P.s. ST. GEORGE. Ferry.
Built at Liverpool for St. George Steam Packet Company of Liverpool.
Launched April 1822. Made of wood.
Dim.: 1341 x 22'. Crew: 22.
Was lost on her first trip to the Isle of Man on the Conister Rocks in the Douglas Bay.
Before that she sailed between Dublin and Liverpool and Bristol.
Her crew was saved by a rowing lifeboat of the R.N.L.I. under very, very difficult circumstances.
The stamp shows a painting in the Museum of Man.
Log Book March 1987
Isle of Man 1974 SG 43.
St George (ferry)
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aukepalmhof
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Re: St George (ferry)
The design of the stamp is made after a painting in the possession of the Manx Museum. It depicts the loss of the Royal Mail Steam Packet ST GEORGE on the Conister Rock, Douglas Bay, Isle of Man on 20 November 1830.
The ST GEORGE was the first steamship of the St George Steam Packet Company at Liverpool. Built in Liverpool, (not a yard given) in 1822 as a wooden paddle steamer
Displacement around 600 tons, with a loading capacity of 200 till 300 ton. Dim. 134 x 22 x 11Ft. (draught)
Powered by a single-expansion steam engine?hp.
April 1822 completed
.Her maiden voyage was from Liverpool to the Isle of Man thereafter used in the service between these two ports. She also was used between Dublin and Liverpool.
20 November 1830 under command of Capt. Tudor, she anchored in Douglas Bay,
The Manx Sun newspaper gives the following on the loss of the vessel.
On Friday evening the ST GEORGE, a steam-vessel of the first class, commanded by Lieutenant Tudor, R.N., arrived with the mail at Douglas, and anchored in the bay. The night was stormy, with heavy gusts of wind from the S.W., which forwards morning came round to the S.E., blowing direct in; soon increased to a tremendous storm. About five o’clock the chain cable of the ST GEORGE gave way, when she began to drive in between the Pollock and St Mary’s (or Conister), two equally dangerous rocks under her lee. The steam had been kept up all night, with the men at their stations, but the vessel was so near to the rocks and the force of the waves so overwhelming, that in attempting to reverse her out, she struck violently upon St Mary’s immediately filled, and settled down forward, with her head to the land lying nearly broadside to the most rugged part of that fatal rock, from which few vessels that once strike ever escape. Lieutenant Tudor immediately ordered the foremast to be cut away, with the view of forming a raft, by means of which the people might gain the rock, and from thence, thought covered at high water, he hoped, when the day dawned, they might be rescued off the lee-side by boats from the shore, but this was found impracticable; signals of distress were also made. Sir William Hillary, receiving speedy intimation of her danger, proceeded to the pier, and immediately put off in the life-boat, accompanied by Lieutenant Robinson; R.N.; Mr. William Corlett, agent to the St George Company, his coxswain, Isaac Vondy and a volunteer crew of 14 boatmen. On approaching the ST. GEORGE, the anchor of the life-boat was let go to windward and by veering down upon the wreck an attempt was made to take off the people from the weather quarter, but the surf was found to be so violent as to render that plan unpractical , it was therefore resolved, at all hazards, to back the boat in between the ST.GEORGE and the rocks when Lieutenant Tudor, with the self-devotedness of a British seaman, entreated of them not to attempt this rescue by means which he feared would be attended with inevitable destruction; It was, however, persevered in. and with great difficulty accomplished, but the sea inside rolled so heavily that the boat was in danger of being instantly demolished; her rudder was beaten off, six out of her ten oars broken or lost, some of her airtight cases and upper works, much injured, and Sir William Hillary, Mr. Corlett, and two boatmen washed overboard .Mr. Corlett and the two men were fortunately soon got into the boat, but Sir William Hillary, being unable to swim seized a rope which hung from the vessels (ST. GEORGE) side, by which he supported himself in the waves until Lieutenant Tudor, assisted by Lieutenant Robinson, who had gained the wreck with much difficulty got him also on board considerably bruised and hurt. From the disabled state of the boat and the loss of the oars, it became impossible to take off the people and extricate themselves to windward by hauling up to her anchor, as was originally intended. All passage to leeward was obstructed by the rigging of the mast which had been cut away; thus hemmed in between the wreck and St. Mary’s rock, on which the surf broke tremendously, and by a point of a rock which run out beyond it, the situation of the crew of the St. GEORGE and the life-boat alongside remained for nearly two hours equally critical and perilous. At length by much labor and hazard to the men employed, the rigging of the fallen mast was cut away by means of an axe which fortunately was in the boat. As the tide rose, the sea increased, and every wave swept the decks of the ST.GEORGE, and nearly buried the life-boat: it therefore became requisite to make a last effort to extricate themselves. The crew of the ST.GEORGE consisted of 22 persons-that of the life-boat of 18; they were all got into the boat, the water was baled out by buckets obtained from the vessel (ST. GEORGE), and the cable veered away, but she struck violently on the low-ridge of rock, filled, and striking again, was at length, by the violence of the breakers, washed over, the people holding on by ropes. The cable was then cut, and the sea, coming round-the bow of the ST.GEORGE, drove the boat broadside on upon the sheltered side of St. Mary’s, being thus, through merciful Providence, delivered from the awful situation in which they had been so long placed. They then proceeded for the shore, about a quarter of a mile distant; they were met by two boats which had put off and approached them under shelter of the lee of the rock, one boat relieving them from some of the people., the other brought out by Lieutenant Sleigh, R.N., promptly gave a tow line tithe life-boat and assisted her in making the beach, which she reached in a shattered condition, when the whole of the 40 persons, with whom on board, this large and superior boat had surmounted such difficulties, were all happily landed without the loss of a single life,- a circumstance beyond the hope of most sanguine spectator, when it is considered that the oldest sailors declared they have never witnessed a heavier seas in the channel
Isle of Man 1974 sg43, scott37
Source: Log Book and the all mentioned news paper.
The ST GEORGE was the first steamship of the St George Steam Packet Company at Liverpool. Built in Liverpool, (not a yard given) in 1822 as a wooden paddle steamer
Displacement around 600 tons, with a loading capacity of 200 till 300 ton. Dim. 134 x 22 x 11Ft. (draught)
Powered by a single-expansion steam engine?hp.
April 1822 completed
.Her maiden voyage was from Liverpool to the Isle of Man thereafter used in the service between these two ports. She also was used between Dublin and Liverpool.
20 November 1830 under command of Capt. Tudor, she anchored in Douglas Bay,
The Manx Sun newspaper gives the following on the loss of the vessel.
On Friday evening the ST GEORGE, a steam-vessel of the first class, commanded by Lieutenant Tudor, R.N., arrived with the mail at Douglas, and anchored in the bay. The night was stormy, with heavy gusts of wind from the S.W., which forwards morning came round to the S.E., blowing direct in; soon increased to a tremendous storm. About five o’clock the chain cable of the ST GEORGE gave way, when she began to drive in between the Pollock and St Mary’s (or Conister), two equally dangerous rocks under her lee. The steam had been kept up all night, with the men at their stations, but the vessel was so near to the rocks and the force of the waves so overwhelming, that in attempting to reverse her out, she struck violently upon St Mary’s immediately filled, and settled down forward, with her head to the land lying nearly broadside to the most rugged part of that fatal rock, from which few vessels that once strike ever escape. Lieutenant Tudor immediately ordered the foremast to be cut away, with the view of forming a raft, by means of which the people might gain the rock, and from thence, thought covered at high water, he hoped, when the day dawned, they might be rescued off the lee-side by boats from the shore, but this was found impracticable; signals of distress were also made. Sir William Hillary, receiving speedy intimation of her danger, proceeded to the pier, and immediately put off in the life-boat, accompanied by Lieutenant Robinson; R.N.; Mr. William Corlett, agent to the St George Company, his coxswain, Isaac Vondy and a volunteer crew of 14 boatmen. On approaching the ST. GEORGE, the anchor of the life-boat was let go to windward and by veering down upon the wreck an attempt was made to take off the people from the weather quarter, but the surf was found to be so violent as to render that plan unpractical , it was therefore resolved, at all hazards, to back the boat in between the ST.GEORGE and the rocks when Lieutenant Tudor, with the self-devotedness of a British seaman, entreated of them not to attempt this rescue by means which he feared would be attended with inevitable destruction; It was, however, persevered in. and with great difficulty accomplished, but the sea inside rolled so heavily that the boat was in danger of being instantly demolished; her rudder was beaten off, six out of her ten oars broken or lost, some of her airtight cases and upper works, much injured, and Sir William Hillary, Mr. Corlett, and two boatmen washed overboard .Mr. Corlett and the two men were fortunately soon got into the boat, but Sir William Hillary, being unable to swim seized a rope which hung from the vessels (ST. GEORGE) side, by which he supported himself in the waves until Lieutenant Tudor, assisted by Lieutenant Robinson, who had gained the wreck with much difficulty got him also on board considerably bruised and hurt. From the disabled state of the boat and the loss of the oars, it became impossible to take off the people and extricate themselves to windward by hauling up to her anchor, as was originally intended. All passage to leeward was obstructed by the rigging of the mast which had been cut away; thus hemmed in between the wreck and St. Mary’s rock, on which the surf broke tremendously, and by a point of a rock which run out beyond it, the situation of the crew of the St. GEORGE and the life-boat alongside remained for nearly two hours equally critical and perilous. At length by much labor and hazard to the men employed, the rigging of the fallen mast was cut away by means of an axe which fortunately was in the boat. As the tide rose, the sea increased, and every wave swept the decks of the ST.GEORGE, and nearly buried the life-boat: it therefore became requisite to make a last effort to extricate themselves. The crew of the ST.GEORGE consisted of 22 persons-that of the life-boat of 18; they were all got into the boat, the water was baled out by buckets obtained from the vessel (ST. GEORGE), and the cable veered away, but she struck violently on the low-ridge of rock, filled, and striking again, was at length, by the violence of the breakers, washed over, the people holding on by ropes. The cable was then cut, and the sea, coming round-the bow of the ST.GEORGE, drove the boat broadside on upon the sheltered side of St. Mary’s, being thus, through merciful Providence, delivered from the awful situation in which they had been so long placed. They then proceeded for the shore, about a quarter of a mile distant; they were met by two boats which had put off and approached them under shelter of the lee of the rock, one boat relieving them from some of the people., the other brought out by Lieutenant Sleigh, R.N., promptly gave a tow line tithe life-boat and assisted her in making the beach, which she reached in a shattered condition, when the whole of the 40 persons, with whom on board, this large and superior boat had surmounted such difficulties, were all happily landed without the loss of a single life,- a circumstance beyond the hope of most sanguine spectator, when it is considered that the oldest sailors declared they have never witnessed a heavier seas in the channel
Isle of Man 1974 sg43, scott37
Source: Log Book and the all mentioned news paper.