Welsh and maritime interest - London 1854-55 by Joseph and Albert Savory
A cased Victorian sterling silver four-piece tea and coffee service

Comprising a coffee pot, teapot, a milk jug, and twin handled sugar bowl (1855). Each of baluster form upon leafy scroll feet. The pots with C scroll and leaf capped curved spouts opposite a leaf capped C scroll handle fitted with ivory insulators, leading to hinged domed lids surmounted by cast finials of eagles with wings expanded upon leafy branches. The bodies with embossed and chased decoration of foliate scrolls and foliage with fish scale reserves. Each side with C scroll cartouches engraved with presentation inscriptions, to one side reading “This service raised by public subscription is presented to Capt. F. J Organ of the Barque “Cuba” in testimony of his humane conduct in saving the lives of officers & the remainder of the Crew from the Wreck of the Barque “BONA DEA” 4 January 1854 in Lat 45 N Lon 24 & of his subsequent judicious treatment of them while under his care.” and to the opposing side “Presented At Swansea the 18th of January 1855.”. The milk and sugar with gilt interiors. All housed in a fitted oak carrying case, branded SAVORY & SONS Goldsmiths 11 & 12 Cornhill London. Each fully marked and part-marked.

Coffee pot height – 25.3 cm / 9.8 inches

Teapot length – 25.5 cm / 10.05 inches

Weight – 2367 grams / 76.1 ozt

The Bona Dea

The barque Bona Dea was wrecked in the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of ten of her crew. Eleven survivors were taken off the wreck at a location 20 nautical miles (37 km) south west of Mizen Head, County Cork on 4 February by the barque Cuba. Bona Dea was on a voyage from Coquimbo, Chile to Swansea, Glamorgan. “The Admiralty Register of Wrecks for 1854". Hampshire Advertiser and Salisbury Guardian. No. 1683. Southampton. 1 December 1855. p. 4.

On Feb. 04, 1854, Cuba was en route from Coquimbo to Swansea, with Fredrick J. Organ in command. When 20 miles off Mizen Head (SW Ireland), at 45.15N/24.14W, Cuba came upon the waterlogged & dismasted wreck of Bona Dea, a Liverpool registered barque. It had been en route from Havana, Cuba, to Liverpool, but on Jan. 23, 1854, soon after leaving Havana, had been hit by a massive sea which knocked her over & swept all of her supplies (food & drinking water) off the ship. Bona Dea's masts had to be cut away. For the next 11 1/2 days the crew of Bona Dea huddled, cold, starving & thirsty under an old sail. Six of her crew, including her captain, died before Cuba came on the scene. Cuba took eleven survivors on board but four of them soon died, mainly from madness. Part way through their ordeal, one Bona Dea crew member, in a quite desperate condition, offered to die to permit the others to survive. A day or so later he cut his arms but apparently did not bleed - so the others surrounded him & cut his throat. Cuba arrived back at Swansea on Feb. 15, 1854 with the surviving crew. Bona Dea would seem to have been built at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1841.

A barque. Cuba, which was launched in Sep. 1844, is Lloyd's Register listed from 1845/46 thru 1862/63 & not thereafter. Lloyd's Register does not record the name of the vessel's owner nor her port of registry in the years from 1845/46 thru 1849/50, but does note that 'Drury' was the vessel's then captain. In 1850/51 & 1851/52, Lloyd's Register lists that the vessel was owned by W. Jenkins, of Swansea, Wales, for service from London to Coquimbo, Chile, with F. Organ noted to have been her captain.

In 1852/53, Cuba became owned by Ord & Co., of Sunderland, for service from Swansea to Valparaiso, Chile, or from Swansea to South America. With Captain Organ continuing to serve as the vessel's master.

Frederick John Organ (1817-1877), the son of William Organ and Harriet Rolfe. Married Sarah Walters (b. 1830), had five children all born in Swansea. In the 1871 census had evidently changed career a described as a “Licensed Victualler”, at the Cambrian Hotel, Swansea.

Horrible Sufferings At Sea

A horrible story has been brought home to this country by the barque Cuba in the account of the loss of the ship Bona Dea of Liverpool. The Bona Dea sailed from Havana in charge of a pilor and soon after getting out fell in with bad weather. During the night of Monday, Jan. 23 a tremendous sea struck the vessel, causing her to tremble violently. All hands were lashed to the pumps, and pumped till they became useless and the water had got to within three feet of the main deck. Presently a heavy lurch threw the captain and four men overboard, and the sea washed everything out of the cabin and stores at the same moment - not a morsel of bread, or a drop of water, was left. The weather was frightful. They managed to get an old sail over the stump of the mizenmast, and lash themselves there, although they expected every moment that the poop would go to pieces. They remained in that situation all that day and night. Then we have the following fearful diary :-

Tuesday, January 24. - The gale is still blowing as hard as ever with a terrific sea constantly breaking over the ship. A sharp look-out was kept the whole day but nothing was seen.

Thursday Jan 26: - Spread a tarpaulin to catch some rain-water as a few showers were passing, but did not succeed, owing to the sea breaking overall. Broke down to the ceiling in the cabin, in the hopes of finding some crumbs of bread or something else, but in vain - none were to be found. It was then the third day that they had not tasted food or water. Towards night some of the men complained of thirst, but remained quite reasonable and manageable.

Friday, January 27:- At daylight, saw a barque not more than three miles from the wreck, they either did not or would not take notice of the wreck. They were unable to restrain themselves from drinking salt water. In the course of the day a rat was caught and divided equally among them.

Saturday, January 28 :- Drank large quantities of salt water during the day, besides chewing lead and bits of rope.

Sunday, January 29th;- Saw two ships not more than three miles from them. Strange as it may appear, neither of them took any notice of their awful position; they passed so close and they distinguished all the sails, spars &c. The horrors of starvation now broke upon them and the thirst was almost maddening. They, towards night, discovered a kitten, which had crawled out from below; it was instantly killed and greedily devoured. Symptoms of insanity presented itself among some of the men. They were still without water and all in the a very exhausted state ; their legs and feet began to swell .

Monday Jan 30:- The weather nothing abated. Drinking immense quantities of salt water.

“Tuesday, Jan. 31. – Most of them now began to despair; some were delirious, and others commenced talking about sacrificing one of the number to save the rest from being starved to death. The men proposed they should draw lots to decide who it should be. At five o’clock in the evening was a large ship standing to the N.W. A sharp look-out was kept, expecting to be relieved in the morning; but alas! they were doomed to disappointment; the ship was out of sight.

“Wednesday, Feb. 1. – The men now drew lots. One poor fellow, named James Lilley, who appeared to be in a dying state, offered himself to save the rest. Mr. M‘Leod interfered, and cheered them up with the prospect of being soon relieved. No water.

“Thursday, Feb. 2. – The weather moderating. The men were now become unmanageable. They were determined to have the dying man sacrificed. The poor fellow had offered to do the deed himself and he cut his arms in two places to bleed to death, but no blood came. The men afterwards surrounded him, and one of them cut his throat. Mr. M‘Leod says the scene that followed was most horrible—too horrible to detail.

“Friday, Feb. 3. – Many of the men frantically mad, and crawling about the deck in a shocking state; the remainder were nearly prostrate, and unable to move. Weather moderate.

“Saturday, Feb. 4 (twelfth day without food or water). – Mr. M‘Leod and two men were the only portion of the crew who were able to get about. The whole of the remainder were perfectly prostrate, and among them four quite deranged. All, in fact, were fast sinking, and could not possibly have survived another day, the immense quantity of salt water they drank increasing their sufferings to a frightful degree. At about nine o’clock a vessel was observed through the haze. The vessel proved to be the Cuba, of Sunderland, bound to Swansea, from Coquimbo, Captain F. G. Organ, master. By one o’clock they succeeded in getting all on board. Those who were insane were carried below, and put in a roomy, clean, and comfortable alt-deck, whilst the others were placed in the forecastle, with a fire and everything suitable for their condition. The moment they came on board, a little boiled rice and barley water were administered to them; they were then washed in warm water, and dry clothes put on them. One of them, however, Samuel Blane, the cook, died almost immediately he was brought on board. Four others died in a few days after, notwithstanding every possible means were taken to save their lives. They had continued insane the whole time, and died raving mad. The remainder—Mr. Duncan M‘Leod, chief mate; Thomas Phillpotts, second mate; Benjamin Mooney, John Doherty, William Harrison, Join Naylor, and Charles Phillpotts, seamen—all recovered, and were landed at Swansea on Thursday week.”

The Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian Glamorgan Monmouth and Brecon Gazette – 25^th February 1854

Ivory declaration: 5YHFQ9GE