Richmond Lass - a general history

Code Letters KVQW.

Owners: Thompson, Watson & Co, Stockton-on-Tees; 1840 Thompson, Hartlepool.

Masters: 1838-39 Abraham; 1839-40 Wheatley; 1840 Brown; 1841-43 John Leask; 1844-46 George Donald; 1846 Pearce.

A three verse song was written to celebrate the launching of Richmond Lass to the tune of ‘The Lass of Richmond Hill’. Copies were printed & were probably given out to spectators at the launch. The last verse was as follows;

Long may her clean white sails unfurl’d,

Successful Commerce waft,

And bear her through the wat’ry world

With credit fore & aft;

And when her Owners’s locks look grey

In Time’s unflatt’ring glass,

May each with honour mark the day

They launch’d the Richmond Lass.

Miscellaneous: 6 June 1838 the Salem fishing schooner Lucy Ann was run down by the British brig Richmond Lass at the mouth of the St Lawrence River. Six crew of the Lucy Ann drowned with only the master, John H Russell, surviving by jumping aboard the brig. He later applied to claim bounty for his loss of earnings but this was denied as he had no fish on board at the time his vessel was sunk; 6 January 1839 she was damaged in high winds whilst moored at the quay at Limerick; In March 1841 she was sailing from Hartlepool for Quebec & was advertised as ‘a fine, fast-sailing first class brig’ & ‘as the number of passengers will be limited to 50 every attention as to comfort will be attended to.’

Voyages: July 1838 left Quebec for Limerick; 17 November 1838 left Quebec for Limerick with a crew of 11; 1842 Liverpool for St Johns; 1843-45 Liverpool for Petersburg; 19 August 1843 sailed from Gravesend for Cronstadt in ballast; 5 June 1844 arrived at Gravesend from Kertch.

Bound from Quebec with timber she was abandoned leaky in 49N/14W on 26 December 1846. Her crew were picked up at Prince Edward Island & landed at Dartmouth by the Highland Chief. Richmond Lass was last seen waterlogged & derelict off Cape Clear in January 1847 by the George Canning which was bound for Liverpool & by the Susan Green which was bound for Cork.

On 25 February 1847 a stern board from Richmond Lass drifted ashore at Islay.

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