Given the seafaring history of our region, it was almost inevitable that many ships would run into trouble off our shores in the rough North Sea.
If we take the stretch of water between Whitby and Berwick, there were around 380 recorded shipwrecks between 1740 and 2000. One of the vessels that came to grief was the Betsy Cairns which was destroyed on the notorious Black Midden rocks at the mouth of the River Tyne in 1827.
This dramatic photographic interpretation of the incident has been created by Mick Ray, a local historian and photographer who runs the popular Facebook group Old Photos of South Shields and the North East. You can find many more of his examples of his work there.
READ MORE: See Newcastle and Gateshead in stunning drone footage
One contemporary newspaper account of the Betsy Cairns incident told how "pursuing her voyage from Shields to Hamburg, with a cargo of coals, she struck upon the Black Middens, a dangerous reef of rocks north of the River Tyne, and in a few days afterwards became a total wreck. The news of her disaster excited a very lively sensation throughout the country."
Mick Ray, who based his artwork on a black and white sketch of the disaster which took place 195 years ago, has looked into the history of the Betsy Cairns, which turned out to be a well-known vessel.
He writes: "Built in Holland in the 1670s, and originally called the Princess Mary, it served as the Royal Yacht for three rulers of the country - King William III (William of Orange), Queen Anne, and King George I. Several name changes and owners over the years eventually led to it being owned by a South Shields businessman, Mr G. Wilson, who renamed it Betsy Cairns. It was used to transport coal from the local mines to London and the continent - a sad fall from its once privileged role.
"On its fateful last voyage, it was due to offload its cargo initially in London, and then across the North Sea to Hamburg. Caught in a storm, it returned to the Tyne, but was destroyed on the rocks of the then notorious Black Middens - a tragic end to a ship which had once transported royalty across the Atlantic to the calmer waters of the West Indies, which is where it derived its last name - Betsy Cairns being a well known lady of those islands at that time."
Our 19th century newspaper report went on to note that the vessel "had always been regarded, especially by sailors, with an almost superstitious feeling of interest and veneration". When news of the shipwreck became known around the country, there was a huge demand for parts of the stricken ship's remains and "snuff boxes and souvenirs of various kind were made in large numbers and brought exorbitant prices".
Mick Ray goes on to point out: "Accidents such as this were the reason the High and Low Lights on the north of the Tyne, and the Lawe Top Beacons on our side, were built - to guide sailing ships safely into the river, avoiding the treacherous Black Middens and Herd Sands.
"However, in stormy conditions such as this they would be of little help - the ship being at the mercy of the wind and waves. It wasn’t until the building of the piers in the late 1800s that the seas calmed down by creating a more sheltered harbour area."
READ NEXT:
140 years after Newcastle was granted city status - 10 locations that help define it
- Watch rare footage of Newcastle United v Pele's team, Santos, from 50 years ago
- The infamous Victorian murderer said to be secretly buried in Jarrow
- For the first time in 50 years, we can see down Newcastle's Pilgrim Street
