Here I collect records of the worst (in terms of passengers lost) disasters to emigrant ships (in the days of sail) travelling from Liverpool to America and Australia. I focus, particularly, on losses close to Europe, especially in the Irish Sea. After the 1840's, steam transport was the preferred method to cross the Atlantic: it was quicker and more reliable. It was also more expensive, so sailing vessels continued to offer a service to emigrants who had limited funds.
Sailing vessels: some of these losses have already been described in more detail in my books
Wrecks of Liverpool Bay (Ocean Monarch) and
Liverpool Hurricane of 1839 (Lockwoods).
Note that passenger numbers were not accurately known in many cases.
Year lost; number of fatalities; name of vesssel:
1801: 0; Francis and
Mary, aground
1818: 12; Sine, collision, aground
1822: 45; Albion, aground
1830: 25-55; Newry, aground
1837: 206; Jane and Margaret, aground
1839; 53; Lockwoods, aground
1841; 123; Governor Fenner, collision
1847; 92;
Stephen Whitney, aground
1848; 178; Ocean Monarch, fire
1849: 101;
Caleb Grimshaw, fire
1850: 4;
Hemisphere, storm damage
1852: 69; Mobile, aground
1853; 348; Annie Jane, aground
1853; 47; Isaac Wright aground, refloated, cholera
1855; 193; John
aground Manacles, built Chester 1809
1856; 372;
Driver foundered, struck ice?
1856; 0; Silas
Wright, Samuel M Fox aground Burbo.
1858; 0; Isaac Wright fire, sank, refloated,
1858; 51; St. George, fire
1859; 389; Pomona, aground
1863; 0; John H Elliott, aground
Steam ships lost, at similar dates, crossing the Atlantic from/to Liverpool:
1841; 136; P.
S. President, missing, all lost
1854; 322; P.
S. Arctic, collision
1854; 480;
S. S. City of Glasgow, hit iceberg.
1856; 186; P.
S. Pacific, hit iceberg
1870; 207; SS
City of Boston, foundered? ice? fire?
1873; 535; SS
Atlantic, aground.
The much longer passage to Australia was very expensive for steam ships
(in coal and space to store it), so sail was used mainly, supplemented by
auxiliary steam power to get through calms and to negotiate port entrances.
Several of the wrecks listed here (Tayleur, Royal Charter, Dunmail) were
iron clippers relatively newly built for this trade.
Year lost; number of fatalities; name of vesssel:
1833; 154; Hibernia, fire, off Brazil,
78 saved in ship's boats
1841; 0(1); Urania, aground
West Hoyle, 277 saved, 1 lifeboatman lost.
1845; 402;
Cataraqui, aground Bass straits, 9 survivors.
1853; 1; Earl of
Charlemont, aground near Port Phillip, 365 saved.
1854; 380; Tayleur, aground Lambay
Island, about 300 saved.
1854; 100; Iowa, missing.
1855; 543;
Guiding Star, all lost Southern Ocean
1857; 183; Ultonia, missing.
1859; 450; Royal Charter, aground near
Moelfre, 39 saved
1863; 354; Lord Raglan, missing.
1873; 0; Dunmail, wrecked
Liverpool bay, 60 saved.
1874; 79; British Admiral,
aground King Island, 8 survivors.