Litchfield

Posted by Tim Oakley on Wednesday 10th of January 2018 19:04

Lichfield ran aground at around 6 am on 30 November 1758 on the Barbary Coast during a squall. 220 of the 350 crew managed to reach the shore, but were held as slaves for 18 months until ransomed with other Europeans for 170,000 dollars in April 1760.
According to the account of Lieutenant Southerland:
The voyage was prosperous till the 29th, when at eight in the evening I took charge of the watch, and the weather turned out very squally, with rain. At nine, it was extremely dark, with much lightning, the wind was varying from S.W. to W.N.W. At half past nine, had a very hard squall. Captain Barton staid till ten; and then left orders to keep sight of the Commodore, and what make sail the weather would permit. At eleven the Commodore bearing south, but the squalls were coming so heavy, we were obliged to hand the main top-sail, and at twelve o' clock, we were under our courses.
November 30th, at one in the morning, I left the deck in charge of the first lieutenant; the light, which we took to be the Commodore's, right ahead, bearing S. wind W.S.W. blowing very hard. At six in the morning I was awakened by a very great shock, and a confused noise of the men on deck. I ran up, thinking some ship had run afoul of us, for by my own reckoning, and that of every other person on the ship, we were at least 35 leagues distant from land; but, before I could reach the quarter-deck, the ship gave a great stroke upon the ground, and the sea broke over her.