Wreck of the schooner Ministral.

Navigating the Lower Saint Lawrence in the 19th Century.

Quebec Gazette #5726 24/05/1841 Page 2. Col. 4C.

	MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK. ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT LIVES LOST.
	It again becomes our duty to record a calamity involving destruction of human life to an awful extent. Four of the crew and four of the passengers of the brig Minstrel, Captain Outerbridge, arrived here yesterday, bringing the disastrous intelligence of which the following is, we believe, an accurate summary: The Minstrel left Limerick, Ireland, on the 21st April last, for Quebec with one hundred and forty-one passengers: emigrants intending to settle in Canada. The vessel had a tolerable passage up to Tuesday last, at four o'clock in the morning, when she struck on Red Island reef. There was a heavy sea running at the time, but the boats were launched and made fast to the fore chains. Upwards of one hundred passengers embarked in the boats, but their doom was quickly sealed: the vessel 'heeled off' into deep water and went down stern foremost, so suddenly that the 'painters' of the boats could not be cast off and the people who had embarked in the boats perished with their equally unfortunate companions on board the ship, except four of the crew and four passengers, who alone of upwards of 150 souls remained to tell the sad tale. These eight persons had embarked in the gig, which was towing astern, and fortunately for them the rope which attached it to the vessel broke when she went down. They succeeded in pulling to White Island, where they remained until the following day when they were taken off by the ship Wellington, of Belfast, Captain McIntyre, and brought to Grosse Isle. Captain Outerbridge, of the unfortunate Minstrel, behaved most gallantly during the awful scene, until he perished with the rest. He declared that he would not leave the vessel until his passengers were saved, and he was the last person seen by those who were in the gig. The following are the names of the survivors:


	Crew: Passengers:	Patrick O'Leghlin, steward. James Grady, seaman. Thomas Enright, seaman. John Donohue, apprentice. Denis Flaherty, shoe maker and wife, Biddy Honora Ringrose, James Collins.

The following is a statement of the number of the crew and passengers who perished:


	Crew: Captain Passengers:	Outerbridge, mate and 9 others Male adults Female adults Males under 14 Females " 14 Males under 7 Females " 7 Infants Total perished	47 41 10 8 9 12 10	11 88 18 21 10 ---- 148

	The Minstrel was well known in the Quebec trade as a passenger ship from Ireland. She belonged to Limerick, and registered 296 tons. Last year she arrived at Quebec on the 23rd May from Limerick, with 163 passengers. The passengers above mentioned as being saved, left the Wellington at Grosse Isle, and came to Quebec in the brig Thetis, Captain Ross, from Limerick, with 131 passengers. The above is copied from the Mercury of Saturday. We were, this morning, kindly favoured by A.C. Buchanan, Esq. emigrant agent at Quebec, with the following complete list of the passengers and crew of the Minstrel:


		Issac Lydham, of the County of Limerick. Martin Meagher, Winifred Meagher, Denis Landrigan, Bridget Landrigan, John Landrigan, Mary Landrigan, James Collins, (saved) Pat. Collins, Theady Collins, John Collins, Charles Cokely, all of Newport. James Stranghnessy, Catherine Stranghnessy, N. Moriarty, Mary Moriarty, all of the County of Clare. John Ryan, Michael Ryan, all of Newmarket. July Franklin, Pat Franklin, Wilmy Franklin, Catherine Franklin, Timothy Cavanagh, Kate Cavanagh, C. Hickey, Bridget Hickey, Mary Hickey, Catherine Hickey, Bridget Hickey, John Hickey, James Hickey, Michael Farrell, Catherine Donovan, Pat O'Brien, John and Margaret Dillane, Mary and Denis Dillane, Infant John Dillane, all of the County of Limerick. J. Enright, Eilen Enright, John Enright, Peter Enright, Bridget White, Dan Fooley, Ellen Fooley, Bridget Bennett, Catherine Bennett, Jas. Kinnerk, Bridget Kinnerk, Pat. Kinnerk, James Kinnerk, Daniel Hanley, Ellen Hanley, Bridget Hanley, John Hanley, Ellen Hanley, Thos. Loughlan, Ed. Fitzgerald, Mary Fitzgerald, his wife, Mary Fitzgerald, Pat. Fitzgerald, Peg. Fitzgerald, Pat Cannon, Jacob Lynham, Jane Lynham, George Lynham, Mary Ann Lynham, Danl. Eliza Tim, Johanna Tim, Con. Tim, Jeremiah and Catherine Mulvihill, all of Atkeaton. Wm. Pendergast, V. Pendergast, Mary Pendergast, Tom Pendergast, Thos. Flaherty, Biddy Flaherty, (saved) Denis Flaherty, (saved) Mary Carney, Michael Cullinein, Ellen Cullinein, Tom. Bridgman, Bridget McNamara, Thos Kennedy, R. Kennedy, Thos. Amhill, Michael Casey, Cath. Casey, Margaret Casey, Mary Dwyer, all of the county of Clare.

		Pat. Carney, Mary Carney, James Carney, Pat Carney, Bridget Carney, James Carney, Ann Carney, Peggy Dwyer, Rhody Ringrose, Michael Ringrose, Honora Ringrose, (saved) Will. Ryan James Carney, Bridget Carney, Peggy Carney, Tom. Carney, Patty Carney, Mary Maddan, John Meara, John Rourke, Thady Rourke, Judy Rourke, Issac Bethel, Catherine Bethel, all of Trook. Thomas Cronin, Mary Cronin, Patt. Cronin, Mary Cronin, Judy Cronin, Ellen Cronin, Timothy Cronin, all of Down. Margaret Hayes, Mary Hayes, Biddy Rierden, Norvy Rierden, James Griffin, all of Ardagh. July Murnane of Newport. Patt. Mangan, Biddy Mangan of Stoneman. Patt. Floyd of Doonas, Bridget Heffernan, Michael Heffernan, John Heffernan of Hospital.

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G.R. Bossé©1999-07.

Posted:
August 1st, 2001.

Updated:
19 February, 2007.