John Gambles

Official Number 63884

The John Gambles was an iron full-rigged ship built by R.Williamson & Son at Harrington, launched in January 1874. She had a figurehead carved by Brooker of Maryport, and, like the Ann Gambles, was heavily ornamented. She was owned originally by John Gambles, a Harrington shipowner who also owned the Ann Gambles, East Croft and Vallejo. The vessel was registered at Workington.

In June 1874 the John Gambles arrived at Sydney from Liverpool, her maiden voyage under the command of Capt.James Tayler Rimmer. He was only 26 years old and seems to have commanded her only until the following year, when he took command of the East Croft after her launch. Capt.Rimmer was succeeded on the John Gambles by Capt.W.R.Leighton (1876-81) and then Capt.R.Brown (1882-1900).

The John Gambles was sold in 1894 to W.Price and Co., Tower Buildings, Liverpool, who had owned the Rosehill, also built by Williamson at Harrington. They still owned the John Gambles in 1900, and she was still registered at Workington.

In February 1901 the captain and five other crew of the John Gambleswere drowned when their small boat capsized off Camana, Chile. The vessel sailed for New Zealand under the command of the mate, but was wrecked at Papeete, Tahiti, in May 1901.

The San Francisco Call, Saturday, 27th July 1901, page 4;

" The British bark John Gambles is a total loss at Tahiti. While the vessel was at Salaverry, Peru, the captain was drowned and the mate took command. The vessel loaded 1600 tons of sugar for Auckland, New Zealand, but on May 23 last the captain found himself off the island of Tahiti in a dead calm. The captain lowered the boat and went ashore at Papeete. While he was uptown the John Gambles began to drift on a reef and nobody aboard knew how to work her off. The captain was warned, but but before he could get back to the beach the bark was hard and fast on the coral reef. A court of inquiry was held and the officers were blamed for the accident, but as none of them were licensed men nothing could be done with them. "

Sources :

1. "Shipbuilding at Workington - a Checklist" by Harry Fancy, pub. Whitehaven Museum (1985).
2. Mystic Seaport Library Ship Register Search has shipping register details from 1875 to 1900. One entry for 1883 shows her as a barque, the rest as a ship. Signal letters were MNFL.
3. "Ships of West Cumberland" by Desmond G.Sythes, reprinted by the Friends of Whitehaven Museum, April 2006 - has two photos of the John Gambles (page 27), including one of her figurehead.
4. National Maritime Museum has one photograph of the John Gambles, negative no.P4093.
5. There is a photo of the John Gambles on the Picture Australia website.
6. Mariners & Ships in Australian Waters - 1874 - John Gambles.
7. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1878-9: John Gambles, iron ship, 1066 grt, built by Williamson at Harrington in January 1874, official number 63884, signal letters MNFL, owned by J.Gambles, registered at Workington, commanded by Capt.W.R.Leighton.
8. Two unofficial log books for the John Gambles for 1882 to 1886 are held by the Liverpool Record Office - Ref. 387 MD 60-61.
9. Photo courtesy of Malcolm Bland.
10. Deaths at Camana from the Times newspaper, Friday, 22nd February 1901, page 10.
11. MT 9/704  "Investigations - Stranding of the British barque John Gambles off Port of Papeete, 1902 (from the National Archives website).

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