| The history of the Nellie Bywater is well-documented, principally
because her last owner wrote a book (see Source 2) describing not only
his own experiences with her, but also giving a good account of her building
and early history. This book includes plans and many photographs. Trevor
Morgan added more detail in his article in Maritime Wales, and it is was
he who gave me the photograph of the painting of the Nellie Bywater
that is shown here.
The Nellie Bywater was a two-masted schooner, the first vessel
to be built at the Millom shipyard of William Thomas & Co. Her designer
and builder was the shipyard foreman, Hugh Jones, who had been brought
from Amlwch by William Thomas and who would later own the yard in his own
right. He took ten months to build the Nellie Bywater
and she was launched on the 20th December 1873. Her first master
was Capt. Richard Morgan of Amlwch and her owners were the Hodbarrow Mining
Company, in the guise of the Duddon Shipping Association. Later masters
included Capt. Soloman Ellis, Capt. James Fairclough of Ulverston, Capt.
Owen Jones of Amlwch and then Capt. John Hughes Parry. Capt. Morgan took
the Nellie Bywater to Spain for iron ore, but the bulk of her work
was in home waters, principally the triangular route carrying iron ore
from the Duddon to South Wales, then coal to Ireland, returning to the
Duddon with pitwood. Later the ore trade from the Duddon was largely to
the Clyde rather than South Wales. |
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