The Josephine Willis was a first-class ship owned by Messrs Fletcher of Limehouse and chartered by Messers Willis & Co who ran monthly sailings to New Zealand. The ship left St Katherine's Dock on February 3rd 1856 and was towed down the River Thames from Gravesend to Deal where the pilot left her to make her way out to sea. She was laden with valuable and miscellaneous cargo, ten first class passengers, sixty steerage passengers and thirty five crew members.
Three hours later the Josephine Willis collided with the iron clad steamer Mangerton its iron hull sliced through the wooden sailing ship below the water line causing extensive damage. The steamer then reversed causing the water to enter the sailing ship which sank an hour later. Sadly seventy lives were lost.
In 2012 the wreck of the Josephine Willis was discovered by the Folkestone Sub Aqua Club. During explorations a large number of pieces of Staffordshire Pottery, bound for sale in New Zealand, were found and several pieces have been donated to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.
The pieces are on display in the ceramics gallery, some showing signs of damage from their many years under the sea.
Other pieces looking as they must have done when first loaded onto the ship. Above pieces by Davenport of Longport.
Above and below are cups saucers and plates some of them decorated with the Gem pattern by Charles Meigh & Son of Hanley.
Here is a link to an interesting article about the ship, how it sank and the ensuing court cases and also how it was finally located.
