Petrel

Official Number
22658

The Petrel was a schooner built in 1840 at Glasson Dock, Lancaster. She was first registered at Lancaster in June of that year, and was owned by her builders (Nicholson and Simpson) until 1852. She was advertised for sale by auction at Preston in March of that year, was described as a 61 ton schooner suited to the coasting trade, and was under the command of Capt.Wilson.

On the night of Saturday, 10th November 1855 the Petrel, Capt.George Wilson, was sailing in company of another Preston schooner, the Rapid, Capt.John Sumner, both bound from Drogheda for Preston, the Petrel with a cargo of oatmeal. Off Point Lynas the Petrel was struck by the brig Brothers, of St.Ives, which was bound from Liverpool for Constantinople. Seven minutes after the collision the Petrel was seen to capsize, and both the Brothers and the Rapid began to search in the darkness for the crew. Eventually the Rapid departed, and reported the total loss of the vessel and crew at Lytham. However, two of the crew of the Petrel had managed to clamber aboard the Brothers, one, seaman Cornelius Cookson, being stuck for some time in the rigging of the bowsprit, and the other a boy, Samuel Pearson. The master and mate, Thomas Eccles, of the Petrel had also survived, because the schooner did not sink, and they were eventually spotted and taken off the wreck by the Brothers, after two hours exposed to the elements. All four survivors were landed at Holyhead on Monday and returned to Lytham by rail. The abandoned schooner herself remained afloat, and was eventually picked up, dismasted and with her decks under water on Wednesday morning by some boatmen off Douglas bay, Isle of Man. The cargo was largely undamaged, the outer portion having swollen and sealed the leaking hull against further ingress of water. The cargo was insured but the Petrel was not - she was owned at the time of the wreck by Mr.Byrne, or Burn, of Lytham.

The schooner was probably recovered and repaired. A schooner named Petrel, of Fleetwood, 58 net tons, was wrecked in a Force 11 storm at the Calf of Man on Weds., 26th October 1859, with the loss of one of four crew. She was carrying pig iron and iron ingots from Troon, having left on Monday, the 24th, under the command of Capt.R.Nicholson. On the Tuesday night the cabin boy had been swept overboard, and at 4 am on Wednesday morning the vessel struck. The mate managed to drop onto the rocks from the bowsprit, but the master and seaman had a severe struggle to save themselves. The Petrel was owned by Messrs.Gibson, Butcher, Ward and Mrs.Hesketh, all of Fleetwood, and was insured for £350 by the Fleetwood Mutual Ship Insurance Association.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Petrel
 1840
 61 nm
 
 
 
2 
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. Lancaster Shipping Register, ref.SS5/4 at Lancashire Record Office, Preston - vessel described as a schooner, 61 tons.
  2. Sale advertisement in the Preston Guardian newspaper, Saturday, 27th March, 1852.
  3. Collision described in the Preston Guardian and Lancaster Gazette newspapers, both of Sat., 17th November 1855.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1857: Petrel, registered at Fleetwood, 58 tons, off.no.22658, signal letters NMJL.
  5. Report of loss in 1859 in "The Shipwreck Index of the British Isles Vol.5"  by  Richard and Bridget Larn, ISBN 1 900839 61 X - citing from BoT Wreck Returns and stating that the Petrel had been built in 1840.
  6. Wreck also reported in the Preston Guardian, Sat., 5th November 1859.