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  1. #11
    Amron24
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    Default Waterloo convict ship shipwreck

    The 'No name' Brookes in the list of those convicts drowned off Cape Town in 1842 is Thomas. He was a farmer,aged about 31,from Clotton Hoofield, Cheshire convicted of larceny (precise details as yet unknown) & sentenced to 7 years transportation.
    I am his gr.gr.gr.granddaughter living in Staffordshire,England.

  2. #12
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amron24 View Post
    The 'No name' Brookes in the list of those convicts drowned off Cape Town in 1842 is Thomas. He was a farmer,aged about 31,from Clotton Hoofield, Cheshire convicted of larceny (precise details as yet unknown) & sentenced to 7 years transportation.
    I am his gr.gr.gr.granddaughter living in Staffordshire,England.
    Thanks for filling in that detail Amron, and welcome to the B-G Forums. I hope you will stick with us now you are here.
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

  3. #13
    TomDickHarry
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    Default TonDickHarry

    More than interesting read about the Waterloo,my gr.grandfather Pt Yardley was saved from the wreck,I have his army pay book and inscribed inside the from cover is the fact that he was saved from the wreck.

  4. #14
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TomDickHarry View Post
    More than interesting read about the Waterloo,my gr.grandfather Pt Yardley was saved from the wreck,I have his army pay book and inscribed inside the from cover is the fact that he was saved from the wreck.
    Croeso TomDickHarry and welcome to B-G
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

  5. #15
    Martin Ager
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    I have known for some time that my Great, Great Grandfather, Frederick Ager, was one of four brothers. Three of them were doctors and the forth was the captain of the convict ship Waterloo that was wrecked in Table Bay. Though British, I am currently working in Southern Africa with the United Nations and on a recent visit to Cape Town my interest in the subject was raised and I have been doing some research on the internet where I came across this website.

    I have not been able to find the details of the enquiry into the loss of the Waterloo and am not sure what blame, if any, for this disaster can be attributed to Captain Ager. I can only say that reading the reports of what happened I felt a strong sense of guilt for what had transpired so can only apologise on behalf of my ancestor to the descendants of the others involved in the tragedy.

    My Uncle did some research into family history and my father, Derek Ager, found out some more details, I think largely from Charles Bateson’s book “The Convict Ships” which he would have found in a library in London. As far as I can make out from what my father wrote, the information there was largely drawn from the diary of the ship’s surgeon, Dr Henry Kelsall, which may still be in existence somewhere.

    It seems that Captain Ager had made several journeys to Australia before, twice as Master of the AsiaV (1827 and 1831) once as Master of the Fairlie (1834) and then as master of the Waterloo in 1842. The ship had been plying this trade since 1829 and this was her 7th voyage. What Captain Ager did before he started this trade and whether he continued sailing after the wreck is a mystery to me.

    The Ships Surgeon Dr Henry Kelsall was not at all impressed with her condition and wrote “the ship was perfectly rotten, as were also many other ships taken into government employ probably through interest or jobbery of some kind”. The mate reassured him that the ship was going to be renovated but it is quite possible that the Waterloo left in the same decrepit state that Kelsall had reported. Certainly she was leaking like a sieve in the fierce squalls of rain that she encountered at the equator. The ship was everywhere wet and scurvy broke out on board. The surgeon urged Captain Ager to put in to the Cape for fresh meat and vegetables and the Waterloo anchored in Table Bay on 24th August, 1842, though it was known to be an unsafe anchorage at the time of year. Captain Ager went ashore and the ship was left in charge of Chief Mate Jackson.

    On August 26th a strong northerly gale sprang up with heavy rain. The ship broke loose but was held by two anchors. The top-gallant masts broke off and fell onto the deck. At about 10pm on August 27th, Dr Kelsall began to be apprehensive. Both anchors gave way at about 11pm. He consulted the Second Mate as he regarded the First Mate as useless. They lit flares for assistance. In the early morning of 28th the wind rose to hurricane strength and the troopship Abercrombie Robinson drove ashore. The First Mate refused to take responsibility for cutting away the masts and the surgeon ordered the irons be taken off the prisoners. The wives of the military guard gathered with their children in the small cabin or “cuddy”, fussing over their baggage until the seas got so rough they turned to praying.

    The Waterloo was driven ashore, the masts broke off and the ship turned over onto her side. Many of the convicts jumped overboard and one of them rescued Dr Kelsall. Within two hours the ship had broken into pieces. At the subsequent enquiry Captain Ager was censured for remaining ashore and Jackson was censured for not lighting the ship. The enquiry also noted that the ship’s timbers were rotten and that the ship was not seaworthy. The one good thing that came out of the disaster was that more stringent instructions about the inspection of ships were issued by the Admiralty.

    The only other thing that I know about Captain Henry Ager was that he was married to a woman called Amy and had a son who was also called Henry who married an Elisabeth. There was also a daughter called Amy who died young.

    On my recent visit to Cape Town I found a plaque on the top of Table Mountain which shows the position of the wreck of the Waterloo amongst some of the many other wrecks around that part of the coast. Cape Town is a very windy place at the best of times and in 1842 there were not the extensive harbour works that there are today to make it a busy and safe port.

  6. #16
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    Welcome Martin!

    What interesting reading... You should not feel guilt for something that certainly beyond your control. Your information will help other people answer some of their lingering questions on a very compelling subject.
    It is very hard for us to even imagine the horror those poor people endured and so many of them were likely there because they were trying to support their family in desperate times and erred.

    Sue

  7. #17
    v.wells
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    A really interesting read Martin Welcome to B-G and we hope you stay a while

  8. #18
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    Fascinating Martin.

    The only other thing that I know about Captain Henry Ager was that he was married to a woman called Amy and had a son who was also called Henry who married an Elisabeth. There was also a daughter called Amy who died young.
    I don't know for sure if it is the same man, but the name is not that common. There is a marriage amongst the London Metropolitan Archive images recently uploaded to Ancestry between a Henry AGER and an Amy SILBERRAD. The marriage took place in St.Katherine Cree Church, London on 28 May 1825. The marriage was by licence, so the licence might tell you more. Henry was described as being from the parish of St.Mary, Whitechapel.

    Aha, just seen that there are also baptisms of children to "Henry and Amey Ager" in the London registers.

    Henry, baptised St.Giles, Camberwell 31 January 1827. Father described as "Officer in the Hon. East India Co.'s Service" Residence: Peckham

    Amey, baptised St.Giles, Camberwell 14 April 1830. Father described as "Gentleman". Residence: Camberwell

    Mary, baptised St.Katherine Cree 11 January 1832. Father described as "Sea Captain" Residence: St.George's, Camberwell.

    Francis, baptised St.Giles, Camberwell 27 November 1833. Father described as "Captain of a Merchantman". Residence: Camberwell
    Sue Mackay
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  9. #19
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    If the family in my previous post is the right one, then it would seem that the daughter Amey did not die in infancy.

    1861 Census: RG9; Piece: 365; Folio: 134; Page: 16 (original at TNA, Crown Copyright)17 Grosvenor Cottages, Millbrook Road, Lambeth

    Henry AGER Head Widower 35 Com'l Clerk Timber & Iron Merchant born Peckham
    Amey AGER Sister Unm 31 Governess Daily born Peckham
    Mary AGER Sister Unm 29 Housekeeper born Peckham

    Edit: Francis died young. There is a burial entry for 19th February 1838 for Francis AGER, aged 4. Address: High Street, Peckham
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

  10. #20
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Ager View Post
    I have known for some time that my Great, Great Grandfather, Frederick Ager, was one of four brothers. Three of them were doctors and the forth was the captain of the convict ship Waterloo that was wrecked in Table Bay.
    It looks as if the Henry AGER I found might be the right one, as I see there is also a marriage in St.Katharine Cree on 20 October 1829 between a Frederick AGER of St.Mary's Whitechapel and a Helen Eliza SILBERRAD. Was this a case of two brothers marrying two sisters?
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

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