Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (June 19 1739): British ships confirmed lost in stormy weather

LONDON, May 31.

On Tuesday came advice that Three Sisters, capt. Henry Bush, bound from Rhode Island for New York, in his passage met with a violent storm of wind and snow at N.E. and struck on the north-side of Block Island, where they lost her rudder, receiv’d considerable damage to the cargo, and narrowly escaped with their lives by getting into Stonington-harbour, where they ship was refitting, in order to proceed on her voyage.

[1739 reports are full of news of great ships being lost in storms. There were no reliable weather reports then, nor would there be for another 200 years. As the report below also shows, news took long to travel. Note how the fate of a boat near India took almost a year to reach London. Note also the awful fate even of some people on board who survived]

Capt. Balchen, of the Onslow, from Bombay, arrived at St. Helena two days before the Lyell left the island, and confirms the loss of the Anglesea, capt. Studholm, bound from London to Bombay, on the rocks to the northward of Goa on the Malabar coast in a violent storm in July last, wherein she lost all her masts, and afterwards drove ashore with four anchors a-head, beat all to pieces, and nothing saved; that the capt. and 60 of the people were drowned; the chief mate and three sailors were got to Goa; and the rest of those that were saved were taken by Anria, and made slaves.

DUBLIN, June 5.

We have advice from Cork, that the Endeavour, capt. Beard, master, was cast away in November last off Cape Sable in Nova Scotia, and all the crew perish’d. She sailed from Dublin in November last with passengers and servants for Boston in New-England.