Wednesday 16 October 2019

The Remarkable Tale of Samuel Easton's Trunk


Researching the story behind this headstone led to the discovery of the most extraordinary set of circumstances.

Samuel EASTON, an engineer, arrived in Hong Kong in the late 1860s/early 1870s. He and a business partner leased a couple of inland lots at East Point and established a brass and iron foundry.
His work was of a very high standard and in 1874 the Messageries Maritime Company presented him with a magnificent gold watch for “valuable services rendered” – presumably in connection with repairing/replacing boilers on their fleet of liners in the Far East.

Samuel enjoyed a good few years in the Colony but sadly died at midnight on 16th./17th. February 1876.  The death occurred at East Point probably at his foundry which presumably also provided living accommodation.  The cause of death is not known but as the newspapers do not carry a report of an inquest it is not thought to have been a work related accident.

Probate showed the value of Samuel’s estate to be in the region of $25,000 so he had certainly done very well for himself.  He left everything to his mother, Jane Auld EASTON who lived at Greenbank, Ashton, Gourock.  Henry DICKIE, one of Samuel’s executors (and Manager of the Sugar Refinery), packed up all of his belongings in a sturdy trunk and arranged with the Captain of the Sarpedon for them to be returned to Scotland.  Before closing the lid he enclosed a note “H. Dickie, with compliments”. However, the ship was ill fated. 

In early September as the Sarpedon approached the English Channel in thick fog she collided with another vessel and sank.  The 84 passengers and crew were rescued and landed safely at Falmouth but her cargo was lost – along with Samuel’s trunk.

Many months later a French fisherman noticed something floating in the sea a few miles off the island of Ushant.  On closer inspection he saw it was a trunk and pulled it on board his boat.  On landing he handed it over to the French Minister of Marine.  Investigation revealed the note from Mr. Dickie and advertisements were placed in the British newspapers in an effort to trace the owner.   Somehow or another this came to the notice of one of Samuel’s cousins in Greenock who was then able to make contact with the French authorities.  The trunk containing Samuel’s very precious gold watch, jewellery and other personal possessions finally reached his mother in Scotland.

Sacred
to the memory of
Samuel Easton
Engineer
born at
Hamilton, Scotland
13th. March 1847
died at
East Point, Hong Kong
17th. February 1876
aged 28 years

Just goes to show that very occasionally the sea does give up it’s treasure.

Christine M Thomas