Newspaper reports of the loss of the ship Nazarene

Preston Herald - Wednesday 02 October 1872

WRECK OF A LIVERPOOL SHIP - SUPPOSED LOSS OF THE CREW.
  About 5:15 on Saturday night [28 September 1872] signals of distress were seen from the Prince's Landing-stage to be hoisted at the Rock Light. The lifeboat was at once despatched down channel in tow of the steam tug Tartar. Subsequently, Captain Hill, of the Isle of Man steamer, Mona's Isle, also reported that he had observed signals of distress on the Rock Light. Intelligence was likewise received from the coastguard station at Waterloo that signals of distress were observed on both the lightships[Crosby and Formby], but that no vessel in distress could be seen from the station. Captain Evans, of the steam tug Fiery Cross, shortly afterwards reported having observed, when crossing the Queen's Channel, a vessel in distress and all sails flying near Formby. He turned the head of the tug towards the vessel, but before reaching her, she was driven ashore broadside on the beach. The sea was making clean over her and he could not approach near enough to ascertain her name, but saw that she was a large wooden ship painted black, and of about 1000 tons burden. On his way up the channel, Captain Evans met the lifeboat and indicated to the crew the position of the vessel. The lifeboat, however, had to return without making anything out. The New Brighton Lifeboat, also, went out with a similar result.
 A later account says: there seems to be no doubt that the vessel wrecked off Formby was Nazarene, between 800 and 900 tons, which sailed from Liverpool for Havannah on the 22nd last month [25th in another account] and, from inquiries we have made, we have been enabled to learn the following additional particulars of the loss:
  About 3:30 pm on Saturday afternoon, Henry Aindow, captain of the Formby lifeboat saw a large three-masted vessel about 2 or 3 miles from the shore heading about SSW as though heading for the Queen's Channel. As it was nearly dead low water, she could not make that channel, and at 4.15 she struck on the Northwest point of Mad Wharf, one of the roughest points on the river. Immediately a signal of distress was hung out, and Aindow answered it by hanging out a flag and firing a gun to call together the crew of his boat. In about five minutes, an answering signal was shown by the Crosby Lightship, and subsequently by the Rock Lighthouse, from whence information that a ship was in distress was conveyed to Liverpool. At this time the wind was blowing a very heavy gale from about W by N, and it was with great difficulty that the Formby lifeboat could be launched, for it had to be taken about a mile along the shore to the water's edge in the face of the wind. About 6:30pm, the boat was got into the water with a crew on board of 13 men, under the command of Henry Aindow. They had not proceeded far when a heavy sea broke three of the oars, throwing the men down, and one of them, Robert Aindow, the mate, fell across the thwarts with another man on top of him and received rather severe injuries. The boat was washed ashore and as soon as possible fresh oars were shipped, together with a man in young Aindow's place. This boat was again got under weigh, but directly afterwards, four oars were washed out of the mens' hands, and the boat was driven on shore. A crowd of people had assembled on shore to witness the attempt to rescue and render what assistance was possible, and they told Captain Aindow that it was not worth putting off again, as nothing could be done. However, a third attempt was made, but equally unsuccessful as the others. All this time, no one could be seen on the decks of the ship, even with the aid of a glass, for the sea was dashing over the vessel about 20 ft above the deck. No lights or rockets were shown, and even the distress signal was hauled down, or, which is more probable, blown away, and about 7pm the atmosphere was obscured with the coming darkness of the night, and with the beating waves, that the ship could not be seen. A little later, people on shore saw rockets being fired, apparently from boats in the Crosby Channel, which it is presumed were the Liverpool and New Brighton lifeboats in tow of steamers, but as no answer was made, they had to return, not being able to make out where the distressed vessel was lying. About 9pm, the lifeboat men left the beach, finding that they could be of no service, but at 6:30 on Sunday morning they were on the shore again, when nothing could be seen except 10 or 12 feet of the vessel's forward bulwarks. The shore, however, in the direction of Ainsdale and Southport, was strewn with wreckage, consisting of masts, spars, ship's timbers, portions of boats (on the stern sheets of one of which was painted "Nazarene Liverpool"), 5 or 6 cwts of ship's bread in a large iron safe, a barrel of pork, another of brandy, etc., These things were all gathered up by the coastguardsmen, and deposited on the shore by the Birkdale lifeboat house, and in the yard of Captain Reckcliffe, East Bank-street, Southport.
  Among other property washed ashore and handed to the police, were a number of papers, including bills of exchange on credit drawn in Havana, Rio de Janiero, Melbourne, and other places, mostly in favour of Messrs. Loughham & Co.; a quadrant made by Walker of Liverpool, and a photograph on glass in heavy folding cases of a female with four children about her. About 4 yesterday morning, the body of an elderly man, supposed to be that of Captain Brewer, the commander of the Nazarene, was washed ashore at Ainsdale, with a life-buoy attached, but not properly fixed. There was a wound on the side of the head as though the man had been struck struck by a floating spar, and this probably will account for death in this case. On the body were found a valuable gold watch, which had stopped at 4:30, and some papers relating to a ship called the Martha, in which the deceased appeared to have sailed some years ago. About four hours later, two other bodies were washed ashore near the same place, one a coloured man and the other a young nan who had been badly bruised and knocked about. During the forenoon another body of a young man was recovered from the sea at Formby, and removed to the dead house near Formby church. A fifth body was found at two in the afternoon at Ainsdale, having on it a number of rosaries and scapulars, and, with the others found at the same place, was removed to the Park Hotel, Birkdale, to await an inquest.
  It is said there are complaints that the Southport lifeboat did not put off to the assistance of the ill-fated vessel, but these complaints are answered by the statement that the Southport station is about eight or nine miles from Formby, which distance the boat would have to be drawn by horses in the face of the wind; in addition to which other lifeboat stations were nearer, so that if help could have been given, there was plenty of it.
  The following is a complete list of the crew and officers of the ill-fated vessel.
John Brewer master 61 Liverpool
Abraham Green mate 26 Liverpool
Wm Henry Brewer 2nd mate 21 St John NB
Thomas Power carpenter 42 Waterford.
G Anderson steward and cook 30 Jamaica
James John able seaman 26 West Indies
Edward Williams " 21 Boston
Charles Freeman " 21 United States
W Jones " 35 "
Abner Frances " 37 "
Henry Hyde " 27 "
Samuel Reason " 28 "
Isaac Gainiss " 37 "
Geo Norton orderly seaman 20 "
George F Davies " 22 "
W Anderson boy 14 Liverpool
Another man Josh Anderson shipped but did not join the vessel.
  The Nazarene which measured 815 tons, was built in Quebec in 1854, and was owned by Mr W Geves, of Liverpool, late mayor of Bootle. She was a teetotal ship so that one of the frequent causes of disaster, soon after leaving port, did not exist in this case. The simple explanation of the loss appears to be that the vessel suffered damage in the heavy gale which came on a day or two after she left the Channel, that her Captain was attempting to put back to port, but on account of a heavy westerly gale on Saturday, failed to make the channel of the Mersey, got hopelessly embayed in the shallows off Formby, anchored in the hope of assistance being sent, but capsized and foundered during Saturday night, all on board meeting with a watery grave. It is said that Captain Brewer, who was well known and much respected in shipping circles at this port, intended to retire from a sea life after this voyage, having spent nearly all his life of three-score and upwards in battling with the perils of the ocean. A melancholy circumstance associated with the wreck is that the boy, Anderson, met with his untimely death while going out on his first voyage.

Cheshire Observer - Saturday 05 October 1872
  WRECK OF THE SHIP NAZARENE OFF LIVERPOOL. LOSS OF ALL HANDS. Another lamentable shipwreck has occurred near Liverpool, attended by the loss of all on board. About five o'clock on Saturday evening [28th September] the distress flag was observed to be hoisted at the Rock lighthouse, at the entrance to the Mersey, and it was soon known that a large ship was in a dangerous position in the neighbourhood of Formby. The New Brighton and Liverpool lifeboats were at once got ready and proceeded in search of the distressed vessel. They were, however, unable to find her, and returned to port. The fact of a distressed vessel being outside was confirmed by the arrival of the Isle of Man steamers, Snaefell and Mona's Isle, Captains Lewen and Hill both reporting that when coming in through the Queen's Channel they observed a large ship, apparently lying at anchor near Formby Point, in a very dangerous position, and quite out of their reach to render any assistance. The crew of the steam tug Fiery Cross also observed the same vessel, and described her as a large vessel of about 1000 tons.
  On Sunday morning one of the Dublin steamers on her passage through the channels also observed a large ship lying on her beam ends about the spot already indicated; and on Sunday afternoon a boat having the name "Nazarene, Liverpool," painted on her stern, was washed ashore at Southport. On Monday, however, all doubts as to the name of the vessel and the fate of the crew were cleared up, as at about eight o'clock in the morning the body of Captain Brewer, of the Nazarene, was washed on to the Formby beach. The ill-fated vessel left the Mersey on the 22nd September[actually delayed until 25th] for Havannah, and must therefore have encountered the full force of the late severe gale. The general opinion is that the Nazarene was putting back when the disaster occurred, having become disabled, for repairs, as the vessel when first sighted was evidently to a certain extent unmanageable.
  The Nazarene was a vessel of 815 tons register, built at Sunderland[sic, Lloyds gives built Quebec] in 1854, and owned in Liverpool by Mr. W. Geves, but dispatched by Messrs. Thomas King and Son. When the vessel left the Mersey she had on board a crew of 17 men, under command of Captain J. Brewer. Later accounts state that dead bodies and wreckage are being washed ashore near the scene of the catastrophe. The violence of the gale is attested by the condition of the masts of the wrecked ship. They seem to have been torn out of the vessel. With regard to the services rendered by the local lifeboats on this occasion, it seems there is room for inquiry. Mr. Driffield, county coroner, opened an inquest on Wednesday, on the bodies of the master and four of the crew. A son of the master (Jacob Brewer) recognised the bodies of his father and brother. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased were drowned in the wreck of the ship Nazarene, but under what circumstances was not shown by the evidence. We understand the Board of Trade will institute an inquiry with reference to the loss of the ship.

Shipping and Mercantile Gazette - Thursday 03 October 1872
  The Wreck near Southport - Last evening an inquest was held at the Park Hotel, Birkdale, before Mr. C. E. Driffield, on the remains of the five men, belonging to the Crew of the Nazarene, who have been washed up on the shore. John Brewer, a young Seaman, identified two of the bodies as those of his father, Jacob Brewer, the Master of the Nazarene, and his brother, William Henry Brewer, the Second Mate, aged 21 years. Captain Brewer had been on one previous voyage on the foundered vessel, and witness had heard him say he liked her very well, she was a snug old ship, with good masts in her. Witness recognised another of the bodies as that of the Carpenter, Thomas Power, but did not know the other two men, both of whom were coloured. The Nazarene should have left the Birkenhead Docks on Sunday week, but did not leave until the following Tuesday[25th September]. Mary Davis recognised one of the bodies as that of her husband, George J. Davis, a coloured Seaman, and the other coloured man she thought was Henry Hyde. Her husband had told her that if he had seen the ship before, he would not have gone with her, she seemed so much damaged. Other evidence as to the identification of the bodies was given by a coloured Seaman named John Singleton, and the inquest was adjourned to Friday next. Previous to the inquest, a similar inquiry was held, also before Mr. C. E. Driffield, at Formby, on the bodies of two of the Crew of the Nazarene. One was that the Cabin Boy, William Anderson, mulatto, whose father was Cook and Steward on the ill-fated ship. The other deceased was known as the Big Frenchman, but none the witnesses knew his name, and, indeed, all the men on board except the Officers were coloured. An open verdict was returned.

Shipping and Mercantile Gazette - Friday 04 October 1872
  Mersey Docks Board. At the weekly meeting of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, at Liverpool, yesterday, Mr. W. Langton presided. Mr. Job, in moving the confirmation of the proceedings of the Marine Committee, said he wished to make a few remarks in reply to several letters which had appeared in the newspapers in reference to the wreck of the Nazarene. It had been matter of deep regret, and, he might add, of some little disappointment, that the Liverpool and Formby lifeboats [New Brighton lifeboat was maintained by RNLI] did not succeed in rendering assistance to the Nazarene. The Marine Surveyor had made every inquiry, and had satisfied himself that the Crews of those boats did all they could under the circumstances.

Images from dive on Nazarene on 1 Sept 2021