Sumatra

Official Number 26181

The Sumatra was launched in 1858 from the Brocklebank shipyard at Whitehaven, to serve in their own fleet (T & J Brocklebank & Co.). She was a full-rigged ship with a wooden hull. She operated in the Calcutta trade and carried a crew of 28, variously under the command of Capts. Latham, Fletcher, Beattie, James T.Rorison and Roberts.

In 1876 the ship was bought by  J. Karron, of Castletown, Isle of Man. Then in 1884 she was sold to A.F.Braga, of Montevideo, Uruguay. The ship was renamed  the Clara B. In 1887 the owner was named as Acties Clara (Chr.Moller) of Christiana, (now Oslo), Norway and her name had been shortened to just Clara.

The Clara was wrecked in January 1901 (according to Sources 2 and 3, though there are some discrepancies in Source 5).

The Times Wednesday, 3rd July, 1901, page 4 :

The Board of Trade have received, through the Consul-General for Sweden and Norway, a binocular glass for Mr.R.V.Smith, master, a silver medal of the second class and a diploma for Mr.R.V.Bennett, first mate, and silver medals of the third class and diplomas for Mr.R.P.Nuttall, second mate, and J.Wilmot, Anders Göransson, and John Nilsson, seamen, of the steamship Ardova, of  Liverpool, which have been awarded to them by the Norwegian Government in recognition of their services in rescuing the crew of the abandoned Norwegian barque Clara on January 19 last.

Sources :

1. Information from "Merchant Fleets", Vol.27 by Duncan Haws.
2. "From Cumberland to Cape Horn" by D.Hollett.
3. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984)
4. There is a painting of the Sumatra at the Castletown Maritime Museum, Isle of Man, and a painting has also appeared on a Manx postage stamp.
5. Wreck reported in The Times, Friday, 1st February 1901, page 13 : whilst identifying the vessel as Norwegian, however, this report gives the tonnage as 1020 tons, and reports her date of build as 1882.