Lt Col. Caesar Colclough Armett

[hanes teulu]

Good spot re the timing of the correction - the Liverpool Mercury would have been referring to the 13 Feb edition of the Bristol Mirror.
I did wonder whether to correct "birth" to "berth" when typing out but decided to post "as is". Perhaps could have drawn attention eg " ... birth (sic).

The Bristol Mercury, 1 Feb reported the Berwickshire and Hibernia had sailed for Cork - but no sailing dates specified. The Hibernia was recognised as one of the regular War Office packets.
 Hibernia was back at Bristol by 11the Feb and the first concerns of the fate of the Berwickshire voiced in the Bristol Mirror 13th Feb.

Bristol Mercury, 15 Feb 1819
DUBLIN AND CORK WAR OFFICE PACKET LIST
Name - Hibernia; Captain - Reed; Destination - Cork; Returned - Feb 11; Sailed - not yet sailed

[HughC]

Thank you.
I'm surprised it took them so long to realize that the Berwickshire had been lost,
but of course there was no telegraph link with Ireland in those days and they presumably had to wait for the Hibernia to return and say it hadn't arrived.

[hanes teulu]

From the 13th to 21st the papers were referring to fears that the Berwickshire had been lost.

Star, London, 22 February

CORK, Feb 16th
Many rumours have been in circulation through this city for several days past, concerning the Berwickshire packet which sailed from Bristol nearly a month ago. - some asserting she has been lost and others to the contrary. We are sorry to say that the former is the prevailing opinion at present. Lt. Col Armit (sic) of the 35th with his wife and four children were passengers on board the vessel. It was said Col. Carnie was also on board but a Gentleman from Bristol positively asserts that to his knowledge Lt. Col. Armit would not suffer the Captain to take any other passengers but himself and his family - such having been his agreement. It is highly therefore probable the Colonel did not sail in the Berwickshire.

Fears/speculation continued in the papers, tempered with a statement that the early reference to 40 passengers aboard was wrong until 25th eg.
Saunder's News Lettery

"We learn with much regret that letters have been received in this town confirming the loss of the Berwickshire Packet. It would appear from the statements in these letters, that she was lost off the coast of Wales , and that not one person on board was saved. The Berwickshire was a trading packet, and it is supposed her cargo consisted of property to the amount of £10,000, principally for the shopkeepers of this city - a great part of which we regret to hear was uninsured - Cork Morning Intelligencer"

As you say, the telegraph some way off.  Comes across like an episode of the old TV series "The Onedin Line".
4 Welsh newspaper articles to peruse - just click on title of item to deliver article. The last one is interesting.
https://newspapers.library.wales/search?range%5Bmin%5D=1804&range%5Bmax%5D=1919&alt=()&page=1&refine=&query=berwickshire&sort=score&order=desc&rows=12&decade%5B%5D=1810&year%5B%5D=1819

Wish I'd spotted them before typing out the above!

Thanks for the post.

[HughC]

I'm glad it's proved of interest, not just to myself.

I no longer have access to old newspapers: perhaps I should subscribe
as they're useful sources -- not just for BMD announcements, as this shows.