Additional information courtesy of Christine Simm

Technical
Official Number: 70166
Completed: 1874
Gross tonnage: 36.87
Net tonnage: 36.87
Length: 57.3 ft
Breadth: 16.3 ft
Depth: 8.2 ft
Built: Peter Rawstrone, Freckleton
Rig: Dandy – trawling & drifting

History

21.3.1874: Launched by Peter Rawstrone, Freckleton for Philip Turner, Fleetwood as DESDEMONA.
2.7.1874: Appropriated.
2.7.1874: Registered at Fleetwood (FD127). J. Randles manager.
10.7.1874: SMACK “DESDEMONA” The Owner will not be responsible for any ARTICLE supplied to the above-named smack, without an order can be produced signed by the owner, or his Agent. Mr W. M. ROULBORN, Kent Street, Fleetwood, dated 6th July 1874.
27.8.1875: FLEETWOOD. To Fish Dealers and Others. Fast Sailing Fishing Smack for Sale. MR A. HARRISON will SELL BY AUCTION, at the Crown Hotel, Fleetwood, on SATURDAY, September 4th, 1875, at Three o’clock in the Afternoon the FISHING SMACK “DESDEMONA.” Length, 57 feet and three-tenths; breadth 16 feet and three-tenths; depth of hold 8 feet and two-tenths. Built at Freckleton in 1874, and is one of the fastest sailing smacks belonging to the port of Fleetwood. This vessel is in excellent working condition, with all her gear, sails, ropes, anchor and chains, oyster dredges, trawl nets, beam sails, and punt, and is fitted up with everything for the fishing trade. For further particulars apply to the AUCTIONEER.
4.9.1875: Sold to David Moss, Fleetwood.
26.5.1880; Sailed Glasson Dock for Fleetwood (Sk. Evans).
2.7.1881: At about 1.00 pm, while on their moorings in the river a body was seen floating in the water about a hundred yards from the quay. Sk. William Moss took the punt, picked up the body, brought it to the shore and handed it over to the police.
4.7.1881: At the inquest on the body, which had been in the water some time and the features of which were quite unrecognisable, it was concluded that it was the body of a sailor. In one his pockets was found a black leather purse, in which was 1s 8d in money. A verdict of “Found Drowned “ was returned, some of the jurors expressing a wish that some arrangement should be made for internment of such bodies without the formality of an inquest.
28.7.1882: At Fleetwood, took part in race for Fishing Boats’ Punts (Sk. William Moss). Considered that there was too much sea outside, but the contest was very close.
10.1.1882: Entered Ramsey Harbour and reported that fishing some seven miles off Maughold Head, when hailing the trawl they recovered the body of a youth from fourteen to sixteen years of age. The body had been in the water some time and the face had been eaten away. The Coroner ordered the body not to be interred until yesterday, in order that investigation may be made as to whether the body is that of a youth lost from the Liverpool barque LEBU (726 regd tons/1868) at the lifeboat disaster in Douglas Bay on 20th October 1881. (Returning to Douglas with fourteen men and two women taken off the LEBU, the Douglas No.1 lifeboat Manchester and Salford Sunday Schools, when within 1 mile of the harbour, overtaken by a heavy sea, broached and capsized with the loss of four lifeboatmen, the master and six of the crew of the barque.).
12.1882 : Owned by John Moss, Fleetwood & others.
22.12.1882: Reported fears for the safety of the smack (Sk. John Moss), not seen since 12th December. Later reported seen on the fishing grounds.
16.10.1883: Following on from the storm of the previous day, towards nightfall another storm began to brew culminating in a WSW gale with heavy rain and wind. At high tide in a very confused sea in the channel, had trawl beam broken and damage to stern sustained by pitching against the PRINCE CHARLIE (FD157) while at their moorings.
4.11.1887: In a particularly fierce gale with recorded wind speeds of 70mph, lying alongside Jubilee, had mooring line part and dashed with great violence against the quay, smashing the stern. In swinging again, struck the stern of the Lancaster registered schooner BETTY RUSSELL (146grt/1868) and stove in the bulwarks. Ranging again alongside, the bulwarks and stanchions were damaged.
24.10.1887: Sold to David Moss, Fleetwood & others.
9.5.1902: Fleetwood registry closed.
8.5.1902: Registered at Liverpool (LL353).
10.11.1902: Sold to Jeffrey Wright (64/64), 73 Kemp Street, Fleetwood. Jeffrey Wright designated managing owner.
10.11.1902: Liverpool registry closed.
13.11.1902: Registered at Fleetwood (FD203).
19.3.1903: Sold to Alice Marquis (64/64), 63 New Road, Blackpool.
23.3.1903: John Rimmer, 30 North Street, Fleetwood designated manager.
12.6.1906: Sold to Richard Ashcroft (64/64), London Street, Fleetwood.
20.6.1906: Richard Ashcroft designated managing owner.
28.3.1908: Tonnage altered to 24.86net per Surveyor’s Certificate dated Liverpool 26.3.1903.
9.7.1909: Shares (32/64) sold to John Rimmer, 6 North Church Street, Fleetwood.
21.8.1918: John Rimmer shares (32/64) sold to Richard Ashcroft, Devon House, Blakiston Street East, Fleetwood.
9.9.1918: Shares (32/64) sold to Hezekiel B. Shepherd, ??
11.2.1920: Sold to John Shippen & Thomas William Dixon, Whitehaven.
17.2.1920: At Fleetwood, William Robert Atkinson (20) was charged with stealing a sextant from the smack. In July 1919, the smack was secured alongside in Fleetwood (Sk. Bedford). The accused locked out of his home, went onboard to sleep. On awakening in the cabin he saw a sextant and other articles and took them. Accused offered the sextant for sale to Capt Slavin, 87 Preston Street, Fleetwood. Being suspicious of the origin Capt Slavin asked the accused father if the lad owned the sextant and when this was confirmed he bought it for £5. Slavin then offered the sextant for sale and the origin came to light. Atkinson pleaded guilty and was fined £5, his father making reparation for the wrong.
26.1.1922: Fleetwood registry closed. Registered at Whitehaven (WA2).
1925: Whitehaven registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

Sailing Trawler Desdemona
Picture courtesy of rossallbeach.co.uk

sv Desdemona FD203
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
05/01/2009: Page published. 3 updates since then.
12/06/2016: Picture added.
21/12/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
25/11/2018: Updated information.
25/08/2022: Significant update to history.
18/09/2023: Added an image.