'The MATTHEW AND THOMAS, Masterman, from Norway to London, was struck with lightning on Monday night last, at Gravesend, and burnt to the water's edge, with all her cargo.' (1)

'Newcastle, May 31, 1783...Monday night, at half past 10 o'clock, the following accident happened. The MATTHEW AND THOMAS, of Shields, from Norway, Capt. William Masterman, being at anchor a little below Gravesend, was set on fire by a flash of lightning, and burnt to the water edge, in a few hours. It is supposed, some iron which lay in the steerage, first attracted the lightning, and from thence it communicated itself to some tow which lay near it, and immediately caught the deals, with which the ship was loaded, and shortly set the whole in a blaze. The captain and crew were all in bed, except two men on the deck by way of watch, and as it first broke out between decks, the watch were totally ignorant of it for some time, and had it not been that the sulphur was uncommonly strong, and by that means waked the captain, he must inevitably have perished; finding himself in that situation, he immediately jumped out of bed, and after a fruitless attempt to escape through the steerage, he, with the greatest difficulty, got out through the cabin window, and caught hold of the stern, where he hung till the men on deck came to his assistance. The captain's clothes and papers were all lost. There were several ships near, but unable to give them any assistance, so as to stop the progress of the flames. When the captain left Gravesend, which was about 11 o'clock the next morning, the ship was still burning, and it is feared, little or nothing of her hull will be saved.' (2)

Master: Masterman (1); William Masterman (2)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

<1> Lloyd's, 1969, Lloyd's list 1741-1945, 1466 23-MAY-1783, Page Nos. N/a (Bibliographic reference). SKE6342.

<2> 1783, Newcastle Courant (Newspaper). SKE56160.

<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.