The frigate Anson was towed out of Falmouth by her boats on Christmas Eve 1807. It was blowing hard when the ship went down the Channel. Forty–eight hours later the storm was so bad that the captain turned and headed back for Falmouth. The weather drew hazy and think and at 3PM on 28 December the captain discovered they were well to leeward of the Lizard. Efforts to clear the land failed. At dusk, off Loe Bar, the anchor was let go; she sailed safely to 5 AM on the 29th when her cables parted. A small bower was dropped and held for two hours and, finally, those cables parted. The captain ordered the ship to be run ashore. The ship broached and the mainmast fell making a bridge of escape for some. The captain and 120 crew were lost. The captain was swept away trying to save a boy and was buried with honor in Falmouth. This wreck inspired a Helston man, Henry Trengrouse, son of a Helston cabinet maker, to begin experiments with a rocket assisted line throwing device which eventually saved many lives off the coast.