
mainsail, on the starboard tack; cast the lead, and found 15 fathoms. It was
now blowing a heavy gale of wind, the sea running mountains high, and no
appearance of the land. At 3 o'clock, the vessel was struck a heavy sea abaft
the paddle box, which carried away the starboard boat, bulwarks, stanchions,
safe, and binnacle, stove in the main hatches, and disabled 5 seamen;
carpenter employed securing the main hatches with tarpaulin. At 3:20, she
shipped another heavy sea, taking the cook house and main winch; in fact, making a
clean sweep on the main deck, the sea pouring down the main hatches, brought
the vessel a deal by the stern. At 4:10, the sky opened, and we saw the Hook
Light, bearing N. N. W., distant about four miles; took the mainsail in, and
bore away. When the vessel got before the sea, she pooped with us, taking away
the wheel, sky-lights, companion, first mate, and one seaman; the relieving
tackles were instantly hooked on and steered for the harbour, the vessel
answering her helm very well. At five o'clock, the hook of the larboard tackle
straightened out; she then broached to on the starboard tack, her head coming
up East. At 5:10, she struck inside of Hook-point, abreast of Churchtown, the
sea making a breach through the main gangway, taking the larboard boat and
second mate overboard. All hopes were now over, except trying to save life;
the remaining crew and passengers assembled on the forecastle, where they
dropped from the end of the bowsprit on the rocks, except the two mates, two
seamen, and two passengers, man and wife, who met a watery grave.
Captain Shute was severely bruised and otherwise injured whilst making his escape. The gentleman (passenger) was landed safely, but on missing his wife, he re-entered the vessel save her when the stern part gave way from the paddles, and they were both drowned. With the receding of the sea, the survivors who had clung to the several parts the wreck, gained the rock on which the St. Patrick had struck, and having maintained their fooling, notwithstanding the raging elements, were providentially saved.
We have to mention the kind, hospitable treatment received from the poor inhabitants of the place, especially one of the name of Power, who gave up their beds for our use, and their scanty supply of provisions, Capt. Dickens of the Fort of Duncannon, the Rev Mr. Lowe, Chaplain of the Fort, and the Rev Charles William Doyne, of Feathard, were most attentive to the Captain and shipwrecked seamen, suppling them with money and necessaries of life, for which they desire to record their lively and grateful remembrance.
Note that a previous wooden paddle steamer of the same name,
belonging to the same company, had been wrecked
at a nearby location in 1831.
Note also that the St. Patrick (wrecked in 1838) had gone to
the assistance of the PSS Leeds off Anglesey in 1834.