Glaramara

Official Number
74748

The Glaramara was an iron barque built by the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company,  launched in May 1877. She was owned by George Nelson and was registered at Whitehaven. The vessel was commanded by Captain Robert Morton for her entire career.

The first voyage of the Glaramara was from London to Port Augusta, South Australia. The barque grounded there, but was recovered eventually and returned to Queenstown, then Le Havre, with a grain cargo.

In October 1879 Capt.Morton and his first mate faced charges at Newcastle of cruelty and tyranny to a 17-year old apprentice, Frederick Williamson, on a voyage from Newport to Kurrachee, India. Williamson had been beaten and confined, and become insane. He had been left interred at the Bombay Lunatic Asylum. The charges against both officers were dismissed by the court. Ten years later, Capt.Morton faced a similar charge, this time by causing the death by neglect of a 15 year old apprentice on the Silverdale.

The Glaramara, carrying a cargo of wheat from San Francisco and bound for Cork to receive orders, was lost off the Sovereigns, near Oysterhaven on the Irish coast, on the 22nd February 1883. The master had anchored in fog after lookouts had heard breakers. The barque dragged her anchors and despite the assistance of the tug Mount Etna she was driven ashore. Coastguards used rocket apparatus to rescue all the crew.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Glaramara
1877
678
184.5 
30.3 
17.6 
3
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. Launch reported in the Isle of Man Times, Sat., 26th May 1875, page 5 (citing the Whitehaven Guardian) - the Glaramara was to be commanded Capt.Moughtin, a Manxman, and was launched by his wife. The barque was intended for the trade to Australia and the West coast of America.
  2. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984)
  3. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1878: Glaramara, iron barque, 678 tons, owned by G.Nelson & Co., registered at Whitehaven, master Capt.R.Moughtin.
  4. The National Library of Australia website has a photo of the Glaramara at Port Augusta, possibly taken at the end of her maiden voyage.
  5. "Alleged Cruelty to a Boy at Sea" in various newspapers, including the Newcastle Courant, 10th October 1879.
  6. Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1883: Glaramara, iron barque, 678 tons, official no.74748, signal letters QRDW, owned by Geo.Nelson, registered at Whitehaven, master Capt.R.Morton.
  7. Wreck described on Irish Shipwrecks website (with report of the Board of Trade Inquiry, from the Liverpool Mercury, Thurs., 8th March 1883).