Lancashire Witch

Official Number
16674

Barrow shipowners James Fisher & Son owned the Lancashire Witch for her entire career. She was a brigantine built at Wexford in 1857 by Robert Sparrow. She worked in the Spanish ore trade in her early years (see Carrie Bell). In November 1877 and January 1879 (loading at Barrow for Swansea on the 10th) her master was Capt.Edmondson, according to the Shipping Intelligence columns of the Barrow Times newspaper.

The Lancashire Witch was lost on 13th January 1879 when she was sunk by collision with the Spanish steamer Yrurac-bat, of Bilbao, 12 miles W of the South Stack, Anglesey. She was on passage from Barrow to Swansea with a cargo of pig iron, cast iron and ingots, the steamer being on passage from Liverpool to Vianna with a general cargo. Capt. Hugh Edmondson was the sole survivor of the five crew. He had been at the helm at the time of the collision, and had been cast into the water. He was rescued after fifteen minutes in the water by a boat from the steamer and taken to Corunna, from where he returned to Plymouth aboard the schooner Island Mail, of Plymouth.
 
Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Lancashire Witch
 1857
103
82.0 
20.0 
11.0 
 2
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. Mercantile Navy List 1876: Lancashire Witch, brigantine, 103 tons, built at Wexford in 1857, official number 16674, owned by Joseph Fisher, of Barrow, registered at Lancaster.
  2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1878-9: Lancashire Witch, brigantine, 103 tons, built at Wexford in 1857, official number 16674, owned by J.Fisher & Sons, registered at Barrow, master Capt.Jones.
  3. Report of loss in "The Shipwreck Index of the British Isles Vol.5" by  Richard and Bridget Larn.
  4. Return of Capt.Edmondson from Spain, and details of the collision reported in the Times newspaper, Monday, 3rd February 1879, page 6.