The Wreck of the Abergavenny, by A Hayter

The Wreck of the Abergavenny. The Wordsworths and Catastrophe
by Alethea Hayter

In February 1805 The Earl of Abergavenny set sail in convoy from Portsmouth for a voyage to India and China captained by John Wordsworth, the younger brother of the poet, William Wordsworth. On board were more than 400 passengers, troops and crew and a rich cargo of luxury goods and silver collars. Only three days later, separated from the convoy by stormy weather, the ship struck the notorious Shambles shoal in Weymouth Bay and sank drowning 260 souls, including her captain.

From the harrowing accounts of the survivors and the detailed official press reports of the disaster, The Wreck of the Abergavenny recreates this tragic event and its contemporary impact. John Wordsworth’s death devastated his family and friends. Their grieving memories and the effect of the tragedy on his brother William’s art and view of life conclude this powerful story which shows how a past catastrophe is transformed from first reports and reactions into historical record and poetic myth.

Paperback. Very good condition.
8 pages of black and white images in the centre of the book.

222 pages
130 mm x 187 mm (approx. 5 in x 7.5 in)
2003, Pan Books, London.