P. 171: “WRECK OF HER MAJESTY’S GUNBOAT “LIVELY.”—QUESTION. ME. RICHARD HODGSON said, he had given notice yesterday of his intention to ask the Secretary of the Admiralty a Question relative to the wreck of Her Majesty’s gunboat Lively. He would ask the Question now with the hope of receiving such an answer as would remove what he trusted was a misconception that prevailed on the subject in the neighbourhood of Berwick. On the 22nd December last the gunboat referred to received orders to go to sea for the purpose of searching for some missing coasting vessels in the North Sea. On the 25th of the same month she was wrecked upon the coast of Holland. It was now alleged that she had not been built for sea service—that she was not fitted to take the sea in stormy weather— that she was built for shallow seas and estuaries such as she was generally employed in, at or about the port of Berwick. It was also alleged that in a short time after she had sailed for the North Sea, and within about two or three hours after the first order bad been sent, a second order was received by telegram from the Admiralty countermanding the previous order, and stating that the Lively was not to be gent to sea. He wished to ask the noble Lord, the Secretary of the Admiralty, Whether that was really the case; whether the original order of the Admiralty for the gunboat to go to sea had been countermanded by telegram ; and, also, whether the Lively was in such a condition as to be unfit for sea service ? LORD CLARENCE PAGET: It is perfectly true that towards the end of December the gunboats Lively, the Medina, and another gunboat, upon the solicitation of the mayor and authorities of Berwick, and on behalf of the owners of thirteen fishing smacks that were missing, were dispatched to the North Sea in search of those vessels, and if possible to ascertain their and their crews' fate. It is true that the Lively is one of the smallest class of gunboats, and we should have been glad if we had had a larger class of vessels to dispatch on an occasion so urgent: but we were obliged to have recourse to such means as we had at command at the moment. The Admiralty dispatched one good sized paddle steamvessel, the Medusa, upon this expedition along with the two others. I know of no telegram having been sent by the Admiralty to recall the Lively. I will, however,
p. 172 inquire further upon that point, as I only heard this day of this part of the hon. Member's Question. It is true that these gunboats are generally small vessels with small engines, but nevertheless a great many of them have gone to China and round the world. It, therefore, cannot be said that they are unfit to go to the North Sea. Every one knows what a fearful gale the Lively and the other gunboats had fallen into. I cannot speak of the loss of the Lively without bearing testimony to the extreme courage and gallantry of her officers and crew, and to the admirable manner in which they managed the vessel up to the moment when she was wrecked.”
Source
Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, February 1864.
The Dutch newspaper Amsterdamsch handels- en effectenblad daily edition 30 December 1863 published a news item dated Ostmahorn 25 December. According to this item arrived there with the shell fisherman P.J. Visser of Paezens the day before 24 crewmembers and the body of the pilot of the British navy steamboat of Hull Lieutenant Wolset, which ship eastwards of the island Schiermonnikoog was anchored in the Lauwers (sea) her deck being equal with the water level. One officer was drowned when he tried swimming to reach the shore. The Lively left Berwick to search 25 missing fishing boats. It was hoped shat she could return to England. The newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant: staats-, handels, nieuws- en advertentieblad daily edition 29 December 1863 calls her commanding officer Welch.
The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad daily edition dated 29 July 1864 published a news item dated Veendam, 26 July. Tidings from Delfzijl; dated 24 July reported that the same afternoon while watched by many spectators master J.T. Visser of Westernieland brought in the wreck of the Lively which was stranded and sunk during the storm in December 1863 east of the island Schiermonnikoog in the so-called Westerbalg. She was being a wreck public sold to Rottinghuis en Smaal te Delfzijl. Although commonly thought being impossible Visser and the son of Rottinghuis managed to get the wreck out of the sand and get floating again. The ship was hardly damaged and fitted out with an engine of 60 hp as they claimed. It was a well built precious ship with everything heavy and double coppered. There was still some ammunition on board.
J.J. Colledge/Ben Warlow. Ships of the Royal Navy. London, 2006 reported that she was a wood screw gunboat of the Albacore-class and launched at Smith, Newcastle 23 February 1856. She was wrecked 23 December 1863, salvaged and became the mail steamer Helgolanderin.
