Mariners-L Archives

From: Sue Mackay <>
Subject: Brig "Unity" and the "William Fairlie"
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 10:35:58 +0000 (GMT)

Family letters tell the sad tale of Helena GILSTAIN
and her three children being drowned in August 1859
when the brig "Unity" sank off the coast of South
Africa. I entered "Brig Unity" into the Times Digital
Archive to see if I could see a report of the wreck. I
couldn't, but it seems an earlier brig named Unity was
wrecked off the coast of Whitby in 1841, and a later
brig named Unity was driven ashore at Helsingborg on
June 13 1875!! I'll never sail on a ship called
"Unity"!

Maybe it was the curse of the GILSTAINs. Henry's
family was wiped out in 1859, his brother was murdered
a few years later in the Kimberley diamond fields, and
the son of the remaining brother died of typhoid,
leaving my infant grandmother fatherless. At least
their father Arthur died in his bed. Arthur GILSTAIN
went to South Africa in 1822 with his regiment and
stayed when the 49th moved on to India. He was
transported to South Africa on a ship called the
"William Fairlie" - can anyone give me more
information on this ship?



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This thread:

• Brig "Unity" and the "William Fairlie" by Sue Mackay <>