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Official Number
28812 |
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Official Number
28812 |
The Philomela was a full-rigged ship built by
Jonathon Fell at Workington, launched in September 1861 (see Source 1).
She was commanded initially by Capt.T Sprott, and was owned by Joseph
Sprott, of Harrington. Joseph Sprott had previously commanded a
Harrington-built brig, also named Philomela. The ship Philomela was
registered at Workington and was employed initially in the trade to
China. She departed Liverpool on 10th January 1862, bound for Shanghai,
and upon her arrival loaded a return cargo for London. She was reported
to be off Deal, from Woosung, on the 29th December 1862. In 1863 she
was reported at Anjer, then loading a cargo of tea at Foochow, for
London, on the 2nd July. In 1864 she was again at Hong Kong, but
possibly returned too late to London to participate in the next year's
tea season. In 1865 the Philomela left
London for Victoria (Canada), and arrived at Vancouver Island on the
6th August (see Source 5). The following report indicates that she was
a well-found vessel:
From the Liverpool Mercury newspaper, Saturday, 28th October 1865;
" COMPLIMENT TO A LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN - The splendid ship Philomela, Archer, 632 tons burthen, arrived lately in Vancouver Island, 132 days from London. A Victoria paper, in noticing the arrival of the vessel, says 'Captains Reid and Gardner, who surveyed the Philomela and found the cargo in perfect order, report that the vessel, from the truck to the water's edge, is a model of cleanliness and neatness. They say she is one of the best kept vessels they have ever had the good fortune to board - not excepting a man-of-war. Captain Archer, the commander of the Philomela, may feel justly proud of his vessel when experienced 'old salts', such as our port surveyors are, bear such strong testimony to his capability.' Captain Archer is the son of one of the oldest employees in the establishments of Messrs.MacIver, of this town."
In March 1867 the Philomela sailed from London for Kanagawa. She was wrecked on a voyage from Japan to Foochow later that year.
" The ship Philomela, Yokohama to Foo Chow with ballast, was driven ashore, at Formosa, during a severe typhoon on the 14th of November, and (was) immediately broken up by the natives. The crew are reported to have been saved. "Harry Hignett (see Source 8) reports that the vessel was left 100 feet above the tide, and that the crew were stripped bare by the local natives. They spent about 12 days at the home of a local mandarin before being collected by a naval vessel and taken to Amoy. A court of inquiry held by the British Consul at Amoy absolved the master and crew of any blame. Source 9 gives the location of the wreck of the Philomela as Lakiaug, on the W coast of the island, and states that the crew arrived destitute at Taiwaufu.
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| Philomela | 1861 | 632 | 162.0 | 31.0 | 20.4 | 3 | A1, 14 years |
Sources :
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