BIRDA M31

Official No:  93440     Port Number and Year: 6th in Milford, in 1890

Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail, mizzen.

Crew: 9 men

Registered at Milford: 24 Nov 1890

Built: T. R. Oswald & Co., Castle Pill, Milford, in 1896.  (Yard no. 255)

Tonnage: 131.78 grt  65.54 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 107.7 / 20.5 / 10.15

Engine: C 2-Cyl. 50 hp..  Engine: W. King & Co., Glasgow

Owners:   24 Nov 1890: Thomas Ridley Oswald, Steamship Birda Ltd., Docks, Milford                                                             Castle Hall, Castle Pill, Milford Manager: Fred John Sellick   11 Nov 1904: Edward Tower, 11 Grove Place, Swansea.   6 Jun 1905: Herbert Collings, 16 Philpot Lane, London   Renamed ACOR 7 Dec 1905: Portuguese owners.

Landed at Milford:  3 Jan 1891 - 27 Jan 1904 (Fished out of Aberdeen from 1 Jul 1901 to 3 Jan 1902.)

Skippers: G. Garnham, cert. 2371, age 28, born Sittingbourne, residing - ; 7 Jul 1891; 7 Jul 1892 William Thomas 1234, 31, Hull, - ; 21 Sep 1891; 9 Jan, 5 Jul, 20 Jul 1892; 11 Mar; 7 Jul 1895 J. Cammish 2239, 37, Scarborough, - ; 30 Jun 1893. F. A. Walker 4322, 31, Lynmouth, - ; 3 Jul, 9 Nov 1893; 1 Jan 1894 Henry Belton 3706, 31, Lincolnshire, - ; 30 Nov 1893 Thomas Leyland 05547, - , Hull, Hakin; 30 Jun 1894 James Kilby 1427, 32, Hull, Great North Rd., Milford; 27 Sep 1894; 24 May 95 Alfred Alexander 4073, - ,- , 6 Milton Tce., Pill, Milford; 9 Jan 1895 William Days 01411, 44, Hull, - ; 3 Oct 1895 W.H. Fletcher 1042, 33, Cheshire, - ; 5 Jan, 5 Jun 1897 R. Robson 5087, 24, Scarborough, Gladstone House, Robert St.; 14 Aug 1897; 1 Jan, 5 Apr 1898. J. Cottrall 10736, 45, Barking, - ; 14 Mar 1898. G. C. Masters 5545, 27, London, Greville Rd., Milford; 8 Jul 1898; 9 Jun, 10 Jul 1899. Thomas Leggett 4759, 24, Gorleston, - ;  9 Sep 98. F. Dollar 641, 42, Lyme Regis, - ; 24 Nov 1898. Samuel Knapman 1779, 35, Dartmouth, - ; 16 Jan 1899 W. M. Dunile 1074, 42, Bath, - ; 14 Apr 1899 R. Gladingboul 4386, 30, Ramsgate, 12 Aug 1899 J. Curtis 5274, 24, Yarmouth, - ; 4 Sep 1899 W. Stephenson 2769, 37, Hull, - ; 21 Oct 1899 W. E. Wales 5484, 26, Ramsgate, - ; 1 Nov, 4 Dec 1899 J. A. Walker 4332, 36, Lynmouth, 5 Green Tce., Hubberston; 15 Jan 1901 W. Langley 6847, 40, Lowestoft, 53 Robert St., Milford; 10 Jun, 17 Jul 1901 Jack Welham 6150, 29, Yarmouth, - ; 11 Oct, 14 Nov 1901; 3 Jan 1902 Thomas Marks 02454, 46, Wellington, Commercial Hotel, Milford; 23 Nov 1901 J. Coaker 4190, 30, Brixham, Meads Rd., Milford; 10 Jan 1902 William Maunder 1460, 41, Hull, 43 Port Tennant Rd., St.Thomas, Swansea ; 19 Aug 1902; 12 Jun, 10 Jul 1903 H. Rayworth 3687, 33, Hull, - ; 25 Jan 1903. W.T. Smith 5908, 25, Bexhill, 7 Margaret St., St.Thomas, Swansea; 9 Feb, 31 Oct 1903. S. F. Richards 6941, - , Neath, - ; 13 May 1903 B.J. Kippin 5264, 34, Norwich, - ; 7 Sep 1903 F. J. Newman 932, 32, Bristol, - ; 3 Dec 1903

Notes:

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 7 Dec 1905

 Accidents and Incidents

From the Western Mail of Monday 11th December 1893:

 

WRECK ON GRASSHOLM ISLAND

 

ONE MAN DROWNED

 

THE CAPTAIN LEFT UNCONSCIOUS ON THE ISLAND

 

    During Friday's storm, the schooner Ellen, of Carnarvon, from Norway with timber for Cardigan, stuck on Grassholm on Friday and was totally wrecked.  Assistance was being sent from Milford Haven to the captain, who is still on the island.

    Our Milford Haven correspondent states that the schooner was owned and commanded by Captain John P. Owen.  Four of the crew and the pilot were brought into Milford Haven on Saturday afternoon, and in the course of an interview the men stated that the Ellen was bound from Frederickstadt, in Norway, to Cardigan with a cargo of flooring boards.  The captain, owing to the heavy weather put into Milford, and on Wednesday, the weather having moderated, proceeded for Cardigan.  All went well until Thursday night, when a heavy gale came on, the vessel then being eight miles from the Bishops, and the captain again bore back to Milford for safety.  The vessel shipped some big seas, and the crew were kept at the pumps all night, until Friday morning, when all her canvas was carried away by the violence of the wind, the vessel at this time passing Grassholm.  At half past six the vessel became unmanageable, and ran on the rocks, the sea, which was running mountains high, dashing her against the rocks with great violence.  The crew, numbering five .........  climbed the rigging and got on to the rocks by way of the fore-yard.  One of the crew, John Rowlands, was drowned in the attempt.  .......  In this predicament the whole day and following night were passed, the men starving with hunger and almost dying with thirst, until Saturday at noon, when the steam trawler Birda fortunately hove into sight.  Discerning the men on the island the skipper of the Birda got as near land as the dangerous rocks would allow and launched a boat in which were three of the crew, named Longthorpe (who commanded it), Balt and Reece, taking with them a long line and a buoy.  The boat neared the rocks and threw out her line and buoy, the shipwrecked men, one at a time, leaping from the rocks into the surf and seizing the buoy, by which means they were hauled into the boat in an exhausted state, ansd taken with safety to the Birda.  The captain, however, being helpless, could not possibly be got into the boat, and was, there being no alternative, left on the island.  The Birda at once steamed for Milford, landing the men at half past three, the shipwrecked men in the meantime being kindly supplied with food and the necessary changes.  The crew of the Birda, the men declared, treated them like gentlemen.  Hearing that the captain was left on the island in an unconscious condition, the trawler Her Majesty went out to Grassholm at four o'clock, towing the Angle lifeboat out with her but the heavy rolling of the sea would not permit them to get ashore, and, after making fruitless attempts during the night, they returned to Milford on Sunday morning, intending, it is said, to again go out this (Monday) morning, when, it is feared, if they can land, the captain will have succumbed to hunger and exposure. 

 

[See log book entry below.]

 

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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 27th October 1897:

 

Between seven and eight o'clock on Tuesday night, a fireman named William Morse, employed aboard the steam trawler 'Birda' met with a serious accident which will result in the loss of his right leg.  It appears that the vessel about that time stated was fishing off the Smalls, when the man's foot became entangled in the warp, which lacerated the flesh in a shocking manner, in fact the foot was nearly severed from the leg.  The vessel at once put back into Milford, and the injured man was attended to by Doctor Griffiths, who ordered his removal to the Haverfordwest Infirmary.  It is feared that the leg will have to amputated.

 

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Log book entries:

 

19.10.1893

Wind SW, fishing S of Galley Head.  Shipped a heavy sea, blowing very hard at the time.  Damaged the small boat, mizzen and other trifling things.

    F.A. Walker (Skipper)

 

10.12.1893

Left Milford harbour 7 a.m. proceeded to the fishing grounds.  When passing Grassholm Island observed signals of distress.  Proceeded as close to the island as possible, and launched the boat, manned her with three hands who went as near as possible, threw lines to the shore with life buoys attached and succeeded in rescuing four hands from the schooner 'Helen'.  It was blowing a strong breeze with a heavy sea.  We then proceeded to Milford and landed the men.

    F.A. Walker (Skipper)

 

30.05.1894 [?]

Thomas Leyland, age 40, Skipper, born Hull, died at 6.00 p.m.  Cause of death - three wounds in the left jaw caused by guiding the warps with a hand spike.  The hand spike flew up and hit him in the face.

 

21.12.1894

Whilst 4 miles NNW of St. John's Point, vessel was struck by a heavy sea during strong gales from the southward.  Mizzen mast and gear carried away.

    J. Kilby  (Skipper)

 

26.11.1898

Thomas Knight, age 43, 3rd Hand, born Ipswich.  His left hand jammed between the gallows and chain.

    F.Dollin (Skipper)

 

06.05.1899

5 or 6 miles NW Saltees Island Lightship.

Towed the steam trawler 'Avonmouth' of Bristol into Milford Haven.  Her engines had broken down.

     F.Dollin (Skipper)

 

05.04.1902

50 miles SW from St. Ann's Head.

Cylinder cover of engine blown off, studs giving way.

    J. Coaker (Skipper)

 

27.05.1902

At sea.  Robert Herd, age 58, Chief Engineer, born St. Andrew's.  Died at sea.

    J. Coaker (Skipper)  W. Adams (Mate)

 

14.12.1902

25 miles SW by W from St. Ann's Head.

Henry F. Lawrence, 40 years old, Chief Engineer, born Grimsby, residing Milford.  Ruptured through falling down in engine room.

    William Maunder (Skipper)

 

13.06.1903

Belfast Ireland.

Collided with wharf, case of oversight, too much sternway.

    J. Joyce (Skipper)

    H. Hubert [ X his mark] (Bosun)

 

11.11.1903

Left Swansea on the 11th, when about 8 miles from Caldy Island we came across the German ship 'Boland' with her rudder gone.  We took her in tow, arrived at Milford Haven on the 13th.

    F.J. Newman (Skipper)

 

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The Times, Monday, Mar 02, 1903; pg. 7; Issue 37017; col A
     The Gale.

PADSTOW - The gale continued off the Cornish coast yesterday morning, and in attempting to enter Padstow Harbour, the steam trawler Birda, of Milford Haven, struck on the Boom Bar.  The vessel's position was one of great danger, and the lifeboat and rocket brigade were called out.  The coastguardsmen got a line across the vessel in about a quarter of an hour after she struck.  In the meantime the lifeboat was launched, the wives and daughters of the pilots of the port assisting in getting her off.  The lifeboat took off the whole of the crew of nine men, the rescue being effected quickly, and less than an hour after the vessel struck.

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