British Duke

Official Number 70904

The British Duke was a full-rigged iron ship built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company, Yard No. 19. She was their first sailing vessel, and was launched on the 21st January 1875 for The British Shipowners Company. This company was managed by James Beazley of Liverpool, and the British Duke was his first iron sailing ship. Beazley bought the next ship launched by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company, the Falstaff, in his own right.

The British Duke, Capt.Butchart, arrived at Sydney from London in March 1876 (see Source 4).

The British Duke was lost off the Cape of Good Hope on the 11th November 1888. All the crew and passengers were rescued.

From the Times newspaper, Wednesday, 14th November 1888, page 9:

" Lloyd's agent at Mossel Bay telegraphs that the British Duke has gone ashore west of Cape Francis and has become a total wreck. Part of her cargo may be saved. Her crew were picked up by the Anglian, from Cape Town, and landed at Mossel Bay. The British Duke sailed from Calcutta Sept.2 for London. She was an iron vessel of 1,464 tons built at Barrow in 1875, and owned by the British Shipowners Company, of Liverpool. "

Sources :

1. "Portrait of a Shipbuilder: Barrow-Built Vessels since 1873", ed. Nigel Harris ISBN 0 947971 32 7 (published 1989)
2. "A History of Local Sailing Ships" by H.Peck, an article in "The Proceedings of the Barrow Naturalists Field Club" Vol.7 (1951).
3. Fredrik Sandström's Sailing Ships site
4. See Mariners and ships in Australian Waters for crew list, March 1876
5. Mystic Seaport Library Ship Register Search has shipping register details from 1876 to 1889.
6. " Record of American and Foreign Shipping 1885 " names master as Capt.Banks and owners as the British Shipowners Company. The vessel is described as a barque, formerly a ship,  of 1464 tons.
7. Shipwrecks on the Southern Cape Coast describes the vessel as a barque and names the master as Capt. T. Fairfield. It gives the date of the wreck as the 13th November 1888 and the position as 2.5 km W of Klippen Point (34° 11.02 S, 24° 34.50 E).