Bootle

Official Number
69711

The Bootle was one of several iron barquentines built at Whitehaven for local shipowner George Nelson & Co. (see Amethyst, Chrysolite, Jasper and Irton). The Bootle was built by the Whitehaven Ship Building Company in October 1873, and was probably a sister ship to the Irton, which was of identical dimensions and was launched in the same month. The Bootle was registered at Whitehaven for her whole career.

The Bootle was lost on the 3rd January 1898, bound from Cardiff to Punta Delgada (Argentina). She struck a reef at the mouth of the Gallegos river (Magellan Straits) and was subsequently broken up by a gale, on the 5th January. The crew survived but the cargo was lost. The master on this voyage was Capt.David Symmons.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Bootle
1873
293
133.4 
23.6 
12.8 
3 
 
 
100 years A1, Special Survey

Sources :

  1. Mercantile Navy List 1880: Bootle, brigantine (Bn.), 248 tons, buit at Whitehaven in 1873, official number 69711, signal letters MJTL, owned by George Nelson, registered at Whitehaven.
  2. Mystic Seaport Library Ship Register Search has shipping register details for most years from 1874 to 1883. In 1883 the vessel was still owned by G.Nelson & Co. and was registered at Whitehaven.
  3. Information on wreck from Welsh Mariners website.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1897-8: Bootle, iron brigantine (Bn.), 293 grt, 267 nrt, built by the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Co. in Oct.1873, official number 69711, owned by Spearing & Waldron, registered at Whitehaven - annotated "Wrecked".
  5. Wreck reported in the Glasgow Herald, 20th January 1898 - the Bootle had left Cardiff on the 18th October 1897.