Whittington

Official Number 54537

The Whittington was a full-rigged ship built by the Lune Shipbuilding Company at Lancaster, launched in January 1866.

The Whittington was posted "overdue" at Lloyds in April 1880, having departed Philadelphia for Queenstown, Ireland, on the 12th December 1879 (see Source 2). However, she was still listed in a shipping register in 1886 (see Source 3).

Details of the loss were discussed at a Court of Inquiry held at Westminster on the 24th July 1880. The Whittington was still owned by the Lancaster Shipowners Company (managing owner William Herron, 17, Tower Buildings, North Water Street, Liverpool) at the time of her loss. She left Philadelphia on the 9th December 1879 with a cargo of 39,401 bushels of Indian corn in bulk, 15,140 bushels of Indian corn in bags, plus 16 tons dunnage. She was never seen again after the pilot left her, and the Court concluded that she was lost "during the very violent and tempestuous weather which we know to have prevailed in the Atlantic during the months of November and December last" (see Source 5).

The Court examined a number of questions prior to reaching its decision. The vessel was considered to be in good and seaworthy condition, was not overloaded and had sufficient freeboard. Her crew consisted of 16 hands, only 8 of whom were rated as able seamen, and all of these being foreigners. The Court considered the general rule that vessels of 1,000 tons should have an average of 2 hands per 100 tons, meaning that the Whittington should have carried 20 crew, of whom 10 should have been A.B.'s. Nevertheless, the Court did not feel that this degree of undermanning would have contributed to her loss.
 

Sources :

1. "The Lune Shipbuilding Company" by Andrew White, local studies booklet No.2, Lancaster City Museums.
2. "The Times" newspaper, Thursday, 15th April, 1880, page 12 - probably the date of the 12th December was the date that she was last seen (when the pilot left her) rather than the actual date of departure.
3. Mystic Seaport Library Ship Register Search has shipping register details for all years from 1871 to 1886.
4. " American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1880 " names the master as Capt.T.Webster, owner as the Manchester Shipowners Co.(an error), and describes the vessel as a barque of 970 tons, belonging to the port of Lancaster.
5. Wreck Report for 'Whittington', 1880 (Report of Court of Inquiry held at Westminster on the 24th July 1880)- from Port Cities Southampton website.