Mary Ann Wilson

Official Number
13599

The Mary Ann Wilson was a wooden full-rigged ship built by Jonathan Fell at Workington in 1856.  She left Liverpool for her first voyage on the 26th March 1856, bound for Calcutta under the command of Capt.Titherington. The following day she was in collision with the barque Bahiana, off Wicklow Head. The master and three crew of that vessel got aboard the Mary Ann Wilson, but the Bahiana survived, dismasted, and was later towed into Kingstown. The Mary Ann Wilson continued her voyage (from Liverpool newspapers).

On the 20th January 1870 the Mary Ann Wilson, Capt.Joseph W.Russell, arrived at Sydney from London (see Crew List at Mariners & Ships in Australian Waters).

In November 1871 the Mary Ann Wilson had extensive repairs and was reduced to barque rig. She was surveyed at Liverpool, and was sold by her original owners, Sparks & Co., to Conaway & Co.

On the 17th June 1875 the Mary Ann Wilson, Capt.E.Stoddard, arrived at  Sydney from London (see Crew List at Mariners & Ships in Australian Waters).

The Mary Ann Wilson left Liverpool on her final voyage on the 18th September 1877, with 1249 tons of coal, bound for Mindanao (Phillipines) under the command of Capt.Stoddart. She was wrecked on Blenheim Reef, Little Paternoster Straits, in the Macassar Straits, on the 12th January 1878. The crew were all saved.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Mary Ann Wilson
1856
 944
190.1 
32.5 
 21.7
 3
 
 
 14 years A1

Sources :

  1. Iredale, Porter & Co. - Mary Ann Wilson.
  2. 1857 Mercantile Navy List gives port of registry as Liverpool, official number and signal letters LHQN, tonnage 944.
  3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1858-9 - ship, 944 tons, yellow-metalled 1855, owned by Sparks & Co., registered at Liverpool, voyage London - India.
  4. 1867 Mercantile Navy List names owner as John Atkin, of Liverpool.
  5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1868-9 - ship, 944 tons, yellow-metalled 1867, owned by Sparks & Co., registered at Liverpool, master Capt.Yexley, voyage Liverpool - India.
  6. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1872 - ship, owned by Sparks & Co., master Capt.Ritson.
  7. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1873 - barque, owned by Conaway & Co., master Capt.Stoddart.
  8. "Merchant Sailing Ships 1850-1875; Heyday of Sail" by David R. Macgregor (1984), page 36 names builder as Peile, Scott & Co., the shipyard being under the management of Jonathan Fell.
  9. Board of Trade Transcript of Liverpool Shipping Register (No.203 for 1871) at Merseyside Maritime Museum - annotated "Registry closed 20th March 1878".
  10. Loss reported in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper, Monday, 21st January, 1878 - names owners as Connoway & Co., of Liverpool. Also in the Times, Monday, 21st January, 1878, page 12.