# List of shipwrecks in December 1879

The list of shipwrecks in December 1879 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during December 1879.

## 1 December

List of shipwrecks: 1 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Ann Essen | Germany | The ship was wrecked at Dedeağaç, Ottoman Empire. |
| Barracouta | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Dungeness, Kent. She was on a voyage from Antofagasta, Chile to the River Tyne. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Brilliant | United Kingdom | The lugger collided with the lugger Rowena ( United Kingdom and sank at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Her crew were rescued. |
| Freden | Norway | The schooner foundered in the North Sea. Her crew were rescued by the sloop Scandinavia ( Denmark). |
| Joseph Ferens | United Kingdom | The steamship departed from South Shields, County Durham for Lisbon, Portugal. No further trace, reported overdue, feared to have foundered in the Bay of Biscay with the loss of all 25 crew. |
| Kate Helena | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked at Cape Cillar, Chile. She was on a voyage from Swansea, Glamorgan to Coquimbo, Chile. |
| Llanedarne | United Kingdom | The steamship departed from Gibraltar for Cardiff, Glamorgan. No further trace, presumed foundered in the Bay of Biscay with the loss of all hands. |
| Meridian | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Dungeness. She was refloated with the assistance of a tug and put in to The Down. |
| Onward | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship ran aground on the Ower Sandbank, in the North Sea. Her sixteen crew were rescued by the Palling Lifeboat. She was on a voyage from Hartlepool, County Durham to the East Indies. She was refloated and taken in to Great Yarmouth. |
| Saucy Jack | United Kingdom | The smack was driven ashore and wrecked at Great Yarmouth. Her crew were rescued by rocket apparatus. |
| Scheme | United Kingdom | The smack collided with the smack Waterwitch and was beached at Great Yarmouth. |
| Vera Cruz | Austria-Hungary | The barque collided with Cavaliere Squardelli ( United Kingdom) and foundered off Cape Finisterre, Spain. Her crew were rescued by Cavaliere Squardelli. Vera Cruz was on a voyage from Trieste to Bordeaux, Gironde, France. |
| Wensleydale | United Kingdom | The schooner was run into by the steamship Nina ( United Kingdom) in the River Wear and was severely damaged . Wensleydale put back to Sunderland, County Durham. |
| Wyvern | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Pauillac Bank, in the Gironde. |

## 2 December

List of shipwrecks: 2 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Averill | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at West Hartlepool, County Durham. She was on a voyage from West Hartlepool to East Hartlepool. |
| Borussia | United Kingdom | The steamship sprang a leak and foundered west of Faial Island, Azores with the loss of 160 of the 186 people on board. Ten survivors were rescued by Mallowdale ( United Kingdom), five by the barque Fulda ( Germany and eleven by Giacomino ( Italy). Borussia was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. |
| Teaser | United Kingdom | The fishing smack ran aground off Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. |
| Tynedale | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the River Usk. She was on a voyage from Bilbao, Spain to Newport, Monmouthshire. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Viking | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Sunderland, County Durham and was severely damaged. She was on a voyage from Hartlepool to Sunderland. She was refloated and taken in to Sunderland. |
| William Dawson | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship Frey ( Norway) and sank in the River Tees. Her crew were rescued by Frey. William Dawson was on a voyage from Caen, Calvados, France to Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. |

## 3 December

List of shipwrecks: 3 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Echo | United Kingdom | The schooner struck the Harry Furlongs Rocks, Anglesey and sank. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Wicklow. |
| Ethiopia, and Holly | United Kingdom | The steamships collided in the Clyde and were both severely damaged. |
| Frank | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Hamilton, Bermuda. She was on a voyage from London to Hamilton. |
| Karebock | Denmark | The schooner ran aground on the Haisborough Sands, Norfolk, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from London, United Kingdom to Helsingør. She was refloated and towed in to Lowestoft, Suffolk, United Kingdom in a leaky condition. |
| M. A. Baston | United States | The fishing schooner went ashore on Plum Island and sank. Her crew got off on their own. |
| Maggie | United Kingdom | The brig foundered in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by the full-rigged ship Charles Luling ( Germany). Maggie was on a voyage from Charleston, South Carolina, United States to Aberdeen. |
| N. J. Pallisen | Denmark | The steamship ran aground in the River Barrow. She was on a voyage from Copenhagen to New Ross, County Wexford, United Kingdom. She was refloated. |
| Quintero | United States | The ship collided with the steamship Norseman ( United Kingdom) and sank in the Atlantic Ocean (5°13′S 35°03′W﻿ / ﻿5.217°S 35.050°W﻿ / -5.217; -35.050) with the loss of a crew member. Quintero was on a voyage from Pisagua, Peru to Boston, Massachusetts. |
| St. Louis | France | The fishing vessel was run down and sunk in the English Channel 30 nautical miles (56 km) off Beachy Head, Sussex, United Kingdom by the barque Marina Rocca ( Italy) with the loss of two of her seven crew. Survivors were rescued by Marina Rocca. |
| Vesta | Denmark | The ship was abandoned at in the North Sea. Her crew were rescued by the steamship Lillie ( United Kingdom). Vesta was on a voyage from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom to Svendborg. |

## 4 December

List of shipwrecks: 4 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Avalon | United Kingdom | The ship departed from Pernambuco, Brazil for the Newfoundland Colony. No further trace,. reported missing. |
| Balmoral | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Clyde. She was refloated. |
| Capella | United Kingdom | The steamship was abandoned off "Corrobedo", Spain. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Hull, Yorkshire. |
| Cunley | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Querqueville, Manche, France with the loss of four of her crew. |
| Edith Hough | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore near Rhyl, Denbighshire. She was on a voyage from Valencia, Spain to Liverpool, Lancashire. She was refloated and towed in to Liverpool by the tugs Commodore and Great Britain (both United Kingdom). |
| Emily | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at Cherbourg, Manche with the loss of all hands. She was on a voyage from Ipswich, Suffolk to Cherbourg. |
| Hawk | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Elbe. |
| Jean | France | The brig was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her six crew were rescued by the steamship Thales ( United Kingdom). |
| Lord Byron | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore 8 nautical miles (15 km) south of Bridlington, Yorkshire. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Tripoli, Ottoman Tripolitania to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. She was refloated on 11 December and taken in to Bridlington. |
| Queenstown | United Kingdom | The schooner foundered in the North Sea off Terschelling, Friesland, Netherlands. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Falmouth, Cornwall to Harburg, Germany. |
| Relic | United Kingdom | The smack was driven onto the breakwater in Brixham harbour during a gale and became a total loss. Two fishing boats were grounded and others received damage. |
| Robinsons | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground at Amble, Northumberland. She was refloated and resumed her voyage, but put into the River Tyne in a leaky condition. |
| Stour | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground on the Bow Reef, off Ameland, Friesland, Netherlands and sank. Her four crew survived. She was on a voyage from Falmouth to Harburg. |
| Swallow | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Ribadesella, Spain. Her crew were rescued. |
| Teal | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Neilstack. She was on a voyage from Hamburg, Germany to London. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Unite | France | The schooner struck the breakwater at Cherbourg and was wrecked. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Porthcawl, Glamorgan, United Kingdom to Trouville-sur-Mer, Calvados. |
| Unnamed | United Kingdom | The schooner was abandoned off Mousehole, Cornwall. |
| Unnamed | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at Portland, Dorset. |

## 5 December

List of shipwrecks: 5 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Anglia | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore on Pladda, in the Firth of Clyde. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Glasgow, Renfrewshrie. She was refloated the next day and resumed her voyage. |
| Ary Scheffer | Netherlands | The steamship ran aground at Maassluis, South Holland. She was on a voyage from Rotterdam, South Holland to Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France. She was refloated. |
| Bella | United States | Thanks to an unsuccessful tacking attempt during a storm, the 34.83-ton schooner ran aground at the north entrance to Oumnak Island (53°22′N 167°50′W﻿ / ﻿53.367°N 167.833°W﻿ / 53.367; -167.833﻿ (Oumnak Island)) in the Aleutian Islands. Her crew of five survived, but she broke up on the beach and was deemed beyond repair. |
| Capella | United Kingdom | The steamship foundered off Corrubedo, Spain. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Hull, Yorkshire. |
| Caledonian | United Kingdom | The dredger was run into by the steamship Enniskillen ( United Kingdom) at Grangemouth, Stirlingshire and was severely damaged. |
| Gelderland | Netherlands | The ship ran aground in the Nieuwe Waterweg. She was on a voyage from Java, Netherlands East Indies to Rotterdam. She was refloated. |
| Risurrezzione | Italy | The barque was wrecked at Cape Helles, Ottoman Empire. She was on a voyage from Yelsk, Russia to Malta. |
| Romola | United Kingdom | The schooner was taken in tow to Dartmouth by the steamship Yorkshireman ( United Kingdom). Romola was found dismasted and abandoned, in the English Channel approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of Start Point. |
| St. Anne | France | The brigantine was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28 km) off Ouessant, Finistère. Two people were rescued by the steamship Lequitio ( Spain). |
| Uller | Norway | The ship struck the breakwater at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom and was damaged. She was on a voyage from Kragerø to Middlesbrough. |

## 6 December

List of shipwrecks: 6 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Albert | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands. She was on a voyage from Hull, Yorkshire to Rotterdam, South Holland. She was refloated on 8 December. |
| Ampthill | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore near Roquetas, Spain. She was on a voyage from Oran, Algeria to Dunkerque, Nord, France. She was refloated and take in to Almería, Spain. |
| Annie | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. She was on a voyage from Barrow-in-Furness to Baltimore, Maryland, United States. |
| Anniversary | United Kingdom | The barque was damaged by fire at Greenock, Renfrewshire. |
| Captain Cook, and Shelburne | United Kingdom Canada | The steamships collided in the River Liffey and were both severely damaged. |
| Emerald | Guernsey | The brig foundered off the coast of Portugal. Her sixteen crew were rescued by the brigantine Queen of the Isles ( United Kingdom). Emerald was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Ancona, Italy. |
| Frances | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Ballamacormick Point, County Antrim. She was on a voyage from Belfast, County Antrim to Ayr. |
| George Bartram | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground at Sunderland, County Durham. She was on a voyage from Söderhamn, Sweden to Sunderland. She was refloated and taken in to Sunderland in a leaky condition. |
| Irene | Denmark | The ship was driven ashore on St. Mary's Island, County Durham and was severely damaged. She was refloated and towed in to North Shields, Northumberland. |
| Marie | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked at Valparaíso, Chile. Her crew were rescued. |
| Milton | United Kingdom | The tugboat was run down and sunk in the River Thames at London by the Transport ship Eurpoa ( Italy) with the loss of a crew member . |
| Motorska Vila | Russia | The ship ran aground in the Dardanelles. She was on a voyage from Feodosiya to Malta. |
| Niemann | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Maassluis. She was on a voyage from Riga, Russia to Schiedam, South Holland. She was refloated on 8 December. |
| Onward | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground on the Lemon and Ower Sand, in the North Sea. She was on a voyage from Hartlepool, County Durham to Tuticorin, India. She was refloated and put in to Gravesend, Kent in a severely leaky condition. |
| Prosperete | Norway | The ship was driven ashore at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, United States. She was on a voyage from London to Wilmington, North Carolina. |
| Romola | United Kingdom | The abandoned ship was towed in to Dartmouth, Devon by the steamship Yorkshireman ( United Kingdom). |
| Stabil | Norway | The barque ran aground in the Mississippi River and was severely damaged. She was refloated and put back to New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. |
| Yvonne Marie | France | The barque was driven ashore near Roquetas, Spain. |

## 7 December

List of shipwrecks: 7 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Anglia | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Dalmuir, Dunbartonshire. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Glasgow, Renfrewshire. |
| Captain Parry | United Kingdom | The steam collier was driven ashore near Queenstown, County Cork. She was on a voyage from Newport, Monmouthshire to Cork. |
| Catharina II | Russia | The steamship ran aground at Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands. She wa on a voyage from Riga to Rotterdam, South Holland. She was refloated the next day. |
| Dicimus | Malta | The barque was driven ashore at Lampsari Point, Ottoman Empire. She was on a voyage from Taganrog, Russia to Malta. |
| Hart | Isle of Man | The schooner ran aground at Amlwch, Anglesey. She was on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Amlwch. She was refloated and taken in to Amlwch. |
| Improvement | United Kingdom | The schooner was destroyed by fire at Penzance, Cornwall. |
| Mineola | Canada | The schooner broke loose from her moorings in a severe storm in Eastport Bay and drifted ashore on the Eastern Shoal. She was refloated and sailed to Lubec, Maine where she was beached for repairs. |
| Watersprite | United Kingdom | The barque departed from South Shields, County Durham for Málaga, Spain. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all hands, nine or ten lives. |

## 8 December

List of shipwrecks: 8 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Astronom | Germany | The steamship was driven ashore at Donna Nook, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. |
| Atalanta | Norway | The barque foundered off the Chassiron Lighthouse, Île d'Oléron, Vendée, France. Her crew were rescued. |
| Firebrick | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Bremen, Germany. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Bremen. She was refloated with assistance and taken in to Geestemünde, Germany. |
| Fortuna | Denmark | The derelict schooner was towed in to Grimsby, Lincolnshire by the smack Cyclone ( United Kingdom. |
| Junction | United Kingdom | The ketch was driven onto the Longnose Rock, Margate, Kent. Her crew were rescued by the Coastguard. |
| Klara | Norway | The brig was wrecked on the Haisborough Sands, in the North Sea off the cost of Norfolk. The crew were picked up from their lifeboat and landed on the following morning. She was on a voyage from North or South Shields, River Tyne to Corsica, France, with coal |
| Leon | United Kingdom | The derelict brig was driven ashore at Blakeney, Norfolk. |
| Lesmona | Germany | The ship was sighted in the South Atlantic whilst on a voyage from San Francisco, California, United States to Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France. No further trace, reported missing. |
| Lucile | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Talus Bank, in the Gironde. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Bordeaux, Gironde, France. She was refloated and taken in to Bordeaux. |
| Lord Clyde | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore on Dragør, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Dantzic, Germany to Dunkerque, Nord. She was refloated with assistance and taken in to Copenhagen, Denmark. |
| Pet | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at the mouth of the River Wear. She was on a voyage from London to the River Wear. |
| Vesper | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground on the Bell Reef Rock, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north of Ayr. |
| unknown | | An unidentified barque foundered off the Haisborough Sands, off Norfolk, England. |

## 9 December

List of shipwrecks: 9 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Emma V. | Canada | The ship departed from Portland, Maine, United States for Falmouth, Cornwall or Queenstown, County Cork, United Kingdom. No further trace, reported missing. |
| Mary Morica | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground and was holed by her anchor in the River Usk. She was on a voyage from Newport, Monmouthshire to Bilbao, Spain. She was towed back to Newport. |

## 10 December

List of shipwrecks: 10 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Glenlyon | United Kingdom | The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Rangoon, Burma to Glasgow, Renfrewshire. She drove ashore and was wrecked on Terceira Island, Azores on 17 December. |
| Hortensia | Denmark | The schooner was driven ashore on Læsø. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Svendborg. She was refloated the next day and taken in to Fredrikshavn in a severely leaky condition. |
| Mystic | United States | The schooner, stranded near the harbor mouth at Grand Haven, Michigan since 19 November, was washed off the beach in a heavy storm on Lake Michigan out to the bar where she started pounding heavily and was scuttled to prevent further damage. Her three crewmen were rescued by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Neptune | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore and wrecked at the Poolbeg Lighthouse, County Dublin. |
| Sardinian | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north west of Cromer, Norfolk. She was refloated. |
| Thomas Dugdale | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Fleetwood, Lancashire. She had been refloated by 13 December. |

## 11 December

List of shipwrecks: 11 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alexandra | United Kingdom | The ship collided with the schoonerSecret ( United Kingdom) 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) east of Hartland Point, Devon. She was taken in tow by Bessie Belle ( United Kingdom) but consequently sank. Her crew were rescued. |
| Ariadne | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship Owl ( United Kingdom and sank in the Clyde. Her crew survived. Ariadne was on a voyage from Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire to Glasgow, Renfrewshire. |
| Barnard Castle | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at the mouth of the Stevenston Burn, Ayrshire. She was on a voyage from Montreal, Quebec, Canada to Glasgow, Renfrewshire. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Bristol City | United Kingdom | The steamship went ashore, in thick fog, at Nelson Point, at the mouth of the River Avon. She was on a voyage from Bristol to New York. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Cleveland | United Kingdom | The steamship was damaged by ice and beached at Snekkersten, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire to Copenhagen, Denmark. She was refloated and taken in to Copenhagen, where she was placed under repair. |
| Enos, and Flying Cloud | Norway United Kingdom | The steam trawler Flying Cloud was driven ashore on the Maydulse Rocks, east of Inchcolm, Fife. She was towing the brig Enos, which also went ashore, but was refloated and put back to Burntisland, Fife. |
| König Ernst August | Germany | The brig was driven ashore at Morup, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom to Dantsic. |
| Martha | Germany | The steamship was driven ashore and wrecked at Kuressaare, Russia. She was on a voyage from Stettin to Riga, Russia. |
| Pallion | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground at Maassluis, South Holland. |
| Sheldrake | United Kingdom | The steamship foundered in the Raz de Sein. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Bilbao, Spain to Glasgow. |
| Sophie Girbetz | Germany | The barque ran aground at "Swinbaden", Sweden. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Rostock. She was refloated with the assistance of a steamship. |
| Vanderbyl | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore and wrecked on the Isle of Whithorn, Wigtownshire. She was on a voyage from Whitehaven, Cumberland to Port William, Wigtownshire. |
| Vine | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Landskrona, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Malmö, Sweden. She was refloated and completed her voyage. |

## 12 December

List of shipwrecks: 12 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Bon Père | France | The ship was abandoned in the Bay of Biscay. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan, United Kingdom to Nantes, Loire-Inférieure. |
| Camellia | United Kingdom | The ship sank in the River Usk. |
| Elisa | Italy | The barque was wrecked at "Eractitza Point", Ottoman Empire. She was on a voyage from Odessa, Russia to Livorno. |
| Gottfried | Sweden | The brig was wrecked on Anholt, Denmark. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom to Karlskrona. |
| Hero | United Kingdom | The schooner was holed by ice and sank in the Seine at La Mailleraye-sur-Seine, Seine-Inférieure, France. She was on a voyage from Rouen, Seine-Inférieure to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. |
| Hopewell | United Kingdom | The barque was wrecked in a cyclone at Hong Kong. |
| Isabella Ure | United Kingdom | The ship departed from Troon, Ayrshire for Matanzas, Cuba. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all sixteen crew. |
| Maria | France | The barque was wrecked in a cyclone at Hong Kong. |
| Twilight | United States | The full-rigged ship was damaged in a cyclone at Hong Kong. |
| Whittington | United Kingdom | The ship departed from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for Queenstown, County Cork. No further trace,. presumed foundered with the loss of all 25 crew. |

## 13 December

List of shipwrecks: 13 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Ormoc | United Kingdom | The steamship was wrecked at "Dupon", Leyte, Spanish East Indies. Her crew were rescued. |
| Pedrito | Spain | The schooner was destroyed by fire at Nuevitas, Cuba. |
| Santiago | Spain | The schooner foundered in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom to Rosario Brazil. |
| Trident | United Kingdom | The steamship was run into by the steamship Lord Eslington and sank off the east Kent coast. Some of her crew were rescued by Lord Eslington, others reached land in a boat. Trident was on a voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Hull, Yorkshire. |
| Twee Gezusters | Netherlands | The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean (46°11′N 15°35′W﻿ / ﻿46.183°N 15.583°W﻿ / 46.183; -15.583). Her crew were rescued by East Croft ( United Kingdom). |
| St. Malcolm | United Kingdom | The ship was sighted in the Indian Ocean whilst on a voyage from Calcutta, India to London. No further trace, reported missing. |
| Usworth | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship Ituna in the River Thames. She was beached at Plaistow, Middlesex, where she sank. |
| Wave | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground off Formby, Lancashire. She was on a voyage from Brussels, Flemish Brabant, Belgium to Runcorn, Cheshire. Wave was refloated and found to be severely leaky. She was abandoned and sank on 16 December. Her crew survived. |

## 14 December

List of shipwrecks: 14 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Artie Garwood | United States | The schooner stranded in a gale with high seas 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south of Life Saving Station No.4, 4th District on the New Jersey coast and broke up. Her seven crew were rescued by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Charlotte | United Kingdom | The brigantine was driven ashore at Robin Hoods Bay, Yorkshire. She was refloated. |
| Sarah Jane | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground and sank in the River Mersey. She was on a voyage from Irvine, Ayrshire to Runcorn, Cheshire. |
| Usworth | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship Ituna ( United Kingdom) in the River Thames at Plaistow, Essex. Usworth was beached and sank. |

## 15 December

List of shipwrecks: 15 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Arcangelo Gabriel | Italy | The brig was wrecked at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Rio de Janeiro to New York, United States. |
| Dunstanborough | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Banjaard Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Zeeland, Netherlands. |
| Sampson | United Kingdom | The paddle tug ran aground off Sheerness, Kent. She was towing a lighter from Sheerness to Deptford. She was refloated but was then run into by the lighter, severely damaging one of her paddle wheels. She put back to Sheerness. |
| William Bateman | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked at Hjørring, Denmark. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Grimsby, Lincolnshire to Malmö, Sweden. She was later refloated and taken in to Copenhagen, Denmark, where she arrived on 17 February. |

## 16 December

List of shipwrecks: 16 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Andreas | Norway | The brig was driven ashore and wrecked at Fife Ness, Fife, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from a French port to Leith, Lothian, United Kingdom. |
| Bona Fides | United Kingdom | The fishing vessel ran aground and sank off The Lizard, Cornwall. Her crew were rescued. |
| Hamsteels | United Kingdom | The steamship struck the pier at West Hartlepool, County Durham and was severely damaged. She was on a voyage from London to West Hartlepool. |
| Holmbrook | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Seine at Villequier, Seine-Inférieure. She was refloated and taken in to Rouen, Seine-Inférieure in a leaky condition. |
| Jane Hoad | United Kingdom | The ship was run down and sunk 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off Cromer, Norfolk by the steamship Lepanto ( United Kingdom). Her eight crew were rescued by Lepanto. Jane Hoad was on a voyage from Seaham, County Durham to Rye, Sussex. |
| Open Sea | United States | The schooner stranded on a reef off Napatree Point, a total loss of vessel and cargo. Her crew of five rescued by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Two Brothers | United Kingdom | The fishing vessel foundered off The Lizard. Her crew were rescued by the fishing vessel Orlando ( United Kingdom). |
| Voluna | United Kingdom | The steamship sprang a leak and foundered in the Atlantic Ocean 300 nautical miles (560 km) off Cape Clear Island, County Cork (49°20′N 12°53′W﻿ / ﻿49.333°N 12.883°W﻿ / 49.333; -12.883). Her crew were rescued by the barque Chepica ( United Kingdom). Voluna was on a voyage from Glasgow, Renfrewshire to Montego Bay, Jamaica. |

## 17 December

List of shipwrecks: 17 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Anna | Netherlands | The steamship ran aground and sank at Bergen, Norway with the loss of five of her crew. |
| Dere | Sweden | The abandoned schooner was towed in to Fredrikshavn, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Halmstad. |
| Express | United Kingdom | The ship struck the breakwater and sank at Memel, Germany. She was on a voyage from Memel to Burntisland, Fife. |
| Felice Pirandello | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Constantinople, Ottoman Empire. She was on a voyage from Taganrog, Russia to an English port. She was refloated and taken in to Constantinople. |
| Forest King | Canada | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore near Calais, France. She was on a voyage from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States to Calais. |
| Good Intent | United Kingdom | The smack sank at Bridgwater, Somerset. She was on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Bridgwater. |
| Guy Mannering | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Dungeness, Kent. |
| Iwalo | Grand Duchy of Finland | The ship was wrecked on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, United States. She was on a voyage from Jakobstad to Boston, Massachusetts. |
| Mary | United Kingdom | The smack ran aground on the Elbow Bank, in the Solent. |
| Northern Crown | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. |
| Unnamed | France | The brig was driven ashore and wrecked at Cobo, Guernsey, Channel Islands. Her crew were rescued. |

## 18 December

List of shipwrecks: 18 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Clerus | United Kingdom | The ship departed from Lossiemouth, Moray for Hartlepool, County Durham. No further trace, reported severely overdue. |
| Commonwealth | United Kingdom | The steamship was wrecked on Andros, Greece with the loss of all hands. She was on a voyage from Odessa, Russia to Antwerp, Belgium. |
| Salus | France | The brig was lost in the Seine downstream of Caudebec-en-Caux, Seine-Inférieure, France due to ice. Her crew were rescued. |
| Typhis | France | The brig was driven ashore and wrecked on the west coast of Guernsey, Channel Islands. Her crew were rescued. |
| Unnamed | France | The fishing smack was run into by the steamship Crane ( United States) and sank at Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure. |

## 19 December

List of shipwrecks: 19 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Derby | United Kingdom | The brig, carrying mahogany, foundered nine days out of Minatitlán, Mexico. The crew, bar two, were picked up by Resolute ( United Kingdom) and the captain only survived a few days. |
| Govino | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Bristol, Gloucestershire. She was on a voyage from Avonmouth, Somerset to Bristol. |
| James | United Kingdom | The schooner ran ashore on "Lerdy Isle". She was on a voyage from Troon, Ayrshire to Stranraer, Wigtownshire. |
| Johanni | Germany | The schooner was wrecked at Estreito. Brazil with the loss of all but two of her crew. |
| Lucy | United Kingdom | The steam launch was run into by the steamboat Camilla ( United Kingdom) and sank in the River Thames at Cuckold's Point, Middlesex. |
| Manilla | Italy | The steamship ran aground on The Skerries, off Start Point, Devon, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from London, United Kingdom to Bombay, India. Manilla was refloated with assistance from the steamship Upupa ( United Kingdom and was towed in to Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom . |
| Margaret Elizabeth | United Kingdom | The oyser smack was driven ashore and wrecked in Bracelet Bay, Glamorgan. |
| Peri | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and damaged on Terschelling, Friesland, Netherlands. |
| Pet | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at Sunderland, County Durham. She was on a voyage from London to Sunderland. |
| Prins van Oranje | Netherlands | The steamship ran aground at Maassluis, South Holland. She was on a voyage from Dunkerque, Nord, France to Rotterdam, South Holland. She was refloated. |
| W. H. Atkinson | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground off Cabrita Point, Spain. She was beached on the Isla de Las Palomas, Spain, where she was subsequently wrecked. Her 21 crew were rescued by an Italian barque. W. H. Atkinson was on a voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. |

## 20 December

List of shipwrecks: 20 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Austrian | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Clyde. She was on a voyage from the Clyde to Liverpool, Lancashire. She was refloated on 22 December and resumed her voyage. |
| Chevreul | France | The barque was driven ashore north of Carnsore, County Wexford, United Kingdom. All thirteen people on board were rescued by the Carnsore lifeboat. She was on a voyage from French Equatorial Africa to Glasgow, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom. She subsequently broke up. |
| Nestorian | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Clyde. She was refloated on 22 December. |
| N. Noyes | Canada | The schooner was wrecked at Cape Negro, Nova Scotia. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to New York. |
| Strathmore | United Kingdom | The ship was damaged by fire at Liverpool, Lancashire. |
| Trellis | United Kingdom | The schooner was damaged and disabled in a collision with an unknown schooner and went ashore the next day one mile (1.6 km) north north east of the Life Saving Station No. 13, 2nd District on the coast of Massachusetts, a total loss. Her crew was rescued by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Western Belle | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground at Pensacola, Florida, United States. She was on a voyage from Pensacola to Greenock, Renfrewshire. She was refloated the next day and resumed her voyage. |
| Whitney Long | United States | The schooner sank on Hatteras Shoal in five fathoms (30 ft; 9.1 m) of water, a total loss of vessel and cargo. Her crew got off on their ship's boat and were helped through the surf by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Zephyrus | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground at Shrape Point, Isle of Wight. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to West Cowes, Isle of Wight. She was refloated with the assistance of a tug and taken in to West Cowes. |

## 21 December

List of shipwrecks: 21 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Adelphoi | New South Wales | The barque was wrecked off Port Hacking, New South Wales, Australia. |
| Bittern | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the River Thames at Barking, Essex. Her passengers were taken off by Boreas ( United Kingdom). |
| Broomshields, and G. B. S. | United Kingdom | The schooner Broomshields was run into by the barque G. B. S. and sank off the Outer Dowsing Sandbank, in the North Sea. Some of her crew were reported missing. G. B. S. was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Java, Netherlands East Indies. She was assisted in to Grimsby, Lincolnshire by the steamship Thames ( United Kingdom) and beached with the assistance of two tugs. |
| City of Toledo | United States | The steamer ran aground in a gale and snowstorm six miles (9.7 km) south of Life Saving Station No. 6, 11th District on the Michigan coast. Her captain and a few crew made it to shore in the ship's boat, the rest of the 24 on board were rescued by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Edinburgh | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Banjoewanjie, Netherlands East Indies. |
| Henriette | France | The steam yacht was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras, Virginia, United States. Her crew were rescued by the barque Sabine ( Norway). Henriette was subsequently taken in to the Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States. |
| Rozelle | United Kingdom | The ship was sighted in the Pentland Firth whilst on a voyage from the River Tyne to Bombay, India. No further trace, reported overdue. |
| T. J. Trafton | United States | The schooner wrecked eight miles (13 km) north east of Manomet Point, Massachusetts. Her crew made it to shore in the ship's boat. |

## 22 December

List of shipwrecks: 22 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Agnes | Sweden | The ship sank near Lysekil. She was on a voyage from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom to Gothenburg. |
| Anna Bertha | Germany | The barque was driven ashore on Nexø, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom to Dantsic. |
| Artos | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Hale Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Lincolnshire. She was on a voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Hull, Yorkshire. She was refloated with the assistance of a tug and completed her voyage. |
| Black Swan | United States | The bark dragged anchor in a gale with snow and heavy seas and was wrecked 1+1⁄2 nautical miles (2.8 km) east north east of Life Saving Station No. 14, 2nd District, on the coast of Massachusetts. Her eight crewmen were rescued by the United States Life Saving Service. |
| Caledonian | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Avonmouth, Somerset. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Avonmouth. She was refloated and docked. |
| Henrique | Spain | The barque was driven ashore at Atherfield, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Leith, Lothian, United Kingdom. She subsequently broke up. |
| Martino Maria | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Villaricos, Spain. She was refloated with assistance and resumed her voyage. |
| Progress | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore south of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. She was on a voyage from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk to Sunderland, County Durham. She was refloated with assistance and taken in to Scarborough, Yorkshire. |
| Solem | Norway | The brigantine struck rocks and sank in Vestfjorden. She was on a voyage from South Shields to Vardø. |

## 23 December

List of shipwrecks: 23 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alert | United Kingdom | The schooner was abandoned 20 nautical miles (37 km) off the Isle of May. Her crew took to a boat; they were rescued by a Russian vessel. |
| Alfred | United Kingdom | The pilot schooner was run down and sunk in the Irish Sea 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) south of the Wyre Lighthouse by the fishing smack Osprey ( United Kingdom). Her crew were rescued. |
| Alice Bradshar | Canada | The ship struck a sunken rock off "Downend", Devon, United Kingdom and was holed. She was being towed from Dartmouth to Exmouth. She arrived at Exmouth in a leaky condition. |
| Bendigo | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Haisborough Sands, in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Bjornstjerne Bjornson | Norway | The steamship was sighted off Bergen whilst on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Drontheim. No further trace, reported overdue. |
| Johann Feldman | Russia | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore at Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Rangoon, Burma. |
| Kate | United Kingdom | The ship departed from Queenstown, County Cork for Dundee, Forfarshire. No further trace, reported hopelessly overdue. |

## 24 December

List of shipwrecks: 24 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Maid of Orleans | Flag unknown | The ship departed from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France. No further trace, reported "hopelessly overdue". |

## 25 December

List of shipwrecks: 25 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Britannia | United Kingdom | The tug was run down and sunk 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) off Inchkeith, Fife by the steamship Fitzwilliam ( United Kingdom). Her crew survived. |
| Fanny Beck | United Kingdom | The brigantine foundered off the "Isle of Tova", off the coast of Patagonia. |
| Moray | United Kingdom | The brigantine was driven ashore at Kristianopel, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Dantsic, Germany to Hayle, Cornwall. She was refloated on 5 January 1880 and taken in to Karlskrona, Sweden. |
| Peter Paul | Russia | The schooner was driven ashore and damaged 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) west of Ystad, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Ystad. She was refloated on 31 December and taken in to Ystad for repairs. |
| Petrel | France | The steamship was driven ashore at Calais. |
| Salisbury | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Cimbritshamn, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Libava, Courland Governorate to Leith, Lothian. She was refloated and taken in to Copenhagen, Denmark in a leaky condition. |

## 26 December

List of shipwrecks: 26 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Bottreaux Castle | United Kingdom | The smack was driven ashore and wrecked at Boscastle, Cornwall. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Newport, Monmouthshire to Boscastle. |
| Clansman | United Kingdom | The barquentine ran aground in the River Ouse. she was on a voyage from Jamaica to Goole, Yorkshire. She was refloated and taken in to Goole. |
| Eastbourne | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Cardiff, Glamorgan. She was on a voyage from Cardiff to Naples, Italy. |
| Ella | United Kingdom | The steamship departed from Dundee, Forfarshire for South Shields, County Durham. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all hands. |
| Portugalete | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Cardiff. She was on a voyage from Porthcawl to Cardiff. |
| Sunbeam | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at Cardiff. |

## 27 December

List of shipwrecks: 27 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alma | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Burntisland, Fife. She was on a voyage from Inverness to Charlestown, Cornwall. |
| Alneburgh | United Kingdom | The ship departed from San Francisco, California for a British port. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all 25 crew. |
| Bradley | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Sheringham, Norfolk. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to London. |
| Castlehill | United Kingdom | The schooner was sighted whilst on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Castlehill. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all five crew. |
| Elizabeth | United Kingdom | The sloop sprang a leak and sank in the Rock Channel. Her crew survived. |
| Philemon | Russia | The barque was wrecked on the coast of Halland, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Hartlepool, County Durham, United Kingdom to Malmö, Sweden. |
| Unnamed | United Kingdom | The schooner sank in the Sound of Mull with the loss of all hands. |

## 28 December

List of shipwrecks: 28 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Agile | Norway | The schooner was wrecked at Soggendal with some loss of life. She was on a voyage from Spain to Bergen. |
| Agnes Irving | New South Wales | The paddle steamer was wrecked in the Macleay River, Trial Bay, New South Wales. |
| Amalie | Norway | The schooner was wrecked at Soggendal with some loss of life. She was on a voyage from Spain to Bergen. |
| Cierus | Germany | The ship departed from Lossiemouth, Moray for Hartlepool, County Durham, United Kingdom. No further trace, reported missing. |
| Fonfrède | France | The barque foundered 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north of The Skerries, Anglesey, United Kingdom with the loss of eight of her twelve crew. Survivors were rescued by the tug British King ( United Kingdom). Fonfrède was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. |
| Hertha | Denmark | The barque was driven ashore at "Sordrum", Sweden. |
| Irene | Austria-Hungary | The barque was driven ashore at Rowse's Point, County Sligo, United Kingdom. |
| Lissabon | Germany | The steamship ran aground on the Longsand, in the North Sea off the coast of Essex, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from Hamburg to a Spanish port. She was refloated with assistance from the Harwich Lifeboat and taken in to London, United Kingdom. |
| Minona | Sweden | The barque ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom. She was on a voyage from St. Ubes, Portugal to Gothenburg. She floated off and sank. Her crew took to a boat; they were rescued by Tasmania ( United Kingdom). |
| Norseman | United Kingdom | The steamship foundered off Portpatrick, Wigtownshire with the loss of al hands, eight or ten lives. She was on a voyage from Workington, Cumberland to Bowling, Dunbartonshire. |
| Pearl | Isle of Man | The ship was driven ashore at McCrinan's Point, Argyllshire. She was on a voyage from Girvan, Ayrshire to Cork. She was later refloated and taken in to Campbeltown, Argyllshire in a leaky condition. |
| Rival | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked on the Cross Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk. Her eight crew were rescued by the Caister Lifeboat. |
| Rumney | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Gironde. She was on a voyage from Newport, Monmouthshire to Bordeaux, Gironde, France. |
| Sardonyx | United Kingdom | The steamship foundered off the coast of County Limerick with the loss of all thirteen crew. She was on a voyage from the Clyde to Limerick. |
| Star of Peace | United Kingdom | The Thames barge was run into by the steamship Fusilier ( United Kingdom) and sank in the River Thames at Blackwall, Middlesex. Her crew were rescued. |
| Vila Nova | United Kingdom | The brigantine was driven ashore and wrecked at Thurlestone, Devon. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, France to Cardiff, Glamorgan. |
| W. H. Thorndike | United States | The ship was wrecked on the Sow and Pigs Reef. She was on a voyage from New York to Boston, Massachusetts. |

## 29 December

List of shipwrecks: 29 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Agnes C. James | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the North Bank, in the Irish Sea. She was on a voyage from Maryport, Cumberland to Belfast, County Antrim. |
| Ardenlea | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore in the Gare Loch. |
| Argo | United Kingdom | The brigantine foundered in the North Sea off Filey, Yorkshire. Her five crew survived. She was on a voyage from London to Hartlepool, County Durham. |
| Elizabeth Hendrika | Netherlands | The galiot was driven ashore in Roljew Cove, near Mullion, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Three of her crew were rescued by rocket apparatus; her captain refused to abandon ship. She was on a voyage from Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France to Bilbao, Spain. |
| Margaret | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Redcar, Yorkshire. She was refloated. |
| Marguerite | France | The cutter was driven ashore at "Dwarsinweg". She was on a voyage from "Dolto" to Antwerp, Belgium. |
| Minna | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore at Liepāja, Russia. Her crew were rescued by the Liepāja Lifeboat. She was on a voyage from Liepāja to Lübeck. |
| Remesis | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore in the Gare Loch. |
| Thomas Graham | United Kingdom | The crewless schooner was driven ashore at Portballintrae, County Antrim. |
| Villa Nova | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Salcombe, Devon. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, France to Cardiff, Glamorgan. |
| William Burkitt | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Gislöv, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Savannah, Georgia, United States to Reval, Russia. She was refloated in February 1880 and taken in to Copenhagen, Denmark. |

## 30 December

List of shipwrecks: 30 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Benjamin Sewall | United States | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore in the Bangka Strait. She was on a voyage from Singapore, Straits Settlements to New York. She was refloated in January 1880 and taken in to Batavia, Netherlands East Indies for repairs. |
| Catharina | Denmark | The ship was driven ashore at Gothenburg, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Burntisland, Fife, United Kingdom to Svendborg. |
| Dagmar | Denmark | The ship foundered with the loss of all but two of her crew. She was on a voyage from Burntisland to Svendborg. |
| Etje | Germany | The galiot was driven ashore near Farsund, Norway. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Copenhagen to Leer. |
| Fred | United States | The barque was driven ashore at Bowmore, Islay, United Kingdom. |
| J. P. Taylor | United Kingdom | The steamship arrived at Bremen, Germany on fire. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Brake, Germany. |
| Leda | Germany | The full-rigged ship ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, United Kingdom and was wrecked. Her nineteen crew were rescued by the North Deal Lifeboat. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Bremen. |
| Lini | Russia | The barque was driven ashore and wrecked near the Lista Lighthouse, Norway. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Riga to Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, United Kingdom. |
| Mary | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Bowmore. She was on a voyage from Mulroy Bay to Belfast, County Antrim. |
| Otago | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was damaged by ice and was beached at Bremen. She was on a voyage from New York to Bremen. She was refloated the next day with the assistance of three steamships and towed in to Bremen. |
| South Esk | United Kingdom | The brigantine was wrecked on Eigg, Inner Hebrides with the loss of five of her six crew. |
| Vittoria | Italy | The ship ran aground on the Goodwin Sands. She was on a voyage from Genoa to Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, United Kingdom. She was refloated and taken in to Ramsgate, Kent in a sinking condition by the tug Warrior ( United Kingdom). |
| Wolf | United Kingdom | The ship foundered off Ventnor, Isle of Wight. |

## 31 December

List of shipwrecks: 31 December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Brother Jonathan and Kate Kearney | United Kingdom | The paddle tug Brorther Jonathan sank south of Small Saltee Island, County Wexford with the immediate loss of ten of her twelve crew. She had departed from Queenstown, County Cork on 29 December towing the barque Kate Kearney ( United Kingdom) bound for London. The barque was in a severely leaky condition, and had taken on extra hands for the voyage. She was presumed to have foundered with the loss of all on board. One of the two survivors from Brother Jonathan died on 9 January. |
| Eleanor | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore near the Hen and Chickens Rocks, County Antrim. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Belfast, County Antrim. |
| Ernst | Germany | The barque was wrecked at Summer House Point, Glamorgan, United Kingdom with the loss of four of her ten crew. She was on a voyage from Queenstown to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom. |
| Ida | Germany | The barque was driven ashore and wrecked at Breaksea Point, Glamorgan with the loss of nine of her ten crew. She was on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Tenerife, Canary Islands. |
| Martha | United Kingdom | The pilot boat was driven ashore in the River Usk. |
| William J. Taylor | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship H. P. Stephenson ( United Kingdom) and sank at the mouth of the River Tyne. Her eleven crew were rescued by H. P. Stephenson. William J. Taylor was on her maiden voyage, from the River Tyne to Dunkerque, Nord, France. She was refloated in January 1880 and beached. Repaired at Wallsend, County Durham in March 1880 and returned to service. |
| Winifred | United Kingdom | The ship departed from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States for Queenstown. No further trace, reported overdue. |

## Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date in December 1879 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alarm | Fiji | The cutter was driven ashore in a cyclone at Fiji. |
| Albert | United Kingdom | The barge was run down and sunk by the paddle steamer Flushing (Flag unknown) at Sheerness, Kent. Her crew were rescued. |
| Aldebaran | Norway | The barque sprang a leak and was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean in early December. Her fourteen crew were rescued by the barque Shane ( Norway). Aldebaran was on a voyage from Baltimore, Maryland, United States to Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands. |
| Alexander Mackenzie | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Blankenberge, West Flanders, Belgium. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from New York, United States to Antwerp, Belgium. |
| Altona | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Lühe, Germany. She was on a voyage from Hamburg, Germany to Goole, Yorkshire. |
| Anna | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at Torekov, Sweden. |
| Anna Olivari | France | The ship was abandoned at sea. She was on a voyage from Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure to Buenos Aires, Argentina. |
| Atalanta | Norway | The barque foundered off the Chassiron Lighthouses, Île d'Oléron, Charente-Inférieure, France. Her crew were rescued. |
| Atlantic | Norway | The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean before 16 December. She was towed in to Glendore, County Cork, United Kingdom in mid-January 1880 by the tug Lord Warden ( United Kingdom). |
| August Blanche | Sweden | The steamship was driven ashore on Skagen, Denmark. |
| Aurora | Spain | The steamship was wrecked on the Mosquito Coast. Her crew were rescued. |
| Balmarino | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Kilroot, County Antrim. She was on a voyage from Belfast, County Antrim to Ayr. |
| Benledi | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked in the Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Sydney, New South Wales to Calcutta, India. |
| Bilbao | Spain | The steamship foundered off the Berlengas, Portugal. Her crew were rescued by the barque Ajan ( Russia). Bilbao was on a voyage from Antwerp to Cádiz. |
| Brilliant | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked at Torekov. Her crew were rescued. |
| Byron | Fiji | The cutter foundered off Nunda Point in a cyclone with the loss of two lives. |
| Carbonaria | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground at Cowes, Isle of Wight. |
| Chinaman | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground at Shanghai, China. She was refloated but was then run into by the steamship Kiangteen ( China). |
| Christine | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore on Amager, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Stettin, Germany to Sunderland, County Durham. |
| Christine | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked in the Falkland Islands. Her crew were rescued. |
| Clara | Sweden | The schooner was driven ashore on Skagen. She was later refloated and taken in to Fredrikshavn. |
| Comeragh | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Waterford. She was refloated. |
| Constantinos | Greece | The brig was driven ashore and wrecked at Sfântu Gheorghe, United Principalities. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Brăila, United Principalities to Syros. |
| Curlew | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Sunderland. |
| Dan Kelly | Canada | The schooner was wrecked with the loss of four of her crew. |
| Die Schwalbe | Germany | The barque collided with the steamship Glenavon ( United Kingdom) and sank in the Kattegat with the loss of four of her crew. Die Schwalbe was on a voyage from Grimsby, Lincolnshire. United Kingdom to Dantsic. |
| Dona Zoyla | Germany | The ship was driven ashore at Atherfield, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom and broke her back. |
| Dore | Sweden | The schooner was abandoned at sea. She was subsequently towed in to Fredrikshavn. |
| Eaglet | United Kingdom | The brigantine ran aground on Les Traverses, in the Seine. She was refloated and taken in to Rouen, Seine-Inférieure, France in a leaky condition. |
| Elizabeth | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground in the Banka Strait. She was on a voyage from Bangkok, Siam to the English Channel. |
| Emerald | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked on the Black Rock, east of Portrush, County Antrim. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Sligo to Liverpool, Lancashire. |
| Emilie | Norway | The schooner was driven ashore on Skagen. She was on a voyage from Gothenburg, Sweden to Leith, Lothian, United Kingdom. |
| Eugénie Léonie | France | The barque was wrecked at Dunkerque, Nord with the loss of two of her fifteen crew. Survivors were rescued by a tug. She was on a voyage from Dunkerque to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. |
| Ferry Queen | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned at sea. Her crew were rescued by the steamship Secret ( United Kingdom). Ferry Queen was on a voyage from Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France to Hamburg. |
| Frank | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Hamilton, Bermuda before 3 December. She was on a voyage from London to Bermuda. |
| Franz de Paul Amersin | Flag unknown | The brig was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Frederika | Denmark | The barque was driven ashore and wrecked at Starholm. |
| Genetiv | France | The schooner was wrecked in the Farquhar Islands before 19 December. Her crew were rescued. |
| George Rainy | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship departed from Demerara, British Guiana for Liverpool. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all eighteen hands. |
| Geronima Ghilino | Italy | The brig foundered in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Cádiz, Spain to Monte Video, Uruguay. |
| Gorm | Denmark | The barque was driven ashore on Skagen. She was refloated on 20 December and assisted in to Fredrikshavn. |
| Harry A. Paull | United States | The schooner was wrecked on Tristan d'Acunha. Her crew survived; they were taken off the island by the schooner Edward Vittery ( United Kingdom). Harry A. Paull was on a voyage from Martinique and/or Algoa Bay to Guam. |
| Hawk | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at Blakeney, Norfolk. She was on a voyage from Sunderland to Demerara, British Guiana. |
| Hawk | Russia | The lighter was sunk by ice at Ochakov. |
| Helen | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Cherbourg, Manche, France. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine to Rouen. |
| Hellas | Germany | The brig was driven ashore at "Ariff". She was refloated and found to be leaky. |
| Hermod | Sweden | The steamship ran aground at "Nuberg". She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom to Gothenburg. She was refloated. |
| Hero | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned in the North Sea. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne to Holmstadt, Norway. She was subsequently taken in to Fredrikshavn, Denmark as a derelict. |
| Hesperus | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Hittarp Reef, in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden. She was refloated several days later. |
| Highflyer | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked at Tub Harbour, Newfoundland Colony. |
| Hilina Frederika | Denmark | The ship ran aground at Dragør. |
| Hurricane | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground "at Paternoster". She was refloated and taken in to Gothenburg in a leaky condition. |
| Hvok | Austria-Hungary | The barque was driven ashore at Santa Teresa. |
| Idea | United Kingdom | The ship foundered in the Chops of the Channel. Her crew were rescued. |
| Invincible | United Kingdom | The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by the steamship Ville de Marseille ( France). Invincible was on a voyage from Pensacola, Florida, United States to Marseille. |
| Jane | France | The brig was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean (46°35′N 7°13′W﻿ / ﻿46.583°N 7.217°W﻿ / 46.583; -7.217 on or before 4 December. She sank that day. |
| Jane Francis | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground at Padstow, Cornwall. She was refloated. |
| Jevalo | Grand Duchy of Finland | The ship was wrecked on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, United States. She was on a voyage from Jakobstad to Boston, Massachusetts. |
| Josefina | Sweden | The barque was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Julia F. Carney | United Kingdom | The ship was destroyed by fire at Loango, Kingdom of Loango. Her crew were rescued. |
| Lady Godiva | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Lady Jocelyn | United Kingdom | The brig was abandoned at sea. Her crew were rescued by the steamship Diadem ( United Kingdom). Lady Jocelyn was on a voyage from Oporto, Portugal to Sunderland. |
| Liberty | United Kingdom | The schooner was wrecked on the Adjuah Rocks, on the coast of the Cape Colony. |
| Lizzie Gillespie | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore and wrecked in the Gut of Canso. She was on a voyage from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. |
| Lochnagar | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore at Macduff, Aberdeenshire. |
| Loretta Fish | United States | The ship ran aground at New York. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Lynn Regis | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore and wrecked in the Îles de Glénan, Finistère. Her crew were rescued. |
| MacMillan | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Clyde. She was on a voyage from Glasgow, Renfrewshire to Shanghai, China. |
| Marie Joseph | France | The lugger was abandoned at sea. Her crew were rescued. |
| Michael | Sweden | The barque was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Miramichi | Canada | The ship was sunk by ice at Saint John, New Brunswick. |
| Monitor | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Najade | Germany | The barque was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Neptune | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Clyde. |
| Neptune | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore in the Raz de Sein with the loss of two of her crew. |
| Oneta | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore in the Gaspar Strait. She was on a voyage from Manila, Spanish East Indies to New York. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Oster Meyer | Austria-Hungary | The schooner was severely damaged by ice at Otchakoff. She was declared a total loss. |
| Perseverant | France | The steamship was lost at sea. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Bayonne, Basses-Pyrénées to Antwerp. |
| Peruvian | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean before 13 December. She was on a voyage from Dublin to Philadelphia. |
| Peter Maxwell | United Kingdom | The ship caught fire and was scuttled in St. Mary's Bay, Newfoundland Colony. |
| Rankin | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore at Donaghadee, County Down. |
| Regalia | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on the Cork Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Essex. She was refloated and put in to Harwich, Essex. |
| Regatta | Norway | The brigantine was lost at sea. Her crew were rescued by the brigantine China ( United Kingdom). Regatta was on a voyage from Maracaibo, Venezuela to Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Reunion | United Kingdom | The schooner was wrecked on Langlade Island. She was on a voyage from New York to the Newfoundland Colony. |
| Rona | Canada | The ship ran aground on the Craving Shoals. She was on a voyage from New York to London. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Sagunto | Spain | The steamship was abandoned at sea. She was subsequently discovered by La Flamande ( France), which towed her in to Lisbon, Portugal in a derelict condition. |
| Santiago | Spain | The barque was lost at sea. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Madeira to Santiago, Chile. |
| Shamrock | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Lowestoft, Suffolk. She was refloated. |
| Sine | Germany | The barque was loss off "Pulo Canton", Netherlands East Indies before 6 December. |
| Sjælland | Denmark | The steamship was driven ashore on Hiiumaa, Russia. She was on a voyage from Schiedam, South Holland, Netherlands to Reval, Russia. She was refloated in May 1880. |
| Sparta | United Kingdom | The steamship was forced aground by ice at Otchakoff. |
| Stabbestad | Norway | The barque was wrecked in the Cayman Islands. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands to Galveston, Texas, United States. |
| Sunbeam | United Kingdom | The barque was wrecked at Brunswick, Georgia, United States. She was on a voyage from Brunswick to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| Suvo | Sweden | The ship was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Svalen | Sweden | The schooner was wrecked at Torekov. Her crew were rescued. |
| Sverre | Norway | The ship was wrecked at Fort Mahon, Pas-de-Calais, France with the loss of one of her nine crew. A barquentine of this name was reported to have been discovered at sea by Eliza ( United Kingdom) and set afire. |
| The Fisher | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore on Skagen. |
| Thule | Norway | The brig was sunk by ice at Saint John, New Brunswick. |
| Varna | United Kingdom | The steamship was forced aground by ice at Otchakoff. |
| Vasconia | France | The steamship was driven ashore in the Gironde downstream of Pauillac, Gironde. She was on a voyage from the River Plate to Bordeaux, Gironde. She was refloated on 1 January 1880 and taken in to Bordeaux. |
| Venere | Austria-Hungary | The barque caught fire at New Orleans. She was on a voyage from New Orleans to Havre de Grâce. |
| Venezuela | United Kingdom | The steamship was lost. |
| Violette | United Kingdom | The barque was wrecked at "Lahek", Patagonia. |
| W. A. Scholten | Netherlands | The steamship ran aground at Maassluis. She was refloated. |
| W. G. Putnam | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at Gibraltar. She was on a voyage from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Marseille. She subsequently sank. |
| Winifred | United Kingdom | The ship struck a sunken rock. She was on a voyage from Maranhão, Brazil to New Orleans. She completed her voyage in a leaky condition. |
| Zanone | Great Britain | The barque was wrecked at Varna, United Principalities. |
| Unnamed | Netherlands | The dredger was run into by the steamship Jupiter ( Germany) and sank at Maassluis. |
| Unnamed | Fiji | The ship foundered off Bau in a cyclone with the loss of three lives. |
| Unnamed | United Kingdom | The fishing smack was run down in the North Sea by the steamship Ballogie ( United Kingdom) and sank with then loss of all hands, about nine lives. |