SIR PHILIP CHARLES DURHAM,
Vice-Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath; and Knight of the French Military Order of Merit.
This officer is the third son of the late James Durham, of Largo, in Fifeshire, N.B. Esq., and was one of the Lieutenants of the Royal George, hearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt, when that ill-fated ship sank at her anchors at Spithead, by which melancholy accident 900 souls are supposed to have perished, among whom were the Rear-Admiral, several of the officers, and many women and children. Captain Waghorn, Lieutenant Durham, and about 300 others, were picked up by the boats[1].
- ↑ On the 29th Aug. 1782, the Royal George, of 100 guns, being on the heel at Spithead, overset and sank, by which fatal accident about nine hundred persons were instantly launched into eternity, among whom was that brave and experienced officer Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt.
The Royal George had been careened to have her seams caulked as she lay at anchor, without going into harbour. This surely was a hazardous expedient, especially in a roadstead so much exposed to sudden squalls as Spithead; and the object to be gained by it should have been very important and very evident, to have justified its adoption; and if in this instance it was at all justifiable, the execution of it ought to have been attended to with peculiar care. But the dreadful accident winch happened, affords a fatal proof that the proper precautions for security had not been taken. On the above-mentioned day, at six A.M., the weather being fine, and the wind moderate, it was thought a favourable opportunity to heel the ship, and orders for that purpose were accordingly given. By ten o’clock, she was careened sufficiently to enable the workmen to get to the part that leaked; but in order to repair it as effectually as possible, the ship was heeled another streak. After this was done, the ship’s crew were allowed to go to dinner; but the dock-yard men continued at their work, and had almost finished it, when a sudden and violent squall took the ship on the raised side, and the lower-deck ports to leeward having been unaccountably left open, the water rushed in; in less than eight minutes the ship filled, and sank so rapidly that the officers in their confusion made no signal of distress; nor indeed, if they had, could any assistance have availed, for after her lower ports were in the water, no exertions could have prevented her from going to the bottom. When the Royal George went down there were upwards of 1200 persons on board, including 300 women
