Maritime record TR 35 NE 35 - Bengal

Primary Sources:

'The BENGAL, Waters, from Bengal to London, got on shore on Friday between King's Down and St. Margaret, and bilged.' (1)(2)

Wind conditions at Deal SW on the 9th. (1)

'This morning about five o'clock, the BENGAL East Indiaman from Bengal, mistaking the Caesar to be at anchor, ran on shore a short distance from her, and is in a very perilous situation, with seven feet water in her hold, main and mizen mast cut away, &c. She is very high up, and if the weather moderates soon may probably be got off.' (3) - Saunders's News-Letter

'The BENGAL East Indiaman, and CAESAR West Indiaman, both with valuable homeward cargoes, were wrecked on Friday morning near the South Foreland.' (4) - Aberdeen Press and Journal

'9. We regret to state another very heavy loss . . . this morning, about five o'clock, very dark, the BENGAL, East Indiaman, from Bengal, mistaking the CAESAR to be at anchor, ran on shore a short distance from her, and is in a very perilous situation, with seven feet water in her hold, and her main and mizen masts cut away; she is very high up, and if the weather moderates soon, may probably be got off . . .

'The BENGAL we understand is insured in this country for sixty thousand pounds.' (6) - Kentish Post and Canterbury Journal

'DOVER, Feb. 9. Last evening the BENGAL East Indiaman, of Bengal (deceived by the appearance of the West Indiaman which run ashore the evening preceding, supposing her to be at anchor), run aground on the rocks under the South Foreland; they have been obliged to cut away her masts, and it is fully expected that, together with the CAESAR, it will shortly become a wreck . . . ' (7) - Evening Mail

'Deal, Feb. 9. . . Last night the extra East India ship BENGAL, belonging to Bengal, with a cargo of cotton and rice, ran on shore about a mile this side of St. Margaret's Bay, mistaking the lights from the CAESAR as those from a ship at anchor; part of her cargo is saved but the vessel being very old it is feared she will be entirely lost, as she is bilged.' (8) - Kentish Gazette

Secondary Sources:

Not included in list of official East India ships in this source. (5)

Master: Waters (1)(2)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles: :
EKM 04.06.1932

<1> Lloyd's, 1969, Lloyd's list 1741-1945, 4432 13-FEB-1810, Page Nos. N/a (Bibliographic reference). SKE6342.

<2> 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.

<5> Peter Higginbotham, 2000, The Workhouse (Website). SKE56079.