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Harwich Ferry Disaster
The 1807 Harwich ferry diasaster was an incident that occurred at Landguard Fort, Felixstowe near the English sea port of Harwich on the Essex coast in the North Sea on Saturday 18 April 1807, in which sixty to ninety people drowned during the capsizing of a small ferry. Cause The disaster was caused by the large number of army personnel and their families who wished to gain passage from Languard Fort to Harwich at one time. Languard Fort was a small army encampment on the coastline opposite Harwich town designed to protect the harbour from French and Dutch raiding parties during the Napoleonic Wars. Stationed at the fort were soldiers of the 79th Regiment of Foot, who would later become the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. This Scottish unit was accompanied by many of the soldiers' wives and families as well as local people attached to the camp. On the day of the disaster a company (military unit) of the regiment, accompanied by women and children, wished to take passage into H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Landguard Fort
Landguard Fort is a fort at the mouth of the River Orwell outside Felixstowe, Suffolk, designed to guard the mouth of the river. It is now managed by the charity English Heritage and is open to the public. History Originally known as Langer Fort, the first fortifications from 1540 were a few earthworks and blockhouse, but it was king James I who ordered, from 1621, the construction of a square fort with bulwarks at each corner. In 1667 the Dutch, under Michiel de Ruyter, landed a force of 2,000 men on Felixstowe beach in front of (what is now called) Undercliff Road East and advanced on to the fort, but were repulsed by Nathaniel Darrel and his garrison of 400 musketeers of the Duke of York & Albany's Maritime Regiment (the first Royal Marines) and 100 artillerymen with 54 cannon.Rickard, J The fort was considered part of Essex in the 18th and 19th centuries; births and deaths within the garrison were recorded as 'Landguard Fort, Essex'. A new Fort battery was built in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
