Phyllis (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Phyllis was a British transport noted for having shipwreck
ed near the Burin Peninsula
on the south coast of Newfoundland, and for the subsequent survival under brutal conditions and rescue of many of its passengers and crew.
The Phyllis set sail from Gravesend
, England, in August 1795 en route to Quebec
with a detachment of soldiers and their families, under the command of Lt. (later General Sir) Howard Douglas
.
The ship ran aground in October 1795 just off a rocky beach, but the seas were so rough that several attempts to make it ashore resulted in the death of the swimmers. During the first day and night following the wreck, all of the children and all but one of the women on board were swept from the deck by the waves and drowned. The next day, a raft was built with a rope was secured to the bow and taken ashore, and the survivors made it off the ship just before it sank. The lone remaining woman died the next morning. Some provisions washed ashore, but the sailors refused to follow the orders of their captain and attempted to horde them. Douglas managed to maintain control over his men, and they marched inland in an attempt to find a settlement, but after a few days had to return to the beach. Several days later, on the brink of starvation and freezing to death, the survivors were rescued by a small schooner and taken to the fishing village of Great Jervis, where they spent the winter.
Immediately upon arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia
in April, 1796, Lt. Douglas was invited to dinner by Prince Edward, to whom he related the story of the shipwreck and rescue.
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
ed near the Burin Peninsula
Burin Peninsula
The Burin Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
on the south coast of Newfoundland, and for the subsequent survival under brutal conditions and rescue of many of its passengers and crew.
The Phyllis set sail from Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, England, in August 1795 en route to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
with a detachment of soldiers and their families, under the command of Lt. (later General Sir) Howard Douglas
Howard Douglas
General Sir Howard Douglas, 3rd Baronet, GCB, GCMG, FRS was a British military officer born in Gosport, England, the younger son of Admiral Sir Charles Douglas, and a descendant of the Earls of Morton...
.
The ship ran aground in October 1795 just off a rocky beach, but the seas were so rough that several attempts to make it ashore resulted in the death of the swimmers. During the first day and night following the wreck, all of the children and all but one of the women on board were swept from the deck by the waves and drowned. The next day, a raft was built with a rope was secured to the bow and taken ashore, and the survivors made it off the ship just before it sank. The lone remaining woman died the next morning. Some provisions washed ashore, but the sailors refused to follow the orders of their captain and attempted to horde them. Douglas managed to maintain control over his men, and they marched inland in an attempt to find a settlement, but after a few days had to return to the beach. Several days later, on the brink of starvation and freezing to death, the survivors were rescued by a small schooner and taken to the fishing village of Great Jervis, where they spent the winter.
Immediately upon arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
in April, 1796, Lt. Douglas was invited to dinner by Prince Edward, to whom he related the story of the shipwreck and rescue.