Channel Light

Official Number
51723

The Channel Light was a barque built at St.Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada in December 1864. She seems to have been owned by Charles Blades, and registered at Lancaster, for most of her career.

The Channel Light was lost by fire on the 25th October 1873.  She was bound from Hull to Rio de Janeiro with a cargo of 782 tons coal, and was scuttled in the harbour at Rio after her cargo caught fire. The Moonlight, also from Hull with the same cargo, suffered the same fate. A Hull newspaper reporting the loss stated "the fact of two large ships at one harbour, coal laden from the same port, being burnt is causing some inquiry as to the nature of their cargoes". At the time of her loss the Channel Light was still owned by Charles Blades, and was still registered at Lancaster.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Channel Light
1864
553
137.9 
  30.2
18.8
3 
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1866: barque, owned by Charles Blades, registered at Lancaster, commanded by Capt.J.Harrison.
  2. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1874: barque, owned by Charles Blades, registered at Lancaster, commanded by Capt.G.Henderson.
  3. Wreck details from Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons (1880); Merchant Ships-Foundered and Missing, 1st January 1873 to 16th May 1880.
  4. Wreck also reported in the Glasgow Herald., 18th November 1873 and the Hull Packet and East Riding Times, Friday, 9th January, 1874.