On this day in 1880, ‘The Great Storm’ hit Mount’s Bay, ruining the newly laid Penzance Promenade, destroying the fishing fleet of Newlyn, and flooding Penzance, Newlyn and Mousehole.
One large brig, the ‘Henry Beness’, of Newhaven, sprang a leak off the Longships, but four hours after abandoning ship the crew were rescued by the steamer ‘Progress’, and landed at Penzance.
Tragically, another of the ships destroyed was the ‘Jane’, which was wrecked off Lizard Point as it returned to Falmouth.
The daughter of the captain, and engaged to one of the crew attempted to telegraph the Signal Office. She soon received news that all hands on the ‘
Jane’ had been lost meaning that she had lost her father and her fiancé at the same time.
