Western Maid

 Official Number
49800

The Western Maid was a two-masted wooden schooner built in April 1870 at Peel, Isle of Man. She was designed, built and owned by Henry Graves. She was the largest vessel built at Peel (until the last schooner built there, the Griqualand West, built in 1893). By her name it must be assumed that the Western Maid was intended for Atlantic voyages, and certainly  this is where she earned her living in the early years of her career. Her first master was Capt.J.Kissack, who had her command until his death on a voyage to South America in 1873.

In August 1872 a Manx newspaper reported a fast passage by the Western Maid. She had sailed on the 6th July 1872 for Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, arriving there on the 21st July, a voyage of 2500 miles in 16 days. She loaded salt fish and sailed on the 27th for Alicante. Meanwhile two Preston schooners, the Devil and Sheitan (known as the "Devil's Sister), both with an established record for fast passages, had departed earlier on the same voyage (the former on the 29th June, the latter on 5th July). Neither had arrived before the Western Maid had departed.

It seems that the Western Maid spent her early years in the trades to Newfoundland, Brizil and the Mediterranean. In May 1876 it was reported that the Western Maid had returned to Peel for repairs after an absence of 6 years. By this time her master was Capt.T.Mylchreest. He was succeeded in about 1880 by Capt.Thomas Corkhill. At the time of the 1881 Census the Western Maid was in port at the Isle of Man. Her master was named as Capt.Thomas Corkhill, of Peel, aged 38, and she had six others aboard.

The Western Maid, from London for Port Talbot, foundered after collision with an unknown steamer off Trevose Head on the 25th November 1897. The crew abandoned the sinking vessel, were picked up and eventually landed at St.Ives.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Western Maid
1870
148
 91.0
 22.0
12.2 
 2
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. The Manx National Heritage Library has all crew lists from 1870 to 1897 for the Western Maid.
  2. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1871: Western Maid, schooner, 148 tons, owner Graves & Co., master Capt.J.Kissick.
  3. Race against the Devil and Sheitan reported in the Isle of Man Times, Saturday, 31st August 1872, page 5.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1874-5: Western Maid, data as previously, master Capt.J.Kissack.
  5. Death of Capt.Kissack and return of Western Maid reported in the Isle of Man Times, Saturday, 6th May 1876, page 5.
  6. Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1878: Western Maid, schooner, 148 tons, off.no.49800, signal letters KGMD, owner Graves & Co., master Capt.T.Mylchvist.
  7. 1881 Census details from Ships in Port 1881 website.
  8. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1889-90: Western Maid, data as previously, master Capt.T.Corkhill.
  9. The 1890 account book of the Western Maid is held at the Manx National Heritage Library.
  10. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1897-8: Western Maid, wood schooner, 148 grt, built by Graves at Peel in April 1870, off.no.49800, owned by H.T.Graves & Co., registered at Peel, master Capt.R.Corkhill - annotated "Lost by Collision".
  11. Loss reported in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper, 27th November 1897, page 5, and in the Plymouth & Cornish Advertiser, 26th Nov.1897.