John Horrocks

Official Number
none

The John Horrocks was a ship or barque, 348 tons burthen, launched from the shipbuilding yard of Messrs.Nicholson and Co. at Glasson Dock, Lancaster, on Tuesday, 7th January 1840. She was built for Messrs.John Bond and J.Booker, of Liverpool, and was probably intended for the sugar trade from Demerara, where the Booker brothers had plantations.

The John Horrocks was wrecked in a gale on the West Hoyle bank in the Dee estuary on the 13th December 1854. Signals of distress was displayed, and lifeboats (variously described as from Hoylake, Liverpool or Point of Ayr) were launched, and stood by the vessel. Eight crew were taken off by lifeboat, the remainder by a tug that had towed one of the lifeboats from Liverpool. The day after the wreck the vessel caught fire, after some lime that formed part of the cargo had become wet. The vessel was burnt to the water's edge. At the time of her loss the John Horrocks was owned by J.Booker & Co., of Liverpool, and was under the command of Capt.Stanton, jun., and was carrying "plantation stores" (which included coal and some firkins of butter, which were later salvaged). The loss was estimated at £5000.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
John Horrocks
1840
294 om, 344 nm
  
 
 
3
  
  
12 years A1  

Sources :

  1. Launch reported in the Liverpool Mercury, 17th January 1840, and recorded in the Lancaster Gazette (Local History item), 21st October 1865 - describe the vessel as a ship.
  2. The Booker Line was owned by three brothers who owned plantations in Demerara - see Booker Line website. This company also owned the Lancaster and the Palmyra.
  3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1842-3 : John Horrocks, barque, 294 om / 344 nm tons, built Lancaster 1840, owned by Booker & Co., registered at Liverpool, master Capt.J. Bond, voyage Liverpool - Berbice.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1854-5 : John Harrocks (sic), otherwise as 1843, except master Capt.J.Outridge, voyage Liverpool - West Indies.
  5. Wreck reported in the Morning Chronicle and Liverpool Mercury, both newspapers Friday, 15th December 1854.