Enchantress

Official Number 24828

The Enchantress was a barque built at Whitehaven by Lumley Kennedy & Co. She was launched on the 23rd February 1841, and made her first voyage  from Liverpool to Calcutta under the command of her owner, Capt.Cormick.

The Enchantress was wrecked in a gale off Lydd Station, Romney Marsh, on Friday, 26th October, 1855, with the loss of her master, Capt.Henry Huddart, and eleven others, there being a single survivor (the first mate) from the crew of thirteen. The names of those lost were Henry Huddart, Alfred Barnes, Chas.Chisent, Geo.Ross, Jan Esquare, Chas.Mariner, Wm.Mason, Chas.Mason, Wm.Liverpool, Jean Francois, Wm.Davis, and John Deane. The master and seven others were buried in the churchyard at Lydd. The Enchantress was on passage to Buenos Ayres from London with a general cargo.

Sources :

1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984).
2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1841-2: Enchantress, barque, 252 tons om, 284 tons nm, coppered in 1841, owned and commanded by Capt.Cormick, registered at Whitehaven, voyage Whitehaven - Liverpool.
3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1845-6: Enchantress, barque, yellow-metalled in 1846, owned and commanded by Capt.Cormick, registered at Whitehaven, voyage London - Lima.
4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1850-1: Enchantress, barque, yellow-metalled in 1849, owned and commanded by Capt.Cormick, registered at Whitehaven, voyage Liverpool - Singapore.
5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1855-6: Enchantress, barque, 252 tons om, 284 tons nm, yellow-metalled in 1854, owned by Buckham & Co., registered at Whitehaven, master Capt.J.Ledger, voyage London - W.Indies.
6. Wreck reported in the Times newspaper, Thursday 1st November 1855, page 8 - names master as Capt.Hubbard.
7. Details of grave at Lydd from In the Churchyard and Church of All Saints’, Lydd, Kent (Kent Archaeological Society).
8. Despite having been wrecked, the barque is listed in the 1857 Mercantile Navy List, which gives her official number and the signal letters PCLF. She was still registered at Whitehaven.