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Masbrough Ship Disaster
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Source=h:/!Genuki/RecordTranscriptions/WRY/MikeGreatorexMasbro.txt Sheffield and Rotherham Independent.
1st week of July 1841
The disastrous ship launch at Masbro'
The following List of victims was taken from an edition of the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent published on the 10th July 1841 and reports the loss of life when a Ship launching on the River Dun at "Masbro' " went disasterously wrong.
It was the custom on that part of the River Dun to launch ships sideways and also the custom to allow young people on board at launching to experience the "rush" of the boat down the stays into the river along with the subsequent big splash!
Only this time the ship capsized when the crowd on board rushed to the river side of the boat to experience the splash. This momentum caused the ship to capsize.
I apologise for not including more but the article is very large and consists of 2 A4 size pages of small, tightly packed lettering.
Mike Greatorex.
| Name | Age | Residence/occupation | Parents Names |
| Thomas Straw | 10 | Masbro' Common | Ann Straw, Widow |
| Charles Robinson | 11 | ditto | Jno Robinson, shaft maker |
| James Argot | 15 | Masbro' | John Argot, Carter |
| John Brown | 15 | Masbro', roller(?) | Benj. Brown, Labourer |
| Joseph Furniss | 12 | Pool green | Robt. Furniss, Miller |
| Thomas Woodger | 13 | ditto | Jph. Woodger, chain maker |
| Wm. Woodger | 11 | ditto | ditto |
| Geo. Ernshaw | 7 | ditto | Wm. Ernshaw, moulder |
| John Jacques | 11 | Jubbs fold | Ann Green |
| Charles Hamby | 12 | Masbro' | Jph. Hamby, blacksmith |
| John Fox | 16 | Masbro' moulder | Dead |
| Wm Greenfield | 10 | Back Lane, Masbro' | S Greenfield, Boat hauler |
| Alfred Greenfield | 5 | ditto | ditto |
| Wm Bowler | 10 | New Holland | Jph Bowler, Flax dresser |
| Thomas Dale | 7 | ditto | Joseph Dale Potter |
| Thos Bradbury | 15 | Old Holland | Eliza Bradbury, Widow |
| John Haywood | 13 | Glasshouse Yard | George Haywood |
| John Gillott | 17 | Rawmarsh Lane | Saml Gillott, Labourer |
| John Smith | 40 | ditto Waterman | |
| Charles Smith | 8 | ditto } | his children |
| Henry Smith | 5 | ditto } | |
| George Curtis | 16 | ditto Waterman | Isaac Curtis, Porter |
| Samuel Freeman | 16 | ditto | W Freeman, Waterman |
| Wm Freeman | 3 | ditto | ditto |
| George Ramsden | 14 | Tinsley Lock | W Ramsden, Shoe mkr |
| Richard Shaw | 17 | Masbro' labourer | |
| John Greatorix | 21 | Furnival Street, joiner | } Harriet Taylor wife of } Benj Taylor, mason |
| Chas Matthews | 14 | Wellgate | Geo Matthews, Hauler |
| Saml Woodhouse | 18 | ditto Labourer | Benj Woodhouse, m(o)lder |
| John Shillito | 14 | ditto | Jon Shillito, staymaker |
| Richard Shillito | 9 | ditto | ditto |
| Joseph Earnshaw | 10 | Quarry Hill | John Ernshaw, mason |
| John Pattison | 10 | Welgate | John Pattison, sawyer |
| William Hall | 2 | ditto | Geo. Hall, labourer |
| George Nixon | 7 | ditto | George Nixon, labourer |
| Andrew Dobson | 9 | ditto | George Dobson, fishmonger |
| Henry Goodall | 8 | ditto | George Goodall, labourer |
| William Bradshaw | 14 | ditto | Robert Bradshaw |
| David Cundell | 13 | Pigeon Lane | Robert Cundell, shoemaker |
| Henry Crowther | 8 | ditto | William Crowther |
| John Kent | 10 | Market Place | John Kent, wheelwright |
| Joseph Buckley | 33 | Oil Mill Fold, joiner | |
| Alfred Buckley | 6 | ditto | his son |
| Samuel Heathcote | 41 | Crofts, joiner | |
| Robert Lancaster | 13 | Westgate, | Jph. Lancaster, currier |
| Samuel Dobb | 10 | Westgate Green | Samuel Dobb, Publican |
| St. S.W Blackburn | 11 | Westgate | Thomas Blackburn |
| John Parrott | 19 | ditto , waterman | Thomas Parrott |
| James Yates | 11 | Crofts | Mr James Yates |
| William Wood | 11 | Masbro' | Joseph Wood, waterman. |
The inquest was summoned that afternoon by the Coroner, Mr Thomas Badger and included the following.
| Mr W Beatson ** | Mr William Earnshaw |
| Mr Alexander Grant | Mr Andrew Crawshaw |
| Mr Frederick Fleck(?) | Mr George Taylor |
| Mr Francis Parker | Mr James Bromley |
| Mr C.S.R Sandford | Mr Benjamin Badger |
| Mr George Hutchinson | Mr Thomas Law |
| Mr John Graves Clark | Mr William Bingley |
| Mr William Wingfield | |
** Mr Beatson appointed Foreman.
A subscription was taken up to offer relief to the poorer families which raised £200.00.
Other persons mentioned, as for example, witnesses, were:
Henry Newsome (col 2)
George Wilton Chambers
Henry Cadman
Robert Marsh
John Callis
Edwin Cadwin (col3)
George Haywood
Henry Smith
George Ridgway
As a follow-on on this subject:
The following letter to the Editor of the Independent dated 7th July 1841 appeared after the tragedy in the same edition I have previously quoted
Sir, Allow me, through the medium of your valuable paper, to contradict a report prevalent in Rotherham, viz, that several boys belonging to the Rotherham, Feoffee's School, were unfortunately drowned last Monday, by the launching of a boat,at Masbro'.
I have great pleasure in stating, that not one Charity boy was present upon the sad occasion. No holiday was allowed. Every Charity boy was present at schol when the event took place, except two who were detained from school on account of illness.
I am, Sir, your obliged servant.
JOHN MYCOCK
Master of the Feoffee's School, Rotherham.
July 7th 1841.
Sheffield and Rotherham Independent.
July 1841
Transcribed by
Mike Greatorex ©2003