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Some family secrets
After the devastating gale of 1866, one of my
ancestors William Decent, a Brixham ship owner, was charged with
possessing wreck not belonging to him. A local lad named Bennetts,
in grappling for packages on the sea bed, had brought up the end
of a wire rope to which was attached a jib sail from the schooner
Abeona of Brixham. Mr. Decent, having already bought the remains
of two wrecks at the back of the pier, on hearing of the sail’s
recovery, claimed it for himself although the item was clearly
marked otherwise. In court, he admitted it had been obtained
under false pretences and, after the court had been informed that
he had been warned about taking wreck not belonging to him on a
previous occasion, he was found guilty and fined £5 with £1 19s
costs.
Some of the wreckage after the 1866 gale.
Photo
courtesy of Brixham Heritage Museum who own the copyright
