got into the channel, the wind became higher, and several of the passengers entreated Captain Atkinson, who commanded the packet, to return to Liverpool, to which he replied that there was not the slightest danger, and proceeded on his voyage to Beaumaris. About two o'clock the captain retired into his cabin to dinner, where deponent thinks he might have remained about two hours. Deponent thinks that Captain Atkinson when he returned on deck appeared a little in spirits, but cannot swear that he was intoxicated. The vessel proceeded at a slow rate, the weather becoming tempestuous and the wind contrary, till she got opposite Puffin's Island, when she struck upon a sandbank called the Dutchman's Bank, and in about an hour afterwards she became a perfect wreck. The crew and passengers, with the exception of about twenty people, all perished. Robert Whittaker. William Hughes sworn; saith that he was a seaman on board the Rothsay Castle, and had served with Captain Atkinson for the last two years. The captain understood the navigation of the coast from Liverpool to Beaumaris well, and deponent thinks there was not the slightest blame attached to him for bad seamanship; but considers that he had drank rather too much, although he cannot swear that he was intoxicated. Evan Evans sworn; saith that he was a sailor on board the Rothsay Castle, and corroborates the statement of the last witness. Deponent further states that, although he considered that the captain was a little affected with drink, still he was not incapacitated from performing his duties from intoxication. Evan Evans. The Verdict of the jury in each case was-Accidental Death, by being wrecked at sea.* * It is extraordinary that another document was not submitted to parliament; namely, the letter addressed by the Beaumaris Jury to the Coroner, and handed to that gentleman when the verdict was given. It shows what impression the investigation had upon them, which is a better standard for judging of the merits of the case than any report. It was as follows; 298 THE WRECK OF THE ROTHSAY CASTLE. Beaumaris, August 19, 1831. "SIR,-From the evidence brought before them, the Jury on this inquest cannot separate without expressing their firm conviction that, had the Rothsay Castle been a seaworthy vessel, and properly manned, this awful calamity might have been averted. They, therefore, cannot disguise their indignation at the conduct of those who could place such a vessel on this station, and under the charge of a captain and mate who have been proved, by the evidence brought before them, to have been in a state of intoxication. (Signed) "R. B. W. BULKELEY, "To the Coroner." "Foreman. The names of the Jury that placed the above upon record are-Sir Richard Bulkeley Williams Bulkeley, Bart. M. P., Foreman; John Wright, Esq. (an Alderman of Liverpool); William Henry Turton, Esq.; George Desbrisay, Esq.; Thomas Gray, Esq.; George Walmesley, Esq.; Richard Lewis, Gent.; John Batley, Gent.; John Lloyd, Gent.; John Jones, Gent.; Erasmus Griffiths, Gent.; Hugh Roberts, Gent.-Such a protest, by such a Jury, should almost be deemed sufficient to render other evidence unnecessary. GENERAL LIST OF THOSE WHO ARE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN ON BOARD THE ROTHSAY CASTLE AT THE PERIOD OF HER WRECK. The names which have an ASTERISK prefixed are of persons who survived; those which have no DISTINGUISHING MARK are of persons who perished, but were eventually found; and such as have the OBELISK, or dagger, are the names of persons whose remains, there is reason to believe, have not been recovered. The figures which immediately succeed the names and descriptions, refer to the pages of this work in which the parties are more particularly mentioned; and those individuals whose bodies were found but not owned, and of whom no certain information could be obtained, are classed with the "UNKNOWN," and take their place as such in alphabetical succession, the figures annexed having reference to the pages in which they are described. Alexander, Jane, of Liverpool. +Atkinson, John, Lieutenant, R. N., and Commander of the Rothsay Castle, 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 35, 38, 39, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 180, 181, 182, 183, 190, 191, 196, 202, 203, 204, 207, 208, 209, 218, 223, 240, 246, 247, 248, 254, 256, 257, 258, 259, 265, 266, 267, 268, 272, 273, 279, 280, 281, 284, 285, 287, 288, 290, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298. Appleton, Thomas, child of Mrs. Tarrey by a former husband, 53, 61, 131, 247.. +Appleton, Mary, ditto, 54, 61, 247. Baldwin, Solicitor, of London, 169. +Barton, Captain, of Cork. Age. 13 Age. Bottomley, William, of Rakewood, near Rochdale, 62, 170.... 28 82, 100, 118, 122, 155, 178, 201. Broadhurst, Margaret, Mr. Broadhurst's daughter, 61, 64, 82, 185, 186, 187, 188, 201... 18 ....16 16/12 Broadhurst, Ellen, ditto, 61, 64, 82, 155, 185, 186, 187, 188, Brandreth, James, of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 165. Brown, Josiah, of Chesterfield, 168. +Brown, John, residence unknown. Charles, Thomas, of Bury, Lancashire, 54, 61, 72, 157, 169 .. 40 *Coxhead, John, of Size-lane, London, 34, 48, 49, 55, 62, 63, Day, John, of Wakefield, 63, 66, 81, 167, 231, 232, 233, 235, ...... -, son of Mr. Edward Denson, of Chester. Duckworth, Mrs. Lawrence, wife of the preceding, 54, 61, 73, Entwistle, Thomus, of Edenfield, near Bury, 54, 61, 73, 74, 75, +Evans, Richard, of Piebron. *Evans, Evan, one of the crew of the Rothsay, 38, 62, 118, 122, 24 43 30 Age. Faulkner, Mrs., wife of Mr. Charles Faulkner, of Manchester, 10, 58, 143, 254. Faulkner, Amelia, daughter of the preceding, 58, 143 +Faulkner, George, calenderer, of Manchester. +Faulkner, Mrs. wife of the preceding. These ill-fated indi- Fitton, James, of Seedfield, near Bury, 54, 61, 72, 165, 260 .. 30 15, 16, 46, 52, 57, 59, 73, 78, 95, 146, 147, 153, 168, 199, Forster, Jane, wife of the preceding, 12, 15, 16, 52, 59, 60, 75, 146, 147, 168, 200, 203, 219, 232, 235, 254, 278. Fox, Simon, of Rathmines, near Dublin, 60, 127, 132, 138.. 57 227, 289. +Griffiths, infant of ditto, 134, 227, 289. *Hammond, George, of Leeds, 48, 61, 63, 78, 79, 80, 94, 95, 225, 226, 227, 230, 242, 251, 263, 271. Hammond, Mrs. wife of the preceding, 58, 63, 94, 114, 125, *Hammond, Henry, of Liverpool. This man was employed Harwood, R. R., of Chesterfield, 169. Howarth, Rachael, Mr. Tarrey's servant, and daughter of Mr. James Howarth, of Bury, butcher, 54, 132.... *Hughes, son of the preceding, 62,75, 78, 95, 118, 122, 250, 251. *Jones, Edward, of Bangor, 78, 79, 80, 103, 104, 118, 119, 213, 27 16 |