Wrecking history of the Bahamas

[Colombiapictures]

Wrecking is an important part of the history of the Bahamas.
I am trying to find enough information about it, to write a book.
Snippets, stories, evidence, books, newspaper articles and cuttings, location of documents etc.

Snippets like:
"When we happened on the shipwreck, it was evident that no wrecking had been done on it for many years. About 10 intact bronze portholes were just lying there, where they had fallen when the hull rotted. These would have picked up by the first wrecker who set his eyes on them. We found evidence that the ship had burned, maybe sunk because of fire on board."

This kind of info gives valuable clues that help finding more information about the shipwreck and sometimes help identifying the origin of the ship. Sometimes, with a lot of work, one is even able to find the name and date of the ship and its history. In short, one can re build the whole story of the shipwreck.
Any help is much appreciated.

 

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[Old Bookaroo]

It's not exactly "wrecking" - Cyrus Karracker discusses the importance to the Bahamas and Bermuda of finding ambergris during the early days of those colonies. See The Hispaniola Treasure (Philadelphia: 1934).

The December 1915 issue of Harper's Magazine might also be helpful.

You're probably already familiar with Paul Albury's The Story of the Bahamas (1975).

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[xaos]

Salvage?

 

[islamoradamark]

Welcome to Treasurenet

 

[Magoopeter]

The Wrecking System of the Bahama Islands published 1915

 

[whydahdiver]

On Cape Cod, salvage of wrecks was a big business. When the Whydah sank in 1717 there were hundreds of people on the beach the next day grabbing what they could. The salvor sent to the scene by the governor was supposed to take what he could from the locals but the notices he put up around the area were according to him, Cyprian Southhack, torn down as soon as they were posted. The wreckers were sometimes called Moon Cussers because they cussed when there was a full moon that lit the shore line making it less likely ships would run aground. Supposedly some would actually put lanterns on the beach trying to lure in ships.


WD

 

[ARC]

Black Bart would be a resource on this... IMO.

 

[TRG]

On Cape Cod, salvage of wrecks was a big business. When the Whydah sank in 1717 there were hundreds of people on the beach the next day grabbing what they could. The salvor sent to the scene by the governor was supposed to take what he could from the locals but the notices he put up around the area were according to him, Cyprian Southhack, torn down as soon as they were posted. The wreckers were sometimes called Moon Cussers because they cussed when there was a full moon that lit the shore line making it less likely ships would run aground. Supposedly some would actually put lanterns on the beach trying to lure in ships.


WD

Sir William Phip[p]s success with the Concepcion undoubtedly fueled the interest of many, but the practice was already a well known endeavor long before this. On his voyage to the Caribbean in 1684 they stopped in the Bahamas to do a little wrecking but gave up as the wrecks they tried had already been picked over.

While there is certainly some documentation - tax records and the like might be helpful - surely a lot of the activity was ad hoc/opportunistic with the participants unlikely or unwillingly share what they found and where... as is still the case.

https://vintage-nostalgia.com/wp-content/uploads/700-i7-187-halley-s-divingbell-1.jpg



Sounds like an interesting and entertaining project.

 

[Colombiapictures]

The Wrecking System of the Bahama Islands published 1915

Thank you, got this one, some good statistics. There is mention of a "Blue Book", does anybody know what that is?

 

[VaGent]

Supposedly some would actually put lanterns on the beach trying to lure in ships.


WD

Thats how Nags Head on the NC Outer Banks got its name, according to local legend. https://obxstuff.com/blogs/guides/how-the-town-of-nags-head-got-its-name

 

[Colombiapictures]

Sir William Phip[p]s success with the Concepcion undoubtedly fueled the interest of many, but the practice was already a well known endeavor long before this. On his voyage to the Caribbean in 1684 they stopped in the Bahamas to do a little wrecking but gave up as the wrecks they tried had already been picked over.

While there is certainly some documentation - tax records and the like might be helpful - surely a lot of the activity was ad hoc/opportunistic with the participants unlikely or unwillingly share what they found and where... as is still the case.

https://vintage-nostalgia.com/wp-content/uploads/700-i7-187-halley-s-divingbell-1.jpg

View attachment 1925484

Sounds like an interesting and entertaining project.

I hope it will be. I never wrote a book before. They say: "just write and learn along the way". If I am not done with it in 20 years, I will "be done."

 

[Colombiapictures]

On Cape Cod, salvage of wrecks was a big business. When the Whydah sank in 1717 there were hundreds of people on the beach the next day grabbing what they could. The salvor sent to the scene by the governor was supposed to take what he could from the locals but the notices he put up around the area were according to him, Cyprian Southhack, torn down as soon as they were posted. The wreckers were sometimes called Moon Cussers because they cussed when there was a full moon that lit the shore line making it less likely ships would run aground. Supposedly some would actually put lanterns on the beach trying to lure in ships.


WD

Thank you.
The Whydah story is one of the best documented salvage of "wrecker" story I have heard of.

 

[Colombiapictures]

It's not exactly "wrecking" - Cyrus Karracker discusses the importance to the Bahamas and Bermuda of finding ambergris during the early days of those colonies. See The Hispaniola Treasure (Philadelphia: 1934).

The December 1915 issue of Harper's Magazine might also be helpful.

You're probably already familiar with Paul Albury's The Story of the Bahamas (1975).

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

Thank you. Yes, I have Albury. It is a good start. I will try to get the others. No luck so far.
Albury mentions some 8000 Bahamian wreckers in Key West. What happened to them? Are these families still living there?
Does Key West have any kind of archive of the wrecking activity there?

 

[Colombiapictures]

Welcome to Treasurenet

Thank you for the welcome. I greatly appreciate the help of you all.

 

[Colombiapictures]

Salvage?

The word "wrecking" seem to be synonymous with salvage. It was used often in every part of the English speaking Caribbean and even as far away as Bermuda. Possibly Bermuda was the place of origin, as the people who first Bahamas settled on Eleuthera were from Bermuda. Probably "Wreckers"

 

[ARC]

wrecker (n.)
1804, in reference to those who salvage cargos from wrecked ships, from wreck (n.). In Britain often with a overtones of "one who causes a shipwreck in order to plunder it" (1820); but in 19c. Bahamas and the Florida Keys it could be a legal occupation. Applied to those who wreck and plunder institutions from 1882. Meaning "demolition worker" attested by 1958. As a type of ship employed in salvage operations, from 1789. As a railway vehicle with a crane or hoist, from 1904.

 

[ARC]

"Salvage" dates back eons.

salvage (n.)
1640s, "payment for saving a ship from wreck or capture," from French salvage (15c.), from Old French salver "to save" (see save (v.)). The general sense of "the saving of property from danger" is attested from 1878. Meaning "recycling of waste material" is from 1918, from the British effort in World War I.

 

[Jolly Mon]

I have an interesting book titled "Lore of the wreckers". i can't remember if it goes into details of salvage in the Bahamas. I am not interested in selling my copy, but it is available on Amazon. At the very least, it might provide good background. https://www.amazon.com/Lore-wreckers-Birse-Shepard/dp/B0007E5ZA4?tag=treasurenet01-20

 

[whydahdiver]

I conducted a full year of research for Clifford before we started digging, it is a fascinating story and better than any fiction. I have copies of Southhack's journal which I will try to post here if anyone is interested. I then became the principal archaeologist after returning from Port Royal as a grad student at Texas A&M, I'm the guy who gave the thumbs up as certifying we had found her, that was in 1984, next year we found the bell which shut up most doubters.

 

[PhipsFolly]

Whydahdiver... love to chat with you about your Port Royal experience... was that with Donny Hamilton?