# List of shipwrecks in May 1854

The list of shipwrecks in May 1854 includes ships sunk, wrecked, grounded, or otherwise lost during May 1854.

## 1 May

List of shipwrecks: 1 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Adele | France | The brig struck a rock off Lihou, Channel Islands and was abandoned with the loss of two of her six crew. She was on a voyage from Licata, Sicily to Roscoff, Finistère. |
| Mercedes | Peruvian Navy | The transport ship struck a rock and was wrecked at Casma with the loss of 731 lives. She was on a voyage from Casma to Callao. |

## 2 May

List of shipwrecks: 2 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Sidney | United Kingdom | The ship sprang a leak and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Quebec City, Province of Canada, British North America. |
| Wilhelmine | Greifswald | The ship collided with a British brig and sank off Skagen, Denmark. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Stettin to Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. |

## 3 May

List of shipwrecks: 3 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Antoinette Cesar | France | The ship ran aground on the Corsair Rocks, off the coast of Victoria. She was refloated and taken in to Swan Bay. |
| Winchester | United Kingdom | The ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of 25 lives. About 500 survivors were rescued by Washington ( United States). Winchester was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to New York, United States. |

## 4 May

List of shipwrecks: 4 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Mahomed Shah | Flag unknown | The barque was destroyed by fire in the Pacific Ocean. All 59 people on board were rescued by the brig Ellen ( United Kingdom). |
| Victoria | United Kingdom | The ship capsized in a squall with the loss of three of her crew. She was on a voyage from Calcutta, India to Singapore, Straits Settlements. |

## 5 May

List of shipwrecks: 5 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Richard Cowle | Elbing | The barque ran aground at Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands. She was refloated. |

## 6 May

List of shipwrecks: 6 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Ann | Chile | The brig sank at Valparaíso. |
| Argo | Sweden | The ship ran aground and was wrecked off Sandhammaren. She was on a voyage from Copenhagen, Denmark to Ystad. |
| Bella Maria Teresa | Chile | The brigantine was driven ashore at Valparaíso. |
| Catherine | Chile | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Valparaíso. |
| Colchagua | Chile | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Valparaíso. |
| Corsair | United States | The brig was wrecked at Papudo, Chile. |
| Esperanza | Chile | The barque sank at Valparaíso. |
| Express | Chile | The brig was driven ashore and wrecked at Valparaíso. |
| Fortuna | Chile | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Valparaíso. |
| Guamas | Chile | The hulk sank at Valparaíso. |
| Hurrican | Chile | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Valparaíso. |
| Isabella | United Kingdom | The brigantine was wrecked at Valparaíso. |
| Jhelum | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was severely damaged at Valparaíso. |
| Johanne | Stralsund | The sloop was driven ashore on the west coast of Saltholm, Denmark and was abandoned. She was on a voyage from Stralsund to Copenhagen, Denmark. |
| Longomilla | Chile | The brigantine was driven ashore at Valparaíso. |
| Maria Josefa | Chile | The schooner was driven ashore at Valparaíso. |
| New Orleans | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was severely damaged at Valparaíso. |
| Primero | Chile | The barque was wrecked at Zapallar. |
| Rhonda | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged at Valparaíso. |
| Romulus | United Kingdom | The brig was severely damaged at Valparaíso. |
| Sir Charles Napier | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was severely damaged at Valparaíso. |
| Sultana | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged at Valparaíso. |

## 7 May

List of shipwrecks: 7 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Arendal | Norway | The brig was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by Haidee ( United Kingdom). Arendal was on a voyage from Leith, Lothian, United Kingdom to Quebec City, Province of Canada, British North America. |

## 8 May

List of shipwrecks: 8 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Claudius | Hamburg | The ship was wrecked on the Kness Shallows, in the North Sea off the coast of the Duchy of Holstein. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham, United Kingdom to Hamburg. |
| Jenny | Sweden | The schooner was in collision with a Royal Navy frigate and sank at Stockholm. Her crew were rescued. |

## 10 May

List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Elizabeth | Hamburg | The ship was wrecked on Læsø, Denmark. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Hamburg to Memel, Prussia. |
| Sterling | United States | The brig was wrecked on the Coach Reef. She was on a voyage from Matanzas, Cuba to Montreal, Province of Canada, British North America. |

## 11 May

List of shipwrecks: 11 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Allport | United Kingdom | The brig struck the Feenesh Rock, off the Isle of Arran and was damaged. She was on a voyage from Odessa to Galway. |
| Clyde | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Rosneath, Argyllshire. She was on a voyage from Greenock, Renfrewshire to Gare Loch. She was refloated and put back to Greenock. |
| Ruby | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Holme Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Suffolk. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to London. She was refloated the next day. |

## 12 May

List of shipwrecks: 12 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Argaum | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and severely damaged at Egremont, Lancashire. She was on a voyage from Bombay, India to Liverpool, Lancashire. She was refloated and taken in to Liverpool. |
| J. R. S. | Chile | The brig was wrecked north of Papudo. |
| HMS Tiger | Royal Navy | HMS Tiger aground (right), with HMS Vesuvius (left) and HMS Niger (center) offshore.Crimean War: The steam frigate ran aground in fog on the coast of Russia 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Odessa, came under fire by Imperial Russian Army artillery, and was captured by Russian troops after her crew′s attempt to burn her failed. When the screw sloop HMS Niger and paddle sloop-of-war HMS Vesuvius (both Royal Navy) arrived on the scene, Russian artillery reopened fire on her to prevent her recapture by the British and scored hits which caused her to blow up. |

## 13 May

List of shipwrecks: 13 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Lady | United Kingdom | The barque struck a rock near the "Due Fratelli e Capo Serra". She floated off but consequently foundered off the coast of the Beylik of Tunis. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Athens, Greece. |
| William Brown | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked at Calcutta, India. |

## 14 May

List of shipwrecks: 14 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Admiral de Winter | Sweden | The koff ran aground in the Agger Canal. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Gothenburg. She had become a wreck by 19 May. |
| Maria Anne | Hamburg | The ship ran aground off Læsø, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Altona to Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. She was refloated and put in to Helsingør, Denmark in a leaky condition. |
| Petrel | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore in Farosund. She was later refloated. |

## 15 May

List of shipwrecks: 15 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| HMS Jasper | Royal Navy | The paddle steamer caught fire, exploded and sank in the English Channel off Beachy Head, Sussex. Her 32 crew took to the boats and were rescued by Vanguard ( United Kingdom) |

## 16 May

List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Countess of Liverpool | United Kingdom | The schooner sprang a leak and was beached at Kylerhea, Isle of Skye. She was on a voyage from Arklow, County Wicklow to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. |
| Garden City | United States | The steamboat was wrecked on a reef in Lake Huron 15 nautical miles (28 km) off the DeTour Reef Lighthouse. All on board were rescued by Queen City ( United States). She was on a voyage from Chicago, Illinois to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. |
| Harriet Scott | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was sunk by ice 40 nautical miles (74 km)} off Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, British North America. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Padstow, Cornwall to Quebec City, Province of Canada, British North America. |
| Maria | Sweden | The ship ran aground off Fröel. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne to Stockholm. She was refloated and taken in to Klinte for repairs. |
| Sarah | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked at Manila, Spanish East Indies. |

## 17 May

List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Abeona | United Kingdom | The ship struck a sunken rock in the English Channel off Portland, Dorset and was holed. She was on a voyage from Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium to Cardiff, Glamorgan. She consequently put in to Starcross, Devon. |
| Coriolan | Bremen | The ship was driven ashore at Manasquan, New Jersey, United States. She was on a voyage from Bremen to New York, United States. |
| Hope | United States | The ship was destroyed by fire at Mobile, Alabama. |
| Montezuma | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Rockaway, New Jersey. All on board, more than 400 people, were rescued. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to New York City. |
| Sarah Brown | United Kingdom | The brig was run down and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by the barque William Tapscott ( United Kingdom). Her twelve crew were rescued by William Tapscott. |

## 18 May

List of shipwrecks: 18 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Arctic | United Kingdom | The steamship struck the Black Rock, off the Saltee Islands, County Wexford, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom to New York. She consequently put back to Liverpool the next day. |
| Caroline | United States | The barque was driven ashore at Manasquan, New Jersey. |
| Helen Thompson | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was holed by ice and foundered off the "Bird Isles". in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. All on board were rescued by the barque Sarah ( United Kingdom) She was on a voyage from Troon, Ayrshire to Quebec City, Province of Canada, British North America. |
| Isabel | Denmark | The ship ran aground on the Lysegrund and sank. Her crew were rescued. |
| Unionen | Denmark | The galiot was driven ashore north of the entrance to the Agger Canal. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Struer to Hartlepool, County Durham, United Kingdom. She had been refloated by 26 May and was to be taken into a Danish port for repairs. |
| W. H. Harbeck | United States | The ship was destroyed by fire at New York. |
| William Layton | United States | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore at Manasquan. |

## 19 May

List of shipwrecks: 19 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Achilles | United Kingdom | The barque was lost off Harbour Island. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Saint John's, Newfoundland, British North America. |
| Prince of Wales | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Blacktail Spit, in the Thames Estuary. She was on a voyage from Gothenburg, Sweden to London. |
| Wilson | United Kingdom | The ship was sunk by ice off St. Paul's, Nova Scotia, British North America. Her crew were rescued by Empress ( United Kingdom). |

## 20 May

List of shipwrecks: 20 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Concordia | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Midim Sand. She was on a voyage from Hamburg to Perth. She was refloated on 22 May and taken in to Cuxhaven. |

## 21 May

List of shipwrecks: 21 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Honfleur | France | The steamship was wrecked near Cabrita Point, Spain. All on board were rescued. |
| RMS Orinoco | United Kingdom | The troopship ran aground in Southampton Water. She was on a voyage from Southampton, Hampshire to the Crimea. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |

## 22 May

List of shipwrecks: 22 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Baltic | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Swinebottoms, in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark. She was on a voyage from the Clyde to Pillau, Prussia. She was refloated the next day and towed in the Helsingør, Denmark by the steamships Hertha and Uffo ( Denmark). |
| Betsey | United Kingdom | The ship was in collision with Laurel ( United Kingdom) and sank in the River Lagan. Her crew were rescued by Laure;. Betsey was on a voyage from Donaghadee, County Down to Belfast, County Antrim. |

## 23 May

List of shipwrecks: 23 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Aldebaran | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of seven lives. Survivors were rescued by St. Brelade ( Jersey). Aldebaran was on a voyage from Poole, Dorset to Quebec City, Province of Canada, British North America. |
| Rapid | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked on the coast of Cochinchina in a typhoon. She was on a voyage from Singapore, Straits Settlements to Hong Kong. |
| Scotia | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore on Swan Island, Victoria. She was refloated the next day but consequently foundered. All on board were rescued. |

## 25 May

List of shipwrecks: 25 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Brahmin | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked on King's Island, New South Wales with the loss of nine of the 34 people on board. She was on a voyage from London to Sydney, New South Wales. |
| Niagara | United States | The ship was wrecked on Madame Island, in the Saint Lawrence River. |
| Thomas Wright | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked on a shoal 12 nautical miles (22 km) off Ossabaw Island, Georgia, United States. She was on a voyage from Matanzas, Cuba to London. |

## 26 May

List of shipwrecks: 26 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Bella | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean (21°35′N 38°20′W﻿ / ﻿21.583°N 38.333°W﻿ / 21.583; -38.333). Her crew were rescued by Kent ( United States). Bella was on a voyage from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to New York, United States. |
| Douro | Portugal | The steamship ran aground in the Paracel Islands. Salvage efforts were abandoned on 10 June. |
| Elizabeth | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked on the Hare Island Reef. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from London to Green Island, British North America. |
| Gulnare | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was wrecked 60 nautical miles (110 km) west of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Colony with the loss of two of her crew. The ship, which was carrying gold, was plundered by the local inhabitants. |
| John and Jean | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked south of Seaham, County Durham. She was on a voyage from Perth to Seaham. |

## 27 May

List of shipwrecks: 27 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Blossom | United Kingdom | The brig foundered in the North Sea off Hartlepool, County Durham. Her crew were rescued by a coble. She was on a voyage from Seaham, County Durham to King's Lynn, Norfolk. |
| Charlotte Mays | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Brielle, South Holland, Netherlands. |
| Dundee | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Belfast, County Antrim. |

## 28 May

List of shipwrecks: 28 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Betsey | United Kingdom | The lugger was in collision with Laurel ( United Kingdom) and sank in the River Lagan. Her crew were rescued by Laurel. Betsey was on a voyage from Donaghadee, County Down to Belfast, County Antrim. |
| Eagle | United Kingdom | The ship struck an iceberg and was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew took to the boats; they were rescued three days later by the brig Esperance ( France). Eagle was on a voyage from Tobago to Bristol. Gloucestershire. |

## 29 May

List of shipwrecks: 29 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Mary Wilkinson | Isle of Man | The smack sank in the Irish Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km) south east of Maughold Head. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Belfast, County Antrim to Liverpool, Lancashire. |

## 30 May

List of shipwrecks: 30 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alnwick Castle | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Scroby Sands, Norfolk. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Crescent | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground on the Pennington Spit, in the Solent. She was on a voyage from Hartlepool, County Durham to Poole, Dorset. She was refloated the next day and resumed her voyage. |
| Fanny | United Kingdom | The ship was destroyed by fire 12 nautical miles (22 km) off Madeira. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Livorno, Grand Duchy of Tuscany to New York, United States. |
| Germanicus | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground in the Dry Tortugas. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Kaleva | Sweden | Crimean War: The brig was burnt during an attack on Raahe, Grand Duchy of Finland by HMS Leopard, HMS Odin, HMS Valorous and HMS Vulture (all Royal Navy). Also destroyed were four ships under construction, a barque, three schooners and five sloops. |
| Lyra | United Kingdom | The ship was damaged by fire at Liverpool. |

## 31 May

List of shipwrecks: 31 May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Briton | United Kingdom | The ship struck an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. She was consequently abandoned the next day. Her crew were rescued by Raleigh ( United States). Briton was on a voyage from Charleston, South Carolina, United States to Liverpool, Lancashire. |
| Dumfries | United Kingdom | The ship was lost in the "Perendore Islands". She was on a voyage from Shanghai, China to London. |
| Europa | United Kingdom | The transport ship was destroyed by fire with the loss on 21 lives. |

## Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date in May 1854 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Banner | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by Sir Alexander ( United Kingdom). Banner was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Arichat, Nova Scotia, British North America. |
| David Banks | United Kingdom | The ship was lost off Argyrades, United States of the Ionian Islands. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Corfu, United States of the Ionian Islands. |
| Fidele | New Zealand | The schooner was sighted bottom up on a beach near Cape Campbell in early May. The bodies of two crew were found in the wreck. The vessel was en route from Kaikōura to Wellington with a cargo of oil. |
| James Moran | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean before 20 May. |
| Lady Nugent | United Kingdom | The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal while transporting troops from Madras, India, to Rangoon. Some 400 lives were lost. |
| London | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked on "Carriboo Island", British North America. Her crew were rescued by William and Joseph ( United Kingdom). |
| Marquis of Bute | United Kingdom | The ship was sunk by ice in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Padstow, Cornwall to Quebec City, Province of Canada, British North America. |
| Mayard | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore in the Saint Lawrence River. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Quebec City. |
| Recherche | French Navy | The corvette was driven ashore on the coast of Iceland before 26 May. |
| HMS Resolute | Royal Navy | The icebound barque was abandoned in Viscount Melville Sound. The ship was discovered in September 1855 off Baffin Island, Province of Canada, by the whaler George Henry ( United States). Restored at the expense of the United States, she was returned to the Royal Navy in December 1856. |
| Sarah | United Kingdom | The ship was lost in the Talloff River. She was on a voyage from Matakong to Liverpool. |
| Vixen | New South Wales | The ship was driven ashore in Trial Bay and was abandoned by her crew. |
| Xarifa | United Kingdom | The ship capsized off the coast of Sierra Leone in early May. Her crew were rescued by Sarah ( United Kingdom) Xarifa was on a voyage from Liverpool to an African port. |