SHIPWRECK-L Archives

From:
Subject: Wreck of the William and Mary - May 1853
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:51:21 EDT

I haven't gone through all the accounts of the wreck of the William and Mary
on line, but there seems to be a conflict with the newspaper accounts. The
sequence of events associated with the wreck started on evening of May 3rd and
all the facts didn't come out until some weeks later. The initial report was by
Capt. Stinson covered in the New York Times on May 18, 1853, page 1, had the
ship sinking with the loss of over 200 lives. Suspicions were aroused when the
Capt. and crew immediately left New York. Subsequently it was learned that the
Captain abandoned the ship. When the survivors managed to arrive at New
Orleans. John Brooke, a passenger, set the record straight with an account
published in the New Orlean's Picayune on June 14, 1853, which was published in the
New York Times, July 4, 1853 page 3:3.

John Brown and family arrived at New Orleans on the Schooner Rover, with 67
passengers from the William and Mary. The New York Times, June 20, 1853, page
1:4 contains a list of passenger from the Schooner Rover and Time who were
aided by the British consul at New Orleans. John Brooke and wife, along with John,
Jean, John Jr., Wilson and George Brown were listed as passengers on the
Rover.

An interesting story, I can't find were it is properly told on the web. There
should have been an inquiry into the captain's conduct, but I merely the
scratched the surface. Perhaps someone can set the record straight on this one.

Rose Albrizio

This thread:

• Wreck of the William and Mary - May 1853 by