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Description

The most famous of the survivors of the ROYAL CHARTER shipwreck was the Guzeppi Ruggier, anglicised to Joseph or Joe, Rogers or Rodgers. He was a Maltese sailor who had sailed on the ROYAL CHARTER for several of its previous voyages. His work title was Boatswain's Mate. His act of bravery, to swim ashore with a rope tied around his middle to enable a bosun's chair to be rigged, was immortalised in a painting by Henry Nelson O'Neil in 1861 called 'The Volunteer'. In the engraving shown above, you can see the rope harness used when he swam ashore. Rogers was awarded a gold medal by the Board of Trade and was celebrity for a time before returning to a life at sea.

The other receiver of a medal was George Suicar, also a Boatswain's mate. He too had been willing to swim ashore, as had Chief Engineer (even though he could not swim). After Rodgers had dropped over the side, Suicar and Stephens attempted 8 times to throw a line to local people waiting on the rocks. George Suicar was one of the survivors, but the chief engineer was drowned.

The normal complement of the Royal Charter was around 85. Contemporary newspaper reporting of the ship's loss provide clues to the hierarchical organization of the crew into watches. This ensured that an adequate number of people were awake and taking care of the ship at any one time. Some of the reporting, in form obituaries and letters to editors, provides insights into the characters of individuals.

The listing below is incomplete because many of the records were lost with the ship:

Crew Running the Ship:
Captain Thomas Taylor - a press on type; had been on the ROYAL CHARTER's first voyage and had helped Scoresby with his magnetic compass experiments; rough diamond... risen from the ranks of the forecastle said William Gilmour, former surgeon superintendant on the ROYAL CHARTER's first 4 voyages; strict disciplinarian, fond of carrying all sail and taking every advantage of the wind; had wife and daughter at home. Exonerated from any failure of duty in trying to save the ship in the subsequent Board of Trade Inquiry. His obituary appeared in the Mercantile Navy List 1860.
William Brown Stephens - chief officer; a more gentlemanly, better educated, cool tempered chief officer, there did not exist... Did everything in his power to make all on board happy and comfortable, he was the life of the deck during his watch aloft; a good Christian, good seaman, a fond and tender husband.. was in the bow preparing to make an attempt swim ashore after Joe Rogers had dropped into the water from the bowsprit, but like many sailors could not swim; he left a widow and two children residing in Bootle; obituary notice appeared in the Mercantile Navy List 1860, pg205.
Andrew Cowrie - 2nd officer, very promising young man, good seaman, well educated and fearless of danger; a Scotsman and married, his wife residing in Glasgow.
William Bean - 3rd officer who was very friendly with a lively girl from steerage, obituary in Mercantile Navy List 1860; more reserved and quiet disposition, always pleasant and agreeable to passengers; always id his duty on all occasions as a true British seaman.
John Croome - 4th officer; had been a midshipman onboard the ROYAL CHARTER from her first voyage, was appointed 4th officer from the last fateful voyage; very clever and gentlemanly... A good scholar and clever draughtsman, a skill he inherited from his father, a mechanical draughtsman or consulting engineer with the firm of Penn & Son, the celebrated marine boiler makers of London.
John Lewis - purser, a much like man from Bristol; began marine career on the GREAT WESTERN, and had been former chief purser on board the GREAT BRITAIN; he allowed to be the best purser that ever sailed on the sea; knew well how to make the most of everything on board; most gentlemanly, very engaging and pleasant in conversation; brother to Isaac Lewis who was also onboard the ROYAL CHARTER on its final voyage; brother to Mr Lewis, a Wesleyan minster, who had telegraphed their old mother to say to say he was going to meet them; left a widow and two children.
John Rogers - chief engineer, formerly second engineer on the GREAT BRITAIN; good, practical engineer, compete matter of every part of his trade; very fond of his violin and playing beautiful Scottish airs; used to call his engines his children; born in Edinburgh, left a widow and six children in Liverpool.
Frank Rockcliffe - 2nd Engineer, sterling good hearted fellow, devoted to his duties.
? Wilson - 4th engineer, boilermaker; Scotsman, who could spin a good yarn
Robert Clucas - principal storekeeper, always gave satisfaction to very passenger... The many invitations he had to the passengers' concerts, parties, etc., told how her was beloved; could sing a good song and tell a good story; belonged to the Isle of Man.
Frederick Forster - midshipman, orphan, reported to be fonder of his bunk than the deck, frequently roused with bucket of water; spent hours at masthead for punishment; penned a letter off Cork to his family telling her he would be home soon.
William Thomas - of Amlwch, quartermaster
Owen Williams - from Caernarvon, one of the quartermasters manning the ship's wheel by watch rota.
William Foster - the carpenter, who implemented Captain Taylor's order to cut away the masts, the main mast was to go first.
George Suaicar - boatswain's mate; he was preparing to attempt to swim ashore after Jo Rogers had dropped from the bowsprit with a rope and disappeared; with the chief engineer, he was attempting to throw a line ashore, when Jo Rogers reached safety.
Joe Rogers (Joie Rodriguez) - boatswain's mate, Maltese, wife and daughter in Liverpool; made it ashore with a rope by which a bosun's chair was fixed and helped to save some of the lives; became a national hero.
Isaac Lewis - from Moelfre; brother of John Lewis, the ROYAL CHARTER's Purser, and Mr Lewis, a Wesleyan minster, who had telegraphed their old mother to say he was going to meet them; (another account gives his name as Edward and his occupation on board as barkeeper).
William Draper - seaman
Henry Evans - seaman of Caernarfon
William MacArthur - seaman
John Richards - seaman
Thomas Timms - seaman
Edward Wilson - seaman
Anthony Belt - signed on as seaman for the voyage; one of three sons in Australia who had drawn lots to return home to Newcastle to comfort their parents on loss of another son; decorated after saving other crew members on a wrecked vessel in the Pacific on which he was an officer.
Jarius Withers - seaman, obituary notice appeared in the Mercantile Navy List 1860, pg206
Andrew Cowe - seaman, obituary notice appeared in the Mercantile Navy List 1860, pg 203
James Adams - seaman, obituary notice appeared in the Mercantile Navy List 1860, pg203
Walter Hughes - apprentice, seriously injured
Barrett - painter; wife discovered his waistcoat which had been washed in by the tide at Moelfre and hung in front of the tent by the coastguard; is reported to have lamented 'Oh no, here is my own work upon it. My husband, my husband! God look down on me.'
Piping Judd - the sweeper, who owned a tin whistle which he played whenever there was hard work to be done, such as hoisting up coal; gave renderings from well-known operas at the onboard concerts even though he could not read music; had to be nursed back to health by Miss Wareing, stewardess, after falling from the yardarm on a previous voyage.

The other important aspect of the daily working life of the ship were those crewmembers tending to the passengers:

John Emery - chief steward; reserved disposition, but always paid particular attention to his duties, as the excellent table that used to be spread could testify; belonged to Liverpool and was married.
? Oatwick - pantry steward.
John Stannard - steward
Thomas Cormick - second steward (bedroom steward)
Hugh Kane - steward (bedroom steward), doubling as the captain's steward; a very smart able young man, native of Westport, Ireland.
Miss Wareing - the stewardess; father had been in Mr Bright's employ for many years; made two trips in the ship; universally liked by all the ladies in the saloon; services often given to the second class as well; often in the bows of the ship visiting some poor third-class passenger who was sick, even the common sailors when they were ill.

Each crewmember a hero and deserving to be remembered...

Follow this link to see the painting of The Volunteer by Henry Nelson O'Neil. It shows various crewmembers - Joe Rodgers and the chief engineer William Stevens (note the speaking trumpet under William Stevens' arm for shouting the local people onshore)... possibly George Suicar untangling the rope from Joe Rodgers feet... a crewmember pointing to the bowsprit along which Joe Rodgers will climb to jump into the water... and three crewmembers hauling another back onboard.

http://goldenagepaintings.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/henry-nelson-oneil-volu...

Image sourced from the collections of Anglesey Archives.

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