Sealby

Official Number 8854

The Sealby was a schooner built at Maryport by Isaac Middleton, launched on the 12th November 1840 (see Source 1). In 1842 her master, Capt.Peter M'Minn, and the schooner's mate were arrested at  St.George's Dock, Liverpool, and tried for allegedly starving to death two boys on the voyage from Tampico (see Source 4).

Capt.McMinn and mate Robert Smith were tried at the Central Criminal Court on the 4th March, "for feloniously killing and slaying John Jones, a youth about 16 years of age, .... by refusing to give or withholding from him, sufficient food, and by making him work whilst in bad health more than his strength would allow, and also by beating and otherwise ill-using him." (see Source 6). It seems that the Sealby left Tampico on the 12th December with the master, mate, four crewmen and two boys. Two of the seamen, James Lewis and John Rapson, were described as having formerly belonged to the Pilot, man-of-war. Another, Alfred Zamera, was a resident of  Tampico and was described as the cook and steward. It may be assumed that these men replaced men from the outbound crew who had either deserted, died or perhaps had remained ill at the hospital. The two boys and the mate, possibly others, had been in hospital at Tampico with fever, and some were still ill when the vessel left. Neither of the two boys could work at the time the Sealby made her departure, and early in the voyage the captain himself was laid low for eight days. For some period of time, only the mate and Lewis were fit to run the vessel.

Lewis, Rapson and Zamera gave evidence at the trial, and it appears that Lewis took the lead in bringing the captain to book. After two days at sea the captain had ordered Jones to work, which he was unable to do. Lewis described how the captain had ordered that the food for the sick men be placed at the after-hatch, so the crew had to come and fetch it from their accommodation in the forecastle. Jones was only able to this by crawling, and could not get his food at all on frequent occasions. He then either went without, or sometimes his fellow crew shared their portions.  It seems that Jones had attempted to work, but had been unable to do very much and had been pushed and harried by the mate, and had even been beaten. The day before he died he was made to scrape the deck, and was beaten with a length of rope by the mate, at the captain's command, when, exhausted,  he rested from this task. Jones died on the 24th December, and John Cotton, the second boy, died a few days later.

Possibly the vessel had insufficient food available - Rapson stated that the  food allowance had been one and a half pounds of meat, subsequently reduced to one pound and then to half a pound. Even the mate had been put on short rations.

The jury acquited both the captain and the mate, but the jury foreman stated that "they conceived that great cruelty had been used towards the deceased by the prisoners". The prosecution did not subsequently pursue the case against the two men with regard to Cotton's death.

In 1865 the Sealby was still registered at Maryport, owned by Mrs.M.Melmore of Maryport and commanded by Capt.G.Murray.

The Sealby was stranded at Coul Point, Islay, on the 25th January 1868 (see Source 7).
 

Sources :

1. "Shipbuilding at Maryport - a Checklist", published by the Friends of Whitehaven Museum, 1989.
2. Official Number from Mercantile Navy List 1857 - vessel registered at Maryport, 85 tons.
3. Clayton's Register of Shipping 1865 - vessel described as a brigantine, 85 tons.
4. Cumberland Pacquet newspaper, 22nd February, 1842, page 3 - vessel described as a schooner.
5. The Times newspaper, Monday, 14th February, 1842, page 7 (Ship News) states that the Sealby left Tampico on the 27th December, and arrived at Liverpool on the 11th February.
6. Report of the trial in the Times newspaper, 7th March 1842, page 6.
7. List of Vessels lost off Islay, citing from "Off Scotland" by I.G.Whittaker (1998).