New Zealand Disasters: HMS Orpheus Shipwreck (7 February 1863)

189 people died in the wreck of HMS Orpheus, making it the worst maritime tragedy to occur in New Zealand waters.

For the British military it was the costliest day of the New Zealand Wars – but it occurred far from the battlefield. Bringing naval stores from Sydney, the modern 1706-ton steam corvette HMS Orpheus (named after the Greek hero) ran aground on the bar at the entrance to Auckland’s Manukau Harbour. Of the 259 naval officers, seamen and Royal Marines aboard, 189 died.

Minor errors and bad luck caused the disaster. Instead of rounding North Cape to reach Waitematā Harbour, Commodore William Burnett decided to berth at Onehunga in Manukau Harbour to save time. Unfortunately, he carried outdated charts and the channel through the bar had moved. Although lookouts on shore signalled a warning when they realised the ship was off course, the Orpheus missed the message.

After striking the bar, the vessel was pounded by waves and only one small boat got away. As the ship sank into the sand, the men climbed the rigging. The masts eventually collapsed, throwing the crew into the sea. Rescuers arrived too late to prevent a catastrophe. Source: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sinking-of-hms-em-orpheus-em-nzs-worst-sh...

Some of those who died were buried in St Peter's Church Graveyard, Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand

See also:

• Orpheus sailors 'launched into eternity' 3 February 2013
• The wreck of the Orpheus
• HMS Orpheus
• Orpheus survivors taken in by Cornwallis pioneer

The 189 people who died:

1. Herbert Adams, ordinary
2. Jqhn H. Adams, engineer
3. William Adamson (lent from the Miranda), assistant-engineer, 2d class
4. Frederick Allen, leading stoker
5. Thomas Ambrose, captain maintop
6. George Anderson, A.B.sa
7. James Andrews, private, Royal Marines
8. John H. Avis, Boy 2nd class
9. Henry Baker; cooper
10. Henry Baylam, private, Royal Marines
11. William E. Bayliss, painter;
12. John Bennett, ordinary
13. William H. Bickle, ordinary
14. Jesse Bignell, leading stoker
15. Charles Binfield, private, Royal Marines
16. William Blackwill, ordinary
17. John Bosworthick, blacksmith
18. Thomas Brady, gunner, Royal Marines
19. William J. Bridle, Boy 1st class
20. John T. Broadway, Boy 1st class
21. John Broad-wood, gunner, Royal Marines
22. Thomas H. Broughton, midshipmen
23. Alfred Brown, stoker
24. John Budge, private, Royal Marines
25. George Bunce, Boy 1st class
26. William Burge, gunner, Royal Marines
27. William Farquharson Burnett, C.B., commodore
28. Robert Heron Burton, commander
29. Thomas Callaghan, Boy 2nd class
30. James Clarkson, assistant surgeon
31. John Cleary, ordinary
32. Thomas Coffins, private, Royal Marines
33. Samuel Cole, ordinary
34. William H. Cookney, wardroom steward
35. Henry Corps, quartermaster
36. William Cowen, A.B.sa;
37. Henry Crabb, gunner, Royal Marines
38. Lewis Cramp, gunner, Royal Marines
39. John Cronin, Boy 2nd class
40. Alfred Crow, ordinary
41. John Davey, captain mizen-top
42. Charles Davis, stoker
43. Daniel Davis, private, Royal Marines
44. John Davis, ordinary second-class
45. William Davis, Boy 2nd class
46. Denis Donoghue, Boy 1st class
47. Thomas Doren, private, Royal Marines
48. Andrew Dorey, stoker
49. George Drew, ship's cook
50. George Duffett, Boy 1st class
51. John Durkin, private, Royal Marines
52. Albert Early, Boy 2nd class
53. James Ellis, ordinary
54. John E. Ernest, master-at-arms
55. Edward Finn, ordinary
56. Michael Flanaghan, private, Royal Marines
57. Stephen Foyle, private, Royal Marines
58. William Gannaway, ordinary second-class
59. Henry Gardner, private, Royal Marines
60. William H.P.M. Gillham, secretary (assistant-paymaster)
61. C. Goldshmidt, captain's steward
62. James Goodwin, Boy 1st class
63. George Gordon, corporal, Royal Marines
64. George F. Gossage (lent from the Miranda), assistant-engineer, 2d class
65. Thomas Gould, private, Royal Marines
66. George Gray, private, Royal Marines
67. John Greenwood, private, Royal Marines
68. Arthur Haggis, captain's coxswain
69. James Hall, ordinary
70. William Halson, ordinary
71. William Hartfield, Boy 2nd class
72. Rev. C.B. Hazlewood, chaplain and naval instructor
73. James Healy, stoker
74. John Heard, private, Royal Marines
75. Charles Heath, gunner, Royal Marines
76. John Hewitt, A.B.sa
77. John Higham, A.B.sa
78. Edward E. Hill, First lieutenant Royal Marine Artillery
79. George Hill, leading seamen
80. William Hillier, ordinary second-class
81. Daniel Hines, ordinary
82. William Hobbs, gunner, Royal Marines
83. Augustus Holdgate, captain's cook
84. David Horsfield, private, Royal Marines
85. John Howard, corporal, Royal Marines
86. Sidney Hoyle, private, Royal Marines
87. William Hudson, gunner
88. William F. Hunt, Boy 1st class
89. John Hutchins, gunner's mate
90. William H. Hutton, A.B.sa
91. John Hyde, gunroom steward
92. Arthur Jekyll, lieutenant
93. William Jenkins, Boy 1st class
94. Edward Jenner, A.B.sa
95. Samuel Johnson, gunner, Royal Marines
96. A.D. Johnston, assistant-paymaster
97. Noah Jones, ordinary
98. John Kave, gunner, Royal Marines
99. Felix Kelley, stoker
100. Thomas Kelly, leading seamen
101. Frederick Kemp, leading stoker
102. George King, gunner, Royal Marines
103. John Kingston, Boy 1st class
104. John Knowlden, Boy 2nd class
105. Thomas Ladbroke, private, Royal Marines
106. Thomas Lane, leading stoker
107. David Lee, stoker
108. Thomas Letheby, gunner, Royal Marines
109. Thomas Littlefield, private, Royal Marines
110. Edwin Lloyd, captains after guard
111. Michael Mahoney, ropemaker
112. Arthur R. Mallock, midshipmen
113. Samuel…Mardon, musician
114. George Mark, A.B.sa
115. Harry Mark, A.B.sa
116. John P. Masters, private, Royal Marines
117. John H. Maud, stoker
118. James M'Cloud, A.B.sa
119. Edward J. Miller (lent from the Miranda), assistant-engineer, 2d class
120. William Milliard, boatswain's mate
121. George Mitchell, gunroom cook
122. John Moore, stoker
123. William T.F.W. Mudge lieutenant
124. Jeremiah Murphy, Boy 1st class
125. Henry N. Naylen, clerk
126. Peter Newman, ordinary
127. David Norris, caulker
128. Joseph Northover, A.B.sa
129. William J. Orchard, Boy 1st class
130. Thomas Osborne, ship's corporal
131. Peter Pafford, private, Royal Marines
132. William Palmer, ordinary second-class
133. Thomas Parke, A.B.sa
134. John Pascoe, boatswain's mate
135. John Pay, carpenter's crew
136. Henry Pearin, private, Royal Marines
137. Edwin Pelham, A.B.sa
138. John Phillips, engineer's cook.
139. John Plowman, captains after guard
140. Robert Randall, A.B.sa
141. George Redman, armourer
142. Henry Redman, sick berth attendant
143. Jos. J. Rockett, A.B.sa
144. Charles E. Rowe, carpenter's crew
145. William Rowland, ordinary
146. Samuel Scutt, engineer's servant
147. John Searle, Boy 1st class
148. Henry Sheargold, A.B.sa
149. William Sheppard, gunner's mate
150. John Shorthouse, private, Royal Marines
151. John Simmonds, Boy 1st class
152. Thomas Smith, sailmaker's crew
153. Samuel F. Spencer, ship's steward's-boy
154. Edward Springer, A.B.sa
155. Bradley Starkay, gunner, Royal Marines
156. Francis Starrs, private, Royal Marines
157. Samuel Stephens, chief engineer
158. William Stephenson, A.B.sa
159. Thomas Stoneham, wardroom cook
160. William D. Strong, master
161. William Swain, stoker
162. William J. Taylor, second master
163. Henry Thomas, carpenter's crew
164. Isaiah Thompson, Boy 1st class
165. Charles Theobald, Boy 1st class
166. George Townsend ship's steward
167. John J. Tozer, master's assistant
168. William Tranter, sergeant, Royal Marines
169. John Trautman, carpenter's mate
170. George Trott, private, Royal Marines
171. Thomas Tucker, private, Royal Marines
172. Robert H. Veal, Boy 2nd class
173. George H. Verner, midshipmen
174. John H. Vickery, assistant-engineer, 1st class
175. John Vince, gunner, Royal Marines
176. George Vincent, caulker's mate
177. Abraham Voice, coxswain launch
178. George Warn quartermaster
179. Edward M. Warner, Boy 1st class
180. John Wealords, shipwright
181. Henry Weatherstone, ordinary second-class
182. Henry Welstead, ordinary second-class
183. Charles Whetnam, A.B.sa
184. Richard White, Boy 2nd class
185. John Williams, private, Royal Marines
186. Richard Williams, private, Royal Marines
187. Joseph. W. Wilson; captain hold
188. John Woodrow, tailor
189. John Young, A.B.sa