Cedarine

The barque Cedarine ran aground 100 yards east of Brighstone Grange on her maiden trip from Bermuda to Portsmouth on April 2, 1862.

Some sources indicate as many as 350 criminals were on board to be sent back to the United States after serving their sentences abroad. A total of 134 persons were brought to safety by the lifeboat, with the help of the coast guard. It took the local militia from the Parkhurst Barracks many days to track down and retrain all of the prisoners once they reached shore and thought they might have a hard drink or two.

In the meantime, the Cedarine was sinking and was a total loss, but many of her cedar timber planks were salvaged and used to restore Mottistone Church and carry out other vital community projects.

• http://backofthewight.co.uk/map.htm

• Back of the Wight – Fred Mew
• Shipwrecks of the Wight – J.C.Medland
• Shipwrecks of The Isle of Wight – Ken Phillips
• The Lifeboats of Brighstone Bay – Christopher J. Willis and Edward H. Roberts