Mary Watkinson

Official Number
65054

The schooner Mary Watkinson was launched in February 1872 by A.B.Gowan & Son at Berwick-upon-Tweed, and was one of at least 26 vessels built by this firm for the Barrow fleet of James Fisher. In November 1877 her master is named as Watkinson in the listing of the Fisher fleet in the Barrow Times. In 1879 Capt. James Brockbank, who also had command of the Millom Castle, Morris's and James & Agnes, briefly had command of her, and took her into the Mediterranean.

There is a photograph in "Victorian and Edwardian Ships and Harbours from Old Photographs", captioned as a photo of Poole harbour showing Fishers "big three-masted schooner" Mary Watkinson, undated, and giving the National Maritime Museum as the source.

Although sold by Fishers in 1920 to Grounds of Runcorn, the Mary Watkinson was the longest lived of Fisher's Berwick-built vessels. With her new owners the schooner operated in the china clay trade betweeen Runcorn and the ports of south Cornwall. She was lost by collision with the steamship S.N.A.2 off the Lizard on 1st December 1927, carrying coal from Runcorn to Looe. The Mary Watkinson collided with a French steamer, and all the crew managed to jump onto her from the schooner, except for one crewman who fell and was drowned.
 
Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Mary Watkinson
1872
157
 95.4
22.4 
12.1 
3
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. Research by Derek Blackhurst
  2. Berwick Shipyard - Build List 1841-1878 - indicates that the Mary Watkinson was the 20th of 26 vessels built by Gowan for James Fisher. Photo from the site.
  3. Mercantile Navy List 1876: Mary Watkinson, schooner, 149 tons, built at Berwick in 1872, official number 65054, registered at Barrow, owned by Joseph Fisher, of Barrow.
  4. Career of Capt.James Brockbank (b.1819) from Captains Register 18567/16 at Guildhall Library London.
  5. Mercantile Navy List 1880: Mary Watkinson, schooner, 149 tons, built at Berwick in 1872, official number 65054, registered at Barrow, owned by John Fisher, of Barrow.
  6. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1895-6: Mary Watkinson, schooner, 158 grt, 135 nrt, built by Gowan at Berwick in February 1872, official number 65054, registered at Barrow, owned by J.Fisher & Sons, master Capt.J.Watkinson.
  7. Mercantile Navy List 1896: Mary Watkinson, schooner, 135 tons, built at Berwick in 1872, official number 65054, signal letters KGQL, registered at Barrow, managing owner John Fisher, of Barrow.
  8. Greenhill B & Giffard A (1978), "Victorian and Edwardian Ships and Harbours  from Old Photographs", Batsford, London, plate 52.