The book was published two weeks ago, I am finally getting around to promoting it.
The Annie Jane was a newly built emigrant ship that sailed from Liverpool to Quebec in late 1853 with up to 450 people on board: Irish, Scottish and English emigrants. The ship turned back once to Liverpool after being dis-masted. The passengers tried to recover passage money through the courts, but could not get their money back; forcing many to reluctantly re-board the ship or starve in Liverpool.
Sailing again the ship was caught in a horrendous storm and wrecked in the Outer Hebrides on the tiny island of Vatersay on the 28th of September 1853. Up to 350 drowned and there were 102 survivors. The dead were buried in two mass graves “like herrings in a barrel”.
The survivors descended on the only house in the island looking for food and shelter, some of them being stuck there for two weeks. Then the difficult journey back to Liverpool to claim their passage money and 15 shillings expenses. One group being driven by another storm all the way to the Isle of Skye, where they had to wade rivers and walk mountain tracks to get to the nearest town Portree.
The book is a very detailed account of life aboard a mid-19th century ship. The first voyage and return. Then the final voyage, the disaster and aftermath, including the inquiry in Liverpool and a subsequent court case by a seaman for recovery of lost wages in Quebec. Also contains a vivid description of the social conditions on the Outer Hebrides at the time that led the impoverished islanders to loot the wreck and the bodies. Most of the surviving steerage passengers losing everything.
The book is well illustrated and includes a reproduction of the crew agreement, discharge document and the original adverts for passage aboard the Annie Jane.
I have attempted to put flesh on the bones of the immigrants who perished in the disaster and were then quickly forgotten. The location of the two mass graves of up to 350 people still unknown.
A great story and a fantastic present for anybody who is interested in History. There is an acknowledgement in the book to rootschat members who helped in the research.
Available at Amazon.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wreck-Annie-Jane-Allan-Murray/dp/0861524128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513152718&sr=1-1&keywords=the+wreck+of+the+annie+janeOr at the publisher, I have been told it’s a lot cheaper on this site for shipping to the USA and Canada.
http://www.acairbooks.com/categories/non-fiction-titles/all-non-fiction/the-wreck-of-the-annie-jane.aspx
