Candida

Official Number
70990

The Candida was an iron full-rigged ship built by the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company at Whitehaven in September 1875. The Candida was owned throughout her career by Lowden, Edgar & Co. (later W.Lowden & Co.), of Liverpool. Her first voyage was from Ardrossan to San Francisco, departed 1st November 1875. Her master for most of her early career was Capt.Robert Mathewson, who in 1888 at least, sailed with his wife and two children aboard (see Crew Lists for 1878, 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1888 at Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters website). The final successful voyage of the Candida was from Liverpool to Adelaide in 1897.

The Candida, Capt.John Kee, departed Port Augusta (South Australia) on Weds., 15th February 1898, bound for the UK with a cargo of 1765 tons of concentrates, shipped by the Sulphide Corporation. The vessel grounded on Wardong Island, Spencer's Gulf, on the evening of Sunday, 20th February. She filled with water when she struck and the crew had to abandon the vessel, the master having to swim through his cabin to escape. The crew were all safely got off the vessel, and were picked up by a fishing vessel and landed at Wallaroo. At a subsequent inquiry into the wreck the cause was attributed to the carelessness of the master, both in navigation and look-out. Capt.J.T.Kee had his certificate suspended for six months. The Candida was subsequently hulked at Port Adelaide, and there are photographs of her surviving into the 1950's. She was completely broken-up at the Jervois Basin ship graveyard, and nothing remains of her.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Candida
1875
1279 
226.0 
36.1 
22.1 
3 
 
 
100 years A1, Special Survey

Sources :

  1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984).
  2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1883-4: Candida, iron ship, 1279 grt, 1222 nrt, official no.70990, signal letters PCQV, owner Lowden, Edgar & Co., registered at Liverpool, master Capt.Matthewson.
  3. There are many photos of this ship at the National Library of Australia website (also in Picture Australia).
  4. Very good photo available at the San Francisco Public Library website.
  5. See California Digital Newspaper Collection for many reports of the Candida at San Francisco and Portland.
  6. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1896-7: Candida, iron barque, 1279 grt, owner W.Lowden & Co., registered at Liverpool, master Capt.J.T.Kee.
  7. Wreck reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 22nd February 1898, page 5. Inquiry reported in the same newspaper, Thursday 31st March 1898, page 5 (newspaper reports from Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803 to 1954 website.