Tombstones
associated
with
Shipwrecks
-
Earl
of
Abergavenny
Jottings
Issue/2004/1
As
a
result
of
starting
a
database
on
the
Tombstones
of
Wreck
Victims,
we
have
discovered
another
grave
of
an
Abergavenny
victim
with
a
headstone.
It
is
the
grave
of
Henry
Richard
Barwell,
a
cadet
destined
for
the
East
India
Company
Army
in
Bengal.
The
grave
is
in
St
Andrew’s
Church
at
Preston,
near Weymouth.
It
is
just
possible
to
make
out
the
inscription,
which
is
as
follows;
“In
memory
of
HENRY
RICHARD
BARWELL
Esq.
Aged
20
who
was
unfortunately
lost
in
the
‘Earl
of
Abergavenny’
East
Indiaman,
February
the
5th,
1805”
Henry
Barwell
is
mentioned
in
one
of
the
contemporary
newspaper
reports
(copied
below)
and
I
have
been
trying
to
locate
his
resting
place
for
several
years.
You
will
see
from
to
report
below
that
he
was
supposed
to
be
awaiting
burial
in
the
“family
vault”
so
I
assumed
it
may
be
fairly
easy
to
find
him.
I
posted
a
request
for
information
on
the
‘Barwell’
website
about
two
years
ago
but
to
no
avail,
not
surprising
as
it
turned
out.
Weymouth
Feb
20th,1805
“The
wreck
of
the
Earl
of
Abergavenny
lies
just
in
the
same
state
as
before:
little
or
no
part
of
her
has
yet
come
on
shore
since
the
spar
deck
&c.[Referring
to
an
earlier
report]
It
is
understood
the
Company
mean
to
make
a
trial
at
weighing
her
at
the
next
spring
tides.
Captain
Wilkingson,
in
the
Greyhound
revenue
cutter,
has
paid
every
attention
to
this
unfortunate
ship,
having
very
closely
watched
near
her,
and
diligently
searched
about
by
creeping
for
those
who
perished
with
the
loss
of
the
ship,
and
had
yesterday
the
good
fortune
to
grapple
and
bring
up
the
body
of
Mr
Barwell,
who
had
about
him
twenty
three
dollars,
his
pocket
book,
containing
his
commission
as
a
Cadet
in
the
Company’
Service,
dated
December
12,
1804,
a
handsome
ring
on
his
finger,
and
a
gold
hunting-watch,
which
had
stopped
at
ten
minutes
before
ten,
the
time
it
is
supposed
the
water
penetrated
to
the
works,
which
corresponding
with
the
time
another
watch
taken
up
stopped
nearly
determines
the
fatal
hour,
nay
almost
the
minute
in
which
this
ill-fated
ship
ingulphed
so
many
poor
souls.
Mr.
Barwell’s
remains
remain
at
an
under-taker,
and
it
is
said,
will
be
removed
hence
to
his
family
vault.
Captain
Wilkingson
has
carefully
preserved
every,
the
most
trifling
article,
found
with
the
body,
for
the
relations
of
this
unfortunate
youth.
Seven
bodies
were
taken
up
the
same
day;
but
that
of
Captain
Wordsworth
(for
which
200l.
is
offered)
has
not
yet
been
found.”
EMC
See
also
Earl
of
Abergavenny
Project
Tombstones
associated
with
Shipwrecks
-
Alexander
Jottings
Issue/2004/1
Thanks
to
the
Somerset
&
Dorset
Family
History
Society
(Muriel
Monk)
I
have
acquired
several
references
from
their
database
to
add
to
mine.
If
you
can
add
any,
it
would
be
much
appreciated.
There
were
also
two
references
to
burials
of
an
unknown
man
and
woman
who
were
thought
to
have
been
from
the
‘Alexander’.
Were
you
aware
that
this
society
can
supply
‘The
Island
&
Royal
Manor
of
Portland
Historic
Sources’
CD-ROM.
This
is
currently
Version
1
and
has
been
transcribed
and
arranged
in
HTML
format
by K. V.
Saunders.
I
am
just
hoping
that
update
will
be
cheap
because
the
cost
of
the
original
was
£20!
DJC
See
also
Alexander
Project
