A section of the upturned hull of the seven-masted schooner Thomas W. Lawson (1902) off the rocks off Annet, Isles of Scilly

A section of the hull of the seven-masted schooner Thomas W. Lawson (1902) semi-submerged off the coast of Annet Island, near St. Agnes. In the far distance is the outline of Bishop Rock lighthouse. The photographer was standing on the rocks at the west side of Annet.

The negative has a white flaw in the bottom left corner that does not seem to affect the image.

The Thomas W. Lawson (1902) was on passage, after leaving Philadelphia on 20 November 1907 for London with a cargo of paraffin oil worth £40,000. The ship had met two bad gales while crossing the Atlantic and on 13 December found itself inside the Bishop Rock where it anchored in Broad Sounds to wait out the strong northwesterly gale. Despite offers of assistance from the St. Agnes lifeboat the captain refused and the crew remained on board. The gale increased during the night, parting both anchor cables and the schooner drifted towards Annet, struck west of Carn Irish and broke in two. Only three crew were rescued the next day, including Captain Dow and Edward Rowe, the ship's engineer. George Allen later died.

Object Details

ID: G14312
Collection: Historic Photographs
Type: Glass plate negative
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Gibson & Sons of Scilly
Date made: 15 December 1907
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Gibson's of Scilly Shipwreck Collection
Measurements: Overall: 6 1/2 in x 8 1/2 in
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