Arachne

Official Number
26039

The Arachne was a full-rigged ship built by Thomas and Ralph Brocklebank at Bransty, Whitehaven. She was launched on the 30th August 1851 and was registered at Liverpool. Her first master was Capt.Alexander Adamson. The vessel's first voyage was to Calcutta, and she continued in this trade throughout her career, under a succession of masters (Capts.Roddock, King, Mawson, Sharp, Fletcher, Fearon, Francis Wise and John Kenworthy).

The Arachne left Calcutta on the 3rd August 1866 with a cargo of 3816 bags saltpetre, 5460 bags linseed, and 5268 bags rapeseed. She met a storm in the Atlantic and the vessel was so badly damaged that she had to be abandoned (position 10.12N, 23.20W, south of the Cape Verde Islands) on the 12th November. The crew were all picked up by the ship Keldhead and landed at Falmouth.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Arachne
1851
654
139.7
30.2
21.1
3
 Woman
 
A1, 14 years 

Sources :

  1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984).
  2. "Brocklebanks 1770-1950", Vol.1, by J.F.Gibson (1950)
  3. BoT Transcript of Liverpool Shipping Register (No.310 for 1851) at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1857: Arachne,  654 tons, official number 26039, signal letters PJLV, vessel registered at Liverpool.
  5. "From Cumberland to Cape Horn" by D.Hollett - names master at time of loss as Capt.Kenworthy.
  6. Report of loss in the Daily News, Liverpool Mercury and Preston Guardian newspapers, all of the 15th December 1866 - name master as Capt.Wise.