A depiction of the loss of HMS Anson by William Elmes (1808)

On this day 210 years ago the frigate HMS Anson was shipwrecked on the coast of Cornwall, a tragedy that helped to inspire the invention of a rocket line for saving lives.

HMS Anson left Falmouth in Cornwall on Christmas Eve 1807 to support the Royal Navy’s blockade of the French fleet at Brest. As the ship sailed down the Channel she faced a severe storm and Captain Charles Lydiard decided to return to port.

The Anson reached the south coast of Cornwall, but with breakers ahead and unable to sail back out to the open seas, Lydiard’s only option was to anchor off Loe Bar, a great bank of sand near Helston.

In fierce winds and huge waves, the first anchor cable broke early