HMS Eurydice

HMS Eurydice was a small warship built in 1843 for the Royal Navy. Consisting of a wooden hull and large sails, it was designed to out-pace other ships with its speed and elegance. In 1876, the ship underwent a routine refit at J. White's shipyard in Cowes, before being converted into a training vessel under Captain Hare. On 13th November 1877, HMS Eurydice set off on a voyage to the West Indies and Bermuda, returning to Portsmouth on 6th March 1878, crossing the Atlantic in just 16 days. The last voyage of this magnificent ship took place on the afternoon of 22nd March 1878 around Sandown Bay. There were two other vessels in view on that day; a fishing boat with Mr Colenut on board, and the schooner ship Emma with Captain Jenkins in charge.

A mysterious and sudden strong wind, together with blackened snow and ice spreading rapidly, the Eurydice continued powering forward with her gun ports open. Suddenly the ship disappeared in the midst of the freak storm. According to one of the survivors, Captain Hare had ordered the sails to be taken down and the gun ports closed, but the noise of the fierce storm had drown out his desperate words. The Eurydice was blown to face South-east, and careered onto her starboard side, forcing the eager sea to flood through the open gun ports. With the majority of the crew trapped below deck, they were sucked down with the ship by the cruel sea. Of the 366 crew members, only two survived, namely Fletcher and Cuddiford. Three other victims had been rescued, but they sadly died. The fishing boat had taken cover under Culver Cliff, and Captain Jenkins reefed the sails of Emma to avoid the devastation of becoming victim to the brutal storm. He then returned to the scene of the sinking Eurydice to resue any survivors. The Eurydice was raised from its watery grave soon after the disaster, but was never recommissioned to service. Her bell now hangs in St. Paul's Church in Shanklin so that the souls of this heinious tragedy will never be forgotten.

ghostly tales of HMS Eurydice
The ghostly tales of HMS Eurydice began the day she sank. It was the very afternoon of the tragedy that Sir John MacNeil, who was the Bishop of Ripon, had a vision of a ship under full sail powering along the English Channel in the midst of a treacherous storm with her gun ports open. He shouted out to his companion Sir John Cowell, "Good Heavens! Why don't they close the portholes and reef the sales." When asked what he meant by Sir John Cowell, he had no logical explanation for seeing such an image. Sightings of a phantom three-masted ship have been reported on numerous occasions sailing on the waters around Shanklin. It vanishes without a trace if approached. This mysterious ship can only be described as the Eurydice. Horrifying cries from terrified crew members have been heard from the troubled waters of the graveyard where the ship originally sank. Could these be the terrified crew pleading to be rescued for their doomed ship?