The tragic deaths by drowning of two friends from Epsom
Arden Avery Shapland and Thomas Brown Westwick
This article continues from Part 1
Part 2 – Thomas Brown Westwick
The London and South-Western Railway Company’s SS Sella
Image Source Illustrated London News 8 April 1899
Thomas Brown’s birth, 25 August 1855, was registered in September 1855 at Hackney to Thomas Westwick [born in 1819 at Warkworth, Northumberland] and his wife Louisa. On 1 December 1872 he had been apprenticed to Francis (Franz) Emil Theodar for three years to learn the business of Tea Broker or Merchant but was dismissed before completing the term for ‘habitually neglecting his duties’.
His father was then in business as a Spice Merchant, in partnership with Arthur Henry Koch trading from 28 St Mary at Hill, London, but resident on West Hill, Epsom.
Having survived a near-death experience in the 1875 bathing incident, Thomas Westwick, junior, continued to reside at Epsom being enumerated there with his parents for the 1881 Census.
A marriage of Thomas Browne (sic) Westwick to Emily Mary King came to be registered in King’s Norton, 3/1883. This union produced 7 children, in a family eventually resident at Blake Villas, Brownhill Road, Catford, Kent .
Westwick became a commecial traveller for Messrs. Pattison, whisky distillers. In pursuit of this occupation he was aboard the ill-fated S.S. Stella which left Southampton on Maundy Thursday, 30 March 1899, for a Channel crossing to Guernsey. Fifteen miles from St. Peter Port in deep fog, travelling at nearly top speed, the vessel struck the Casquets reef, and sank within 10 minutes. The drowned body of Thomas, a ‘distiller’s agent’ was found quickly by Alderney breakwater. His mortal remains were brought back for interment at Abney Park Cemetery, with his late parents, during April 1899.
Artists impression of the last moments of the SS Sella
Image Source Illustrated London News 8 April 1899
The Illustrated London News of 8 April 1899 reported:
THE WRECK OF THE “STELLA.”
A very great disaster in the Channel has saddened all who observe with pleasure, at holiday times, the multitudes of people, Londoners and others, availing themselves of railway and steam-boat special trips to the pleasant scenes within easy reach of us all. On Thursday afternoon, the day before Good Friday, in a thick fog between Alderney and Guernsey, the London and South-Western Railway Company’s fine steamer Stella, which had left Southampton at a quarter past eleven in the forenoon, was caught among the Casquet rocks, on her way to the islands, and, going at high speed, her steel bottom was torn open in a few minutes on a submerged reef of jagged stone; six boats, with many passengers, all the women and children, were quickly put afloat, and life-belts were supplied ; but one boat was capsized ; the ship presently sank, rent asunder by the explosion of her steam-boilers as the sea poured into the engine-rooms ; nearly all who had remained on board were drowned. Seventy-five lives are lost; 106 were saved. There were 139 passengers; the ship’s officers and crew numbered 42. The commander, Captain Reeks, the chief engineer, and other officers, with half the crew, perished on board the vessel; Mr. Wade the chief officer who was in charge of the boat carrying thirty or forty people lost his life with them. Mr. J Reynolds, the second mate; was the only officer who survived. Seventy passengers, most of them from London, were rescued after drifting about the sea in the boats until half-past six next morning. The spot where the Stella sank was twenty-three miles from Guernsey, nearly twenty miles from the French coast; the distance from Alderney would, perhaps, be eight miles, but the tide and current were strong against the nearest land. There was great peril of being swamped ; the boats were dangerously overladen, with but two seamen for rowing each boat, assisted indeed by the men passengers. They were fifteen hours adrift, suffering much from cold, hunger, and thirst, as well as fatigue. The steamer ought to have arrived at St. Pierre, Guernsey, at half-past five in the afternoon; the disaster happened at half-past three. Early next morning it was made known at Southampton and in London. Another steamer, the Lynx, of the Great Western Railway Channel Islands service, picked up a boatload of ladies and of and had taken them to Guernsey. The Vera, of the South-Western Company’s line, making her usual daily trip met with two of the Stella’s boats, carrying together fifty-seven people, and brought them on to Jersey. Several bodies of the dead have been cast ashore on the coast of France.
The Standard, 26 December 1899, reported that Counsel for Mrs Emily Mary Westwick had presented her claim against London and South-Western Railway Company, owners of S S Stella, for compensation at London Sheriff’s Court. Evidence was adduced that she had been left with children aged between 16 years and 10 months, ‘totally unprovided for’. Her husband’s life was uninsured and personal effects at his death were £175 in a bank and furniture. The Special Jury assessed damages at £2,550 – the widow to have £1,500 leaving £158 for each of her children.
Within twelve months of the hearing, the widowed Mrs Westwick remarried William Anderson Wilson, reg. Camberwell, 12/1900. For the1901 census two of the Westwick children were resident in the Commercial Travellers School for Orphans and Necessitous Children whilst others seem to have been taken in by their maternal grand-parents.
The firm of Westwick & Co had fallen into Proceedings for Liquidation by Arrangement or Composition with Creditors during 1878 (with liabilities are estimated at about £70,000, and the assets at £ 20,000) but Thomas Westwick, senior, subsequently returned to trade in a partnership known as Westwick Palmer & Co, re-named Cox Westwick & Co., spice merchants, from 28 St Mary at Hill, E. C. throughout.
On Sunday 3 October 1887, on his way to [Christ ] Church, Epsom, the elder Thomas Westwick died suddenly aged 69. His body was taken for burial in a family grave (Sec. K 09) at Abney Park Cemetery. Mrs Louisa Westwick, the relict, survived until 28 January 1890 when she expired at York Cottage, East Street, Epsom, aged 71, and joined her late husband in Abney Park. [Effects £55]
Brian Bouchard 2022