THE SINKING OF THE YACHT "MINERVA"
SUNDAY 02 OCTOBER 1892
WHANGAREI

Source - The Northern Advocate and Whangarei County Gazette October 1892, Elaine Bell and Deidre Stirling (2008).

The yacht Minerva was struck by a squall about three miles off Marsden Point just opposite One Tree Point at Whangarei on Sunday 2 October 1892 and eight of the nine men on board were drowned.

The yacht was owned by Mr J P TUCKER, a coachbuilder of Whangarei (and a nephew of Mr C BAILEY of Auckland) and had recently been brought from Auckland.

The accident was observed by R SCOTT and H GOING who were also out sailing. They immediately sailed for the place where the yacht sank. After about an hour they reached the spot and were able to rescue John A PEARSON who was still swimming, though almost exhausted.

The body of Edwin G Courtney was recovered a few days later and the North Otago Times of 19 August 1893 (nearly a year after the accident) records that "The skeleton found at Whangarei Heads is fully identified as that of Ramsey, which is to be buried at Kamo cemetery with the other victims of the Minerva yacht accident". The inquest for Edwin Courtney recommended that Messrs SCOTT and GOING's services be brought to the notice of the Royal Humane Society.

Those drowned were: -

BROOKER	Albert Victor	Son of Mr W Brooker, butcher	Unmarried
COURTNEY	Edwin George	Son of Mr Alfred Charles Courtney, bootmaker, and Alice nee Wright	Unmarried
GALLIE	Alex	Blacksmith. Aged 22. His mother resides in Wellington	-
RAMSAY	Frank	Plumber (Tinsmith), stepson of Mr Ramsay, piano tuner	Unmarried
SEALY	Horace Frederick	Tailor of Cameron Street	Married with no children
TUCKER	Albert	-	Single but to be married that week. Brother of J P Tucker.
TUCKER	John Paul	Blacksmith and coachbuilder	Wife and 5 children
WILSON	Clifford	Miner	Unmarried

Thanks to Elaine Bell for this commemorative postcard.

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