Catherine Latham
 Official Number
56941

Launch Report from the Ulverston Mirror, 18th May 1867.
 

" SHIP LAUNCH AT BARROW - On Tuesday, May 7th, the schooner Catherine Latham, was launched from the shipbuilding yard of Mr.W.Ashburner, Hindpool. The ceremony of christening her was performed by Miss Hardon, and she was called after the wife of the captain. The launch was a great success, and a loud cheer from the large number of people present was given as she glided down to the water. She is intended for the coasting trade, and is 75 tons register and about 140 tons burthen. She will be captained by Captain John Latham, of the Elizabeth Barrow. After the launch a number of owners and friends sat down to an excellent dinner at the Bowling Green Hotel. After the cloth was removed, T.Roper, Esq., took the chair and toasts and sentiment were gone through, and all appeared to have a very pleasant day. "
catherine latham, courtesy of Dorothy Latham The Catherine Latham  was said to be a sister ship of the Elizabeth Latham, bult by the Ashburners three years later. They were both from a series of six small schooners of similar dimensions that the Ashburners built for the short sea trade in and around the Irish Sea. These seem to have been built to operate in the trade from the Duddon, exporting iron ore to Ellesmere, and these vessels spent much time in this trade in the 1870's. The Catherine Latham was one of the first of the Ashburner schooners to be retained under the management of Thomas Ashburner & Co., and she operated for this firm for 31 years, rarely, if ever,  venturing outside the Irish Sea.
The Catherine Latham was bought by the firm of William Hancock & Co., brick merchants in Hawarden, Chester, for £450, in 1898. She carried bricks for them around the Irish Sea for 17 years until her loss on the 13th February 1915. Carrying bricks and tiles from Connah's Quay to Dublin, she had sought shelter in the outer harbour at Douglas, Isle of Man. In a strong easterly gale she dragged her anchors and was stranded below Fort Anne. Capt. T.Jones and his crew were saved by the Douglas lifeboat, but by the following morning their ship had filled and become a total wreck.
 
Name Year Built Gross Tons Length (feet) Breadth (feet) Depth (feet) Masts Figurehead Stern Lloyd's Classn.
Catherine Latham 1867  74 77.5  19.2  8.3  2  Knee  Round  8A1 

Sources :

  1. The Ashburner Schooners ISBN 0-9516792-0-1
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