author
W. D. (William Dorset) Fellowes
1769–1852
A seaman, explorer, and historical writer, he turned an extraordinary shipwreck and a life spent in public service into vivid books about travel, Europe, and Britain’s past. His best-known account follows the dramatic 1803 loss of the packet ship Lady Hobart after it struck an iceberg in the Atlantic.
1 Audiobook
A Visit to the Monastery of La Trappe in 1817 With Notes Taken During a Tour Through Le Perche, Normandy, Bretagne, Poitou, Anjou, Le Bocage, Touraine, Orleanois, and the Environs of Paris. Illustrated with Numerous Coloured Engravings, from Drawings Made on the Spot
by W. D. (William Dorset) Fellowes
About the author
William Dorset Fellowes (1769–1852) was born aboard the 70-gun ship Dorsetshire, a detail that inspired his middle name. He began at sea as a naval midshipman before joining the East India Company’s maritime service, eventually becoming captain of the merchant ship Royal Admiral. In 1799 he entered the Post Office packet service and later commanded the transatlantic packet Lady Hobart.
In June 1803, the Lady Hobart captured a French schooner before striking an iceberg and sinking two days later. Fellowes, his wife, and most of the other people aboard survived eight days adrift, an experience he described in A Narrative of the Loss of the Lady Hobart Packet. He later published observations on France after Waterloo, an account of a visit to La Trappe, and Historical Sketches of Charles the First, Cromwell, Charles the Second, and other historical figures. After retiring from the packet service, he served as secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain and acted as Deputy Great Chamberlain at the coronation of George IV.