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Forest King | Official Number
16927 |
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Forest King | Official Number
16927 |
The Forest King was a full-rigged ship, built at Harrington in 1856. She was owned by William Turner and others from Dumfries and Galloway, and was registered at Dumfries for her brief career, which was spent in the copper ore trade to Chile.
In 1857 William Briggs (of the Marsh Side Ropery, Workington), the
local agent for Cunninghams's patent reefing system, placed an
advertisement in a Whitehaven newspaper, giving a testimonial from the
master of the Forest King.
The Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser, Tuesday, 6th January,
1857, page 1 advertisement;
" Mr.Briggs, Dear Sir,- I received a letter from Captain Redmond, of the ship Forest
King, of her safe arrival at Valparaiso. He seems very much pleased
with the Patent Reefed Topsails. One of the best things ever was on board
of a ship, and wishes he had them all the same way, if so he could close
reef his Ship in twenty minutes and would be a great saving.
Yours, &c. W.Turner."
It seems that fitting Cunningham's patent was becoming popular in Cumberland at the time, and the advertisement went on to refer to a 700 ton ship being fitted with the device at Lumley Kennedy's yard (probably the Mallard). The same newspaper later in the year described a visit to Whitehaven by the inventor, and Cumberland ships launched in 1857 fitted with the device included the Yarratilda and Kamehameha the Fourth, both intended for the China trade.
The Forest King foundered off Bahia, Brazil, on the 30th November 1861, bound from Coquimbo for Cork with copper ore.
The Glasgow Herald, Wednesday, 8th January, 1862;
" LOSS OF THE SHIP FOREST KING - Intelligence has been received here of
the loss of the ship Forest King, off Bahia, Brazil, on the 30th of
November last. The Forest King, commanded by Capt.Redmond, was on her
way from Coquimbo to Cork, laden with copper ore, when she sprung a
leak, one of the butts having started. Every exertion was made to bring
her into the nearest port, but without success, and she foundered at
sea on the date mentioned. The captain and crew were saved, and arrived
at Bahia on the 1st December. The Forest King was principally owned in
Dumfries, and we understand that both ship and freight were fully
covered by insurance - Dumfries Courier."
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