List of shipwrecks of Cornwall (20th century)

The list of shipwrecks of Cornwall (20th century) lists the ships which sank on or near the coasts of mainland Cornwall in that period. The list includes ships that sustained a damaged hull, which were later refloated and repaired: For ships wrecked both before and after the 20th century see List of shipwrecks of Cornwall For ships wrecked off the Isles of Scilly see List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly. For ships wrecked on the Seven Stones Reef see List of shipwrecks of the Seven Stones Reef.

1901–1914

1901 7 January – ketch Tenzer () foundered off Padstow harbour after striking a rock. The crew landed on the ship's boat. 19 January – schooner Marie Celine () sank near Falmouth. 4 February – The Padstow schooner Janie Vivian ( ) was driven ashore on the sands below Bray Hill in the Camel estuary. She was taking grain to Cardiff and all the crew survived. 28 February – Porthleven sailing vessel Concord () wrecked on the Outer Trigg rocks at the harbour entrance. 14 March – The Amsterdam schooner Voorspoed () ran aground near Chapel Rock, in Perran Bay. The crew escaped via the breeches buoy. The vessel was carrying coal and machinery from Cardiff to Brazil. 17 April – schooner Whinfield () lost off Trevose Head 18 November – Penzance schooner Mary James () bound for Swansea from Newlyn with copper ore lost her mast and sails off the Longships and the wreckage was washed up on the Brisons the next day. The crew of six had been taken off by the Sennen Lifeboat Ann Newbon ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution). 7 December – the sailing ship Rodney was wrecked on the coast of Cornwall on voyage from Iquique to France with a cargo of nitrate.

1902 January – barque Glenbervie () wrecked at Lowland Point near Coverack. She was heading from London for Port Elizabeth laden with 600 barrels of whisky, 400 barrels of brandy and barrels of rum. The 16 crew were saved by lifeboat.Noall, C. (1969?) Cornish Shipwrecks Illustrated. Truro: Tor Mark Press; p. 10 13 May – fishing vessel Devonia () struck by SS Helmside and sank off Trevose Head with the loss of two lives. 27 May – HMS Recruit () struck rocks half a mile north of Cape Cornwall. Refloated and towed to Penzance by tugs.

1903 4 February – () of Newcastle wrecked on the Runnelstone; the crew took to two boats one of which reached land and the other with five crew taken to Penzance in the Sennen Cove lifeboat Ann Newbon ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution) 1 March – barque () on passage from New Zealand to Liverpool lost part of her mast and head gear off Pendeen, and drifted onto the Brisons in a north–west–by–west gale. All the crew were lost. 11 September – Enterprize () lost her sails and wrecked in hurricane-force winds off Western Spits, half a mile west of Hayle Bar. The three crew rescued by lifeboat.

1904 1 September – steamship () on an excursion hit a sunken ledge off Carn Du and later beached at Lamorna Cove. The passengers had to walk the four miles back to Penzance. She was later salvaged by the Little Western Salvage Company who fitted her out as a salvage steamer and attended most Cornish wrecks over the next thirty years

1905

15 March – the 1,967 ton barque wrecked in Porth Loe under Tol-Pedn-Penwith. Neither the Penzance or Sennen Lifeboats could reach the ship and twenty-three crew are buried in St Levan's Church, St Levan Churchyard. 5 July – Newlyn lugger Diana () steamed into the Hamburgans Rocks off Penzance promenade when the watch fell asleep. Floated on the late afternoon tide. 4 August – the 400 ton steel barque Noisiel () was blown ashore in a violent storm at Praa Sands. She was en route from Cherbourg to Savona with a 600-ton cargo of armour plate from the gun turrets of obsolete battleships.Noall, C. (1969?) Cornish Shipwrecks Illustrated. Truro: Tor Mark Press; p. 16

1906 February – the Workington collier () almost wrecked on the Runnelstone and caught fire. Managed to make her way to Penzance where she was repaired. February – the St Ives pilot boat Buller () with seven pilots on board, capsized, in St Ives Bay when she was hit by a schooner, throwing all her occupants into the water. No fatalities.

21 July – the crew of the ketch () abandoned ship when she took on water 20 miles north of Trevose Head. 31 July – the French ship Socoa was stranded off Kildonan Point, Lizard in dense fog, she was re-floated after jettisoning 50000 barrels of cement and beached in Cadgwith Cove. She was later towed round to Falmouth and repaired. 23 August – the steamer () on a journey from her home port of Garston with coal, hit the Low Lee rocks in a thick fog one mile from her destination, Newlyn.

1907 February – brigantine Julien Marie () ran aground at Porthminster Beach, St Ives.Noall, C. (1969?) Cornish Shipwrecks Illustrated. Truro: Tor Mark Press; p. 27 17 March – the 12,000 ton liner () a White Star Line vessel ran aground in thick fog on the Maenhere ledges off Polpeor, Lizard Point. She was blown in half by salvagers using dynamite and the stern section taken to Southampton to be assembled to a new bow while the old bow was abandoned to the sea. Four lifeboats ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution) saved 456 people from the wreck (the largest number ever saved by the RNLI from a single vessel). She also carried a cargo of wool and mutton, with the wool being collected from beaches and coves, stored on Lizard Green and each man selling his salvage. Also see SS Skytteren in the List of shipwrecks in April 1942. 17 October – schooner Susan Elizabeth () wrecked on Porthminster Beach and the crew rescued by lifeboat. Remains dynamited two years later. 1 November – Thames sailing barge the Baltic () ran onto St Clement's Isle, Mousehole en route to Newlyn with cement for the harbour works. Her crew were saved by Mousehole fishermen on the crabber Lady White who were unimpressed with the non–appearance of the lifeboat stuck in the mud at Penzance. The Baltic ended her days as a hulk in an Essex creek.

1908 7 January – Falmouth schooner Lizzie R Wilce () wrecked on Porthminster Beach. The crew was saved. 8 January – Barrow schooner Mary Barrow () beached on Porthminster beach. The crew were saved and she was refloated a week later. 6 March – the lifeboat at Newquay James Stevens No 5 ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution) capsized during a practice launch with the loss of one life. 6 March – Isles of Scilly ship Charles Francis () bound from Newport to St Mary's with coal parted her cables and was swept through Godrevy Sound and wrecked near Portreath. Her crew had been taken off by the St Ives Lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution). 6 March – after losing her captain near the Longships, the remaining crew of the schooner Hodbarrow Minor beached her at Mawgan Porth, while running before a force 10 gale. 20 May – SS () while on voyage from Montreal to London was in collision with SS and sank near the Wolf Rock. 4 October – steel barque Alice Marie () hit the Runnelstone, drifted and sank in Mount's Bay where it is now a dive site. 28 December – () of Liverpool in ballast was found lying broadside close to the shore at Porthcurno beach after dragging her anchor. She was towed off by the tug Blazer assisted by the Sennen Cove lifeboat Ann Newbon ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

1909 January – fishing lugger FV Pendeen () lost in a gale. A search by the St Ives Lifeboat did not find any wreckage 3 February – () of Great Yarmouth in the area for the mackerel season ran ashore by Penzance railway station. May – schooner Loango en route from Southampton to Newport with a cargo of scrap metal dragged her anchor near St Ives. All four crew were saved unknown date – () swamped by a wave off St Ives. Three people swept overboard were rescued.

1910

22 January – Indefatigable ()while under tow from Falmouth to Cardiff by tug Challenge, they hit heavy weather at Land's End and returned to Falmouth. During the night Indefatigable dragged her anchors and drifted ashore under St Mawes Castle. She was pulled off the rocks by tugs Briton, Dragon and Marian, towed to Falmouth Docks and sold for scrap. 13 March – Brixham trawler Harry () stranded at Porthcurno and taken in tow by the Sennen Cove lifeboat Ann Newbon ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution) May – trawler Olivia () hit by HMS Quail () off Porthallow. Four men from the village of Flushing died. 5 September – steam cargo ship William Cory carrying a cargo of timber from Uleåborg (Oulu), Finland to Newport was wrecked below Boscaswell Cliff, near Pendeen Lighthouse. 10 October – schooner Olympe () beached at Gunwalloe Church Cove. November – steamer Wimborne () was wrecked under Carn Barra Point near Land's End; the crew were rescued by rocket lines from the shore.Noall, C. (1969?) Cornish Shipwrecks Illustrated. Truro: Tor Mark Press; p. 19 unknown date – ore carrying ship Febrero hit an unnamed rock to the north–east of the Runnel Stone; all hands were lost, bar the cook.

1911

29 April – SS Cragoswald () hit the Low Lee Reef off MouseholeNoall, C. (1969?) Cornish Shipwrecks Illustrated. Truro: Tor Mark Press; p. 17 on a journey from Barry Docks to Venice with 4000 tons of coal. The steamer was on a detour to drop the Chief Engineer at Penzance (for hospital), and mistook the Low Lee buoy for a similar looking one near Porthleven. Refloated. 3 May – 1497 ton sailing ship () of Fredrikstad was wrecked at Housel Bay on the eastern side of the Lizard. Three men were saved by the Lizard lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and the rest along with the Captain's family were taken off by rocket apparatus.Noall, C. (1969?) Cornish Shipwrecks Illustrated. Truro: Tor Mark Press; p. 7 She was bound for Sydney with building material and her cargo of steel and timber was washed up for weeks afterwards and used in many of the local cottages. One in Church Cove now bears her name. 12 November – Irish Schooner, '' (), hit the Doom Bar. All five crew saved by the Padstow lifeboat Arab (. 12 November – brigantine, (), ran aground on the Doom Bar, Padstow with only one survivor, the ship's captain (Or 13 November). 13 December – barque (), of Christiansand, wrecked at Cudden Point in Mount's Bay. The ship was a total loss but the Newlyn lifeboat Elizabeth & Blanche ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution) took the crew of 13 men off when she was half a mile off the Greeb Rocks. The ship was bound for the West Indies and was the last big sailing boat rescued in Mount's Bay. 29 December – 2,774-ton steamer sank in Mount's Bay while on her way to the breakers yard with a cargo of coal. December – 500 ton SS White Rose disappeared while on a voyage from France to Liverpool. The remains of the wreck was observed on the Udder Rock, Lansallos some months later. All eleven on board are presumed to have died. unknown date – Mousehole lugger Weatherall () sank about four miles off the Longships when she collided with Lowestoft sailing trawler Trevone (). All the crew, bar Paul Humphreys, managed to scramble aboard the trawler.

1912

February – barque Pindos () was wrecked on the Guthen Rocks near Coverack. All twenty-eight of the crew were rescued by the Coastguard and the Coverack lifeboat ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution), and a few days later the ship broke up in a storm. 11 February – Fleetwood trawler Maud () drifted ashore at Pentreath Beach, near Kynance Cove when her tow from the tug Challenger parted. Her boiler and keel can still be seen at low tide. 5 March – Bessie () was forced to shelter in Newquay Bay during a strong north wind and drifted ashore when her anchor fouled. Two of the crew were saved by breeches buoy, the others clambered up the cliff on the cliff ladder. The Truro registered three-masted schooner was on a voyage from Ballincurragh, County Cork to Penryn.