LASTINHAM

THE LASTINGHAM WAS BUILT IN WEST HARTLEPOOL IN 1876 BY WILLIAM GRAY & CO  SHE WAS A  IRON HULLED SAILING SHIP OF 1,217 TONS AND WAS OWNED BY J LIDGETT & SONS OF LONDON

SHE WAS LAUNCHED AS A THREE MASTED VESSEL BUT LATER CONVERTED TO A TWO MASTED BARQUE

HER FIRST VOYAGE TO WELLINGTON WAS FROM LONDON SAILING FROM LONDON ON MARCH 13, AND ARRIVED AT WELLINGTON ON JULY 7, 1883, CAPTAIN MORRISON WAS THE SHIPS MASTER.

ON HER SECOND  SHAW SAVILL CHARTER FROM  LONDON TO WELLINGTON ARRIVING IN THE SPRING OF 1884. HAVING ALMOST REACHED HER DESTINATION SHE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE STORM AND RAN AGROUND NEAR JACKSON'S HEAD IN THE COOK STRAIT ( THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS THAT SHE  RAN AGROUND ON 1ST SEPTEMBER 1884 WHICH I THINK IS CORRECT VERSION OF EVENTS  )

 THERE HAD BEEN 28 PEOPLE ABOARD, ONLY 14 MAKING ASHORE TO SAFETY.HER MASTER AT THIS  TIME BEING CAPTAIN MORRISON AGAIN, WHO ALSO HAD HIS WIFE WITH HIM.THEY BOTH PERISHED HAVING MADE NO ATTEMPT TO GET ASHORE.SOME TRIED TO SWIM ASHORE AND PERISHED.

THE CREW TRIED TO  GET A LINE ASHORE WITHOUT SUCCESS AND THE PEOPLE HAD TO BE PULLED BACK TO THE SHIP.

 6 OF THE CREW DID JUMP FROM THE SHIP TO SHORE AND SAFETY, BUT THEY COULD NOT COMMUNICATE TO THE REMINDING PEOPLE ONBOARD THAT THERE WAS INDEED A WAY OF THE STRICKEN VESSEL, DUE TO NOT BEING HEARD BECAUSE OF THE RAGING STORM AND WIND