MELANCHOLY EVENT
Drowning at Hoylake (on the Wirral)
From the Liverpool Mercury Aug 20th 1819
Transcribed by Caryl Williams
On Saturday evening August 7, six boatmen from Hoylake, took a boat and went
on Hoylake bank, at low water, to dig for copper, suposed to have been left
from a wreck.
Two of the party, Joseph LITTLE and Samuel SINCOCK, by some
mischance separated, it is supposed five miles from their companions, who at
night on the return of the tide, got into their boat, but exerted themselves
for a considerable period, by repeatedly shouting, and by sailing round the
bank in different directions to endeavor to discover them. When the party
first separated they agreed to meet at a certain place, which is supposed
some of them had mistaken.
As they could not swim, and the tide was gradually
surrounding them, they had to endure for a considerable time, the horrible
feelings that must have been excited by the certainty of their miserable
fate, it was midnight which must have increased their feelings of
despondancy.
In this dreadful situation it would appear that were anxious
their bodies should be found, for they fixed their shovels in the sand, to
which they tied themselves with their shirts, their handkerchiefs and their
hat bands. The strength of the tide, or their own strugglingmust have
loosened the shovels from the sand, as the poor men were found dead next
morning, tied to their shovels, within a few yards of the spot, where from
appearances they had in all probability fastened themselves.
Joseph LITTLE has left a wife pregnant, and three children: as they are very
poor, and are suddenly deprived of an industrious husband and a good father,
the smallest dontaions will be gratefully received for them on board the
floating bath, at the Courier and Mercury offices and booksellers.