Brilliant

Official Number 14376

The Brilliant was a schooner built at Peel in 1855. She was registered at Douglas and in 1865 she was owned by H.Graves, merchant, of Peel, and commanded by Capt.Quayle (see Source 1).

The Brilliant was lost on the 31st January 1891. She had arrived off Ramsey harbour on a voyage from Whitehaven with a coal cargo, under the command of Capt. Caesar Clarke. In a  Force 9 gale from the SSE, the schooner was forced to stand off from the harbour, but developed a severe leak that put the vessel at risk of sinking. The master attempted to beach the vessel at Shellag Point, but when the schooner struck she was still far enough offshore to force the master to take to the small boat. He successfully reached the shore, and then pulled his two crewmen from the schooner after they had floated a rope from the stricken vessel. Shortly after the Brilliant's masts went over the side, and the vessel subsequently broke up.  At the time of her loss she was owned by E.Kerruish of Manghold, Isle of Man, and was registered at Douglas.
 

Sources :

1. Clayton's Register of Shipping 1865 (vessel registered at Douglas).
2. Off.No. from 1857 Mercantile Navy List
3. From Isle of Man Shipwrecks website - an extract from the CD-ROM "Dictionary of Shipwrecks off the Isle of Man". Gives date of loss as 2nd February.
4. "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" Vol. 5 by Richard & Bridget Larn, pub. Lloyds Register, 2000, ISBN 1 900839 61 X.