Joseph Fisher

Official Number
54543

The Joseph Fisher was a two-masted schooner built by McLea at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, in 1866. Initially all 64 shares were held by Joseph Fisher, shipowner of Barrow, but he soon transferred small numbers of shares, between one and four, to many different people. These included Thomas Hulme of Morecambe, gentleman; James Totley of Morecambe, gentleman; Elizabeth Bell of Ulverston; James Mason of Barrow, railway employee; Robert Huddleston of Bardsea, gentleman. The first master of the Joseph Fisher was Capt.William Bond.

The Joseph Fisher was part of the fleet of James Fisher and Sons from her launch in August 1866 until 1893, when she was sold to McKenzie of Campbeltown. There are crew lists for this vessel which still show William Bond as master in 1870. 

The Joseph Fisher was berthed at Falmouth on Census night in April 1881. Her crew were all from the Dee River, headed by Capt.Humphrey Hughes, of Connah's Quay. 

The Joseph Fisher was sunk by gunfire from a submarine on the 15th September 1918, 16 mile ENE of the Codling Light Vessel. All the crew survived. The vessel was on passage from Holyhead to Wicklow with a cargo of 149 tons of coal, and with a crew of four. The schooner was forced to stop by the submarine at 2.30 pm, and sank an hour later after being shelled. The submarine had sunk the small sailing vessel Energy within the same hour. The crew of the Joseph Fisher were rescued by the steamship Lonsdale and were taken to Peel on the Isle of Man. The Energy's crew were rescued by a Navy patrol boat, being landed at Douglas.
 
Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Joseph Fisher
 1866
8816/100 
78.1
20.5
9.0
2
male bull
elliptic
7 years A1, Special Survey 

Sources :

  1. Registration Document at Cumbria Record Office, Barrow & Crew Lists, Public Record Office, Kew (Information from Sue Bond).
  2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1867-8: Joseph Fisher, schooner, 88 tons, built by M'Lea at Rothesay in August 1866, owned by J.Fisher, registered at Barrow, master Capt.W.Bond.
  3. Mercantile Navy List 1876: Joseph Fisher, schooner, 79 tons, built at Rothesay in 1866, official number 54543, registered at Lancaster, owned by J.Fisher, of Fishers Buildings, Barrow.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1896: Joseph Fisher, schooner, 70 tons, built at Rothesay in 1866, official number 54543, registered at Campdeltown, omnaging owner John McKenzie, of 19 Kirk Street, Campbelton.
  5. Mercantile Navy List 1913: Joseph Fisher, schooner, 62 tons, built at Rothesay in 1866, official number 54543, registered at Wexford, owned by William H.Dann, of the Beach, Greystones, Co.Dublin.
  6. Lloyd's War Losses - the First World War: Casualties to Shipping through Enemy Causes 1914-1918.
  7. Wreck info also from "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" Vol. 5 by Richard & Bridget Larn, pub.Lloyd's Register, 2000, ISBN 1 900839 61 X. Names owner in 1918 as W.H.Dann.
  8. uboat.net states that the Joseph Fisher was sunk by UB-64.
  9. Wreck noted on the Coflein website of the Royal Commission of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.