Owners of Jigger Flats
Mr. Telford's on the Intended Cumberland Canal; and Mr. Chapman's Further Observations Thereon contains information about sailing flats as well as the ports which they visited. It is reported, on page 14, that sailing flats conveyed cargoes between Carlisle and Liverpool. Sailing flats, by crossing the Irish Sea, are claimed to have transported salt from the ports of the River Weaver to Dublin. An attempt is made, on page 21 of the third volume of Glossary of the Technical Terms Used in the Evidence Taken Before the Royal Commission of Labour, to draw a distinction between barges and lighters but it is concluded that the two types of vessel were indistinguishable from one another. Flats are described as lighters that were longer than canal boats and are reported, on page 22, to have been propelled by sails or by steam-engines. Sailing flats, on page 22, are claimed to have been designated as barges. It is reported, on page 24, that flats were boats that operated along the navigable waterways of the River Mersey and its affluents. Flats, which are claimed to have resembled the keels that navigated the River Humber, are portrayed as regional carrying craft. It is reported that flats, which are also compared to the barges and lighters which operated on the River Thames, tended to be ten-feet longer than keels. A. Ansted, on page 87 of Dictionary of Sea Terms, claims that the fore-masts of ketches and yawls were taller than their mizzen-masts. It is reported, on page 180, that the presence of mizzen-masts and mizzen-sails were one of the defining features of ketches. Edward H. Knight, on page 1406 of the second volume of Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary, claims that ketches and schooners were equipped with main-masts as well as mizzen-masts while a jigger is described as a small mast that is installed at the stern of a yawl. Ketches and yawls, therefore, could be regarded as jigger-rigged sailing vessels. It is reported, on page 175 of the third volume of The International, that the ketch was a modification of the yawl.
1) Bryn Arnold and William Gough Thomas.
J. Clark Hall, on page 657 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1900, describes Protection as a sailing flat that was built at Connah's Quay. It is reported that the official number of the trading vessel, which is claimed to have been built in 1887 and whose official number is revealed to have been 93730, was 67-tons. Evan Rowland Jones, on page 170 of the edition of The "Shipping World" Year Book that was published in 1891, claims that Connah's Quay was associated with the port of Chester. Connah's Quay is reported to have been connected to Bagillt, Greenfield, Mostyn, Queen's Ferry, Saltney and Sandcroft. It is claimed that the ships which entered the River Dee, which is reported to have been undergoing the process of deepening during the final decade of the nineteenth-century, were accommodated at Connah's Quay. Several railways are revealed to have communicated with Connah's Quay, which is claimed to have contained two tidal docks, while steam-cranes and hand cranes are reported to have been established along the water-front. Connah's Quay, which is claimed to have occupied a central position between Chester and the mouth of the River Dee, appears to have contained rail-to-ship transloading facilities. It is explained that the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway terminated at the sea-port while the Great Northern Railway as well as the Midland Railway are reported to have communicated with the town. J. Clark Hall, on page 739 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1904, reveals that Protection had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing flat. William Gough Thomas, who is claimed to have resided in Connah's Quay, is named as the owner of the coasting vessel. Liverpool is identified as the port in which the sailing flat, whose registered tonnage is reported to have shrunk from 67-tons to 57-tons, was registered. Bryn Arnold, who is claimed to have occupied the same commercial premises as Thomas, is named as the co-owner of the trading vessel.
2) Richard Abel.
Robert Jackson, on page 406 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1881, describes Marten as a sloop-rigged sailing vessel that was built at Runcorn. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the sloop, which is claimed to have been built in 1878 and whose official number is revealed to have been 67167, was 67-tons. Runcorn is identified as the port of registration of the trading vessel while John Brundit, who is named as the owner of the sloop, is reported to have resided in the town. It is claimed, on pages 471 and 472 of the third volume of The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, that Runcorn was located on the eastern bank of the River Mersey. Communication is reported to have been established between the Bridgewater Canal, the Grand Trunk Canal and the River Mersey at Runcorn. Runcorn, of which free stone is reported to have been a principle export, is reported to have resided in Cheshire. George Saintsbury, on page 112 of Manchester, claims that that the greater Bridgewater Canal established water communication between Manchester and Runcorn. Samuel Smiles, on page 248 of the new and revised edition of Lives of the Engineers, claims that the Grand Trunk Canal placed the River Mersey in communication with the River Trent. J. Clark Hall, on page 617 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1892, claims that Marten had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel. Richard Abel, who is reported to have been a denizen of Runcorn, is named as the managing owner of the jigger flat. Richard Abel, on page 329 of the installation of Kelly's Directory of Cheshire that was published in 1896, is described as a sail-maker and as a barge-builder. It is reported that Abel, who is claimed to have conducted his business from the Top Locks area of Runcorn, was also a forwarding agent and a general carrier. James Stephen Jeans, on page 418 of Waterways and Water Transport in Different Countries, claims that Runcorn Old Quay Lock was 300-feet long as well as 45-feet wide.
3) William Barnes and Ellen A. Barnes.
Robert Jackson, on page 367 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1881, claims that Kate was a ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by William Barnes. Liverpool is named as the port in which the jigger flat, whose official number is reported to have been 28177 and whose registered tonnage is claimed to have been 55-tons, was registered while Northwich is identified as the town in which the ship was constructed. Barnes, who is identified as a resident of Liverpool, is reported to have inhabited an office that was situated on Fenwick Street. It is claimed that Barnes, whose sailing flat is reported to have received the international signal code of P. V. J. K., occupied a commercial premises that was located in the Derby Buildings. Liverpool, on page 161 of the fifty-eighth volume of Harper's New Monthly Magazine, is described as one of the great sea-ports of England. It is reported, on page 163, that Liverpool received its first dock in the eighteenth-century while the navigable length of the River Mersey is claimed to have been extended at a similar time. Four fifths of the trade between the United Kingdom and the United States of America, on page 165, is reported to have passed through Liverpool. Flats, on page 166, are identified as the carrying craft of Liverpool and it is reported that the lighters had deep holds deep well as broad beams. It is claimed that flat-rigged sailing vessels, unlike their jigger-rigged cousins, were equipped with a single mast and sheet. Flats are reported to have been painted black while their sails, which are compared to those of the local fishing boats, are claimed to have been dyed a copper-bronze colour. J. Clark Hall, on page 495 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1892, reveals that ownership of Kate had passed from William Barnes to Ellen A. Barnes. It is reported that Ellen A. Barnes, who is identified as a denizen of Lancashire and whose ship is claimed to have been built in 1859, conducted her business from Litherland Park.
4) Thomas Coppack.
Robert Jackson, on page 387 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1880, describes Lota as a flat-rigged sailing vessel that was built at Widnes. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the sailing flat, whose official number is revealed to have been 67166 and which is claimed to have been constructed in 1878, was 87-tons. Widnes, on page 6 of the first part of The Geography of the Counties of England and Wales, is named as one of the principle towns that had been been established on the banks of the River Mersey. J. Clark Hall, on page 502 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1891, claims that Lota had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel while its registered tonnage is reported to have decreased to 76-tons. Jean Jacques Élisée, on page 271 of The Earth and its Inhabitants, describes Widnes as a town of evil odour. Bone-manure works, chemical-works, copper smelting houses and soap factories are listed as the industries that were established at Widnes. J. Clark Hall, on page 584 of The Mercantile Navy List for 1900, claims that Lota was owned by Thomas Coppack. Not Forgot, on page 632, is identified as a another ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by Thomas Coppack. It is reported that the jigger flat, whose official number is 58204, was built at Connah's Quay. Not Forgot, like Lota, is claimed to have been registered at Chester. It is reported that the registered tonnage of Not Forgot, which is claimed to have been constructed in 1868, was 54-tons. Connah's Quay is named as the location from which Coppack, who is described as the managing owner of the jigger flats, conducted his business. Coppack Brothers and Company, who appear on the list of Lloyd's Agents that appears on page 773, are reported to have been established at Connah's Quay. It is claimed, on page 281 of Supplement to The Telephone Directory that was published in 1900, that the Coppack brothers were ship-brokers while Connah's Quay is named as their base of operations.
5) James Corker.
James Corker, on page 122 of the installation of Gore's Directory of Liverpool and its Environs that covers the year 1876, is described as an earthenware dealer. It is reported that Corker, who is claimed to have inhabited an office that was situated on 148 Price Street, was a denizen of Birkenhead. J. Clark Hall, who includes all of the trading vessels that James Corker owned in The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1899, describes Great Britain as a jigger-rigged sailing vessel that was built at Northwich. Examples of sailing flats that were owned by Corker can be found on pages 414, 442, 445 and 526 of the maritime directory. Great Britain, on page 535, is identified as a jigger-rigged sailing vessel that was built at Northwich. Liverpool is identified as the port of registry of the two-masted sailing flat, whose official number is reported to have been 60075, while Corker is named as its owner. Corker, who is claimed to have resided in Birkenhead, is reported to have conducted his business from 148 Price Street. It is claimed that the registered tonnage of the jigger flat, which is reported to have been constructed 1868, was 80-tons. Other examples of sailing flats that were owned by Corker can be found on pages 548, 596, 617, 632, 647, 667, 689, 693, 713 and 748 of the mercantile navy list. Birkenhead, on page 32 of Beeton's British Gazetteer, is reported to have been situated on the left bank of the River Mersey. It is claimed that Birkenhead, which is reported to have been located in Cheshire, lay on the opposite side of the River Mersey to Liverpool. William Laird, at the beginning of the nineteenth-century, is claimed to have established commercial docks and shipyards at Birkenhead. Robert Jackson, on page 310 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1880, reveals that Great Britain began its career as a flat-rigged sailing vessel. James Corker, who appears to have been responsible for converting the trading vessel into a jigger flat, is named as the owner of the single-masted sailing barge.
6) Robert L. Foulkes.
Michael Stammers, on page 188 of Mersey Flats and Flatmen, claims that Sarah Latham had been rigged as a jigger flat. It is claimed that the length of the sailing vessel, whose hull is reported to have been eight-feet in depth, was 80-feet and eight-inches. Ferguson and Baird, who are claimed to have owned a shipyard that was situated at Connah's Quay, are reported to have constructed the jigger flat. It is claimed that the registered tonnage of the trading vessel, whose breadth of beam is reported to have been twenty-one feet and five-inches, was seventy-seven tons. J. Clark Hall, on page 767 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1904, describes Sarah Latham as a flat-rigged sailing vessel that was built at Connah's Quay. It is stated that the registered tonnage of trading vessel, which is reported to have been built in 1903 and whose official number is claimed to have been 104478, was 77-tons while Chester is identified as its port of registration. Richard Darby, on page 151 of the second edition of Darby's Gazetteer, describes Chester as the capital of Cheshire. J. Blake Harrold, on page 719 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1925, claims that Sarah Latham had been converted into a motor vessel. It is reported that the trading vessel, whose depth of hold is claimed to have been eight-feet, was eighty-feet and seven-inches in length. Robert L. Foulkes is named as the managing owner of the merchantman, whose breadth of beam is reported to have been twenty-one feet and five-inches, while Chester is claimed to have remained its port of registration. Sarah Latham, on page 1054, is described as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel. It is stands to reason, therefore, that the jigger flat depended on the wind as well as its engines for its means of propulsion. Foulkes, who is identified as a resident of Connah's Quay and whose ship is reported to have received the international signal code of J. V. H. F., is claimed to have conducted his business from 36 Church Street.
7) Jabez Gould.
Robert Jackson, on page 442 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1880, describes Mayflower as a yawl-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by Jabez Gould. It is reported that the jigger flat, whose port of registration is claimed to have been Liverpool, was constructed at Connah's Quay. Gould, whose line of work is not mentioned, is reported to have conducted his business from Hoylake. It is claimed that the official number of the yawl, which is reported to have been built in 1875, was 74476 while its registered tonnage is revealed to have been 39-tons. Mayflower, which is included in the edition of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping that lists the sailing vessels that were afloat from the July of 1881 until the June of 1882, is claimed to have been equipped with salted beams. Chester is identified as the port of survey of the trading vessel, whose hull is reported to have been eight-feet in depth, while Liverpool is named as its port of registration. Smith is reported to have build the jigger flat, which is claimed to have been fifty-eight feet and seven-inches in length, at Connah's Quay. It is reported that it took four months to construct the coasting vessel, whose breadth of beam is claimed to have been seventeen-feet and two-inches, while its registered tonnage as well as its official number concurs with the figures that are included in the maritime directory. Jabez Gould, as in the list of mercantile navy vessels, is named as the owner of the sailing flat. Sherlock, whose first name is not revealed, is identified as the master of the merchantman. John Bartholomew, on page 398 of Gazetteer of the British Isles, explains that Hoylake is situated in the parish of West Kirby. A distance of six miles is reported to have existed between Hoylake, which is claimed to have been located at the extreme point of the Wirral Peninsula, and Birkenhead. It is reported that two light-houses, which are claimed to have been equipped with fixed lights, had been established along the shore of Hoylake.
8) James T. Hawksley.
J. Clark Hall, on page 399 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Register for 1880, claims that Margaret Davies was a ketch-rigged sailing flat that was owned by James T. Hawksley. It is reported that the coasting vessel, whose international signal code is claimed to have to have been T. S. H. Q. and whose official number is revealed to have been 44247, was built at Maesygarnedd. Carnarvon is named as the port in which the jigger flat, whose owner is reported to have resided in Pembrokeshire, was registered while the registered tonnage of the trading vessel is claimed to have been 48-tons. It is reported that Hawksley, whose coasting vessel is claimed to have been constructed in 1863, conducted his business from Tenby while Maesygarnedd is revealed to have been situated in Merioneth. Margaret Davies, therefore, had been built and was registered in North Wales while its owner resided in the South Wales. Askew Roberts, on page 107 of The Gossiping Guide to Wales, claims that a distance of a quarter of a mile existed between Maesygarnedd and Llanelltyd Bridge. Samuel Lewis, on page 9 of the second volume of the third edition of A Topographical History of Wales, states that the parish of Llanelltyd was situated in the County of Merioneth. Llanelltyd, which is identified as one of the settlements of North Wales, is reported to have been located on the eastern bank of the River Maw. It is claimed that the confluence of the River Maw, which is also referred to as the Mawddach, and the River Wnion lay within the vicinity of Llanelltyd. Water-craft that did not exceed 20-tons, as late as 1845, are reported to have been able to navigate the watercourse as far as Maesygarnedd. It is claimed, however, that the tide flowed up to Maesygarnedd and it is possible that heavier vessels could have navigated the river at this time. A distance of three miles is reported to have existed between Llanelltyd the place in which the River Maw, which may have been deepened in the following decades, met the River Eden.
9) Thomas Kennedy Hayes.
Robert Jackson, on page 506 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1880, describes Sarah Ann as a sloop-rigged sailing vessel. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the sailing flat, whose international signal code is claimed to have been P. T. K. D., was 61-tons. Arthur Young, on page 357 of Nautical Dictionary, claims that sloops were single-masted vessels that were equipped with fore-and-aft sails. It is reported that sloops could also be equipped with jib-sails, foresails and gaff topsails. A. Ansted, on page 255 and 256 of A Dictionary of Sea Terms, claims that sloops were equipped with a single mast as well as a jib-stay. Charles Annandale, on page 9 of the eighth volume of The New Cabinet Cyclopaedia and Treasury of Knowledge, describes sloops as small vessels that were fitted with a mast and a bowsprit. Henry Coleman Folkard, on page 38 of the fourth edition of The Sailing Boat, claims that sloops were equipped with main-sails and fore-sails. J. Clark Hall, on page 702 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1899, describes Sarah Ann as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by Thomas Kennedy Hayes. It is reported that Hayes, whose commercial premises are claimed to have been situated at 58 Wellington Road, was a denizen of Liverpool. Sarah Ann, whose official number is reported to have been 27948, is claimed to have been constructed at Northwich. Liverpool is named as the port in which the jigger flat, which is reported to have been built in 1859, was constructed. Sarah Ann, after spending the earlier part of its career as a single-masted sailing vessel, had been converted into a two-masted jigger flat. T. K. Hayes, on page 948 of The Telephone Directory that pertains to the years 1899 and 1900, is described as a shipwright who resided in Liverpool. It is possible, therefore, that the individual who is named in the telephone directory was the same person who owned Sarah Ann during the final decade of the nineteenth-century.
10) William Heaps.
William George Neal, on page 83 of the sixteenth volume of The Marine Engineer, claims that Reese Jones built E. K. Muspratt for William Heaps. On the 22nd of March, 1894, E. K. Muspratt is reported to have been launched at Port Dinorwic. It is claimed that the trading vessel, which is reported to have been built to convey materials along the coast and the rivers, was capable of carrying 200-tons of cargo while its draught is revealed to have been nine-feet. E. K. Muspratt, which is included in the installation of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping that lists the sailing vessels that were afloat from 1896 to 1897, is described as a wooden ketch. It is reported that the jigger flat, which is claimed to have been built in 1894, was registered at Liverpool. Rees Jones and Son, who are claimed to have owned a shipyard at Port Dinorwic, are reported to have constructed the sailing flat. It is claimed that the merchantman, whose registered tonnage is reported to have been 100-tons, was eighty-two feet and two-inches in length. William Heaps is named as the owner of the ketch-rigged coasting vessel, whose breadth of beam is claimed to have been twenty-one feet and two inches, but no other information is provided about the nature of his business. E. K. Muspratt, whose depth of hold is reported to have been eight-feet and nine-inches, appears to have been suited for operations in shallow waters. J. Clark Hall, on page 425 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1895, describes E. K. Muspratt as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was built in 1894 while Liverpool is named as its port of registry. It is claimed that the jigger flat, whose official number is reported to have been 102156, was constructed at Port Dinorwic. William Heaps, whose office is claimed to have been situated on 15 Everton Valley, is reported to have been a resident of Liverpool. It is claimed, in contradiction to the figure that is provided in Lloyd's shipping register, that the registered tonnage of E. K. Muspratt was 80-tons.
11) Henry Hughes.
Robert Jackson, on page 431 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1880, describes Mersey as a schooner-rigged sailing vessel. It is reported that the trading vessel, whose international signal code is claimed to have been K. D. W. J., was registered at Carnarvon. James Hews Bransby, on page 3 as well as page 4 of A Description of Carnarvon and the Neighbouring District, provides information about the town in which Mersey was constructed. Carnarvon, which is reported to have been located in North Wales, is described as the capital of the county of the same name. It is reported that Carnarvon, which is claimed to have been established at the mouth of the River Seiont, was situated on the south-eastern shore of the Menai Straits. J. Clark Hall, on page 617 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1898, reveals that Mersey had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel. Henry Hughes, who is claimed to have conducted his business from Glad-don, is named as the managing owner of the coasting vessel. It is reported that the jigger flat, which is claimed to have been built at Pwllheli, was constructed in 1849 while its registered tonnage is revealed to have been 44-tons. Carnarvon, which is identified as the town in which Hughes resided, is reported to have been the port at which the sailing flat was registered. It is revealed that the coasting vessel, whose official number is claimed to have been 8871, had lost its international signal code. Pwllheli, on page 1 of Picturesque Pwllheli, is described as a town that was situated on the north-west corner of Cardigan Bay. A harbour, on page 2, is reported to have been established at Pwllheli and is claimed to have been in need of improvements. Sand is reported to have filled the harbour, with the exception of a navigable channel, and is claimed to have been devoid of water during low-tides. Sailing flats, such as Mersey, may have navigated the shallow waters or rested on the sand banks when the tide was out.
12) Griffith Jones.
Conovium, on page 277 of the seventeenth volume of The Life-boat, is described as a yawl that was registered at Beaumaris while Admiral Briggs is identified as the Hilbre Island life-boat. On the 24th of June, 1898, Admiral Briggs is reported to have assisted Conovium after it became stranded within the vicinity of Hilbre Island. It is reported that the rescue operation, which is claimed to have lasted from twenty minutes to one 'o clock in the afternoon until five minutes to three 'o clock in the afternoon, lasted for a duration of two-hours and fifteen-minutes. J. Clark Hall, on page 446 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1898, identifies the sailing vessel that was rescued by Admiral Briggs on the 24th of June. Connovium, which appears to have been an alternative spelling of Conovium, is reported to have been owned by Griffith Jones and is claimed to have been registered at Beaumaris. Hall describes Connovium as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel, rather than as a yawl-rigged sailing vessel, and identifies Conway as the town in which it was built. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the jigger flat, which is claimed to have been constructed in 1892 and whose official number is revealed to have been 97573, was 66-tons. Jones, who is reported to have been a resident of Conway, is claimed to have conducted his business from Pleasant View. Harry Thurston Peck, on page 301 of the fourth volume of The International Cyclopaedia: A Compendium of Human Knowledge, describes Conway as a sea-port that was situated on the estuary of the river of the same name. It is reported that the town, which is claimed to have been located in Carnarvonshire, was situated on the left bank of the Conway River. Adam Black, on page 109 of Black's Picturesque Guide to Wales, identifies Llyn Conway as the source of the River Conway. It is reported that the River Conway, which is claimed to have formed the boundary between Carnarvonshire and Denbighshire, discharged into the Irish Sea.
13) Joseph C. Jones.
J. Clark Hall, on page 810 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1907, describes Robert Elsie as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel. Joseph C. Jones, who is reported to have resided in Hoylake, is claimed to have been the managing owner of the jigger flat. Hoylake is reported to have been situated within Cheshire while Jones, whose line of business is not revealed, is claimed to have run his commercial enterprise from 11 Bank Road. It is reported that the trading flat, which is revealed to have been built in 1905 and whose official number is identified as 120859, was built at Peel while Liverpool is named as its port of registration. Robert Elsie, whose registered tonnage is reported to have been 33-tons, was one of the smaller jigger flats to be constructed. Evan Rowland Jones, on page 226 of the installation of The "Shipping World" Year Book that pertains to the year 1891, identifies Peel as one of the settlements of the Isle of Man. Sailcloth, which may have been used to create the main-sheet and the jigger-sheet of Robert Elsie, is reported to have been among that was manufactured on the Isle of Man. Peel, which is claimed to have been defended by a series of piers, is described as a tidal harbour that was formed by the outlet of the River Neb. Hoylake, on page 176 of the seventh edition of A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to Liverpool and its Environs, is described as a pleasant watering-place that is situated at the mouth of the River Dee. It is reported that Hoylake, which is claimed to have been situated on the coast of Cheshire, was often visited by ships that were travelling between Chester and Liverpool. Robert Elsie, which had been built on the Isle of Man, was registered in Lancashire while its owner resided on the Anglo-Welsh border. It stands to reason, therefore, that the jigger flat would have traded on the River Dee and the River Mersey. Voyages across the Irish Sea, within which the Isle of Man resided, may also have been among the journeys that sailing flat participated in.
14) Thomas Jones.
Catherine Roberts, on page 131 of the seventy-sixth volume of Accounts and Papers, is identified as a wooden ketch that foundered while it was transporting coal from Workington to Dunfanaghy. On the 10th of February, 1893, the ketch is reported to have sunk within the vicinity of Downies Bay. Chester is identified as the port of registry of the sailing vessel, whose registered tonnage is reported to have been 54-tons, while Thomas H. Jones is named as the owner of the ketch. Workington Harbour and Dock, on page 396 of the fourth edition of Sailing Directions for the West Coast of England, is claimed to have been established at the outlet of the River Derwent. Lonsdale wet dock, which is reported to have been 600-feet in length as well as 300-feet in width, is claimed to have been used by ships which sought to load or discharge their cargoes. It is reported, on page 397, that the depth of water in Workington Harbour ranged from ten-feet to sixteen-feet. Small craft, on page 898, are reported to have communicated with the wharfage that was situated further along the harbour. Jigger flats, therefore, may have been among the water-craft that visited the quays. It is claimed that coal-pits had been established within the vicinity of the town of Workington, which is reported to have been situated on the south side of the River Derwent, and is is stated that iron-works were also located within the town. J. Clark Hall, on page 362 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1892, claims that Catherine Roberts was a sailing flat. It is reported that the trading vessel, which is claimed to have been built in 1863, was constructed in Rhuddlan while Chester is identified as its port of registration. Thomas Jones, who is claimed to have been a resident of Bangor and whose business address is identified as 3 Mountain Square, is reported to have been the owner of the sailing flat. It is claimed that registered tonnage of the trading vessel, whose official number is reported to have been 47216, was 54-tons.
15) Timothy Kirby.
J. Clark Hall, on page 469 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Register for 1900, names Timothy Kirby as the managing owner of E. R. A. while Liverpool is identified as its port of registration. It is reported that the merchantman, which is described as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel, was built in Saint Helens and re-modelled in Liverpool. No information is provided about the year in which the jigger flat, which is claimed to have re-constructed in 1895, was constructed. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the ketch-rigged barge, whose official number is claimed to have been 106899, was 47-tons. Kirby, whose business address is revealed to have been 14 Mersey Road, is reported to have resided in Widnes. John Marius Wilson, on page 913 of the third volume of The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, describes Saint Helens as a town as well as a sub-district of the parish of Prescot. Saint Helens, which is reported to have benefited from water and rail communications with its local surroundings, is claimed to have been situated on the Sankey Brook as well as the Sankey Canal. Saint Helens, which is reported to have been located in Lancashire, is claimed to have been situated within close proximity to Liverpool. Shipbuilding, on page 12 of the second volume of Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories and Workshops that pertains to the year 1895, is listed as one of the principle industries of the district of Liverpool. It is reported that the district of Liverpool included Birkenhead, Chester, Prescot, Runcorn and Saint Helens. Sailing flats, of which E. R. A. is an example, were among the water-craft that were constructed within the the district of Liverpool. J. Blake Harrold, on page 834 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1925, claims that E. R. A. remained the property of Timothy Kirby as late as the second decade of the twentieth-century. It is reported that the sailing flat, as late as 1925, retained its ketch-rig while its registered tonnage is claimed to have remained 47-tons.
16) Liverpool Lighterage Company, Limited.
William Newall, on page 525 of the installation of The Directory of Directors that pertains to the year 1897, is reported to have been the director of three companies. Liverpool Lighterage Company, Limited is identified as one of the companies that Newall directed. Newall, who is claimed to have conducted his business from Springbank, is identified as a resident of Garston. Henry Sell, on page 732 of the volume of Sell's Directory of Registered Telegraphic Addresses that was published in 1898, claims that the headquarters of the Liverpool Lighterage Company was situated on 21 Water Street. It is reported, on page 38 of the thirty-sixth volume of The Coal Trade Journal, that the Liverpool Lighterage Company dominated the coal trade on the River Mersey. J. Clark Hall, who includes ketch-rigged as well as yawl-rigged sailing vessels in The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1898, reveals that the Liverpool Lighterage company owned a number of jigger-rigged Mersey flats. Examples of jigger-rigged sailing vessels that were owned by the Liverpool Lighterage Company can be found on pages 396, 436, 469, 483, 487, 495, 516, 519, 581, 651, 696, 708, 709 and 747 of the maritime directory. America, Champion, Edward Blower, Enoch, Europe, Glittering Star, Livadia, Petrel, Shooting Star, Success, Sunbeam and White Star are named as the jigger flats that were owned by the Liverpool Lighterage Company. Connah's Quay, Northwich and Winsford are identified as the towns in which the two-masted sailing flats were constructed while Liverpool is named as their port of registration. It is reported that the registered tonnages of the jigger flats were 54-tons, 68-tons, 72-tons, 76-tons, 78-tons, 79-tons and 80-tons. Liverpool Lighterage Company, on page 82 of the fifteenth volume of The Sketch, is described as a speculative investment. It is asserted, on page 190 of the eighteenth volume of The Banking and Insurance Magazine, that the capital that was offered by the Liverpool Lighterage Company was not promising for investors.
17) Peter Marmion.
J. Clark Hall, on page 453 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1894, describes Florence as a yawl-rigged sailing vessel that was registered at Liverpool. Winsford is named as the town in which the trading vessel, which is reported to have been built in 1892 and whose official number is claimed to have been 97229, was constructed. James Pritchard, who is reported to have been a denizen of Runcorn, is identified as the managing owner of the sailing flat. It is claimed that Pritchard, whose trading vessel is reported to have had a registered tonnage of 77-tons, inhabited a commercial premises that was situated at the Elms. Charles H. Jones, on page 753 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1914, reveals that James Pritchard retained ownership of Florence during the opening year of the First World War. Rear-admiral William Sowden Sims and Burton J. Hendrick, on page 4 of The Victory at Sea, claim that the outer harbour of Liverpool was mined during World War One. Submarines, on page 24, are reported to have disrupted the sea lines of communication that ran between Liverpool and the ports of North America. Sailing flats, such as Florence, would have faced the threat of striking mines or being torpedoed by submersible vessels. Charles H. Jones, on page 777 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1917, reveals that Florence had been sold to Peter Marmion while Runcorn is claimed to have become the port of registration of the yawl-rigged sailing vessel. Pritchard, therefore, had sold the jigger flat to Marmion during the First World War. J. Blake Harrold, on page 641 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1925, claims that Florence had been transformed into an auxiliary motor vessel. Runcorn is named as the port in which the merchantman, which is reported to have been converted into a motor barge in 1924, was registered. Florence, on page 861, is reported to have been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel.
18) John Owen.
Robert Jackson, on page 572 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1882, names John Owen as the proprietor of Vixen while Carnarvon is identified as the port in which the trading vessel was registered. Frodsham is named as the town in which the merchantman, which is described as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel, was constructed. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the jigger flat, whose international signal code is claimed to have been P. D. L. K. and whose official number is revealed to have been 25072, was 57-tons. Owen, who is reported to have resided in Carnarvon and whose merchant vessel is revealed to have been built in 1858, is claimed to have occupied a commercial premises that was situated on 33 Garnon Street. It is reported, on page 2319 of the second volume of The London Gazette for the Year 1849, that Garnon Street was situated in the parish of Llanbeblig. An iron foundry and a slate-quay, during the first half of the nineteenth-century, are claimed to have been established on Garnon Street. John Haywood, on page 15 John Heywood's Guide to Carnarvon, describes Llanbeblig as the parish in which Carnarvon is situated. It is reported, on page 554 of the first volume of The Imperial Cyclopaedia, that Caernarvon is situated in the Hundred of Is-Gorfai. Caernarvon, as Carnarvon is spelled in the encyclopedia, is described as the capital of North Wales as well as a port and as a borough. Bangor, Conway, Criccieth, Nevin and Pwllheli are named as the contributory boroughs of Caernarvonshire. It is reported, on page 556, that the principle exports of Caernarvon were copper ore and slate. Caernarvon is claimed to have been connected to Bristol, Liverpool, London and the ports of Ireland via the sea lines of communication. Coasting vessels that were above fifty-tons, which would have included Vixen, are reported to have traded with Caernarvon. It is possible, therefore, that the jigger flat would have transported copper ore and slate at some point in its career.
19) William Roberts.
J. Clark Hall, on page 547 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1894, describes Lydia as a yawl-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by William Roberts. Runcorn is named as the port in which the jigger flat, which is reported to have been built in 1847 and whose official number is claimed to have been 16409, was constructed. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the trading vessel, which is claimed to have been built at Frodsham, was 49-tons. Roberts, who is reported to have been a denizen of Mostyn, is claimed to have inhabited a property that was situated on the Quay. Frodsham, on page 471 as well as page 470 of the third volume of The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, is reported to have been situated at the confluence of the River Mersey and the River Weaver. It is claimed that the principle industries of Frodsham, which is identified as one of the towns of Cheshire, were the production of salt and the manufacture of textiles from cotton. Mostyn Gut, on page 49 of the edition of Sailing Directions for the St. George's or Irish Channel that was published in 1881, is described as an artificial channel that is a mile in length. It is reported that the depth of water in Mostyn Gut, during spring tides, did not exceed 12-feet while the neap tides are claimed to have reduced the depth of water to five-feet. Coal and metal are reported to have been loaded, via dedicated stages, into trading vessels whose registered tonnage did not exceed 120-tons. Light-draught vessels, such as Lydia, may have been better adapted to navigating the shallow waters of Mostyn Gut. It is reported that Mostyn Quay, which is described as the principle shipping place below Chester Cut, afforded better access to ships during low tides than the facilities that were available at Bagillt or Dee Bank Quay. Flint jetty, during neap tides, is claimed to have been surrounded by water that was eight-feet in depth while spring tides are reported to have increased the depth of water to twelve-feet.
20) Pierce Parry.
Jane, on page 263 and 340 of the fifteenth volume of The Life-boat, is described as a ketch that foundered at Whitehaven. On the 19th of July, 1892, six emergency-workers are reported to have rescued three mariners from the jigger flat during a whole gale. It is claimed that the sea, as a result of the powerful winds that were blowing from a north north-western direction, was rough. Beaumaris is identified as the town in which the sailing flat, which is reported to have become stranded during the gale, was registered and it is reported that the rescue-workers received £5 for their efforts. No information is given about the owner of the merchantman, which is claimed to have been wrecked in the storm, while the cargo that was being carried by the jigger flat and its port of destination also remain a mystery. J. Clark Hall, on page 483 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1892, identifies Pierce Parry as the owner of Jane while Beaumaris is named as the port in which the trading vessel was registered. Witton, which is reported to have been situated in Cheshire, is identified as the town in which the ship was constructed. Parry is claimed to have conducted his business from Llandudno, which is reported to have been located in Carnarvon, while Jane is described as a sailing flat. It is claimed that the lighter, whose international signal code is reported to have been L. H. M. R. and whose official number is revealed to have been 13556, was built in 1839 while its registered tonnage is stated to have been 53-tons. It is claimed, on page 118 of Abstracts of the Returns Made to the Board of Trade of Shipping Casualties that spans the months between the July of 1892 and the June of 1893, that Jane was conveying slates from Bangor to Silloth on the 19th of July. Jane, which is described as a wooden ketch that was registered at Beaumaris, is reported to have foundered during its fifty-third year afloat. It is claimed that the wind, at the time of the storm, was blowing from a west north-western direction.
21) William H. Poole.
Robert Thubron, on page 106 of The Dock and Port Charges of Great Britain, describes Fleetwood as a port of Lancaster that lay at a distance of eighteen-miles from Preston. William Henry Poole, who is reported to have been a customs officer, is reported to have collected the duties that were owed by the merchants that traded in the town. J. Clark Hall, on page 633 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1899, claims that Midian was a ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was built in Winsford. William H. Poole, who is reported to have resided in Fleetwood, is named as the managing owner of the ketch. Fleetwood is identified as the port in which the jigger flat, whose official number is revealed to have been 108538, was registered. It is reported that registered tonnage of the trading ketch, which is claimed to have been built in 1861, was 49-tons. Poole, whose line of business is not revealed, is claimed to have occupied a commercial premises that was situated in Albert Square. It is explained, on page 184 of the edition of Sailing Directions for the West Coast of England that was published in 1884, that Fleetwood owed its prosperity to Peter Hesketh. A railway line, which is claimed to have been constructed between 1835 and 1840, is reported to have placed Preston in communication with the mouth of the River Wyre. Fleetwood, as a result of the rail line of communication that existed between Preston and the estuary of the River Wyre, is claimed to have developed into a thriving port. Cotton and Spanish ore, on page 185, are reported to have been the principle imports of Fleetwood. China clay and pig iron, which are claimed to have arrived at Fleetwood via the coast, are reported to have been imported from the local area. Coal and manufactured goods, which may have arrived via the River Wyre or by the railway, are claimed to have been the the main exports of Fleetwood. Coasting vessels, which would have included jigger-rigged sailing vessels, may have participated in the trade of local goods.
22) James William Raynes.
23) David Richards.
Robert Jackson, on page of 360 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1881, describes John Parry as a schooner-rigged sailing vessel that was built in Bangor. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the trading vessel, which is claimed to have been constructed in 1850 and whose official number is claimed to have been 19005, was 52 tons. Edward H. Knight, on page 2053 of the third volume of The Practical Dictionary of Mechanics, claims that schooners are fore-and-aft sailing vessels which are equipped with two or three masts. It is reported that the sails, or sheets, of schooners were extended on booms. Schooners, in certain circumstances, are claimed to have been equipped with spliced masts. Schooners that carried square-rigged sails on their topgallant masts are reported to have been known as topgallant schooners while schooners that lacked topgallant sails, which would have occurred when topgallant masts were absent, are reported to have been referred to as fore-and-aft schooners. J. Clark Hall, on page 489 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1892, claims that John Parry maintained its schooner-rig during the time in which David Richards was its managing owner. It is reported, on page 175 of the third volume of The International, that the main-mast of a ketch-rigged sailing vessel was shorter than that of a schooner-rigged sailing vessel. J. Clark Hall, on page 513 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1894, reveals that John Parry had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was registered at Beaumaris. Richard Jones, who is identified as the managing owner of the merchantman, appears to have been responsible for converting the schooner into a jigger flat. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the trading vessel, after it had been converted into a ketch, had been reduced from 52-tons to 44-tons. Jones, whose commercial premises are reported to have been situated on 4 Robert Street, is identified as a resident of Bangor.
24) John C. Ridgeway.
It is claimed, on page xiii of the installation of Slater's Manchester and Salford Directory that covers the year 1892, that building materials were manufactured at Sankey Bridges. Clare and Ridgeway, of which John C. Ridgeway may have been a partner, are described as brick-makers as well as builders merchants. It is reported, on page xiv, that Clare and Ridgeway were flat owners who manufactured cement as well as fire-clay goods. Clare and Ridgeway, on page xv, are claimed to have been lath splitters as well as lime merchants. It is reported, on page xvii, that Clare and Ridgeway were shipwrights as well as slate merchants. Sanitary tubes, tiles and timber are among the building materials that the construction firm are claimed to have sold. Ant may have conveyed bricks, cement, fire-clay, lime, sanitary tubes, slates, tiles and timber along the inland waterways of North West England. J. Clark Hall, on page 362 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1895, describes Ant as a sloop-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by John C. Ridgeway. Ant, which is reported to have been built in 1863 and whose official number is revealed to have been 97743, is claimed to have been built at Northwich. Ridgeway, whose sailing vessel is reported to have been registered at Liverpool, is claimed to have been a resident of Sankey Bridges while the registered tonnage of the sloop is claimed to have been forty-seven tons. John Marius Wilson, on page 756 of the second volume of The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, claims that Sankey Bridges was situated within Great Sankey. It is reported that Great Sankey, which is claimed to have been located within the parish of Prescot, was connected to the Sankey Canal. J. Clark Hall, on page 374 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1896, reveals that Ant had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel. Building materials, therefore, were among the cargoes that jigger flats transported along the River Mersey and its affluents.
25) Owen Roberts.
26) Ed. Rowland and William H. Rowland.
Robert Jackson, on page 308 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1881, describes Gilbert Greenall as a sloop-rigged sailing vessel that was owned by Robert Roberts. Sankey Bridges is named as the place in which the merchantman, whose official number is reported to have been 44621, was constructed while Liverpool is identified as the port in which the trading vessel was registered. Llanfair, which is claimed to have been situated in the Island of Anglesey, is named as the place from which Roberts conducted his commercial operations. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the merchantman, which is claimed to have been built in 1860, was 59-tons. J. Clark Hall, on page 528 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1899, reveals that David Charles Pritchard had purchased the sloop while Liverpool is identified as its port of registration. Pritchard is claimed to have occupied a business premises that was located in Coldhelen Ferry, which is reported to have been situated in Carnarvon, and this exemplifies the business ties that existed between North Wales as well as the North West of England. J. Clark Hall, on page 514 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1900, reveals that Gilbert Greenall had been converted into a ketch-rigged sailing vessel by Ed. Rowland. William H. Rowland, whose business premises is claimed to have been situated on 583 Stretford Road, is named as the co-owner of the jigger flat. Ed. Rowland and William H. Rowland are reported to have resided in Old Trafford, which is claimed to have been situated in Manchester, while Carnarvon is identified as the port in which their sailing vessel was registered. It is claimed that the registered tonnage of the trading vessel, in contrast to the 59-tons that was reported in the previous year, was 45-tons. Ed. Rowland and William H. Rowland, by converting the single-masted sloop into a double-masted ketch, had reduced the registered tonnage of the sailing flat by fourteen-tons.
27) Thomas B. Silcock.
28) Trustees of Liverpool Docks.
Oak, which appears in Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping that included the sailing vessels that were operational from the July of 1874 until the June of 1875, is described as a ketch that was owned by the Trustees of Liverpool Docks. It is reported that the sailing vessel, whose official number is claimed to have been 24220, was built in Liverpool. Hartley is reported to have constructed the ketch, whose registered tonnage is claimed to have been 106-tons, in 1836 while Liverpool is named as its port of registration. Technical information about the water-craft, which is reported to have been 67-feet and seven-inches in length, provides insight into the general dimensions of the sailing vessel. It is claimed that the breadth of beam of the ketch, whose function is not specified, was nineteen-feet and one-inch. Shallow waters, that might have been found in the tidal regions of the River Mersey, meant that shipwrights had to construct vessels that displaced the least amount of water. Oak, whose dimensions appear to have been typical of a Mersey flat, is reported to have had a depth of nine-feet and five-inches. David Bremner, on page 411 of The Industries of Scotland, claims that the Trustees of Liverpool Docks leased a granite quarry that had been established in the parish of Kirkmabreck. It is reported that the granite, which is claimed to have been conveyed to the River Mersey by four dedicated cargo-vessels, was used in the creation of the docks of Liverpool. Oak, therefore, may have transported granite from Kirkmabreck to Liverpool or received it from the merchantmen that arrived at the port. Robert Jackson, on page of 446 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1880, describes Oak as a ketch-rigged sailing vessel while Liverpool is identified as its port of registration. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the vessel, rather than being 103-tons, was 73-tons. Jackson, however, concurs with the shipping register about the year in which the water-craft was built as well as its official number.
29) United Alkali Company, Limited.
30) Zillah Shipping and Carrying Company.
William A. Savage, on page 167 of the installation of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping that lists the companies that owned ships from the July of 1896 until the June of 1897, is claimed to have managed a shipping firm that operated in the vicinity of Liverpool. Zillah Shipping and Carrying Company, Limited are reported to have conducted their business from Warrington while their commercial premises is claimed to have been situated on 119 Liverpool Road. J. Clark Hall, on page 767 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1899, claims that Winifred was a ketch-rigged sailing vessel that was built in Connah's Quay. Liverpool is named as the port of registration of the jigger flat, whose official number is reported to have been 104472 and which is claimed to have been constructed in 1898, while the Zillah Shipping Company are identified as the proprietors of the coasting vessel. It is reported that the registered tonnage of the jigger flat, whose owners are reported to have been situated in Warrington, was 75-tons. Henry N. Malan, on page 981 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1907, reveals that the Zillah Shipping and Carrying Company retained ownership of Winnifred during the first decade of the twentieth-century. Winnifred, on page 624 of The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1919, is claimed to have been converted into a steam-vessel. It is reported that the ketch-rigged coasting vessel, in 1907, received its steam-engine at Connah's Quay. Winnifred, which is claimed to have been 81-feet and seven-feet in length, appears to have been a sailing vessel for a duration of nine years. It is claimed that the breath of beam of the ship, whose net tonnage is reported to have been 69-tons, was twenty-feet and eight-inches. Liverpool is revealed to have remained the port of registration of the merchantman, whose gross tonnage is claimed to have been 89-tons, while it depth of hold is reported to have been eight-feet and five-inches.
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