Good Intent Sloop (Possibly)

Research and identification by Paul Hennessey (Norfolk Wreck Research)

Above ... A typical sloop of the time

GOOD INTENT SLOOP (POSSIBLY)

Position ... 53 05 363 N / 01 17 992 E
Type ... Sloop
Cargo ... Bricks, glass, unspecified
Construction ... wood
Propulsion ... Sail
Date lost ... 28th April 1854
Cause ... Sprung a leak
Port of registration ... Hull
Voyage ... On route from Newcastle - Upon - Tyne to London
Builder ... Unknown
Casualties ... None
Depth ... 20mtrs

Circumstances of loss

Whilst on Passage from Newcastle - Upon - Tyne with a cargo of bricks, glass and additional unspecified cargo, the Good Intent whilst caught in a force 10 north north easterly sprang a leak. With little hope for the vessel, the crew elected to abandon ship with the use of their own lifeboat / tender. The Good Intent was reported by her crew to be some 6 miles off Cromer at the time of her loss. The crew were later picked up by the smack Active.

To the left is an example of a Ramsey fire brick, this one being salvaged from a Fireplace in Denmark. The wrecksite of what is believed to be possibly that of the Good Intent has many such examples as pictured to the left. The Ramsay Brickworks was founded in the 1830's by Mr G Heppell at Derwethaugh in Newcastle. As can be seen from above, the Good Intent had set sail from Newcastle - Upon - Tyne with her cargo of bricks, this in turn offering an obvious connection between where the bricks were manufactured and the Good Intent's point of departure.

A brief history of the Ramsay brick works. Founded in the 1830's, expansion plans put in hand, in turn became the largest brickworks in the area. At its peak the brickworks were manufacturing some 7 million bricks per annum. The business continued to be family run until 1925, at this point it was sold to Adamsez who continued brick production on the site until 1976. Today nothing remains of the old brickworks.

The Good Intent today

As with many wooden vessels of this period, very little now remains of the ships structure above the sand and shingle seabed, this having long rotted away. The most evident feature of this site is the multitude of bricks she carried as cargo.