Does anyone know of a ferry accident, with fatalities, that occurred on the River Tamar on Oct. 30, 1805? My ancestor, Rebecca Matthews, from Bere Ferrers, died in that accident, with six or seven others, and was buried in the St. Andrew Churchyard in Bere Ferrers on Nov. 12, 1805. I have not been able to learn anything about it.
Thank you very much.
Re: Ferry Accident
Posted by Judith on 21/2/2024, 3:12 pm, in reply to "Ferry Accident"
If you can get to the Heritage centre, they have newspapers on film, as you have the dates should come up somewhere depending on which papers it was in. Or if not contact them and see if there is a newspaper article, they may be able to send a photocopy.
Thank you. I’m in the USso can’t get to the center but I will contact them, as you suggest.
Gina
Re: Ferry Accident
Posted by judith on 21/2/2024, 3:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Ferry Accident"
Have just looked on line, there is a britishnewspaper archive, and the Exeter Flying post is the newspaper to look for, you can go on line and pay to view, might be useful, there is an entry for 31st October, (I cant see it as not paid!) Hope that helps, or contact the heritage centre quoting that date and newspaper and see what they can offer.
Posted by Roger Donne on 22/2/2024, 6:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Ferry Accident"
I do have an account with the newspaper archive though I haven't taken out any subscription. However one of the signup offers was a few free looks. I have transcribed the article on the accident - it's not very long, included in a little diary of events, as follows:
"Friday (the preceding Wed was dated 23rd Oct 1805) Wind ESE blows hard. Last night, as a large market-boat was sailing down the river Tamar, with the sheets belayed, the sails gibed near Cargreen, and she upset, by which occurrence three men and six women were unfortunately drowned. The three boatmen were saved by a boat passing by, who picked them up off the wreck. One of the young women was to have been married this morning."
I was specially interested in the story since I spent my early years in Cargreen, on the Cornish bank of the Tamar. The river is wide at this point and just below Cargreen is joined by the river Tavy. I recall my mother used to tell me that in the first decades of the 20th century, one the ways to travel to the shops in Plymouth and Devonport was to get the Cargreen waterman to row you across the river and then walk up through fields to the railway station at Bere Alston. Then you catch a train on the line which ran along the Devon bank of Tamar into Plymouth. Return was the same route - sounds hair-raising if the wind had got up during the day!
