British Tar was launched at Whitby in 1814. She became a Liverpool-based merchantman, trading across the Atlantic with North America until she was wrecked in August 1840.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | British Tar |
| Namesake | Matthew Akenhead & Henry Simpson[1] |
| Builder | Whitby |
| Launched | 1814 |
| Fate | Wrecked 14 August 1840 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 266,[1] or 267[2] (bm) |
| Length | 92 ft 11 in (28.3 m) |
| Beam | 25 ft 11 in (7.9 m) |
| Depth | 17 ft 9 in (5.4 m) |
| Complement | 11–13 |
Career edit
British Tar first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1815.[2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | T.S.Clarke | Akenhead | London–Hambro | LR |
| 1820 | J.S.Clarke | Simpson & Co. | Liverpool–Copenhagen | LR |
| 1825 | J.S.Clarke | Akenhead | Liverpool–"Mrmck" | LR |
| 1830 | D.Clarke | Akenhead | Liverpool–Philadelphia | LR |
| 1835 | Blinkhorn | Simpson | Liverpool–Newfoundland | LR; larges repairs 1835 |
| 1840 | Blinkhorn | Simpson | Liverpool–Savannah | LR; larges repairs 1835 |
Fate edit
British Tar, Blenkhorn, master, ran aground on the Arklow Bank, in the Irish Sea off the coast of County Wicklow, on 14 August 1840 and subsequently became a wreck. The coastguard rescued the crew, all of whom but Blenkhorn, deserted her. She was on a voyage from Saint John, New Brunswick to Liverpool with a cargo of timber.[3] British Tar floated off on 17 August and drifted down the channel.[4] She was later reported to have gone to pieces.
Her entry in the 1840 issue of LR bears the annotation "Wrecked".[5]
Citations edit
- ^ a b Weatherill (1908), p. 127.
- ^ a b LR (1815), Supple. pages "B", Seq.№B17.
- ^ "Ireland". The Morning Post. No. 21706. London. 20 August 1840.
- ^ "Multiple News Items". The Standard (London, England), 19 August 1840; Issue 5044.
- ^ Lloyd's Register (1840), Seq. №B426.
References edit
- Weatherill, Richard (1908). The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping. Whitby: Horne and Son.