Ehen

Official Number 47782

The Ehen was a barque built by Lumley Kennedy & Co. at Whitehaven, launched on the 1st December 1863. She was built for Robert & Henry Jefferson, Whitehaven wine merchants, and shares were also owned by her first master, Capt. Joseph Wise.

The Ehen traded across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and South America, her ports of call including Lima and Callao (1864), Buenos Ayres (1865), Barbados (1866), Antigua and Barbados (1867), Alcoa Bay, Antigua (1868), Barbados and Bahia (1869),  Rio and Barbados (1870).

From the Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser newspaper, Tuesday, 17th October 1865, page 5 :

" SAD CALAMITY AT SEA.- The Ehen, Capt.Wise, a vessel which it will be remembered was one of the last built by Messrs. Lumley Kennedy and Co., at this port, to the order of Messrs. Jefferson, has met with a sad fatality on her outward voyage to Valparaiso. The circumstances are detailed in the following extract from a letter addressed by Captain Wise to the Messrs.Jefferson:-

"It is with deep regret I have to inform you of the loss of one of my apprentices, Daniel Dickinson, (Sunday, August 13th, Lat.50.47 South, Long.81.20 W.) off the west coast of Patagonia, at 8 a.m. Heavy gales and high seas running. All hands aloft reefing the main sail, when this poor lad fell from the main yard overboard. We, as quick as possible, wore the ship round, and stood back towards him and used every means to save him, but could not do so. By the time we got the ship wore round we lost sight of him, and after remaining a while, but all to no purpose, we again kept on our course. He was an extraordinary fine lad, and would have made a clever sailor. It will be sad news for his parents, whom I do not know. You will please communicate the news to them. I can assure you, gentlemen, I feel the lad's loss very much.- Signed JOSEPH WISE."

The unfortunate youth would have completed his fifteenth year if he had lived two days longer. He was son of Mr.L.Dickinson, of the Grapes Inn, New-street, in this town, and his friends, especially his mother, was strongly averse to his going to sea; but he was bent upon doing so, and to the inexpressible grief of his friends, the first has also unhappily proved to be his last voyage."

On the 22nd April1890 the Ehen, on passage from Bremen to Bordeaux with a cargo of rice and preserves, ran into fog on the west side of Portland Bill, and was wrecked on the rocks in Mutton Cove. At high water one crewman managed to get ashore and scale the almost vertical cliff face. He was able to raise the alarm, and the Coastguard deployed their rocket lifesaving apparatus. Capt.Roberts, his wife and the other nine crew were rescued.
 

Sources :

1. "From Cumberland to Cape Horn" by D.Hollett.
2. BOT Wreck. Return 1890 Appx.C Table 1 p138
3. Wreck & Rescue in Dorset,  p44
4. Photo in Weymouth Library,. Neg.No.38/6.