Share: 

Faithful Steward wreck is topic Aug. 29 at Rehoboth museum

August 23, 2019

The Rehoboth Beach History Museum will present historian Marcos Salaverria of the Lewes Historical Society at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 29, re-enacting the story of the wreck of the Faithful Steward as described in the diary of a survivor.

In 1785, the Faithful Steward departed Derry, Ireland, for Philadelphia carrying 249 passengers and crew along with 400 barrels filled with copper coins. On the night of Sept. 1, 1785, the ship became stuck on a shoal off Cape Henlopen, near the mouth of the Indian River. By the morning of Sept. 3, 181 of the ship's passengers and crew had died.

The ship remained lodged on the shoal where it eventually broke apart. Following the loss of Faithful Steward, the beach near where the ship was wrecked became known as Coin Beach due to the large number of copper coins that would wash ashore during storms.

Admission is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Space may be limited; call 302-227-7310 to make a reservation. The museum is at 511 Rehoboth Ave. next to the visitor center. Parking is available and the museum is handicapped-accessible.

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter