Luxborough Galley
Encyclopedia
The Luxborough Galley was an English ship involved in a notorious maritime incident during the 18th century.
The vessel, commanded by William Kellaway, was 340 tonne and fitted to carry 26 guns. She was employed by the South Sea Company in a triangular trade
route, transporting cotton goods, slaves and rum between England, Africa and the Americas. The delivery of enslaved people to the Spanish territories was made under the conditions stipulated in the Assiento contract.
The disastrous journey had seen one third of the human cargo, 600 African slaves, die from smallpox before they were delivered. Having left England in October of 1725, her end came in the mid-atlantic on 25 June 1727; she caught fire while carrying rum and sugar on the return leg to England and sank. The testimony of William Boys is often referred to in later notices; he was a 24-year-old second mate
on the voyage, having already served with the Royal Navy
for ten years. The vessel left Jamaica
on the 23 June, being destined for England on the final leg of the journey. Her position on the 25th was determined to be latitude 41° 45' north, longitude 20° 30 east, from Crooked Island, Bahamas when the final disaster struck. The cause was reported as resulting from the actions of two youths, described as "black boys", who were in the hold of the ship when they noticed liquid on the floor. Fearing this was water leaking from a keg, they held a candle to it to investigate; the substance turned out to be rum and it quickly caught fire. The two boys then hid themselves, afraid of the consequences of their actions. At half past twelve the Captain's cook noticed flames emerging from the forecastle
, as he raised the alarm a keg exploded and filled the hold with flame. Several members of the crew attempted to quench the fire with water, even stripping their clothing to smother the flames, but the hold had become an inferno. The deck overhead was breached in an attempt to douse the flames, this allowed air to enter, increasing the intensity of the fire, and the front of the ship was soon ablaze.
During the conflagration the panic-stricken captain and some crew had fallen to their knees and prayed, expecting at any moment that the gunpowder
below the fire would explode, others sought to escape on a yawl
that had been hurriedly launched. The sixteen foot boat contained three oars, its fourth was lost, but held no other equipment or provisions. The Luxborough Galley was equipped with a longboat
, but despite the efforts of some of the crew this could not be launched, probably because the tackle had caught fire. The smaller boat was filled beyond its regular capacity, 22 men and boys, when this was under-way there were sixteen persons left behind. The yawl was turned into the waves to avoid swamping, putting distance between any salvage or survivors, the huddled occupants watched the Luxborough continue to burn to the waterline and eventually explode.
The escape on the boat left those fleeing in a precarious situation, with no food, water or compass, and ill-prepared for an ocean voyage to safety. Some of those on board the yawl, decrying their predicament, proposed to relieve their craft's burden by casting the alleged instigators of the blaze, the two boys, into the ocean. This was overruled, and the captain vetoed a proposal to settle the matters by allotment
, the subsequent deaths of some occupants made this unnecessary.
The Luxboroughs crew were adrift for two weeks, their number was reduced to twelve before their rescue by fisherman off the coast of Newfoundland, the captain died the next day. They were tended to by their rescuers before setting out for a major port, only five men reached this destination; one man went to New England
and the rest reached London on 14 October. Of the few survivors, Boys survived to the age of 74, the surgeon, Scrimsour, to 80, and George Mould died at Greenwich Hospital aged 82.
The gruesome details of the survivors of the Luxborough Galley appeared in notices in newspapers, in September the Evening Post
and others reprinted the ghoulish report of the Boston Gazette. An account of the incident was the subject of a 1787 book by William Boys
, the son of one survivor, Commodore William Boys, R.N.
(c.1700–1774), who had risen through the ranks to become lieutenant-governor of Greenwich Hospital. The Penny Magazine
of 1834 reproduced part of Boys narrative, comparing it to the later disaster of sinking of Royal George, it details the journey leading up to the sinking, then the means by which they navigated, improvised a sail, and obtained a meagre amount of water. The frank account of fifth day of the voyage gave the recipe for their continued survival,
John Nichols
mentions Boys' work in his Literary Anecdotes, and ends his retelling of the events by remarking on the "very great age" of the few survivors. A series of paintings detailing the events was displayed by the younger Boys in his parlour, according to Thomas Pennant
. Another series of small paintings, attributed to John Cleveley the Elder
in 1727, are assumed to be reproductions of the same; these were acquired by the Greenwich Hospital and is now part of their collection held at the National Maritime Museum
. A history of the hospital reproduces the rarer published account by the younger Boys.
The vessel, commanded by William Kellaway, was 340 tonne and fitted to carry 26 guns. She was employed by the South Sea Company in a triangular trade
Triangular trade
Triangular trade, or triangle trade, is a historical term indicating among three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come...
route, transporting cotton goods, slaves and rum between England, Africa and the Americas. The delivery of enslaved people to the Spanish territories was made under the conditions stipulated in the Assiento contract.
The disastrous journey had seen one third of the human cargo, 600 African slaves, die from smallpox before they were delivered. Having left England in October of 1725, her end came in the mid-atlantic on 25 June 1727; she caught fire while carrying rum and sugar on the return leg to England and sank. The testimony of William Boys is often referred to in later notices; he was a 24-year-old second mate
Second Mate
A second mate or second officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The second mate is the third in command and a watchkeeping officer, customarily the ship's navigator. Other duties vary, but the second mate is often the medical officer and in charge of maintaining...
on the voyage, having already served with the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for ten years. The vessel left Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
on the 23 June, being destined for England on the final leg of the journey. Her position on the 25th was determined to be latitude 41° 45' north, longitude 20° 30 east, from Crooked Island, Bahamas when the final disaster struck. The cause was reported as resulting from the actions of two youths, described as "black boys", who were in the hold of the ship when they noticed liquid on the floor. Fearing this was water leaking from a keg, they held a candle to it to investigate; the substance turned out to be rum and it quickly caught fire. The two boys then hid themselves, afraid of the consequences of their actions. At half past twelve the Captain's cook noticed flames emerging from the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
, as he raised the alarm a keg exploded and filled the hold with flame. Several members of the crew attempted to quench the fire with water, even stripping their clothing to smother the flames, but the hold had become an inferno. The deck overhead was breached in an attempt to douse the flames, this allowed air to enter, increasing the intensity of the fire, and the front of the ship was soon ablaze.
During the conflagration the panic-stricken captain and some crew had fallen to their knees and prayed, expecting at any moment that the gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
below the fire would explode, others sought to escape on a yawl
Yawl
A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. A yawl (from Dutch Jol) is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an...
that had been hurriedly launched. The sixteen foot boat contained three oars, its fourth was lost, but held no other equipment or provisions. The Luxborough Galley was equipped with a longboat
Longboat
In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...
, but despite the efforts of some of the crew this could not be launched, probably because the tackle had caught fire. The smaller boat was filled beyond its regular capacity, 22 men and boys, when this was under-way there were sixteen persons left behind. The yawl was turned into the waves to avoid swamping, putting distance between any salvage or survivors, the huddled occupants watched the Luxborough continue to burn to the waterline and eventually explode.
The escape on the boat left those fleeing in a precarious situation, with no food, water or compass, and ill-prepared for an ocean voyage to safety. Some of those on board the yawl, decrying their predicament, proposed to relieve their craft's burden by casting the alleged instigators of the blaze, the two boys, into the ocean. This was overruled, and the captain vetoed a proposal to settle the matters by allotment
Sortition
In politics, sortition is the selection of decision makers by lottery. The decision-makers are chosen as a random sample from a larger pool of candidates....
, the subsequent deaths of some occupants made this unnecessary.
The Luxboroughs crew were adrift for two weeks, their number was reduced to twelve before their rescue by fisherman off the coast of Newfoundland, the captain died the next day. They were tended to by their rescuers before setting out for a major port, only five men reached this destination; one man went to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and the rest reached London on 14 October. Of the few survivors, Boys survived to the age of 74, the surgeon, Scrimsour, to 80, and George Mould died at Greenwich Hospital aged 82.
The gruesome details of the survivors of the Luxborough Galley appeared in notices in newspapers, in September the Evening Post
Evening Post
Evening Post may refer to:Newspapers:* Bristol Evening Post* Evening Post, Charleston; now The Post and Courier* New Evening Post * Jersey Evening Post* Lancashire Evening Post* London Evening Post...
and others reprinted the ghoulish report of the Boston Gazette. An account of the incident was the subject of a 1787 book by William Boys
William Boys (surgeon)
-Life:Boys was born at Deal on 7 Sept. 1735. He was of an old Kent family , being the eldest son of Commodore William Boys, R.N., lieutenant-governor of Greenwich Hospital , by his wife, Elizabeth Pearson of Deal...
, the son of one survivor, Commodore William Boys, R.N.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(c.1700–1774), who had risen through the ranks to become lieutenant-governor of Greenwich Hospital. The Penny Magazine
Penny Magazine
The Penny Magazine, published every Saturday from 31 March 1832 to 31 October 1845, was an illustrated British magazine aimed at the working class. Charles Knight created it for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in response to Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, which started two months...
of 1834 reproduced part of Boys narrative, comparing it to the later disaster of sinking of Royal George, it details the journey leading up to the sinking, then the means by which they navigated, improvised a sail, and obtained a meagre amount of water. The frank account of fifth day of the voyage gave the recipe for their continued survival,
"The sensation of hunger was not so urgent, but we all saw the necessity of recruiting our bodies with some more substantial nourishment, and it was at this time we found ourselves impelled to adopt the horrible expedient of eating part of the bodies of our dead companions, and drinking their blood. Our surgeon, Mr. Scrimsour, a man of the utmost humanity, first suggested the idea, and, resolute to set us an example, ate the first morsel himself; but, at the second mouthful, turned his face away from as many as he could and wept. With great reluctance we brought ourselves to try different parts of the bodies of six, but could relish only the hearts, of which we ate three. We drank the blood of four. By cutting the throat a little while after death, we collected a little more than a pint from each body. Here I cannot but mention the particular respect shown by the men to the officers, for the men who were employed in the melancholy business of collecting the blood in a pewter bason that was in the boat, and the rest of the people, would never touch a drop till the captain, surgeon, and myself had taken as much as we thought proper. And I can truly affirm, we were so affected by this strong instance of their regard that we always left them a larger share than of right belonged to them. This expedient, so shocking in relation, and so distressing to us in the use, was undoubtedly the means of preserving those who survived, as we constantly found ourselves refreshed and invigorated by this nourishment, however unnatural.
We often saw birds flying over our heads, and fish playing round the boat's stern, which we strove to catch with our hat-bands knotted together, and a pin for a hook, baited with a piece of the dead men's bodies; but with all our contrivance could not catch either fish or bird."
John Nichols
John Nichols (printer)
John Nichols was an English printer, author and antiquary.-Early life and apprenticeship:He was born in Islington, London to Edward Nichols and Anne Wilmot. On 22 June 1766 he married Anne Cradock daughter of William Cradock...
mentions Boys' work in his Literary Anecdotes, and ends his retelling of the events by remarking on the "very great age" of the few survivors. A series of paintings detailing the events was displayed by the younger Boys in his parlour, according to Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant was a Welsh naturalist and antiquary.The Pennants were a Welsh gentry family from the parish of Whitford, Flintshire, who had built up a modest estate at Bychton by the seventeenth century...
. Another series of small paintings, attributed to John Cleveley the Elder
John Cleveley the Elder
John Cleveley the Elder was an English marine artist. Not from an artistic background, Cleveley's father intended him to follow the family trade of joinery, and so he set up as a carpenter or shipwright in around 1742 at the Deptford Dockyard...
in 1727, are assumed to be reproductions of the same; these were acquired by the Greenwich Hospital and is now part of their collection held at the National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
. A history of the hospital reproduces the rarer published account by the younger Boys.
External links
- Folk song The Luxborough Galley