The 'Westminster' and 'Claudine', ashore near Margate RMG PU6440

The 'Westminster' and 'Claudine', ashore near Margate
Technique includes etching. These two homeward bound East Indiamen were put ashore at Palmer (now Palm) Bay about a mile east of Margate after damage in a suddenly northerly gale there in the small hours of Sunday/Monday 21-22 November 1840, as a means of securing her cargoes. A third ship, carrying hardwoods, was driven onto rocks in Kingsgate Bay but the crews of all three were safely taken off by local boats. Another was reported sunk with all hands and a Spanish ship also put ashore behind Margate pier to prevent it sinking. The 'Westminster' (left, Captain Mollison) inward bound from China and Singapore with 900 tons of tea grounded further out than 'Claudine' (Captain Brewer) from Madras, which was came in nerer the cliffs carrying cotton, indigo, rice, silks and wine: both began discharging cargo the following day. The 'Westminster' loaded 6000 chests of tea into two steamers which delivered it to the East India Docks and was refloated on 7 December. 'Claudine' unloaded into 200 carts from the day after stranding and was refloated on a spring tide a little later than 7 December: both ships were repaired and put back into the trade. J.M.W. Turner, who was at Margate at the time, was among artists to make (slight) sketches of them ashore there. [PvdM 6/16]