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Official Number
65050 |
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Official Number
65050 |
The schooner T & EF was built in August 1871 by John and William White at Ulverston. She was bought by the Duddon Shipping Association, with William Postlethwaite acting as managing owner, and she remained in their ownership until her loss in 1914. The T & EF was named after Capt. Thomas Fairclough, her first master, and his wife Elizabeth.
The T & EF was berthed at Saltney on Census night in April
1881, and her crew were listed as follows:
| James Fairclough | M | 53 | Tarlton, Lancashire, England | Master |
| James Fairclough | U | 24 | Ulverston, Lancashire, England | Mate |
| James Holmes | M | 50 | Ulverston, Lancashire, England | AB Seaman |
Making for Barrow with a coal cargo, the T & EF ran aground 2 miles S of Walney Lighthouse on the morning of 22nd October, 1902. The Barrow lifeboat Thomas Fielden was launched, but by the time they reached the schooner she had refloated. However, so much of her gear had been lost that the schooner was helpless in very rough seas and a near gale from WNW. Some of the lifeboat crew got aboard the schooner to assist with connecting a towline from a steamer, and the T & EF was towed to a sheltered anchorage at Piel Island (Source 3).
Alan Lockett (see Source 2) reports that she was nicknamed the "Teeny
Eff" and was reputed to be one of the fastest Duddon schooners. She was
lost trying to make the shelter of Ramsey Bay, Isle of Man, in 1914. She
had arrived off Duddon Bar with three other schooners (the Coniston,
Holy
Wath and Maggie Barratt)
on the evening of December 30th. The Coniston managed to cross the
bar, but the others arrived too late on the tide, and as the weather developed
into a gale, had to sail to seek shelter in Ramsey Bay. The Maggie Barratt
and Holy Wath arrived safely, but the T & EF, which had
left last, never arrived. A few days later her small boat was found ashore
at Kirkudbright, Scotland, and the T & EF was listed as "Missing",
with the presumed loss of all hands - Capt. Jack Jones, mate Richard Hughes
and seaman George Torrington. The Maggie Barratt was lost herself,
in very similar circumstances, only six weeks later.
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Sources :
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