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Kelsick Wood | Official Number
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Kelsick Wood | Official Number
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The Kelsick Wood was a brig, built by Kelsick Wood at Workington in 1813. In 1840 she was registered at Workington and was owned by William Fisher and others, her master being William Thompson. Her registry was transferred to Liverpool later that year.
The Kelsick Wood seems to have spent most of her early career in the trade between Liverpool and Quebec. For example, in 1824 the Kelsick Wood, under Capt.Joseph Porteous, sailed from Liverpool to Quebec with a general cargo (dep.15th April, arrived 3rd June), then returned and left Liverpool on the 27th August, again for Quebec, arriving 9th October with coal and a general cargo. She cleared for Liverpool on the 7th November.
The Ships List website lists other voyages between Liverpool and Quebec or Montreal, in 1817 (Capt.Fisher), 1825 (Capt.Porteous & Capt.Brown) and 1834 (Capt.Robinson). These voyages seem to have been as a cargo vessel, but by 1852 the Kelsick Wood was involved in the emigrant trade. In 1850 the registry of the Kelsick Wood was transferred from Liverpool to Dublin.
The Times, 5th May 1852, page 8;
" THE IRISH EXODUS - The Telegraph, of last night, thus notices
the progress of the flight of the population from the port of Dublin :-
" The quays of Dublin are daily thronged with crowds of emigrants. So great
is the efflux westwards from these kingdoms that very few vessels can be
afforded to Dublin for the exodus from Ireland. Our readers will be surprised
to see how few vessels have been chartered here for the last quarter for
the direct trade - indeed, not more than six, all being absorbed by the
Liverpool line. In the shipping list for the port of Dublin we only find
within the last month the following returns :- On the 15th April, the George,
of Kirkaldy, for New York, with 150 passengers; on the 16th, the Kelsick
Wood, of Liverpool, for Quebec, with 137 passengers. There are now
only two emigrant vessels - the Mersey, of Windsor, Nova Scotia
(610 tons), and the Defence, of Liverpool (608 tons), taking in
passengers in the Dublin roads, although the steamers are embarking swarms
of western wayfarers at every tide."
The Kelsick Wood was lost in 1856 at the port of Safi (Morocco).
The Morning Post, 20th February 1856, page 7;
" The Kelsick Wood (British brig), Higgins, was totally
wrecked in the port of Saffee, on the 4th of January; crew, except two hands, drowned."
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Sources :