Hannah (1849 shipwreck) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Owner | Samuel Shaw, and others |
| Builder | Built in Norton, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Launched | 1826 |
| Acquired | "First registered at St. Johns, then Whitehaven." Registered at Maryport, 1840. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Brig |
| Tons burthen | 287 gross tons |
| Complement | Captain, 12 crew, approx. 200 passengers |
The Hannah was a type of sailing ship called a brig. It was built in Norton, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1826. This ship became well-known for a very sad event in 1849. During a shipwreck, the captain and two officers left the sinking ship in the only lifeboat. They left behind many passengers and the rest of the crew.
A Ship's Journey
The Hannah was officially registered in Maryport, England, in 1840. Samuel Shaw and other people owned the ship. Its captain was John Briggs.
The Hannah often carried people who were moving to Canada. Many of these passengers were Irish families trying to escape the Irish Famine. This was a time when many people in Ireland did not have enough food.
In July 1847, the Hannah arrived in Quebec from Sligo, Ireland. It had 390 passengers on board. Sadly, some passengers got sick with fever during the trip. They died and were buried at sea.
The 1849 Shipwreck
In April 1849, the Hannah was again carrying Irish immigrants. They were leaving Warrenpoint and Newry to go to Quebec City. On Sunday, April 29, 1849, the ship sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. About 49 people died in this accident.
The Hannah left Newry, Ireland, on April 3, 1849. It had a crew of 12 people. The captain was 23-year-old Curry Shaw. Most of the passengers were farm workers and their families. The exact number of passengers is not known because the ship's list was lost. However, there were around 180 people on board.
The ship faced strong winds and a lot of floating ice on April 27. At 4 AM on April 29, the Hannah hit a large piece of ice. This made a big hole in the ship's bottom.
When it was clear the ship could not be saved, Captain Shaw and his first and second officers got into the only lifeboat. They left the ship.
The remaining crew members worked to help the passengers. They helped them get onto a large sheet of ice next to the front of the ship. The Hannah sank completely in about 40 minutes. A strong storm was blowing, and it was sleeting. Some people went down with the ship. Others fell into the cold water. Some who made it to the ice later died from the extreme cold.
One mother, Ann McGinn, found her six children, but they all died. A man named John Murphy left his twin boys on the ice to find his baby daughter. He found her, and she survived even after falling into the freezing water. Sadly, the ice holding his twin boys drifted away. In total, about 49 people were confirmed to have died.
Rescue Efforts
The next day, another ship called the Nicaragua arrived. Its captain, William Marshall, rescued 127 or 129 survivors. The Guardian newspaper reported 49 deaths and 127 people saved. This made a total of 176 people.
Captain Marshall later moved some of the survivors to other ships. He transferred 28 people to the Broom, 17 to the Lord Byron, 22 to the Aldebaran, and 20 to the Port of Glasgow. He arrived in Quebec City with the remaining survivors around May 10 or 14.
Captain Shaw and the two officers who left the Hannah were rescued by another ship called the Margaret Pollock. They also reached Quebec. A charge was brought against them for their actions. However, Captain Shaw was able to defend himself and was not punished for leaving the ship.
About the Tragedy
Two documentary films have been made about the Hannah tragedy.
- A film from Northern Ireland called The Ice Emigrants was shown on the BBC in February 2011.
- Another film, Famine and Shipwreck, An Irish Odyssey, was made by journalist Brian McKenna. It was shown on CBC Television in March 2011.
