Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

October 10, 2009

Dear Mackenzie,

I thought that you may be interested in publishing on your site a yet untold story of one of the survivors of the wreck of the Royal Charter, the 150th anniversary of which occurs later this month.

This survivor, John Loone, is among my ancestors who settled  in Tasmania.

I have attached a pdf file of the story. I trust that you find it interesting. Let me know what you think.

Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Shipwreck of the Royal Charter, lost off Anglesey, Wednesday 26 October 1859 – a Personal Story Yet Unpublished
Rosemarie A Searle, August 2009

Excerpt:
Little did we know as children tiptoeing cautiously among the graves and tombstones of the quaint churchyard at St Mary’s Hagley, Tasmania, what lay behind the words, “That’s John Loone’s grave!” Our seniors would stand in reverent solemnity looking at the mossy tombstone angled in the ground, framed against the outline of the picturesque church and spire.

Read the whole story.

If you require the file in a different format, please let me know, and I will be happy to oblige.

Yours sincerely,
ROSEMARIE A SEARLE

Rosemarie,

I have not had a problem with opening your file.

My thanks for taking the trouble to write to me with the really amazing story about your relative John Loone and his escape from the wreck of the Royal Charter, it is one that we will add to AHOY so it might be shared others who visit our web site.

In the United States is a Professor Josh Buch who had a relative, one Manus Boyle who did not survive the ship wreck, it took me about a year to unearth the passenger list of the Royal Charter here in Melbourne from the archives and find Manus. Josh has been to Moelfre to set up Marker at the church there in memory of Manus, and I know he will be fascinated by your story.

Perhaps we might talk via the phone as convenient.

Again my thanks for a wonderful story from the past.

Best regards.
Mackenzie.

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