National Archives

[crayspond]

Hi,
Does anyone know what type of info i could expect from the National Archives site re a ship in which my gt gt grandfather was on and where he drowned.
The ship is the Saint Columba - I have already posted before about this and also looked into it myself and there seems to be little information about it at all.
His name was Thomas Beveridge and he was 41 and a firemen on board - from Glasgow presumed drowned - that's about all the info. The number of the ship is 84065.
I can find the ship but not its demise. It was originally a Royal Mail Steamer (RMS) and was known as RMS St Columba. In 1850 the Admiralty privatised the carrying of mail and the City of Dublin Steam Packet company got the franchise to do the service between Ireland and the UK (Holyhead in Wales to Dún Laoghaire in Ireland).

They bought more ships in 1859 and it is unclear what happened to the St Columba. In 1883 when she sunk she would have been at least 35 years - not too old.
Anyway the National Archive gave me a no BT99/1368 and no clue as to what i would be getting for 8 pounds 50. I wondered does anyone on this site know.
Thanks for reading,

Ailsa

[mean_genie]

Ailsa

What you will get is a copy of the Crew List for that ship in 1882. Only about 10% of these have been kept by TNA, so you are doing well to get one so close to the date you need.

It will give the names of all the crew, the rank each man held, date and place of birth, when and where he joined the ship, and the ship he last served on, where applicable, likewise date and cause of leaving the ship. You will also get some detail about the ship itself and its voyages. The precise design varies a bit over time, but that's roughly what you would expect to find.

Hope that helps

Mean_genie

[crayspond]

Thanks for that info Mean_genie, I have more or less got that info from SP. I will keep googling for any more info about what actually happened to the ship. My husband reckons he found it in 1888 in the Western Isles as an island hopper. It is the same ship, it was made in Cammel Laird in Liverpool 1847-1848 purchased by the Govt as a mail boat. What happened to the crew we don't know. A mystery indeed. Thanks again.

Ailsa

[Hugh MacLean]

Hello,

I am not sure exactly how much information you have on this ship but my information has SAINT COLUMBA official number 84065 built in 1880 for Rankin, Gilmour & Co, Liverpool. I note you have this ship as being 35 years old by the time of her loss.

Missing - sailed Cardiff 28.1.83 for Bombay.

There is a missing ship article from the London Times dated 5th April 1883 listing "SAINT COLUMBA official number 84065 which sailed from Cardiff to Bombay with coals on Jan 28th last".

[Currie]

Further to Hugh’s posting. These are the London Times Shipping intelligence reports between sailing date and reported missing. Went missing somewhere between Cardiff and Port Said. Just about every day there were several reports of missing ships.

The cargo might have shifted in a storm, loose cargoes like coal were dangerous in that regard, maybe fire in the cargo, collision, any number of reasons. Ships just disappeared off the face of the Earth and all on board died in the process. It was a common event in the days before radio. Some of the wooden variety overturned and floated around the World for years until by chance some one spotted them by which time they were completely unidentifiable.

If a ship carrying coal disappears somewhere between Cardiff and Port Said, then, unless the ship was seen and identified by another somewhere in between the two, and this fact was reported to an enquiry, if there was one, or elsewhere, it should be safe to say that there would be no additional information anywhere, except for speculation, about its fate.

LONDON TIMES 21 Feb, 1883. p.10
Latest shipping Intelligence.
Overdue.
The steamer St Columbia, (sic) which left Cardiff January 28 for Bombay, according to a telegram received yesterday from Lloyd’s agent at Point Said, has not yet arrived in the Suez Canal.

LONDON TIMES 29 Mar, 1883. p.12
Latest shipping Intelligence.
Overdue vessels.
The St. Columba, steamer, which sailed from Cardiff for Bombay on January 28 last.

LONDON TIMES 5 Apr, 1883. p.7
Latest shipping Intelligence.
Missing vessels.
The St. Columba, steamer, captain Dumaresq, of Liverpool, official No. 84065, which sailed from Cardiff for Bombay with coals, on Jan. 28 last.

Alan

[pumps100]

Hello Hugh, Alan & Mean_Genie,

I am Ailsa's husband. Thank you all so much - you are correct this is the ship. In the 'Return of Deaths at Sea' the date ties in exactly with your reports - it says 'missing since 28.1.83' - 'supposed drowned'. There were six of them - most of Scottish origin from Glasgow, Greenock, Grangemouth, and Argyleshire but sailing out of Cardiff with coal.

I found this good NZ site this morning which concurs.

http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/show/306611

Yesterday I was going down a blind alley with another St Columba which was a Royal Mail Steamer crossing between Holyhead and Ireland and ended its days as a paddle steamer doing island hopping out of Greenock - a nice romantic notion but totally wrong!

When I was doing my research I was frankly staggered by the amount of vessels that went missing, and as the records officially state were 'never heard of again'; with all crew and passengers assumed lost - very matter of fact, and chillingly cold.

We wondered also if these losses were factored to todays world with the mass transit of people and goods by air/road/sea just what these losses would be - it would be a frightening figure we are sure!

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to help us end this mystery. And if you are planning to attend any Burns Supper's, have a great time and drink plently of water (with your whisky) to avoid feeling too bad on the 26th!

Regards

Ian

------------------------------------------
But pleasures are like poppies spread:
You seize the flow'r, it's bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white - then melts forever.
Tam O' Shanter

[Hugh MacLean]

Hello All,

There are also crew listings available for this ship filed under the ships's official number for the years 1881, 1882 and 1883 held at the MHA Canada at this link here: http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcomb ... l_No=84065

Will be having my whisky neat and on the rocks.

Regards

[Currie]

Are you there Ailsa,

I was looking for information about the sister ship of the vessel that brought my grandfather from Scotland to Australia, he was born on board. It turned out the Michael Angelo went missing with a cargo of coal in 1881 and that reminded me of your post.

Were you able to pick up additional newspaper info on the Saint Columba which wasn’t available when you first posted? There’s a variety of newspaper reports in the Liverpool Mercury etc. mainly covering:

33 hands lost – owners fear that the vessel has been overpowered by the terrible weather which prevailed in the Bay of Biscay – 1st and 2nd February – iron screw steamer 2233 tons – 300 horsepower – wreckage washed ashore near Marenne in Bay of Biscay – full list of crew etc.

If you don’t have these and you want them please send me a PM with an email address and I’ll send them off.

See also http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 97&start=0

Alan