"The Crescent" - skibsforlis

In the area where Mårup Church has been located, you can see the large anchor that belonged to the English frigate, The Crescent.

In the area where Mårup Church has previously been located for centuries, you can now see a large anchor. The anchor belonged to the English frigate, The Crescent. The anchor has been located southeast of Mårup church since it was salvaged in 1940. The Crescent itself is located about 300 meters northwest of Mårup Church's former location in 12 meters deep water. The Crescent sank here one fateful night in 1808.

It is November 29, 1808, we are in Yarmouth in the east of England. The frigate The Crescent has just been equipped, and it is ready to depart later in the day. When the frigate sets sail, the course is set for Gothenburg in Sweden. For this, it will bring supplies, and crew, to the British Baltic fleet, which is in winter port here. On departure, about 300 passengers are ready to travel to Gothenburg, but it is a fraction that survive the encounter with the weather, and the waters, on the Danish west coast.

When the frigate is ready to set out and bring provisions to the English Baltic fleet, lying in Gothenburg, it is connected to the great wars of the period, namely the Napoleonic Wars (the English Wars). Throughout most of this period, the Danes are trying to pursue a policy of neutrality, but it is a matter of balancing on a knife edge, and there are constant attempts to force Denmark to choose sides. During this period, Napoleon gains more and more ground. In 1806 he demands a so-called continental blockade against England. In doing so, he wants to block all European ports to British ships. But England also makes demands on Denmark, and diplomatic negotiations begin. In 1807, the English lose patience, bombard Copenhagen and annex the Danish fleet. In response, Denmark joins Napoleon. Denmark does not have the fortune of war, and at the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, Denmark signs an English and Swedish treaty, which means that Denmark must cede Norway.

Back to 1808 and The Crescent, which has now begun its journey towards Gothenburg. Gothenburg is important to the British at this time, as they are dependent on imports from the Baltic States, which is why a detachment of the Royal Navy is stationed here to secure British merchant ships. The Crescent's last voyage has begun, but the weather is bad, however, the specialist Baltic Sea pilots on board are sure of the course. At dawn on December 5, the coast of Norway is in sight. This convinces the navigators on board that the ship is on the right course, but the truth turns out to be quite different. At 22.00 on 5 December, the frigate The Crescent runs aground immediately outside Mårup church.

An unreasonable struggle against the forces of nature is initiated, and more means are used. First, you try to get free with the help of the sails. After this, several boats are launched in an attempt to bring the anchor and hawser into place, but it turns out to be impossible to wrest The Crescent free. The wind has currently turned to NW – direct onshore wind, and the waves are still rising. The wind and the sea are in turmoil! The captain and crew fight on, and try to lighten the ship by throwing some of the ship's guns, and one of them anchors overboard, and finally the frigate's masts are cut off, but no matter what helps, The Crescent doesn't budge! And yet! The last anchor jumps, and the ship drifts about 100 meters further towards the coast, and gets stuck again!

The hope of freeing the ship is fading. The crew tries to gather energy, and the officers burn the secretly stamped papers that are on board. This is a necessity. Denmark and England are on opposite sides of the war, so officially the crew, and the frigate, are at war against the population along the west coast of Jutland. However, the time has come to realize that the ship must be abandoned, so the crew begins to build a raft in the hope of being able to reach the coast of it. The raft is launched with sick people and a number of soldiers. Many die of cold and exhaustion, but about half survive ashore. Back aboard The Crescent, the fight for survival continues. Here they try to build another raft, but it fails. Others try to save themselves by taking the ship's dinghy, but this too fails, as it quickly becomes overcrowded. As I said, it is a fraction, which saves the life. The numbers vary marginally, but about 60 survivors out of about 300 passengers.

The survivors of the sinking are first interned in the parish bailiff's yard. In January 1809 they are taken to Copenhagen, where they are exchanged for Danish prisoners of war in England. The many deceased will be buried in a common grave at Mårup Church. In 1895, the British Ministry of the Navy erects a memorial plaque in Mårup Church. The plaque is intended to commemorate the loss of three shipwrecked British ships. In addition to The Crescent, there are the ships: St. George and Defence, both wrecked further down the west coast a few years later. This tablet can be seen today in Lønstrup Church.

In addition to the anchor at Mårup Church, it is also possible to see the frigate's ship's bell. The ship's bell was salvaged in 1875. It was cast at Bagger in Rotterdam in 1789, and today hangs in Skallerup Church.