John Wesley voyages from Parkgate

The Methodist founder John Wesley (b 1703) was a frequent traveller to Ireland: 21 visits from 1747 until 1789. Many of these used the Packet ships from Parkgate to Dublin: his diary records voyages in vessels Dorset(1762); King George(1769); Nonpareil(1760, 1771 and 1775); Prince of Wales (1787) and Princess Royal (1789). After the loss of the Nonpareil and Trevor in 1775; he records, on two occasions, that there was no vessel available at Parkgate and he went on instead on the Duke of Leinster from Liverpool (1778) or on the Clermont from Holyhead (1785).
  He describes many delays, waiting for better weather, and one trip with a potentially serious outcome:
In the afternoon [11 July 1787 at Dublin] I went down with my friends, having taken the whole ship, and went on board the Prince of Wales, one of the Parkgate packets. At seven we sailed with a fair, moderate wind. Between nine and ten I lay down, as usual, and slept till nearly four, when I was awakened by an uncommon noise and found the ship lay beating upon a large rock, about a league from Holyhead. The captain, who had not long lain down, leaped up; and, running upon the deck, when he saw how the ship lay, cried out, "Your lives may be saved, but I am undone!" Yet no sailor swore, and no woman cried out. We immediately went to prayer; and presently the ship, I know not how, shot off the rock and pursued her way, without any more damage than the wounding a few of her outside planks. About three in the afternoon, we came safe to Parkgate; and in the evening went on to Chester.

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