A MEMORIAL service will be held tomorrow to mark the 110th anniversary of the deaths of nine men who drowned when their boat sank just off the coast of Brightlingsea.
The men drowned on August 8, 1903 after the rowing boat they were travelling back to the steam turbine yacht Lorena, sunk.
The yacht was from Leith in Scotland and had stopped in Brightlingsea to refuel with coal.
In total 11 people had been in the rowing boat, nine of Lorena's sailors and two Brightlingsea men who offered to row them.
The boat, which was carrying twice as many passengers as it should have been, came into trouble as conditions became rougher.
One of the local men and one of Lorena’s crew were rescued but the other nine, including Brightlingsea man Joseph Lock, died at sea.
Mr Lock worked as a bricklayer in the town and had been loading coal for the yacht to earn extra money to support his wife and children.
The sailors that died were John Currie 47, James Douglas 46, Alexander Smith 36, John McLean-Johnson 26, John Boyd McGregor 24, Frederick Richard McLaren 25, and brothers Andrew Wilson 31 and David Wilson 26.
The sailors were buried in a mass grave in All Saints Church in Brighlingsea and Mr Lock was buried alongside them.
Days after the burial a memorial service was held at the site, but it is believed tomorrow's service will be the first event to commemorate the event since 1903.
The memorial service will be held All Saints Church at 2pm tomorrow.
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