The Sinking of the 'John' May1855
Foreword
The 'John' was a 468 ton
sailing ship that traded primarily between the
South West of England and the United States and
Canada during the mid 1800s. During that time,
millions of emigrants left England to start new
lives and the 'John' was one of many ships
that regularly transported these passengers,
returning with timber.
The 'John' was owned by a group of local businessmen and members of the Rawle family.
On Thursday 3rd May, 1855, the 'John' left Plymouth bound for Quebec, captained by Edward Rawle. She carried 268 passengers and 19 crew. Later that night, she foundered on the Manacle Rocks, St Keverne, Cornwall. 194 passengers drowned, while the crew all survived.
The story of the 'John' has been reproduced
here chiefly through the comprehensive newspaper
reports of the time. They tell of the events of the 3rd
and 4th May, 1855, and include a transcript of the
subsequent trial of Captain Rawle who was charged with
manslaughter and two local persons charged with
'robbing the dead'.
Also described are the changes to maritime law made as
a result of this disaster. The names of all of the crew
and passengers are included. Where possible, further
information has been obtained by locating them in the
1851 census. It is hoped that this information will be
of particular interest to genealogists who have been
unable to explain the disappearance of, in some cases,
an entire family.
My personal interest arose when I discovered that my
great, great, great grandfather, William James ELLERY,
was a member of the crew.
Mark Sandford
