Board of Trade Inquiry Reports into Shipping Collisions and Sinkings.

[bigbazza]

Hi,
I would like advice on how to access Board of Trade Inquiry Reports into a collision at sea and the subsequent sinking of a particular sailing ship in the 1870's.  I have been advised by TNA that they may have this type of information but because of my limited knowledge and understanding of their website I have not been able to access anything.  If anyone can help, the basic details are as follows;

4th November 1872, the bark, Sea Queen, at anchor off Falmouth harbour was rammed by the iron steamer, The Dunstanborough which was under pilot.  The Sea Queen was extensively damaged and was towed into harbour by the harbourmaster's ship, Penndennis.  The captain of the Sea Queen, Robert Jerrett, died at Falmouth on 17th January 1873 (but this may not be related to the accident).
Subsequently, his son, Robert Jerrett junior took command of the Sea Queen and, on a voyage out of Liverpool in April 1874, laden with coal, the ship sank off Genoa with the loss of all hands.

Any help would be gratefully received,

Baz.

[leighton]

Hello Baz,

There was also a ship called the Sea Queen that sank in 1870 off the Norfolk coast. Perhaps the information from the TNA is for this particular sinking rather than the one in Falmouth.

leighton 

[seaweed]

There were several vessels around with the name SEA QUEEN in the timescale. The one you are looking for is the ship with the official number 23462.
N0t sure whats in TNA but collision reports seem few and far between but try www.plimsoll.org they have wreck reports online and although I doubt they have collision reports, they would be well placed to give you some direction.
The site is down at the minute so cannot give a direct link.

[bigbazza]

Hi seaweed,
Thanks for the reply.  You are correct about the official number being 23462.  I should have included it in my original post.
TNA advised that they don't list ships names so it makes it very frustrating when you haven't got a handle on this type of research.
www.plimsoll.org leads you to Gateway To The World - Port Cities, Southampton which I have researched.  Their records commence in the late 1870's if I remember rightly - a few years after the incidents I described.
Regards,
Baz.

[GrahamSimons]

Just a thought - is it worth a whizz through the British Newspaper Archive online? Might be worth repeating in the future as more newspapers get digitised?

[seaweed]

Sorry did not think about the dates but i still think you should email them to ask if they know were collision reports are deposited.
I don't know if you have seen the vessels logbooks for 1872. It seems they have survived and are available from here
http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcombinedcrews.php?Official_No=23462
The narrative pages may contain details of the incident.
Likewise the logbooks for 1872 of DUNSTANBOROUGH official number 65387 available here
 Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives
Queen Elizabeth II Country Park
Ashington
Northumberland
England
NE63 9YF
Ph: 01670 52 80 80
Email: collectionsATwoodhorn.org.uk
Website: http://www.experiencewoodhorn.

[bigbazza]

Excellent advice once again. 

I have researched British Newspapers online but it's always worth repeating the exercise.
I will follow your advice, seaweed and email Port Cities, Southampton.  I am aware of the Sea Queen's log book but it's quite expensive to buy so i'm saving up for it!  I am hoping it will tell me a lot of what I want to know when I do eventually purchase it.
Thanks also for the excellent info concerning the Dunstanborough's log book. I will look into that one this week.

Regards, Baz.

[seaweed]

Did a little more on this one and it would seem what you are looking for are Board of Trade Casualty Returns. These seem to be available for 1872/73 from the Guildhall Library London. I think a visit would be your best bet.

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visiting-the-city/archives-and-city-history/guildhall-library/collections/Documents/Marine%20History/casualty-returns-reports.pdf

I suspect they will not be as comprehensive as a Board of Trade Inquiry Report but I think you need to look at it anyway.

[bigbazza]

Hi seaweed,

Many thanks for this lead.  I have had dealings with the Guildhall Library, London in the past and they have been very obliging with a couple of free searches (not related to this) so I will give them a try again.

Baz.