Wreck of Rosita, a 19th century Spanish schooner, Walton Backwaters (EHER 81572)

The 1881 wreck of Spanish schooner which foundered in the Walton Backwaters after leaving Harwich on her voyage from Hamburg to Puerto Rico with general cargo; she is thought to have been dispersed. Built in 1869, she was a wooden sailing vessel.

Information from NRHE On January the 6th, the Harwich lifeboat was called out to the ROSITA, which had got underway from the harbour, but ran ashore on the Halliday Flats just outside. The lifeboat reached them and by midday had taken off seven seamen and the captain's wife. The SPRINGWELL went out again to take off the captain, 2nd mate and a man who had refused to leave her. They later got the ROSITA off, but she sank in Walton Backwaters, after which the harbour board attempted to make the Spanish Consul pay for clearing the wreck. <1> Wreck of ROSITA (Hamburg to Puerto Rico). Application to remove wreck. <2> `Thursday, Ramsgate. The Harwich lifeboat went out to assist the Spanish schooner ROSITA, which had gone ashore on the Halliday Flats, and rescued the crew; if the present strong winds persist there will be no hope of saving the ship.' <3> The ship was built in 1869, its master was J Ajao and it had ten crew members and one passenger. It was owned b Hermanos Dominguez, Puerto Rico <1> Date of Loss Qualifier: A Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: BOT.Wk.Rtn.1881 Appendix Parts I-IV p119(389); TS p115; HDP.15.01.1881; Hughes, History of Harwich Harbour