I was contacted today by a relative of Isaiah BRIMER (1828-1871) enquiring if I had any information surrounding the circumstances of his death. Here is the information that I currently have:
Dundee Advertiser 6 January 1871:
Wreck of a North Shields Vessel near Belfast, Supposed Loss of all Hands (By Special Telegram)
SHIELDS, Thursday
Today a telegram was received in North Shields from Belfast stating that a vessel, supposed to be the brig Catherine Morrison, of North Shields, had been wrecked near Belfast, and the bodies of the crew had been washed ashore. The others of the crew, about nine in all, are also believed to be drowned. The Catherine Morrison belonged to John Morrison, North Shields and was commanded by Captain Brimer, South Shields. She was coal laden, from Ardrossan, Scotland, to Constantinople. She left Ardrossan last Thursday. The whole crew, with the exception of the captain and mate, belonged to Scotland, and shipped at Ardrossan.
Shields Daily Gazette 7 January 1871:
The Loss of the Catherine Morrison of North Shields
No doubt now exists as to the loss of the Catherine Morrison, of North Shields, portions of the wreck, bearing the name of the vessel, having washed ashore on the coast near Belfast. There is too much reason to believe that the whole of the crew have perished. The vessel was commanded by Capt. Brimer of Wellington Street, South Shields. The rest of the crew, with the exception of the mate, belonged to Scotland. Intelligence from Stranraer, of the 5th inst., states that four dead bodies, quite nude and very much maimed, have washed ashore at the place of the disaster. One of the bodies, an oldish man, was marked on the right arm with the letters “W.M.” and “G.M.”
Shields Daily Gazette 10 January 1871:
The Wreck of the Catherine Morrison, of North Shields.
Seven Bodies Washed Ashore
A Stranraer correspondent of a contemporary, writing on Saturday afternoon in reference to the wreck of the above vessel in Galdenoch Bay, Wigtownshire, which was reported in our columns last week, says that there have now been seven bodies washed ashore. There have also been large pieces of the wreck, on one of which are the words “North Shields” and on another “line Mo-.” The vessel, which, it is thought, had about 20 of a crew, is supposed to be the Catherine Morrison, of North Shields. The bodies which were washed ashore have been buried in Leswalt Churchyard by the Parochial Board. Intelligence from Campbelltown of the 8th inst., states that the staern of a longboat, marked “Catherine Morrison, North Shields,” also planking has washed ashore at Corradale.
Shields Daily Gazette 19 January 1871:
Maritime Notes
The property from the wreck of the Catherine Morrison, of North Shields, was sold by public auction, on Monday, at Galdenoch Bay, the place of the disaster. The wreckage was fast disappearing from the beach, owing to the high tides and the wildness of the weather and locality.
There is also some information, including a map of the site of the crash and Leswalt Church here:
http://canmore.org.uk/site/122496
Brimer-Brymer database last updated at 2016-07-02 00:29:43 with 4028 census records and 2856 individuals