Wreck event and documentary evidence:

Sank in the Downs after reaching shallow water, having been in collision with the SS VENUS of West Hartlepool, one mile E of the South Sand Head lightship in wind conditions E force 2 and fog. Vessel was eventually beached at Kingsdown, near Deal, and blown up as a navigational hazard. (3)

Involved in a collision whilst en route from Sfax to West Hartlepool with a cargo of barely. She foundered close to Kingsdown. She now lies very broken in shallow water. The sight of barley washing ashore earned her the nickname THE WHEATMAN. (4)

'DEAL. Wreck off Kingsdown.—An attempt was made Saturday afternoon to beach the BELLCAIRN, a screw steamer belonging to West Hartlepool. When she was run ashore, however, it was very low water, and a heavy wind sprang up during the night. All hope of saving her has to be abandoned, and on Sunday only her masts were showing above water, and she is regarded as a total wreck. The BELLCAIRN is 1315 gross tonnage, was laden with barley, and was bound to Hartlepool. The VENUS was in ballast, and was bound from Hartlepool to Wilmington. The collision occurred on Saturday, about midday, in a dense fog, off the East Goodwin Lightship. The BELLCAIRN sustained damage aft of the main rigger. The VENUS, which had her bows badly stove in, stood by her and took her in tow for four hours. Finding, however, that the BELLCAIRN was filling fast, she handed her over to the charge of the FALCON tug, the captain of which did his best to beach her. He towed her into Hope Point, a mile west of Kingsdown. Here she struck the ground, and subsequently sank in about seven fathoms, the position where the vessel had gone ashore being rocky. The whole the crew of the BELLCAIRN were received at the National Sailors’ Home, Dover.' (5)

Built: 1883 (3)(6)
Builder: Irvine and Co. (3)(6)
Where Built: West Hartlepool (3) Harbour Dock (6)
Propulsion: Screw driven, 2 cylinder compound engine (3)
HP: 130 (3)
Boilers: 2 (3)
Master: J Hourie (3)
Crew: 18 (3)
Passengers: 1 (3)
Owner: W Jackson Bros. and Cory, London (3)

Ownership history:
1883-1887: E.Cory & Co., West Hartlepool
1887-1888: R.Irvine Jr., West Hartlepool
1888: Jackson Bros & Cory, West Hartlepool (6)

Date of loss qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
BOT.Wk.Rtn.1894 Appx.C Table 1 p144(666); LCR. 1894 p6(d); LR.1890-1 No.206(V) (sic

<1> United Kingdom shipwreck index, Page Nos. N/a (Bibliographic reference). SKE6340.

<2> Charles Hocking, 1990, Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam (Bibliographic reference). SKE6351.

<3> Larn, Richard and Bridget, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames (Bibliographic reference). SKE31910.

<4> McDonald, K., 1994, Dive Kent (Monograph). SWX9309.

<5> 1894, Thanet Advertiser (Newspaper). SKE56081.

<6> Peter Higginbotham, 2000, The Workhouse (Website). SKE56079.