Western Monarch

Official Number 73584

The Western Monarch was a full-rigged ship built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company (Yard No.23). She was launched on the 21st August 1875 for the Royal Exchange Shipping Company (managers J Ratton & Co), one of three ships built at different yards for this company in that year. Two of these, the Western Monarch and Northern Monarch, were of similar size, the Eastern Monarch being larger. All three were involved in carrying emigrants to Australia and New Zealand. The Western Monarch had an iron hull, two decks, a fo'csle of 34 ft. and a poop deck of 45 feet.

The first voyage of the Western Monarch was from London to Brisbane. She departed Gravesend on the 9th December 1875 and was the last vessel to leave for Queensland that year. She was anchored at Deal on the 10th December, and arrived at Brisbane on the 15th March 1876. She was put into quarantine due to mild sickness among the passengers. She went to Sydney from Brisbane, and arrived there on the 2nd June (see Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters for crew list).

On the second voyage the ship carried 372 emigrants in 76 days to Bluff, New Zealand. On her third voyage, the Western Monarch made the passage to Wellington in 85 days. The ship's master for these first three voyages was Capt.James Watson.

Voyages recorded in various sources on the Internet are:

• London, (departed 09/12/75) to Brisbane (arrived 27/03/1876)
• London, Plymouth (departed 30/10/1878), landed 372 passengers at Bluff, NZ on 20/01/1879
• Disembarked passengers at Napier, NZ on 02/01/1880
• Plymouth (departed 28/04/82) arrived Maryborough, Queensland, on 06/08/1882
• Liverpool (departed 17/07/83) arrived Brisbane, 12/10/1883

The Western Monarch was sold to Robert Thomas & Co., of Criccieth & Liverpool, in 1888. In 1899 she was sold to L.Lydersen of Tvedestrand, Norway. The Western Monarch was still sailing at the start of the First World War. It appears that the Western Monarch was converted to a barge, renamed Derg, during the War. In 1957 she was still in commission in Limerick Harbour, carrying grain for Rank Flour Mills Ltd - the oldest surviving ship built by Barrow Shipbuilding Company.

Further Information :

1. "The Voyages to Queensland of the Western Monarch" by Pennie Manderson ( includes information from various contemporary newspapers, passenger lists for - Brisbane 1876 – Maryborough 1882 – Brisbane 1883. The diary kept by Thomas Warner from the 1882 Voyage):.
2. As with many emigrant ships, there is a great deal of information, including passenger lists, from genealogists on the Internet. Use  Google.
3. Use the Australian Newspaper Archive or the New Zealand Papers Past website to find reports of this vessel.
   

1. "Portrait of a Shipbuilder: Barrow-Built Vessels since 1873", ed. Nigel Harris ISBN 0 947971 32 7 (published 1989).
2. Information from Tony Salter-Ellis, BAE Systems, Editor, Marine Publications, provided in 2005 (BAE Systems were owners of the Barrow shipyard at the time).
   
3. "A History of Local Sailing Ships" by H.Peck, an article in "The Proceedings of the Barrow Naturalists Field Club" Vol.7 (1951).
4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1883-4: Western Monarch, iron ship, 1385 gross tons, official no.73548, owned by Royal Exchange Shipping Co.Ltd., registered at London, master Capt.T.Wood.
5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1889-90: Western Monarch, owned by R.Thomas & Co., registered at London, master Capt.J.Thomas
6. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1898-9: Western Monarch, owned by L.Lydersen (R.Thomas & Co. crossed out), registered at Tvedestrand, Norway (London crossed out).
   
7. Gwynnedd Maritime Database - Robert Thomas & Co.