Additional information courtesy of Christine Simm

Technical
Official Number: 21483
Completed: 1866
Net Tonnage: 25
Rig: Cutter-trawling
Built: ??, Ringsend, Dublin

History

1866: Completed by ??, Ringsend, Dublin as PETREL.
1867: Registered at Galway, Co. Galway.
1.1.1870: Owned by Thomas Glover, Manchester.
By 1875: Registered at Fleetwood (FD59).
4.11.1875: At Whitehaven in company with AMETHYST (FD107), CONFIDENCE (FD121) and SPRAY (LR??). Attempted to leave harbour. Informed by Mr Dawson, collector of dues, that they could not leave until harbour dues paid. As they refused to pay the harbour tug was moored across the entrance to prevent them leaving. CONFIDENCE and PETREL skippers decided to pay, but AMETHYST and SPRAY continued their attempt to leave, one of the crew of SPRAY cut the tug’s head ropes and AMETHYST fell foul of the tug, smashing her boat. AMETHYST and SPRAY boarded by harbour master and mainsails confiscated.
6.11.1875: Skippers attended at the office of the solicitors to the Harbour Trustees and consented to pay all dues, damages and costs. Sails returned and allowed to sail.
20.9.1876: With very little wind, sailed Fleetwood about 12.30am for the fishing grounds (Sk. John Bond): crew Thomas Bond, James Rimmer and John Wright. At about 5.30am, when off Piel, the wind dropped away and likely to drift on to Piel Island. To prevent this the skipper and James Rimmer set about casting out the anchor. Just as it was going over the stock caught the skipper and carried him overboard. He did not rise and the crew thought he must have been injured severely. The anchor was immediately weighed but there was no trace of the skipper. On arrival at Fleetwood later in the morning, made known his loss to the owner and his relatives. He leaves a wife and one child.
1881: Census at Fleetwood – John Roskell (37), b-Fleetwood, fisherman; Joseph Wolf (37), b-Blackpool, fisherman; Thomas Gregg (42), b-Liverpool, fisherman; William Gregg (14), b-Liverpool, cook.
By 1.1883: Owned by Nicholas Leadbetter, Fleetwood.
24.10.1887: Sold to Nicholas Leadbetter, Fleetwood & others.
9.2.1888: Reported that with easterly winds prevailing the Fleetwood fleet had been fishing the Cumberland Coast and Duddon Channel, near Walney Island. Owing to the bottom being hard and rocky, lost all the fishing gear.
14.3.1888: A football match was held between the Fleetwood Grocers and Publicans to raise funds to be devoted to the aid of William Hudson who was injured onboard a while ago.
11.10.1889: Thomas Bond (17), son of John Bond who drowned in 1876, a fitters labourer and working on the L&Y Railway paddle steamer PRINCESS OF WALES (1023grt/1870), was found dead lying in the mud between the ship and the jetty. It is assumed that he fell off the gangway which was only a plank, suffered injuries when hitting the sponson, landing in the mud and shallow water and was unable to call for assistance.
22.10.1889: While at sea acting as a carrier and transferring from the smacks COMET (FD160) and PRINCE CHARLIE (FD157), the COMET ran foul of the PRINCE CHARLIE smashing her jigger boom.
22.10.1889: On afternoon tide, arrived Fleetwood with 270 baskets of various fish consisting of soles, ray, cod, gurnard, plaice, etc.. Prices soles 1s 6d per lb and plaice 2s 6d per score.
30.10.1889: At Fleetwood landed 50 baskets.
21/22.12.1894: A whole fleet of trawlers and cargoes were lost during the great storm over Europe. After a day of severe weather, in the early evening the NW wind strengthened and during the night in storm force conditions (100 – 120mph) driven ashore off Gynn, Blackpool. Skipper Richard Wright drowned. Other boats of the Fleetwood fleet lost that day. MAYFLOWER (FD8) foundered in the vicinity of Shell Wharf. Wreckage found at Norbreck. SURPRISE (FD15) foundered off Cumberland coast/ in Morecambe Bay. Crew lost.
1895: Fleetwood registry closed.

Changelog
23/02/2009: Page published.
09/01/2015: Information updated.
07/07/2017: Information updated.
09/10/2021: Information updated.
14/10/2021: Information updated.