This index page on Bridgwater Ships hopes to chart the vessels associated with the Port of Bridgwater over the centuries. More will be added over time and contributions, corrections and additions are most welcome. The Irene is the last surviving Bridgwater-made ship, as far as is known. The rotting hulks of some other ships will remain in the mud of the banks of the Parrett. Many small sailing vessels, rowing boats and barges, will have been made in the town’s yards, but left unrecorded.
General
1934
Be sure to search the CREW LIST INDEX PROJECT here.
Individual Ships
List compiled by and reproduced here with kind thanks to Clare Spicer. Compiled from Lloyds Register Foundation Ship Plans and Survey Reports. 13/08/2023. Supplemental data from Rod Fitzhugh, Bridgwater and the River Parrett in Old Photographs (1993).
Ships Built at Crowpill
Gough & Moulton
Elizabeth
Smack. 43 Tons. Reg.No.10886. Built 1854. Owned by George Berry & Co. Register Closed 1928.
Sarah
Schooner. 70 Tons. Reg.No. 10875. Built 1855. Owned by Charles Hunt.
Queen
Schooner? 60 Tons. Reg.No. 10935. Built 1856. Owned by Ware & Co. Foundered 1893. **Henry Laver’s boat, his son William drowned when it sank. It was rigged as a ketch then. See Henry’s biography on the website of the Friends of the Wembdon Road Cemetery.
John Gough
Charles
Schooner. 77 Tons. Reg.No. 10940. Built 1857. Owned by Charles Hunt. Badly damaged 19 November 1906. Register Closed 1918. Sunk by a German Submarine in the English Channel. Captain Lovell taken prisoner with two crew. Mate killed. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, pp.58, 141.
Admiral Blake
Brig. 146 Tons. Reg.No. 10939. Built 1857 (not 1837 as noted by Lawrence). Owned by the Bridgwater Shipping Company.
Boadicea
Schooner. 104 Tons. Reg.No. 19134. Built 1858. Owned by Charles Hunt and Nichols.
Ketch. 62 Tons. Reg.No. 10941. Built 1858 (not 1838 as noted by Lawrence). Owned by Tazewell. Wrecked 1963. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, pp.40, 64, 72, 75, 95, 112
Alfred
Schooner. 107 Tons. Reg.No. 27878. Built 1859. Owned by George Bryant Sully.
Rolla
Schooner. 101 Tons. Reg.No. 19135. Built 1859. Owned by Clifford Symons. Register Closed 1906.
Little Meek
Brigantine. 85 Tons. Reg.No. 29553. Built 1862. Owned by John Smith.
Edith Smith
Brig. 171 Tons. Reg.No. 29551. Built 1862. Owned J.C. Smith. Casulty, stranded 2/12/1871.
Cesarea
Barque. 344 Tons. Reg.No. 47097. Built 1864. Owned by Peter Briare.
JBS
Brig. 220 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1864. Owned by William Angel.
Eve
Barque. 200 Tons. Reg.No. 29556. Built 1865. Owned by John Syburn.
Messenger
Brig. 194 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1866. Owned by William Shepherd.
Fame
Ketch. 60 Tons. Reg.No. 56361. Built 1867. Owned by Charles Hunt. Register Closed 1915. Ran aground above Dunball. Lloyd’s mistranscribed builder as ‘Hough’. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, p.62.
Secret
Ketch. 63 Tons. Reg.No. 60576. Built 1867. Owned by T. Harper and others. Register Closed 1925.
Electric
Ketch. 89 Tons. Reg.No. 62980. Built 1868. Owned by Jeremiah Clutterbuck. Register Closed 1903.
Norah
Severn Trow. Built 1868. Owned by Captain Smart. Hulked at Uphill n the 1930s. Given a Viking Funeral in 1939. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, pp.16, 30
Nora Cain
Schoooner. 122 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1871. Owned by Nathaniel Cain.
New Design
Schooner. 56 Tons. Reg.No. 62979. Built 1871. Owned by William Symons. Register Closed 1951. Hulked that year. Not to be confused with New Design no.2, built by Carver. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, pp.42, 130.
Maria Lee
Ketch. 59 Tons. Reg.No. 67221. Built 1871. Owned by Henry Lee.
Elvina
Ketch. 81 Tons. Reg.No. 67222. Built 1872. Owned by G. Hodges.
Sam Weller
Schooner. 784 Tons. Reg.No. 67223. Built 1872. Built for Browne &Co.? Owned by G. Wilton and G. Bell. Register closed 1899. Foundered that year. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, pp.79
Mary Emma
Ketch. 81 Tons. Reg.No. 67224. Built 1872. Owned by George Bryant Sully.
Selina Jane
Ketch. 80 Tons. Reg.No. 65312. Built 1872. Owned by Mr Gibson. Register closed 1926.
Eliza Jane
Ketch. 107 Tons. Reg.No. 67226. Built 1873. Owned by Sully & Co.
New Fancy
Schooner. 189 Tons. Reg.No. 67227. Built 1873. Owned by Sully & Co.
Saint Decumans
Ketch. 134 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1873. Owned by J. Ware. NB some confusion, Lloyds has this as a sailing ketch of 134 tons, Taunton Courier 23 Jul 1873 reported launch of a steamer of 300 tons for James Ware of Cardiff.
RE Miles
Ketch. 134 Tons. Reg.No. 69396. Built 1874. Owned by Rees Miles.
Tender
Schooner. 67 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1874. Owned by J. Sully. NB this is the earlier sail boat version of Tender.
Dolly Varden
Schooner. 79 Tons. Reg.No. 67229. Built 1874. Owned by G. Wilton and G. Bounsall.
Advance
Ketch. 61 Tons. Reg.No. 67232. Built 1874. Owned by Mr. Palmer.
Two Brothers
Ketch. 90 Tons. Reg.No. 67235. Built 1874. Owned by Sully & Co. Broken up 1922. Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, p.115
Enterprise
Schooner. 102 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1875. Owned by James Reney.
Cronella
Schooner. 103 Tons. Reg.No. 72454. Built 1875. Owned by John G. Allen.
Sea Breeze
Schooner. 103 Tons. Reg.No. 69399. Built 1875. Owned by W.H. Langdon.
Florida
Schooner. 111 Tons. Reg.No. 72453. Built 1875. Owned by B. Martell and B. Waymouth.
Moonlight
Schooner. 104 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1876. Owned by RH Prince of Chester and Fredric Prince.
Florence Louisa of Chester
Schooner. 114 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1876. Owned by James Keney. Bridgwater Mercury 27 Sept 1876 reported launch
Claggan
Schooner. 84 Tons. Reg.No. 70481. Built 1876. Owned by John Fisher & Co.
Alice Bannister
Schooner. 114 Tons. Reg.No. 76876. Built 1877. Owned by Hugh Bannister.
Star Light
Schooner. 114 Tons. Reg.No. 76501. Built 1877. Owned by Mr. Prince. Wrecked 8 December 1893.
Caledonia
Schooner. 125 Tons. Reg.No. unknown. Built 1877. Owned by George Walker.
Princess of Thule
Schooner. 125 Tons. Reg.No. 76290. Built 1878. Owned by Anaes MacKenzie. Register Closed 1916. Intended for fishing trade of Stornoway – B Mercury 23 Jan 1878 . Pictures in Fitzhugh, Parrett, p.50
Dashwood
Schooner 113 Tons. Reg.No. 78452. Built 1878. Owned by John H. Allen.
Gough and Nation
Clarence G. Sinclair
Schooner. 89 Tons. Reg.No. 70530. Built 1878. Owned by George Stark. Register Closed 1897.
Lily
Schooner. 86 Tons. Reg.No 72459. Built 1879. Owned by James Bowerman.
Clara
Schooner. 95 Tons. Reg.No. 72460. Built 1879. Owned by James Bowerman.
Ships built on East Quay
F.J. Carver
New Design No.2
Schooner. 83 Tons. Reg.No.67230. Built 1874. Owned by Symons
Ernest
Ketch. 109 Tons. Reg.No. 67233. Built 1874. Owned by W.G.B. Sully.
Mary Emma
Schooner. 111 Tons. Reg.No. 72456. Built 1876. Owned by G.B. Sully.
Bertie
Ketch. 76 Tons. Reg.No. 69406. Built 1877. Owned by Robert Davey.
Octavius
Schooner. 89 Tons. Reg.No. 72458. Built 1878. Owned by Clifford Symons.
Maggie Annie
Ketch. 79 Tons. Reg.No. 78706. Built 1881. Owned by R. Hillman.
Ketch. 75 Tons. Reg.No. 84571. Built 1882. Owned by James Ware of Cardiff.
Petrel
Cutter (yatch). 16 Tons. Reg. No. 81532. Built 1886. Owned by Holt Brothers of Burnham.
Beatrice Hannah
Ketch. 80 Tons. Reg.No. 93456. Built 1888. Owned by J. Nurse.
F.J. Carver and Sons
Florrie
Ketch. 94 Tons. Reg.No. 81533. Built 1892. Owned by Clifford Symons. (painting owned by Bridgwater TC)
Kate and Annie
Ketch. 96 Tons. Reg.No. 99537. Built 1894. Owner Thomas Kamp
Sunrise
Ketch. 100 Tons. Reg.No. 105408. Built 1899. Owner F. Nurse
Ketch. 97 Tons. Reg.No. 111394. Built 1907. Owner Clifford Symons.
Port Ships built outside of Bridgwater
More to follow. If you have details of ships we’ve not yet covered, please get in contact.
Docks Dredger
built 1844 at Bristol
now a museum ship
Barque. 800 Tons.
built 1851 at Pictu, Nova Scotia
lost 1864
Trow. 39 Tons.
built 1852 at Bristol
sank 1909
Trow/Dandy. 62 Tons.
built 1865 at Runcorn
Broken up 1949
Ketch. 47 Tons.
built 1868 at Pill
broken up 1926
Ketch. 124 Tons.
built 1873 at Harwich
Fate Unclear
Tug. 34 Tons.
Built 1908 at South Shields
Broken up 1934
Port Ships Associated with Alfred Peace
In the census of 1871, Alfred put ‘ship owner’ as part of his occupation, although as he was part owner of a number of vessels, a complete list is not currently possible. See the website of the Friends of the Wembdon Road Cemetery for his biography. As well as the below, his entry in the 1902 Kelly’s Directory said that he was the owner of ‘Bristol and Cardiff Steamers’, although exactly what vessels were involved with that
Terrier – ship’s official number 73856
The iron steamship Terrier was built in Glasgow and first registered there on the 28th of August 1876. Alfred may have bought the ship brand new, as she was reported in the Bridgwater Mercury 18th October 1876 as arriving in Bridgwater on two separate occasions, carrying iron from Newport. Not much more than a year after she was first built, Alfred had the ship completely overhauled in September 1877. Only three months later, on 14 December, she was lost between Swansea and Highbridge in bad weather.
Ermenilda – ship’s official number 70553
This 62 ton wooden sailing schooner was built in Milford in 1874. By 1880 she was owned by Samuel Taylor who lived in Wembdon. Crew lists indicate that Alfred Peace was briefly the owner of the Ermenilda in 1894. The master of the Ermenilda in 1894 was H. Hamblin, who was also later a master of another of Alfred Peace’s boats, the Devon. During the First World War the Ermenilda was sunk by a German submarine on the 4th of August 1916, off the Casquets on a voyage from Guernsey to Poole. The crew were given 5 minutes to leave the ship before she was blown up. They got away safely in the boat and were picked up some hours later by a Russian steamer and landed at Weymouth. By this time she was owned by Edward Hamblin of Bridgwater.
Devon – ship’s official number 68135
The Devon was a 59 ton iron steamship built in 1872 in Cardiff. Previously owned by James Ware and registered in Cardiff, from 1898 she was owned by Alfred Peace and re-registered to Bridgwater. After Alfred’s death, his son Aglen owned and ran Peace Limited and the SS Devon.