Carrie Bell

Official Number
45293

The Carrie Bell was built at Matthew Simpson's Glasson Dock shipyard in Lancaster and was bought new in 1862 by the Barrow shipowner Samuel Jervis. She was one of four new ships bought that year as Jervis began to build up a small fleet. She participated in the trade in copper ore from the Guadiana River ports, and in June 1865 she arrived in Pomaron on the same day as the Lord Muncaster, whilst departing Furness schooners included Fanny Slater, Lancashire Witch, William Stonard and Gauntlet.

The Carrie Bell had a long career. She survived the storm in December 1909 that caused the loss of the Maggie Brocklebank. She herself was lost on the 25th November 1917, 3/4 mile SE of Holyhead breakwater lighthouse, carrying china clay from Padstow to Preston. At the time she was owned by J.Barrow of Lancaster.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Carrie Bell
1862
136 
95.3 
21.4 
11.3 
2 
Female 
 
7 years A1, Special Survey 

Sources :

  1. Photo in "Merchant Sailing Ships 1850-1875" by D.R.McGregor (pub.1984) shows the bow of the Carrie Bell, with female figurehead.
  2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1863-4: Carrie Bell, schooner, 136 tons, off.no.45293, signal letters VCQL, owned by Jarvis & Co., belonging to the port of Barrow, master not named.
  3. Clayton's Register of Shipping 1865: Carrie Bell, schooner, 136 tons, built 1862, owned by M.Simpson, shipbuilder, of Glasson Dock, master Capt.John Taylor.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1867: Carrie Bell, off.no.45293, signal letters VCQL, registered at Lancaster, owned by Matthew Simpson, of Lancaster.
  5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1867-8: Carrie Bell, schooner, 136 tons, built by Simpson at Glasson Dock in February 1862, belonging to the port of Barrow, owned by Jarvis & Co., then Bell & Co., master Capt.Reason.
  6. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1898-9: Carrie Bell, 3-masted schooner, 136 tons, off.no.45293, signal letters VCQL, owned J.Barrow, registered at Lancaster, master Capt.W.H.McFaull.
  7. Report of loss in "The Shipwreck Index of the British Isles Vol.5" by Richard and Bridget Larn.
  8. Wreck recorded on the website of the National Monuments Record of Wales.