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Nymph | Official Number
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Nymph | Official Number
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The Nymph was a brig, built at Workington by Thomas Peile and launched on the 3rd April 1824.
On the 19th January 1826 the Nymph was towed into Cork harbour by a steam-tug. She had been disabled in heavy weather on the 15th December, and her master and one crewman had been lost overboard. Her exhausted crew were rescued by the Albion, Capt.Mills, of Cork, who also put crew onto the Nymph, who then brought the brig to Cork. An account of the events leading to the abandonment was written by the mate, John Thompson, and was published in a Whitehaven newspaper.
The Cumberland Pacquet, Tuesday, 14th February 1826;
" The brig Nymph, of Workington, Capt.Geoffry
Yeoward, sailed on the 26th November, 1825, from Quebec, with a general
cargo, consisting of 500 barrels of ashes, wool, fruit, staves, deals,
&c., consigned to Messrs.Holt and Ferrer, Liverpool. On the 15th of
December, at 4 o'clock, A.M., a violent gale blew from the W.N.W. and a
heavy sea struck the brig and washed a man from the wheel, with the
captain, binnacle, and both compasses, overboard. At 4 ½ A.M.
another heavy sea carried off the bowsprit, the fore and main top
masts, boat, &c. The crew were now reduced to six in number, two of
whom were disabled by the falling of the spars. The vessel being on her
beam ends, it was found necesary to cut away the main-mast, in order to
right her. Four feet of water in the hold. The men were obliged
to lash themselves to the pumps, it being impossible to stop on deck
otherwise. From the 14th to the 21st, the weather continued extremely
boisterous, on the 22nd became moderate - we then riged jury foremast,
a pair of shears aft, and two lug sails, and continued under that rig
until the 7th of January, when we fell in with the brig Albion,
of Cork, Capt.Mills, in latitude 49,40, longitude 14 west. The crew
being then reduced to two hands capable of work, and the mate, and as
it was then blowing very hard, we requested Capt.Mills to stop by us
and assist us. On the morning of the 8th, not being able to
board, a tow line was passed from the Albion, to which we made fast; but the violence of the gale caused us to part at midnight. The Albion then
hove to until day light, when we gave her our best bower, and made fast
to her. The crew being now reduced to one hand and the mate, able to
work, at 2 P.M. on the 10th, the weather continued unabated, our cargo
shifted, the leak gaining on us and making much water, being unable to
keep her free; made a signal to the Albion to take us
out, which could not be accomplished, the sea running too high. At day
light observed the cable stranded in two places, our lugs being split
to pieces and not capable of bending others; the mate being the only
one of the crew not disabled, was obliged to take refuge on board the Albion,
at noon on the 10th, with the other five hands, the sea falling a
little. On the 11th, at 7 A.M. Capt.Mills and four of his crew went on
board the Nymph, when they succeeded in pumping her, and having
rigged a jury mainmast, I then delivered her papers and herself
completely to Capt.Mills, to do the best he could for all concerned,
having no person to assist me. One of my hands died on board the Albion from
fatigue. On the 19th Jan., having arrived two leagues off the Old head
of Kinsale, I returned my sincere thanks to Capt.Mills, his officers
and crew, to whose exertions the saving of four of the crew and myself,
left with the brig and her cargo are, under Providence, mainly due."
The Nymph was repaired. She disappeared from Lloyd's Register in the mid-1830's.
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