Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall and Christine Simm

Technical

Official Number: 65810
Gross Tonnage: 65.01
Net Tonnage: 47.56
Length: 70.4 ft
Breadth: 18.25 ft
Depth: 10.1 feet
Rig: Ketch – Trawling
Built: Sandwich Shipbuilding Co, Sandwich, Kent

History

1871: Completed by Sandwich Shipbuilding Co, Sandwich, Kent for Walker Moody, Cleethorpes as YOUNG WALKER.
13.7.1871: Registered at Grimsby (GY315).
13.7.1871: Appropriated.
3.10.1871: Arrived Grimsby from the fishing grounds (Sk. Fisher).
19.1.1872: Arrived Grimsby from the fishing grounds (Sk. Fisher).
6.3.1872: Arrived Grimsby from the fishing grounds (Sk. Fisher).
8.4.1872: Arrived Grimsby from the fishing grounds (Sk. Fisher).
14.6.1875: Arrived Grimsby from the fishing grounds (Sk. Webb).
5.7.1876: Arrived Grimsby from the fishing grounds off the Dutch coast (Sk. Webb).
29.3.1878: Reported that on a North Sea trip (Sk. Johnson), picked up seven casks of cider, one marked “DCE No.8”.
23.7.1887: Sold to John Gidley Jnr, Grimsby.
2.8.1887: Reported sold to The Great Grimsby Fishing & Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Grimsby (C. Taylor, Skipper).
13.7.1888: Reported that at Grimsby Borough Court, John Ridley Jnr was summoned by Thomas Thompson Grizel, a coloured seaman, for £3. 5s wages due. It was reported that on behalf of the previous owner, John Gidley was given a cheque for the sum of £9 10 8d to pay off the complainant and crew. The defendant stated that he used the cheque to pay the crews of the CHANTICLEAR and YOUNG WALKER. This should not have been done, the cheque was issued to indemnify the previous owner and should have been used first to pay off the complainant. Mr Gidley said that he would pay the complainant and the crew out of his own pocket.
13.10.1888: Reported sold to Amos King, 91 Orwell Street, Grimsby.
22.10.1888: At Fleetwood Mr Robert Westby offered the trawler for sale by public auction, on the quay. With good attendance and brisk bidding, the smack with her sails and all complete was knocked down for the sum of £110 to Mr Thomas Parkinson, Fleetwood (Roe Island, previously of Fleetwood).
1.1888: Grimsby registry closed.
11.1888: Registered at Fleetwood (FD47).
1.2.1889: At Fleetwood offered for sale by public auction, with all her sails, rigging, gear, etc. There was poor attendance, bidding was very slack and ultimately the smack was withdrawn at £70.
22.5.1889: Sold to Mrs Mary G. Gibson, Fleetwood.
15.6.1889: Reported sold to John D. Gibson, Fleetwood. John D. Gibson managing owner.
24.10.1898: Sold to Robert Westby, Fleetwood.
24.12.1889: In the Lune Channel in the early hours, sailing with masthead light only, in collision with the ketch rigged trawler WILLIAM & MARTHA (FD50) which had side lights on but no masthead light. The jib boom was broken, but the WILLIAM & MARTHA sustained considerable damage, bulwarks knocked down, several planks stove in, besides other damage. According to the regulations no smack is allowed to sail with a mast head light, but must have side lights. The skipper of the YOUNG WALKER had failed to put the sidelights out and hence the collision.
6.1.1890: For over a month the weather had been unfavourable for trawling and Fleetwood fishermen had earned nothing. Put to sea in company with FLEETWING (FD63).
7.1.1890: Returned having lost the trawl beam and broken her bridle, FLEETWING having the punt and bulwarks smashed with heavy seas. What little fish they caught was sold – soles 1s 5d per lb, rays 6s a basket and plaice 4s per score.
4.3.1890: In boisterous weather in the Irish Sea had the trawl beam broken.
25.10.1890: Taking advantage of a favourable breeze some thirty smacks left for the fishing grounds. The Harbour Authorities were constructing a groyne near the Lower Shore Light with piles driven in. Along with WONDER (FD68), ROBERT and ANN (FD98) and FLEETWING (FD63) ran amongst the piles. Drove one or two piles down but FLEETWING was holed and had to put back into harbour with pumps manned. Other trawlers ran aground or were involved in collisions while tacking down the channel.
29.10.1890: Early on Wednesday morning in increasingly stormy weather, the boats returned to Fleetwood.
7.11.1890: Following on from the bad weather in October, the storms of early November caused considerable damage on the Fylde Coast and many ships in distress, much anxiety was felt for the Fleetwood fishing fleet. The first to return home at 7.00pm was the OSPREY (FD52) (Sk James Fogg) under foresail only, crewed by the cook. On passage they had attempted to rescue the crew of Wigtown registered schooner JEAN CAMPBELL (3169) (56n/1844), but the boat capsized on return, the only survivor being fisherman James Wilkinson. At between 10.00 and 11.00pm YOUNG WALKER arrived and overnight and the following day the rest of the fleet arrived, many with sails damaged and spars smashed.
9.11.1890: The OSPREY’s punt was washed ashore at Rossall but no sign of any of the men who were drowned.
11.12.1891: Reported that at Fleetwood Petty Sessions Lawrence Hunter summoned Robert Salthouse for alleged assault upon him on 2nd December on board the smack which was lying in the river. Complainant was hauling a rope when Salthouse started swearing at him and then without provocation struck him down. In his absence (at sea), Salthouse was fined 10s and costs.
31.1.1891/1.2.1891: Very few of the trawlers that returned home came back without some loss or damage. With very bad weather in the Irish Channel the fleet had attempted to reach the Irish coast but the weather on 26th January was so severe that they remained at anchor until the following day. Only a few boats made the Irish Coast and many put into Peel and Ramsey for shelter. In the midst of the heavy gale which lasted for six hours, the Fleetwood boats that were still at sea suffered damage. Returned with beam shattered and mainsail split.
2.2.1891: Nearly all the boats alongside were undergoing repairs, some had landed fair catches which made around £12 gross.
1.3.1901: Landed at Holyhead after fishing in Cardigan Bay (Sk. Fred Jackson, Hoylake).
27.9.1903: Sailed Holyhead for Liverpool for attention in a graving dock (Sk. Smith).
27.10.1903: Sailed Glasson Dock for Fleetwood after attention by Nicholsons in the graving dock (Sk. Smith).
26.1.1904: Arrived Holyhead from the fishing grounds (Sk. Smith).
8.12.1904: Sailed Fleetwood for fishing grounds (Sk. J. Little, Hoylake).
9.12.1904: When off the North Wales coast, in a strong SE gale and sea running high, started to take in water and although the pumps were manned the ingress of water could not be controlled. Hoisted signals of distress.
9.12.1904: Just before noon, the Cork registered steamer INNISFALLEN (Capt J. M Browne)(1405grt/1896) when about six miles NE of Great Orme’s Head observed signals of distress flying from the trawler and at once hove to. Seeing the steamer had stopped, the punt was launched and the crew abandoned, but exhausted and cold from exposure they made little headway. The INNISFALLEN was brought closer to the boat and the crew of four HoyLake men taken onboard and well looked after. Survivors landed at Liverpool and taken charge of by the Customs authorities.
10.12.1890: In the afternoon the Swansea registered steamer ABERTAWE (Capt. Prior) (1336grt/1884) Santander for Liverpool when some 30 miles WNW of the North West lightship, Holyhead sighted a fishing boat 47FD, Fleetwood, flying signals of distress. Capt Prior sent the Chief Officer and two men in a boat to board the trawler but the sea was too rough for them to do so. Every means was used to find any trace of the crew, the steamer cruising the area using her whistle but there was no response. It was assumed that the crew had been taken off and the ABERTAWE proceeded on passage. The derelict is right in the way of traffic.
12.12.1904: Reported that the trawler had been sold to Capt Joseph Settle, Hoylake. This transaction is not recorded in the vessel’s Registration Folio – SS13/1 – 3/774/2 Page 33.
24.6.1905: Fleetwood registry closed. “ Ship abandoned 10 miles N of Great Orme’s Head on 9th December 1904.”

Changelog
24/02/2009: Page published.
28/11/2014: Information updated.
17/05/2022: Major update to history.