'Justice, Honour and Humanity': A trophy commemorating bravery in the face of a shipwreck

William Montgomery holds a silver cup presented to his ancestor and namesake with an inscription in several different fonts that reads: ‘To William Montgomery of Grey-abby, Esquire, as a tribute of Gratitude and Esteem, for his spirited and disinterested conduct in which JUSTICE, HONOR AND HUMANITY, were eminently conspicuous, in the preservation of the valuable cargo of the Brig Lagan of Belfast, wrecked on Burial Isle, 11th Jany 1813. This cup is presented by the owner of the vessel & the proprietors of the cargo.’

According to reports in the Belfast News-Letter, this small, two-masted vessel was armed with 10 light cannons and was ready to sail to London from Belfast on January 1, 1813. Contrary winds, however, kept her in port for more than a week before she set off on her ill-fated voyage.

The ship must have been trying to weather Burr Point at the eastern extreme of Ireland and part of the Grey Abbey estate; the rocks of the appropriately named Burial Isle lie just beyond the point.

There is no record of the details of the wreck, but the inscription implies that the cargo and at least some of the crew survived. 

‘Wrecking was a frequent occurrence on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula at the beginning of the 19th century,’ explains Montgomery. ‘I enjoy the wonderfully effusive inscription on the cup.’

This feature originally appeared in the September 23, 2026, print edition of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.