Pet

The Pet, Official Number 26030, was built at Charlestown Cornwall in 1848.
She was a schooner, of 83 tons register, 62 ft long by 17 ft beam. Her builder Anthony Luke of Charlestown originally owned 48 of her shares, the remaining 16 being owned by Richard Carnall, sailmaker of Fowey. [1]

My gg-grandfather Henry Doidge Rundle was master from 1856 until 1859, the year of Anthony Luke's death. The Luke family continued to retain a shareholding but Henry Lobb took over as master.

The Collision of 1868

At 8:45pm on the evening of 26th September 1868 [3], the Pet was passing through the Downs anchorage off Deal when she collided with an anchored barque, the Witch of the Wave. The Pet was totally dismasted, with bulwarks and stanchions torn away. The Witch of the Wave had her bowsprit torn away, together with stanchions, chain plates and damage to several planks on the starboard side. Both vessels put into Ramsgate with leaks which required constant pumping.

The Witch of the Wave was able to resume her voyage to Pernambuco on the 18th of October, after repairs. The Pet was unable to continue her voyage, so after pumping 2 ft of water from her hold, the cargo of manure from London was transferred to another vessel for shipment to Newport.[2]

The court case

In November, the owners of Witch of the Wave instituted a claim for damage to their vessel and her cargo, amounting to £600. The judge decreed that the Pet be sold to meet this claim, but in her damaged condition and after deducting court costs, only £178.10s.11d could be raised in final settlement.[3]

Her Years in Kent

The Pet was sold to an owner in Folkestone Kent and was re-registered number 1 of that port for 1869. She remained on that register, with some 6 changes of master until she was sold in 1879 and re-registered at Plymouth, number 14 of that year.[4]

The Wreck of 1880

On the 1st of December 1880, she attempted to enter Port Talbot without a pilot and before there was sufficient water over the bar. She struck to the north of the harbour and sank.That evening the crew, who had taken to the rigging, were rescued by the Mumbles Lifeboat, without loss of life. The Pet became a total wreck.[5]

An 1859 pilot book, describing Port Talbot says "To enter this port, a stranger must always have a pilot; it is inaccessible till 4 hours' flood on the springs, or till high water neaps".[6]

You can read about the Pet's voyages of 1856-59 in the account of my gg-grandfather's career, or about other Charlestown ships in the Luke of Charlestown page.

References

  1. Register Transcript PRO BT107/316
  2. Lloyd's List Sept 28th, 29th and Oct 19th 1868
  3. High Court of Admiralty Minute Books PRO HCA27/24
    and Instance papers HCA19/458
  4. Register Transcript PRO BT108/109
  5. Board of Trade Wreck Register 1880
  6. The British Channel Pilot 1859, page 112

Other Pages

Home Page Maritime History Yachting Family History Sources Links Copyright Statement
Last modified: Feb 14, 1999
Contact me
© D.A.Hills 1999