Frederick Hester : A brief history in pictures - Page 22 : The Pier
The grounding of the Ben Mohr 1902
In 1902 the SS Ben Mohr collided with the SS Banffshire in deep fog and was grounded off Canvey at Dead Mans Bay to prevent her sinking. Her cargo included Portland cement in wooden barrels. The cargo washed up along the coast and the cement solidified in the barrels. Apparently Frederick Hester bought the cargo and used many of the barrels as foundations to his Pier (last page).
Concrete Barrels
Even today remnants of these barrels can be found and they have been used as building materials all over the Island. This year we went looking and to our joy discovered a barrel! (See HERE)