The Sinking of the Skonerten Alexander in Læsø

Date: 11 Nov 1856 to 2 Dec 1856
Location: Læsø, Hjørring, Denmark
Surnames/tags: Læsø Johannesson Lundqvist

(Alot of the text is a rough translation from Danish to English, some errors will arrive) In 11 nov 1856, the Skonerten Alexander, was going by Læsø after its transportation of bricks from Flensburg to Göteborg.

The ship was manned by the 39 year old Captain Lars Jönsson, with his 15 year old son Johan Adolf Jönsson, 34 year old Shipmate Jakob Jönsson, (who is also Lars 3x cousin and 2x cousin through his Wife), 21 year Seaman Johan Martin Abrahamsson, 20 years young Janne Johannesson, Unidentified Cook Olaus Jonsson and passanger Hans Lundqvist.

At around 06:00 or 07:00 in the evening, the ship got stuck on the "Mellemflakket" near the south of the island, the weather was cold and approacing a intense snowstorm, the crew decided to stay on the ship until morning. When morning came they got on the smaller boat and drove to shore, the Captain Lars Jönsson got sick. when they reached shore at 09:00 or 10:00 the Captain was dead, and was left at the boat. The rest of the crew started to walk, but within 30 minutes being on the ground, the Captain's son Johan Adolf Jönsson, died, they left the boy on the beach, being slowly buried by the intense snowstorm. Later both Johan Martin Abrahamsson and Janne Johannesson, got sick and had to be carried by Jacob Jönsson, Olaus Jonsson and Hans Lundqvist, but both passed away at midnight on the 23:00. After 24 hours of being on land, so around 12:00, the surviving members meet the first natives, and was able to get in shelter.

The beachgaurd Johannes Skou reported to the policecheif Herholt, that he had observed a stranded ship, around 20 miles south of the island, but due to the intense weather could not do anything for the potential crew stuck on the ship. The Policecheif Herholt went the next day on the 13 november, to a area in Byrum Læsø, where he found two of the people from the ship, Olaus Jonsson and Hans Lundqvist. Here he got to know how the shipmate Jacob Jönsson, together with Johannes Skou, two unknown inhabitants and a Wige Larsen, where out trying to get the bodies. He? (Jacob) ordered the local doctors to try and see if they could bring back the bodies to life and to take of the survivors, in fear of lipsores.

Herholt went to Østerby on the 14 November, where Johannes Skou and Lyder Deth, Deth explained that on the 11 november he saw a ship for a few moments, but was not certain why it was there, and couldent check or do anything that day or the next day due to the "scary" weather, with storms and snowstorms. When the weather got better on the 13th, did he go to the ship with 3 boats, he reached it at sunset and found it abandon by the crew, the skonerten was at it side and the deck was 2 meters underwater, the hatchdoors and other entrances were broken off and flushed away, he was able to save some cargo and some of the sails, to take back to Østerby.

On the 15 November went Herholt to Johannes Skou place in Byrum, to get a preliminary explenation from the crew who were saved from their stranding, the first to explain was Jacob Jönsson, that himself with Johannes Skou and two other inhabitants rode on horse-carriage on the 13th to find the bodies, they couldent find the bodies and assumed that the dead nearest the beach has been carried away by the waters, and the rest was buried in the deep snow.

The Shipmate was so exhausted that he got sick and had to be transported back to shelter, and Jacob made a last note saying that ?the ship had nothing worth saving, and that why there shouldent be any attempts to due further salvagin? Cook Olaus Jonsson coroborated Jacob account, when asking the passanger, who was laying in bed sick, told his name to be Hans Lundqvist, (but on the consulate card, it says he is Johan Lundqvist from Carl Johans Stand i Haparanda), he coroborated the story,

Johannes Skou was the last one to give his account, and explained that after Jacob Jönsson was sent to bed, he and together with sheriff Feodor Høyder Thomsen and maid Jens Larsen Andreasen went to the boat with Lars body, but due to the creeping darkness, hightide and innapropriate preperations, was unable to take the body, but was able to rescue his personal possesions, a desk, binoculars and money worth 230 riksdaler, which went to Jacob Jönsson until further preservation, a decleration was signed by Herholt, Jacob Jönsson, Lyder Deth and Johannes Skou.

On the morning of the 17th November, Herholt went to Østerby, to Søren Jespersen Vorre's storage, and inspekted the items from the ship, 6 sails, 1 hamnlins, 6 rigged rope, 1 cut rope and one brick.

On the afternoon of 21th November 1856 on the farm Østergaard in Byrum, held a explenation of the incident of Alexander stranding, the policecheif Herholt with his registered lawyer Jur. Hoffman, Shipmate Jacob Jönsson with commisioner Mr. Smith, who explained the documents that explained the ship corse, that was written down by the surviving members on board, due to the captain journal being lost during the ship stranding, after this explained Jacob Jönsson again and confirmed earlier reports that Lars Jönsson body has been transported and buried on the 20th in Byrum cemetary, Olaus Jonsson also confirmed this.

Jacob Jönsson made note that he, to make things right, hired deputy counsel Axelsson, and Commisioner Smith, that Kapten Petter Jönsson on Käringön near Orust, owned a part of the stranded ship, explenation is docuemnted by Hoffman, Axelsen and Smith, with witnesses Johannes Skou and Søren Høllet Bak.

On the 2th december 1856, at 02:00 in the afternoon, came Jacob Jönsson for the protocoll, that explained the details of when the victims died, and Olaus Jonsson later coroborated it, this gets written down by Herholt and witness H. Gydesen and Svend Sørensen, and after that, it was decided that the salvaging of the Skonerten are now ceased.

Skonerten Alexander The ship was built in 1840 on Svineviken Norra Orust, by shippbuilder Andreas Andersson. It was cerified in 21 aug 1841 as having a tonnage capacity of 42,36 and was bought by Lars Jönsson and Petter Jönsson, the ship was remodeld in 1854 in Tryckhålan Orust by Jacob Gullbrandsson, to be able to carry 55 ton, it carried brick most likely from P.A Petersesn brickwork in Flensburg Germany. The sunken ship was rediscovered in 18 juli 2019 by diver Kim and Anders Schmidt, from the underwatergroup Aps, based on airphotagraphy that showed a sunken ship in mellanflakket between Anholt and Læsø, distance from Hornfiskrøn is about 10,7 kilometers and distance from Bløden Hale 14,2 kilomteters. Ander Schmidt did the diving on the much degraded wreck, that lied 4 meters deep underwater, the remains are covered by sand and seaweed, there was also a ton of yellow bricks which was the main identifier of the remains.

The Crew and passanger Lars Jönsson was born as Johannesson in the 5th december 1816 in Käringön, to father Johannes Jönsson and mother Anna Andersdotter. When Lars was only 3 years old, his father Johannes Jönsson died in 12th January 1819 at age 29, due to an uncertain ship sinking near Käringön that killed 7 people including him, after this Lars mother remarried in 4 feb 1821 on Käringön to Anders Eliasson, they had 3 kids together but then Anna Andersdotter died in 7th october 1834 on Käringön, age 43. Lars owned land in Hermansö where his (3x cousin and 2x cousin) Jakob lived and owned, from 1834 until his death in 1856, Lars was a relativ rich man, who owned Alexander with Petter Jönsson. At age 24 Lars Jönsson married to a 24 year old widow native from Hermansö Inger Anna Andersdotter in 21st apr 1840 in Gullholmen, and moved there and had 7 kids before his death, in 12 nov 1856, and later buried in Byrum cemetary in the 20th, his oldest child Johan Adolf Jönsson was also a victim of the stranding of Alexander.

Johan Adolf Jönsson born in 2 feb 1841 on Gullholmen to father Lars Jönsson and mother Inger Anna Andersdotter, he was the family first child, and was with his father on the Alexander and died after only 30 minutes on being on Læsø and was subsequently buried by the snow on the 12 Nov 1856.

Jacob Jönsson born in 18 jul 1821 on Hermansö Morlanda to father Jöns Jacobsson and mother Börta Svensdotter, Jacob was their 5th child and first son, however many of his older siblings died early in their childhood, his older sister Inger Johanna Jönsdotter died age 12 in 10 jan 1831, in 2 march 1824, Jacob younger sister Sophia Jönsdotter was born but then died age 1, in 6 june 1826, the family had one last child, a son in 11th december 1826 named Daniel Jönsson who survived childhood and lived to be 73 years old.

Jacob began to sail many ships at a young age and in 1 mars 1853 he became shipmate on the Alexander under his 3x cousin and 2x cousin Lars Jönsson. During the incident in 11 nov 1856, he met his future wife and native of Læsø, the pilotsdaughter Dorthe Melchiorsdatter Halvorsdatter Thuren, the exact details are uncertain, acording to oral tales that I, the original auther of this page on wikitree have been told by family members, that when the boat set on ground, Dorthe came with horse-carriaged and helped Jacob Jönsson, however its the same version that leaves out alot of details, and very much simplified actual events and even adds incorrect details.

Jacob and Dorthe married on Hals Læsø Hjørring Denmark, in 18 July 1858, they then moved to Hermansö Höpallen and built Höpallen 443, that was in the end inherited by their granddaughter Dana Jenny Kristina Jakobsson, Jacob and Dorthe had 6 kids together, however tragedy would struck as Jacob wife Dorthe died in 8 apr 1883 on Hermansö age 55, by unknown causes, their first child Justus Theodor Jakobsson would then a few years later die age 30 on Greenwhich London, in 30 Jan 1890 by Tuberculosis, 3 years later Justus younger sister Claudina Beata Jakobsdotter died in 13 apr 1893, age 31 in Gullholmen, due to complications after childbirth. Jakob would die 10 dec 1891 in Hermansö, age 70 of 'watersoot'

Johan Martin Abrahamsson, born in 17 may 1835 on Islandsberg Morlanda to father Abraham Larsson and mother Anna Greta Olsdotter, he is the 3rd child of total 8th children, nothing really happend between his birth and his demise in 12 november 1856 at 23:00, he was a starting Seaman, who died age 21 while being carried by the survivors.

anne Johansson, was born as Johan in 6 oct 1836 on Lunden Morlanda, to father Johannes Jacobsson and mother Britta Andersdotter he was the youngest of 6 children, when Janne was 16, his mother Britta died in 7 jun 1852 age 58 on Lunden, Janne would die while being carried in 12 November 1856, at 23:00, on Læsø.

Cook Olaus Jonsson identity is not known

Hans Lundqvist identitiy is not known, he may have been named Johan and lived in Carl Johans Strand Haparanda

Additional victim Mads Peder Sørensen born in 19 august 1804 on Vesterø Læsø, to father Søren Pedersen and mother Kirsten Madsdatter, at age 20 he married 26 year old Kirsten Bjørnsdatter Dahn, in 9 feb 1824 on Vesterø, they had 8 children, some died in childhood, he had a ship called 'two brothers', and when the Alexander got stranded, he was apart of the salvaging operation, during one of his runs on the 30 Nov 1856, the ship capzied and floated away and Mads drowned.