Old Postcards

An unidentified barque entering Barrow1903 Piel Island in the background.
Devonshire Dock, Barrow-in-Furness. 1903

Furness Sailing Ships

The Mary Barrow
Isabella Ship
J & M Garratt
Useful

Furness Capitains

The following lists have been taken from a book, "Furness Folk and Facts", published in 1930 by William White, himself a descendant of an Ulverston shipbuilder. Undoubtedley they are incomplete, especially the list for Barrow. I suspect also that some of the captains listed under Ulverston were actually resident in Barrow, or at least some of them such as Robert Charnley and Henry Bond moved to live there as that port superceded Ulverston in the 1860's.

List of Sea Captains who were resident in Ulverston

The list is said to be arranged chronologically but no dates were given - my estimate is that it is from about 1850 to 1890.

William Robinson	Robert Stones	John Anyon	John Higham	Bateson Tyson	James Cannon	Isaac Stones
George Porter	Thomas Collinson	Thomas Gaulter	Oliver Haddock	John Swainson	William Kitchen	Isaac Kirkby
Samuel Nicholson	William Bouskill	James Pernie sen.	Randal McLester	John Dobson	John Parker	Patrickson (of Bardsea)
John Pernie	William Scott	Edward Townson	John Barker	John Brewer	James Pernie jun.	James Scott
William Winder	Robert Wilson	Philip Priest	William Braithwaite	Matthew Wilson	Isaac Ireland	John Soulby
John Benson	Peter Hodgson	John Taylor	Michael Bond	Todd Greaves	William Turner	James Crewdson
Joseph Holmes	Henry Bond (senior)	George Ullock	James Pearson	William Harris	William Holmes	William Bond
Thomas Huddleston	Henry Tyson	James Gash	Peter Tipping	John Iddon	William Sands	William Bond
Mattex	Henry Rawcliffe	Thomas Iddon	Pickthall	William Sawrey	Jonathan Cathey	William Rawcliffe
Hugh Iddon	John Pickthall	William Storey	Thomas Cathey	John Rawcliffe	Richard Charnley	Hugh Edmondson
Richard Storey	Joseph Burrow	Isaac Myers	Robert Charnley	James Fairclough	Edward Storey	Richard Hosker
William Dixon	Thomas Charnley	Thomas Fairclough	William Storey	John Henry Holmes	Benjamin Brockbank	George Anyon
James Fairclough	Michael Redhead	John Holmes	John Brockbank	Edward Kendall	Robert Edmondson	John Stones
Henry Holmes	James Brockbank	James Geldard	James Stones	Isaac Holmes	John Clark	Charles Edwards

List of Sea Captains who were resident in Barrow

The list is said to be for some time between 1863 and 1870.

Thomas Anyon	John Sumner	James Geldart	Thomas Wainman	Robert Lewis	Robert Ashburner	James Taylor
Thomas Hool	William Young	James Sumner	Hugh Evans	William Tyson	Isaac Kirkby	Henry Bond (junior)
John Swainson	William Harris	Edward Wharton	David Roberts	Edward Dawson	John Thomas	Thomas Jones
George Ball	Walter Scott	William Gibson	Ishmael Williamson	Robert Parkinson	Robert Charnley	Thomas Taylor

Story of a Hoodoo Ship

The names of the four sailors were R.Cochrane, John Johnson, Charles Walback, and H.Kimber. More than two years ago, in the early part of 1898, they came to this port in an English bark called the Blengfell, from Liverpool, and she had only been here two days when these four members of her crew left her on the ground that she was a " hoodoo ship." A month afterward she sailed homeward again, but she never reached port, for the evil fate that hung over her fulfilled its mission, and the battered remains of her big hulk have long lain many fathoms under the sea.
When Cochrane and his companions saw the name of their former ship written on the Erie Basin pier, their memories took a turn by no means pleasant. It seems that the ill-omened Blengfell's disastrous experiences began three voyages before the one that brought her to America, though it was on that trip that all hands aboard became convinced of a hoodoo's presence among them.
During a trip she took about three years before that time, a seaman went mad because of "visions" in his cabin at night. He drowned himself at last in despair. On the next voyage a negro sailor, who had been sick and in delirium, suddenly arose from his bed, grasped a brace of pistols, and ran all the rest of the crew aft, where he kept them at bay for twenty-four hours. Finally he threw down his pistols, uttered a wild shriek, and jumped headlong over the railing, disappearing immediately under the water and never rising to the surface again.

History of Sailing Ships

Furness & Duddon Sailing Ships
The following list includes schooners, barquentines, brigs and other merchant sailing ships that were either built or owned in Barrow-in-Furness.
Whitehaven Sailing ShipsThe following list includes schooners, barquentines, brigs and other merchant sailing ships that were built at Whitehaven.
Workington & Harrington Sailing ShipsThe following list includes schooners, barquentines, brigs and other merchant sailing ships that were built at Workington or Harrington.
Lancaster Sailing ShipsThe following list includes schooners, barquentines, brigs and other merchant sailing ships that were built at Glasson Dock, Lancaster.
Maryport Sailing ShipsThe following list includes schooners, barquentines, brigs and other merchant sailing ships that were built at Maryport.
Isle of Man Sailing ShipsThe following list includes schooners and other merchant sailing ships that were built in the Isle of Man.
Solway Sailing ShipsThe following list includes schooners, barquentines, brigs and other merchant sailing ships that were built or owned in the Scottish ports of the Solway Firt.