Ellerbank

Official Number 74494

The Ellerbank was an iron ship built by the Whitehaven Ship Building Company and launched on the 8th February 1876. Her maiden voyage was from Liverpool to Sydney, departing 17th March.

The Scotsman, Wednesday, 22nd August 1883, page 9;

" LOSS OF A BRITISH SHIP AT MONTE VIDEO (from Lloyd's) London, Tuesday - A telegram from Monte Video state that the Ellerbank (British ship), from Hull, on 24th April, for San Francisco, was thrown on her beam ends and shifted her cargo off Cape Horn, and was afterwards abandoned in sinking condition. Her crew were picked up by the Chinampas, and landed at Monte Video. The Ellerbank was an iron vessel of 1170 tons gross, built at Whitehaven in 1876, and owned by J.B.Sprott, Liverpool. "

Sources :

1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984).
2. Photo of Ellerbank available at the San Francisco Public Library.
3. Photo of Ellerbank in Picture Australia archive.
4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1878-9: Eller Bank, iron ship, 1171 gross tons, built Whitehaven in Feb.1876, official no.74494, signal letters PJVM, owned by J.B.Sprott, registered at Liverpool, master Capt.W.Cottier.
5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1883-4: Eller Bank, iron ship, 1171 grt, details as 1878, except master Capt.Lane - annotated "Abandoned".
6. The Morning Post newspaper, Thursday, 13th December 1883, page 5, reported the award of a binocular glass by the Board of Trade to Capt.James M'Quarrie, of the US barque Chinampas, who rescued the 24 crew of the Ellerbank at 57S, 75W on the 1st August, and landed them at Valparaiso on the 21st August. Sums of money were awarded to the steward and the other nine men who manned the boat that was used to take off the crew.
   

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