Shipwreck "Royal Charter" - which La Fargue Drowned?

[Les de B]

I'm just trying to confirm which Walter Nugent La Fargue (or Lafargue) drowned in the 1859 shipwreck of the "Royal Charter" off Wales, which had sailed from Australia?

I had always believed it to the son of Augusta Hubbard La Fargue, and his wife Maria (nee Nugent), who was bpt.15/1/1827, Deal, Kent. English newspaper articles of the day indicate it was Walter Nugent La Fargue, 32 old, second son of the late Augustus Hubbard LaFargue of Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire (Augustus did die there), who drowned in the shipwreck.

However, I've just now read an extract from a New Zelaand newspaper, The NZ'er, 21/1/1860 which reads;  Drowned 26/10/1859 in the wreck of the steamer Royal Charter, Walter Nugent La Fargue, 3rd son of the late W.L.F. La Fargue of Northamptonshire, and newphew of H B Adams, Recruiting Officer, Dublin.

I don't know any of those references apart from Walter's name. Also in a NZ paper in January 1860, was another article indicating his death, but stated Walter was the grandson of the late Major Stephen Watts, of Deal, Kent (which is correct).

I have only found one birth on LDS for a Walter Nugent La Fargue, and that has the correct parents. Could the NZ'er news article just be a mix up of information between England and New Zealand. Or could the English newspaper have got it wrong because their reports were written very shortly after the shipwreck, and they didn't have time to confirm the death but just go off the Passenger List, which had the name "Mr Walter La Fargue" only.

I was wondering if a 1851 Census would show 2 different Walter Nugent La Fargue, and then maybe a 1861 Census would only show one, the other having drowned in the shipwreck of the "Royal Charter"?

I love a mystery 

Les

[jorose]

I tried to find out something about H.B. Adams:

I found in 1888 the marriage of his granddaughter Amy, daughter of Henry de Burgh Adams (who died in 1869 in London), granddaughter of the late Major H. B. Adams, paymaster, Dublin.
Henry de Burgh Adams married in 1857 to Letitia, daughter of John Mason Pooley and granddaughter of the Rev Henry Pooley.

books.google.com has The Gentleman's Magazine from 1841, mentions the death of one of H. B. Adam's daughters - his eldest Anne-Maria, at Southampton, around 1841 (at that time he is a Captain).

The full name of H.B. Adams may be Henry Balthaser Adams, aka Henry Balthazar Adams, upon examination of Hart's Army Lists (also on Google Books). His son Henry de Burgh Adams seems to have been in NZ shortly after his marriage (plenty of references to him on Papers Past)

It seems quite likely that there was some sort of mix up. I can't find anything about any W. L. F. La Fargue.
I can see your Walter in the 1841 census, aged 14, and nothing in 1861 (I have no access to 1851).
I suppose there could be somewhere a connection with the Adams family - were there any Irish links in Walter's family, maybe on his mother's side? Sometimes "nephew" is used very loosely.

[Les de B]

Hi Jorose

Thanks VERY much for your effort in trying to help me with this mystery. I think the main thing is that you found my Walter Nugent LaFargue alive in the 1841 Census, but not in the 1861 Census, which was after the "Royal Charter" shipwreck (1859).

The only Irish connection you queried was that his grandfather was born in Ireland about 1735, but served with the English Army. The grandfather was later posted to Jersey Island in charge of a Company of Invalids, and that's where he met his wife who was a Jersey Islander (they married 1761). Walter's mother was born on Jersey, and his father in England.

So, like you, I tend to lean towards a mix-up in communications of the day. I know of one example with a ggg grandmother, her "second" marriage was placed in the Marriage Notices of a newspaper, and I couldn't work it out. After searching further, it was ascertained it was actually her Death Notice, placed in the wrong section.

Once again thanks for your help. If nothing esle comes to light, I'm quite satisfied that it was my Walter Nugent LaFargue who drowned in the shipwreck.

Les

[liverpool annie]

Hi Les !

This doesn't help you in your quest for Walter ... but I wondered if you had read this interesting site ??

http://www.agius.com/family/ancestor.htm

Annie 

[Les de B]

Thanks Annie, that was an interesting site. Yes, a good example of a "Forgotten Hero".

I have an ironic postscript to the death of  Walter Nugent LaFargue. His cousin (my g grandfather's sister) sailed to Australia on Royal Charter in 1857. She married a Police Inspector (Lydiard) in 1857, who escorted the first gold from the Victorian gold fields. There was a huge amount of gold from those gold fields aboard the Royal Charter when sank in 1859.

Just a bit of trivial(?) family history.

Les

[brawd houdini]

Hello everybody,
                           Don't know much regarding minutae of Royal Charter,but do know she sank off the coast of 'Ynys Mon'[Anglesey-as it was known then] so would suggest that you contact the records office there.

                            The wreck is quite famous in these parts as bullion is still being recovered from the site,so there might be records held by Diving associations,the Treasury in London,as well as the RNLI[Royal National Lifeboat Institution] who I believe were awarded Gallantry medals for their rescue endevours.

                              Also believe that there is small museum or exhibition in Cemaes Bay in Ynys Mon.The lifeboat crew came from here,allthough she is always referred as to have sank near Amlwch which was the nearest Town or Port to the incident.

                                  Hope this helps,regards,brawd houdini

[brawd houdini]

PS-local newspapers would have been Anglesey Mail and Liverpool Daily Post

[Les de B]

Thanks Bawd Houdini

There were a few web links in the address that Annie supplied. It all makes interesting family/historical research, especially the gold cargo 

As a matter of interest there is no death of Walter La Fargue on FreeBMD's. Would that mean his body was never found, or are there Welsh BMD's as, presumably, that's where he died - officially?

Les

[jorose]

He might be in the marine death index, which is the usual place to find deaths 'at sea'.
(Welsh BMDs are included on freeBMD).

I had a look at The Times re: Royal Charter.

Oct 27 1859: first report of her sinking, via telegram from Bangor.  She had landed at Queenstown on the Monday, heading for Liverpool, and was wrecked in Red Wharf Bay.
Oct 28 1859: incomplete report of the event. A Mr W. A. Gardener, a passenger who had left the ship at Queenstown, gave a list of cabin passengers to the best of his memory, which included "Walter Nugent".
Oct 29 1859: list of saloon passengers lost includes "La Fargol"
Nov 3 1859: death notice of Walter Nugent La Fargue, Esq, 32 (no family details)
Nov 9 1859: Full list of passengers, includes "Walter Lafargue"