William Shepherd

Official Number
63929

The William Shepherd was a schooner built to Special Survey at Matthew Simpson's shipyard at Glasson Dock, Lancaster. She was launched on Monday, 26th September 1870, and was christened by the daughter of her future owner. Like several of Simpson's other schooners, she entered the fleet of E.Porter and Co., of Fleetwood.

The William Shepherd was sunk by a German submarine 30 miles SW of St.Ann's Head, Bristol Channel, on the 17th April 1917. She was on passage from Glasgow to St.Valery with a coal cargo. The crew was forced to abandon ship in their small boat, the schooner then being sunk by explosives placed aboard by the Germans.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
William Shepherd
1870
 143
94.0
22.8 
11.3 
 
 
10 years A1, Special Survey 

Sources :

  1. Launch reported in the Lancaster Gazette, Saturday, 1st October 1870, page 5.
  2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1871-2: William Shepherd, schooner, 133 tons, built September 1870 by Simpson at Glasson Dock, owned by Porter & Co., of Fleetwood, vessel registered at Fleetwood, master Capt.W.Porter.
  3. Mercantile Navy List 1876: William Shepherd, schooner, 133 tons, built 1870 at Glasson Dock, official number 63929, signal flags JSBQ, owned by Edmund Porter, of Fleetwood, and registered at Fleetwood.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1904: William Shepherd, schooner, 123 tons, built 1870 at Glasson Dock, official number 63929, signal flags JSBQ, managing owner Miles Nicholson, of Fleetwood, and vessel registered at Fleetwood.
  5. Wreck info from "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" Vol.5. Names master as Capt.E.O.Rickard, owner Langmaid, belonging to the port of Fleetwood.