Schooner – (LARN) – Chesil Cove, off Wyke. Methodist Graveyard & Fortunes Hill ??? Story of Pears Missionaries. Victim of the of 1838 Gale. Ref. Dor. Mag: 1975 No. 49 p23.

Columbine – 1838

“Left Gravesend on her 16th voyage to the Gambia on Friday, November 22nd, amongst her passengers being the Reverend and Mrs Pears, for the mission station at St Mary’s, plus four other respectable passengers. The vessel went ashore on Portland Beach and all were lost. Artefacts and wreck timbers from the COLUMBINE, EARL OF ABERGAVENNY and THE ROYAL GEORGE were all offered for sale at Weymouth at the time by Messrs J. Medhurst, Chesterfield Place, The Esplanade, Weymouth.”

The vessel went ashore opposite Wyke at 7 a m., turned over and was dashed to pieces, several men were seen in the rigging before she capsized. A body taken from the wreck, was identified as Robert Fraser, going out to join the Royal African Corp. Newly wed Wesleyan missionaries, the Pears were buried together at the Methodist chapel graveyard at Fortunes Hill on the Isle of Portland.

Dorset Magazine 1975, No. 49, p23. Check ‘Peard’ or ‘Pears’

The Wesleyans of Portland
have erected this stone in re
spectful remembrance of the
Revd E J PEARD (Wesleyan Missionary)
and his beloved wife (aged 24 and 28)
who on their passage to Western Af
rica were wrecked in the COLUMBINE
on Chissel Beach Nov 29 1838 and
whose remains are deposited here
Clouds and darkness are round about
Him righteousness and judgement
are the habitation of His throne Ps.97v2

Portland Parish Register;

1084 – 3 Dec 1838 – 13 bodies, male cast on the beach drowned names unknown supposed from the COLUMBINE; John Harington off minister.
1086 – 5 Dec 1838 – 5 bodies males cast drowned on the beach names unknown. John Harington off minister.
1087 – 5 Dec 1838 – Robert FRASER, found drowned on board the COLUMBINE. John Harington off minister.

Courtesy Portland Historical Sources.

Day of Loss: 28

Month of Loss: 11

Year of Loss: 1838

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