Charles Jackson

Official Number 6955

The Charles Jackson was a barque built at Maryport by R.Ritson & Co., and launched on the 8th April 1852. She was 340 tons O.M. and was to be commanded by Capt.Metcalf.

The Charles Jackson departed Liverpool on the 12th May 1884 with a cargo of 500 tons of salt. She arrived at Port Natal on the 6th August and anchored outside the bar to allow part of her cargo to be unloaded by lighter (her draught was too great to allow her to cross the bar into the harbour). On the 14th August, in a strong wind and a high sea, the cable on her starboard anchor parted. The port anchor was let go, but the that cable also parted, and the vessel had to make sail. However, some 25 fathoms of chain from the port cable remained outside the hawse, and this hindered the vessel. She struck the bar, where she eventually became a total wreck. The crew were taken off by lifeboat, and there were no casualties (see Source 7).

Sources :

1. Official Number from Mercantile Navy List 1857 - vessel registered at Maryport, 387 tons, signal letters JQWN.
2. Launch report in the Cumberland Pacquet newspaper, Tuesday, 13th April 1852, page 3.
3. Clayton's Register of Shipping, 1865 (tonnage given as 355).
4. Mystic Seaport Library Ship Register Search has shipping register details for all years from 1872 to 1884. Masters' names are given as Robert Tyfe (1872-6), R or K.Phillips (1877-82) and Peter (1883-4).
5. Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1884
6. Marine Casualty Database Southern African Coast - vessel was wrecked south of Durban, South Africa, in August 1884.
7. From an article on shoddy iron chain and cable in the Birmingham Daily Post, 24th December 1884, citing from a report of the Board of Trade Inquiry into the loss of the Charles Jackson in the Liverpool Journal of Commerce.