"The Ship HARPLEY and Courtenay Fowell"

Shipwreck was not an uncommon occurrence. Often it was years before the fate of a vessel was known, and just as long before families became aware of the loss of loved ones. For that reason ships kept very careful note of those they encountered on the high seas. In this way they could report to the nearest harbour that such and such a ship was last sighted on...

There is a little known tale of the HARPLEY in 1850.
The drama is best unfolded as it appeared in the London Times in the first five days of October 1850.
TO THE EDITOR of THE TIMES
Sir, I beg to enclose the accompanying paper, extracted from a bottle picked up this day by one of my crew. A copy of the paper in which it is first inserted as an acknowledgment of its receipt will oblige..
Your obedient servant,
W. T. Smith, CO., Coast-Guard Station, Hope Cove, near Kingsbridge, Devon.		 We the passengers and crew of the ship Harpley, bound for Australia, enclose this paper to inform our friends that we are half starved on a raft, having drunk the contents of this bottle, the only thing we have drunk for 24 hours. The vessel sprang a leak, and foundered on September 24, 1850.
COURTENAY FOWELL

NOTE: this was the day the HARPLEY left Plymouth.

TIMES October 2nd, 1850.
REPORTED LOSS of the SHIP HARPLEY
We are happy to find that the distressing intelligence conveyed in a letter which appeared in yesterday's Times, signed "Courtenay Fowell" respecting the loss of the above ship, is universally disbelieved by those best qualified to pass an opinion on its truth or falsehood.

There can be no doubt, however, that the letter in question was picked up by the Coast Guard off Kingsbridge, Devon.

So that it would seem that this cruel hoax was concocted on board the Harpley by some heartless fool among her passengers or crew.
Should the vessel prove to be safe, and should this piece of deception be traced to such a person as Courtenay Fowell among her passengers, we can only express a hope that he will meet with the punishment which he deserves.

The following letters from those most interested in the safety of the ship will have the effect of allaying the fears of all who may have friends or relations on board the Harpley:-

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES

Sir, We notice in The Times paper of this day's date a communication from "W. T. Smith, C.0." enclosing an extract from a bottle picked up by one of the boat's crew connected with the coast guard station, and as the report in question is calculated to engender considerable alarm amongst the friends of the 1230 passengers on board the Harpley, we have to request the favour of your inserting our reasons for believing such a report to be wholly false.

The Harpley did not leave Plymouth until the 28d ult., on which day at noon, one of the charterers, Mr Mallett, saw her under canvas with light south easterly winds. She could not, therefore, have been so far out to sea as to have foundered without some signs of the wreck or boats reaching the shore, none of which have come to hand, though upwards of seven days have elapsed. It Is not probable that a "raft" could have been constructed in so short a time as that given from the ship first springing a leak, and the passengers having been on board such "raft" for twenty four hours; nor is it very probable that in the hurry, confusion, and distress attendant upon such a catastrophe paper and materials for writing could have been at hand. The document itself, although in the name of "we", the passengers and crew of the ship Harpley, is not certified either by captain or officers of the ship, but is signed "Courtenay Fowell", a passenger, who, under the influence of excitement, may have penned this document, which by extraordinary means has found its way to shore thus early.

The Harpley is a nearly new ship, had just come out of dock, and undergone a strict scrutiny by the surveyors, and in all respects a sound. seaworthy vessel. We may add that, with ourselves, the secretary at Lloyd's believes the whole matter to be a base fabrication, but we deem it our duty to the various friends of passengers to give thus early our opinion as to the truth of the report in question.

We are, Sir, your obedient servants,
HOTCHKIN & MOBBS
For co-charterers
3, East India chambers, Leadenhall street, Oct. 1

TIMES 4 October 1850
REPORTED LOSS OF THE SHIP HARPLEY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Sir, - We beg to annex a copy of a letter received this morning from Mr Mallet, who proceeded to Plymouth on the 1st inst. in order to glean, if possible, any further intelligence of the fate of the above vessel.
We are, Sir, your obedient servants
HALL BROTHERS		 Plymouth, Oct. 2
My dear Sirs,- I find no one here believes the report of the Harpley's loss, and they are better able to judge, as they know what weather she had for the first three or four days. On making enquiries at one of the houses this man Fowell used to frequent, I find he threatened to frighten his friends and make them believe he was drowned. As you have written to the Officer of the Coast Guard for the original letter, it is no use my going to the Hope Cove so I could gain no further news; but, as I am down here, I shall proceed by the Francis Drake to Falmouth this afternoon, and see if any of the pilot boats spoke to the Harpley; if they did, it would most likely be on the 24th and this would contradict the letter at once.
Yours truly
T. B. Mallet.		 TIMES 5 October, 1850
THE SHIP HARPLEY AND COURTNEY FOWELL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
SIR,- The family of Fowell (one of whom has just called upon us) are desirous that it should be known that they believe that there is no such person as "Courtney Fowell", and that the young man in question has, for reasons best known to himself, dropped his real surname, which on further investigation, proves to be the case, and further indicates that the reported loss of the ship is nothing more than a cruel hoax.
We are, Sir, your obedient servants
HALL BROTHERS

As reported in TULLE volume 16 number 3, August 1997

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER (January 22nd, 1851) included an advertisement:
The passengers, by the ship HARPLEY, are requested to meet at Barnett's Jerusalem Coffee House, Port Adelaide on Wednesday January 22nd (1851) at 2pm to record their opinion on the cruel hoax practiced by some person or persons on board the HARPLEY, which has caused serious alarm in the minds of the passengers' friends, the owners and the the charters of the vessel in England.
The "HARPLEY" HOAX
At 3 o'clock yesterday a number of the passengers per Harpley met at the Jerusalem Coffee House, Port Adelaide, agreeable to an advertisement, to record their opimion on the cruel hoax played by a passenger, in throwing a bottle overboard stating they were on a raft, having been wrecked. Mr Coates was called to the chair. Mr Colley, the agent for the vessel, read the advertisement calling the meeting and stated he had letters from Messrs. Hall Brothers, the charterers, stating they wished proceedings, if possible, to be taken against the parties. Two names - Fowell and Daly - were in the public print, and on them rested the onus of answering to the charge. There was, he believed, no law which could touch the individual guilty of this cruel hoax, indeed the law did not contemplate such an atrocious act. He reminded them that they must not criminate any person by name, but wished their expression of opinion, to go home as a warning to others who might be inclined to indulge in the same unfeeling conduct.
1. Moved by Mr Brooks, seconded by Mr Longhurst
That the following expression of opinion be published in one or more of the Adelaide papers:-
"We, the passengers by the ship HARPLEY from England, whose names are herewith annexed, having heard on our arrival at Port Adelaide of the sensation that had been created in the monds of namy persons in the colony and in England, and letters having been received from friends in England expressive of intense anxiety for our safety, find that this alarm and anxiety has arisen from a paper found in a bottle, picked up on the English coast (words shown above).
As the bottle was thrown overboard by some person or persons at present unknown, .... we regret that we cannot find words sufficiently strong to express our horror and disgust at such a wanton act of cruelty, which may have caused more serious effects than mere alarm in the minds of our friends and relations; and we do hereby wish publicly to record our feelings on the subject, that the same may be officially transmitted to Englanf, and in hopes that the press, by giving publicity to the same, may deter ant future passengers from acting such a wicked, muschivous and cruel part" (fere follow twenty-four signatures (ot published in the newspaper).
2. Moved by Mr William Miles, seconded by Captain Buckland - That it is the opinion of this meeting that Mr Courtenay Fowell was not the real author of the false report concerning the HARPLAY and that we beg to express our regret that he should have been prejudiced at home and in the colonies by the inproper use of his name"
3. Moved by Mr James and carried unanimously - That the thanks of this meeting are due to Captain Buckland for his uniform kindness to the passengers on board the HARPLEY, and for the handsome manner in which he aided the promoting of all meetings tending to the amusement or edification of the passengers.
4. Moved by Dr Singleton and seconded by Mr Hodgett - That we now express our warmest thanks to the owners and charterers of the HARPLEY for the very prompt and clear manner in which they analysed the letter signed "Courtenay Fowell
5. Moved by Mr Wills, and seconded by Mr. Harvey
"That we, the undersigned passengers by the HARPLEY from London, do hereby testify our satisfaction with the fitting up and victualling of the same [ship]; also to the kindness and attention of Captain Buckland to all on board during our passage, and request the agent, for the charterers, to transmit to them this resulution."
6. Moved by Mr Brooks, and seconded by Mr James
"That a vote of thanks be given to Mr Coates for his able conduct in the chair, and to Mr Colley for his attention and promptitude in calling this meeting." 		Mr Brooks, in moving the first resolution, said that if the party did it for a lark, it was one public opinion should immediately put a stop to; it was so gross an act that no one could be guilty of it unless he was intoxicated at the time. As far as Courtenay Fowell was concerned, he was doubtful as to his having had anything to do with it; he felt there were more than one engaged in the transaction.
Mr Longhurst, in seconding the first resolution, said he thought they had proof sufficient to bring the charge home to a certain party in any Court of Law; but though the law of the land did not recognise the case, he would remind them that Lynch-law was open to them. He knew three parties were implicated in the affair; the best and most manly thing for them to do was to come forward and acknowledge it, expressing their sorrow. They had studiously kept away from the meeting.
The Chairman remarked that a stigma rested on the name of Mr. C Fowell; it should either be substantiated or removed to the best of their power.
Several gentlemen expressed their opinion that Foewll had nothing to do with it; indeed, one said he was too sick the first week after sailing to do anything; and a medical gentleman, a passenger, declared that for the first fortnight Fowell was too ill to eat, drink or sleep.
The second resolution was here carried unanimously.
From a conversation that unsued here, all suspicion that had rested on Mr Weaving was declared to be removed. After some more conversation, which it would be libellous to published, the Chairman remarked that they all knew the individual on whom the principal suspicion rested; his name had been mentioned, and the best thing could do was to give him the cold shoulder whenever they met him. (hear, hear)
Mr James could not let the meeting separate without recording his sense of Captain Buckland's unceasing kindness and attention to the passengers, and moved the third resolution, which was carried unanimously.
Dr. Singleton, in proposing the fourth resolution, said felt he doubt, from the able manner in which the charterers had analyzed the letter found in the bottle, that non of his friends would feel anything in consequence of the hoax. The resolution was carried unanimously.
After a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Mr Colley, the meeting broke up with three hearty cheers for Captain Buckland.