This, from a sealed bottle recovered after 28 years floating at sea !

[Kim Bicknell]

The following verse is reproduced (verbatim) from the original document, which I have in my possession and is my most treasured family heirloom.

It was recovered from the water in Victoria Dock by my Great Grandfather (John Jeremiah Haggerty) in 1926.
The story passed down through his son and then to my mother goes like this.......
J.J.H. was performing a task on the exterior of his ship's hull while on a pontoon. After deciding to have a break and pack his pipe, he sat on his bum to enjoy a smoke and then noticed something just proud of the surface floating towards him. It ended up coming between the pontoon and the hull and he grabbed it from the water. I can remember my Grandfather telling me about his Dad bringing it home and that the bottle was very sturdy glass sealed with a cork driven deep into the neck, wax poured in and then another cork and more wax .
Over all of that was a good dollop of pitch and obviously quite encrusted with marine growth.
I have often thought that if the author has any descendants it would be a wonderful thing to give to them but fear searching for an O. Jones in Wales from 144 years ago maybe like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Anyway, here it is........


You taught me how to love you
Now teach me to forget.
Don't leave me broken hearted
And fill me with regret.
Your sweet face haunts me always.
I wish we'd never met.
You taught me how to love you
Now teach me to forget.

We'l wash around and scrub her down
with holystone and sand.
We'l bid adue to the north west wind
And sail from Newfoundland.
We'r off with the morning tide my lads
So good bye Kate and Mary.
O'er the angry waves, my gallant ship,
We'r bound for Tipperary.

Oh Jane you look the very same.
But when you left the village you were shy.
But allas and alack you came back
With a naughty little twinkle in your eye.

Thrown overboard from the
Sailing ship "Criccieth Castle"
off Callao. 1898 th year of our Lord.

O. Jones

[Graham Shaw]

A lovely Poem.

I suppose the Criccieth Castle referred to would be this one:- Like many of her ilk she had a sad end later.

Launched as SILVERDALE (O.N. 79127) on 10/3/1887 ,as Yard No.86 at Williamsons of Workington for R.Williamson & Son. Iron Sailing Vessel of 1,920 tons, LBP 80.4,m.Beam 11.9m
1889 Owner now R.Thomas & Co.Renamed CRICCIETH CASTLE.


Fate. At Stanley, Falkland Islands, CRICCIETH CASTLE British ship, totally lost on July 15, lat 54S, long 61W. Rudder post broken, sternpost broken. Part of crew saved and landed here July 22. [Lloyd's List 30.7.1912]
The CRICCIETH CASTLE was valued at £8,000, and her cargo £18,000. She was on passage from Ballestos Island to Falmouth with guano. [Lloyd's List 15.8.1912]--- further information Ballistas (Peru) to Antwerp (Belgium) loaded with guano, suffered a damaged rudder followed by a water ingress that could not be controlled, the pumps being blocked by guano. The crew abandoned the ship in two boats, one with seven men disappeared, the second boat,with captain, his wife and son and others lost 8 seamen due to the cold and reached the lighthouse of Pembroke, Falkland Islands, after 6 days.

Looking in a Lloyds publication,there was an even earlier Criccieth Castle.She too succumbed to shipwreck.....

Let's remember her too.

[The 1876 built brig Criccieth Castle-owner M.Owen & Co.,234 tons,102.2 x 24.6 x 13.7 ft,struck on the rocks below Peninnis Head, St.Mary's,Scilly Isles one night in 1883.There was a violent gale raging at the time and little could be done to save the crew.By daylight it was found that all on board,including the Falmouth pilot had drowned...]

[John Pruden]

cappies bar bill? jp

[Ian Adrian Millar]

Kim: Thank you for sharing this poem with us. When I say that it was authored by O. Jones it brought to mind my Aberystwyth Jones ancestors, all seafarers. O. Jones was not one of ours. The note in the bottle reminded me of a fellow aboard ship who used to cast bottles over the side with notes in them, I do not know that he ever got any of them back but he left a track across the Pacific and down into the Antarctic during that cruise. We circumnavigated Antarctica and I know he dropped bottles all the way round and then up along South America. Anyway thanks for sharing enjoyed the poem very much.

Ian

[Des Taff Jenkins]

That was a lovely reminder of the past. I dropped a few bottles over the side in my time, are they still out here? Maybe they will turn up in a hundred years time, and someone will say that bloke was on the MN Old Friends.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Des, more than likely take them to the bottle bank in the hope of getting full ones back. JS

Des as regards museum pieces 4 years ago I offered pieces and copies of relics relating to a sea disaster, just as far as I was concerned to fill up empty shelves and a one sided story. They didnt even reply. I only offer once and as far as I am concerned they will never find their way there even after Im gone, I will make sure of that. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Bottles over the side, part of being at sea I think.
Certainly was for us as officers stewards, end of the day over the wall with all their rubbish which would included a variety of bottles.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John S.
That was my idea, but only for some really old photos I have that my boss gave me about the South Steyne, Maybe they would take those in the maritime Museum in Sydney.
Des

[cappy]

cappies bar bill? jp

could be that three shillings and ninepence ....chucked in the sea off perf .......so he could say it was on its way

[Kim Bicknell]

An Engineer perhaps with a lady in most ports?

Hi Marian,
That is quite possible and I've always thought that to be the most likely case. This was also the opinion of a curator at The Fremantle Maritime Museum, to whom I showed the original.

While I have no intention of demeaning the ship's ratings, the poem is very nicely written in a good hand and in such a fashion that would suggest the scribe to be someone with a reasonable education and schooling........most likely an officer.