Arniston Shipwreck of 1815
It was the Morning of the 29 May 1815 the Southern Easter was blowing strong. The Arniston sighted land for the first time in days. Assuming they were close to Table Bay, Captain Simpson stayed on his coarse heading for St Helena Island.
Never did he know he was about a hundred miles short of the Cape and steering his ship strait into Struis Bay.
On board the ship were 378 passengers that included fourteen women, 25 Children, injured soldiers, Lord and Lady Molesworth along with the crew
30 May 1815 14h00 the Arniston was already battling the breakers, a short 8 min later on 1 kilometre from shore Arniston struck a reef. With the strong win the Arniston battled hard to stay a float, while trying to lighten the ship, the ship was heeled over and immediately the ship started breaking away. Unfortunately many were trapped underneath but those who could escape tried to swim to shore.
The following morning only the stem post of the Arniston was visible in the surf with ad six survivors that made it to shore alive, Charles Scott, Phillip Shea, William Drumond, William Fish, Thomas Mansfield and John Lewis.
Mass graves were dug behind the dunes of the beach to burry the 331 bodies that washed a shore. A memorial stone was also place at the site but later moved closed to the beach and village (Arniston)
coperight.
Never did he know he was about a hundred miles short of the Cape and steering his ship strait into Struis Bay.
On board the ship were 378 passengers that included fourteen women, 25 Children, injured soldiers, Lord and Lady Molesworth along with the crew
30 May 1815 14h00 the Arniston was already battling the breakers, a short 8 min later on 1 kilometre from shore Arniston struck a reef. With the strong win the Arniston battled hard to stay a float, while trying to lighten the ship, the ship was heeled over and immediately the ship started breaking away. Unfortunately many were trapped underneath but those who could escape tried to swim to shore.
The following morning only the stem post of the Arniston was visible in the surf with ad six survivors that made it to shore alive, Charles Scott, Phillip Shea, William Drumond, William Fish, Thomas Mansfield and John Lewis.
Mass graves were dug behind the dunes of the beach to burry the 331 bodies that washed a shore. A memorial stone was also place at the site but later moved closed to the beach and village (Arniston)
coperight.
