Archaeology Notes

Event ID 849518

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/849518

NC15NE 8003 c. 17 58

N58 28 W5 8

NLO: Eilean an Roin Beag [name: NC 173 584]

Eilean an Roin Mor [name: NC 180 587]

Cape Wrath [name: NC 256 750].

Wick, 14th Aug., on the evening of the 7th Aug., a wreck was observed on the North side of Island Roan, about eight miles SW of Cape Wrath, and appeared, from the spars and fragments of rigging which were picked up, to have been a small schooner. Several planks and oars were marked "GEM", but the port of registry has not been ascertained, and nothing has been heard of the crew.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,821, London, Tuesday August 18 1874.

Wick, 23rd Aug., a piece of wood has been washed ashore from the derelict vessel reported to have been seen at Cape Wrath, marked "Off.No., 19,202, 60 tons". [The above number and tonnage correspond with those of the GEM (schr.), of Padstow.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,829, London, Thursday August 27 1874.

Wick, 24th Aug., amongst the wreckage picked up off the island of Rona, is a beam marked with the Official number 19,202, and the vessel is supposed to [Report received incomplete].

NMRS, MS/829/70 (no. 4137).

(Classified as wooden schooner, with cargo of salt: date of loss cited as 7 August 1874). Gem: this vessel was wrecked on the North side of Isalnd [Island] Roan, eight miles SW of Cape Wrath.

Registration: Padstow. Built 1852. 60nrt.

(Location of loss cited as N58 28.75 W5 8.0).

I G Whittaker 1998.

The location and map sheet assigned to this record are essentially arbitrary, being derived from the reported location of discovery of wreckage. It remains unclear whether the vessel stranded on Eilean an Roin Beag or Eilean an Roin Mor; the latter is significantly larger, and is preferred accordingly.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 15 September 2004.