1854
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- The colony of Van Diemen's Land provided the English Emigration Commissioners with funds sufficient to pay transport expenses for 300 Shetland women.
- The vessel Elizabeth (1854) went ashore at an unspecified location. All of the crew were saved and the vessel was later refloated and repaired.
January
- 25th
The John, a fishing vessel of Reawick, wrecked in the Wick of Aith, Fetlar. - 31st
The Charles Jones, a barque, laden with a general cargo, of Liverpool, England, from Leith, Scotland and for Valaparasio, Chile wrecked at Eshaness. All aboard perished.
February
- 2nd
The Crescent, of Swansea, Wales, from Limerick, Ireland, for Glasgow, Scotland with an unspecified cargo, went ashore "near" Scalloway and had to discharge her cargo due to her damaged state, on or before this date. - 6th
The Reform, laden with a cargo of coal, and in a very disabled condition, from Shields, England to Dublin, Ireland, drove ashore on the west coast of Bressay in a WNW gale while attempting to bring up in Bressay Sound.
March
- 3rd
The Anna, a galliot, laden with a cargo of timber (staves), of and from Chrisiansand, Norway, for Macduff, Scotland wrecked on, most probably, Linga (Scalloway) or Langa, however any of the other locations in Shetland known as Linga cannot be entirely ruled out. All of the crew were saved.
April
- 12th
The Hecla, from Vlaardingen, The Netherlands purposely beached at Balta Sound, Unst after springing a leak at sea. - 19th
Professor Robert Jameson dies in Edinburgh.
May
- 26th
John Clunies-Ross dies, and his son John George Clunies-Ross succeeds as King of the Cocos Islands.
July
- 3rd
A small boat, believed to possibly belong to a larger vessel, and marked Matilda, of Inverness, H. McIntosh reported found at Cullingsburgh, Bressay. It is not know whether there indeed was a larger vessel to which this boat belonged, and if there was, that the discovery of her small boat indicates whether she had been lost at some unknown time and location previously, or that the small boat had simply broken loose and drifted away. This is also presumed to be the date of reporting, rather than the date of discovery.
September
- 15th
Out Skerries first temporary lighthouse lit, on the island of Grunay. A permanent lighthouse was later completed on Bound Skerry, in 1858
October
- 11th
The first temporary Muckle Flugga Lighthouse on Unst is lit. A permanent lighthouse was finished in January 1858.
December
- 15th
A fishing vessel, registered in Lerwick, but otherwise unidentified, is recorded as having wrecked "near" Lerwick.
