Wigtownshire writer Jayne Baldwin’s new book revisits the 1850 steamboat disaster at Portpatrick.
On the afternoon of the 17 June 1850, more than 150 passengers crowded onto the paddle steamer The Orion at Liverpool. Some were business travellers, others were on the final leg of long journeys to visit family having crossed the Atlantic from Canada, for others it was part of the early stages of emigration to Australia. Sadly for more than 50 people, it would prove to be a final journey, their lives ending unexpectedly in the waters just off the village of Portpatrick.
More than fifty people drowned within clear sight of the village, though the death toll would have been even higher if several local fishermen hadn’t spotted the steamer travelling far further inland than usual and sounded the alert.
You now have the opportunity to win a signed copy of the book by visiting dgwgo
The book ‘The Wrecking of the Orion’ is being published by Second Sands Publications, an imprint of Jayne’s publishing company Foggie Toddle Books and is available price £7.50 plus p&p either from the Foggie Toddle website or you can contact Jayne at hello@foggietoddlebooks.co.uk