John Preston: Rubha Dearg, Lochaline, Sound Of Mull

2 December 1882, JOHN PRESTON, 27 yrs old, of Carnarvon, wooden schooner, 116 tons, 5 crew, Master W. Jones, Owner E. Williams, Port Dinorwic, departed Port Dinorwic for Fraserburgh, carrying slates, wind SW10, stranded, total loss, near Lochaline, Sound of Mull, Argyllshire.

Source: PP Abstracts Returns of Wrecks and Casualties on Coasts of the UK 1882-83 (1884 [C.4154] LXXI.621).

JOHN PRESTON. Tobermory, Dec. 8, 12.25 p.m. The schooner JOHN PRESTON, of Carnarvon, from Port Deonnie for Fraserburg, with slates, blown from moorings, Scalasdale [Scallastle] Bay on the 2nd, and sunk on the Morvern shore, near Lochaline: only topmasts above water: crew saved. [Record received incomplete].

NMRS, MS/829/69 (no. 3326).

(Classified as wooden schooner, with cargo of slates: date of loss cited as 2 December 1882). TJohn Preston: this vessel stranded near Lochaline, near Ruba [Rubha] Dearg. Capt. Jones.

Registration: Caernarvon. Built 1855. 116nrt.

(Location of loss cited as N56 32.00 W5 48.25).

I G Whittaker 1998.

During a visit to the Sound of Mull the Archaeological Diving Unit (ADU) inspected a site known to divers as the “Slate” wreck. A survey of the site was undertaken by Sound of Mull Archaeology Project divers. The vessel has not been identified and, although often referred to as an 18th century Welsh smack, the archaeological evidence suggest it can be dated no earlier than the mid 19th Century.

MS 5454, S Liscoe 1994.

Survey of maritime sites including: Dartmouth: Eilean Rubha an Ridire; Evelyn Rose (Possibly): Ardtornish Point; Glen Carradale: Loch Aline Jetty; Hispania: Sgeir Mor; John Preston: Rubha Dearg; Loch Tearnait, Crannog; Pelican: Calve Island; Rondo: Dearg Sgeir; Shuna: Rubha Aird Seisg; Strathbeg: Cnap A' Chailbhe; Swan: Duart Point; Thesis: Rubha an Ridire; Unknown: Calve Island; Unknown: Scallaslte Bay and a stone quay and Ardtornish.

During a visit to the Sound of Mull the Archaeological Diving Unit (ADU) inspected a site known to divers as the “Slate” wreck. A survey of the site was undertaken by Sound of Mull Archaeology Project divers. The vessel has not been identified and, although often referred to as an 18th century Welsh smack, the archaeological evidence suggest it can be dated no earlier than the mid 19th Century.

MS/5454/1 (S Liscoe 1994).

NLO: Sound of Mull [name centred NM 58 46]

Lochaline [name: NM 679 445]

Rubha Dearg [name: NM 660 444]

Scallastle Bay [name: NM 693 393].

Formerly entered as NM64SE 9059.

The wreck of the Welsh slate schooner 'John Preston' lies on a ledge in 14-18m of water at the point of Rubha Dearg, 1 mile W of Lochaline.

The vessel was built under special survey at Bangor, North Wales, in 1855. She was of wooden construction with iron bolts and is recorded as schooner rigged, the dimensions recorded in Lloyds Register of Shipping for 1863/4 being: length 73ft 3ins (22.3m), breadth 19ft 5ins (5.9m), depth 11ft 7ins (3.5m). The net tonnage was 126 tons.

The vessel changed ownership on several occasions during coastal trading service along the coast of North Wales. Several refits (notably in 1876 and 1878) are reflecting in up- and down-gradings at Lloyds.

The vessel sank on 2 December 1882 while carrying a cargo of slates from Port Dinorwic (North Wales) to Fraserburgh. Reports indicate that she was riding out a force 10 SW storm in Scallastle Bay when her anchor cable broke, and was blown across the sound onto the rocky Morvern shore; the master (W Jones) and a crew of 5 were saved. Her masts were left visible, and several salvage attempts were made.

The vessel now lies on her port side at an angle of 30 degrees to the horizontal, the turn of the port bilge remaining buried. At the E end, the frames and planking narrow towards the stern and identifiable fittings comprise a possible gudgeon strap, a deck light and a small oven. There is a small anchor at the W end and the keel measures 18.9m in length, as against the 19.8m that might be expected and possibly as a result of impact damage. The bowsprit cap survives some distance W of the wreck.

Large iron fittings downslope [to the S] of the main structure include the anchor winch, several hollow iron pipes (possibly associated with the bilge pump) and some rigging fittings. The bilge pump housing remains in place close to the rider keelson (the most obvious surviving timber) and some iron knees are all that remain of the decking.

A small pulley wheel is held (after conservation) at the Lochaline Dive Centre, all other artifacts recovered for recording having been returned to the site.

[Plan and drawings].

NMRS, MS/829/40.

Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):

A279 1 roofing slate (grey): found on seabed.

NMRS, MS/829/33.

This wreck has been adopted under the Dive with a Purpose scheme of the Nautical Archaeology Society by Phil Robertson, NAS Scotland, Lochaline Dive Centre, Morvern, Argyll, PA34 5XT.

Information from Mr M Mark Beattie-Edwards (Training and Administration Officer, NAS, Portsmouth), 5 December 2003.

Scallastle Bay is an extensive but ill-defined embayment set into the N coast of Mull.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 22 April 2008.

NM 6583 4437 The Sound of Mull field school undertook a monitoring survey on the site of the John Preston on

13–24 July 2009. We recorded the exposed timber frames and the keel; planning frames were used to document the distribution of the slate cargo in various locations on the site, and their condition. The position of metal artefacts on the site including pipes, a winch and an anchor was documented and finds including wooden pulley wheels and the sole of a shoe were recorded in situ and recovered for more detailed recording. Once recorded these artefacts were reburied in a known position on the site.

Archive: NAS (currently)

Funder: Historic Scotland

Mary Harvey – Nautical Archaeology Society

NM 6583 4437 The Sound of Mull field school undertook a survey and excavation, on 14 June–2 July 2010, on the site of the John Preston, a 19th-century shipwreck. A total of 54 dives were undertaken by nine participants, from the UK, America, Russia and Australia, under the supervision of Mary Harvey and Steve Liscoe.

The survey undertaken during the 2010 field school built upon the survey work conducted in 2009 (DES 2009, 86). A total of 13 features were identified and recorded in 2010, including a pump box and pipes which may have been associated with the pump assembly, several iron knees, a presumed sternpost and several as yet unidentified features. The anchor which had been recorded during previous SOMAP surveys was also re-surveyed, as its condition was noted to have deteriorated following the original survey work.

Two 2 x 1m trenches (T1 and T2) were also excavated. The excavation and recording of the ship’s structure focused on the area in the 7m forward of the presumed sternpost. This work revealed a significant amount of surviving structure, indicating that other areas of the vessel still covered in slate scatter will reveal surviving structure.

Trench 1 was located c1m forward of the presumed sternpost, fewer structural elements remained in this area

and several disarticulated timbers were uncovered. The keel continued through the area of T1, and a run of outer planking was attached to the keel. No fastenings were recorded in the trench but evidence of treenails was recorded on the outer planking. A possible floor timber, with indications of iron fastenings and showing signs of heavy abrasion was also recorded. Immediately adjacent to T1, a run of planking and frames was visible for 2m on the starboard side of the vessel. The aft frames are paired, with the spacing increasing to 100mm along the run. Any further frames and planking which may have continued to the second area of excavation were obscured by slate scatter.

Trench 2 was located 5.8m forward of the presumed sternpost and revealed large amounts of articulated timbers with frames, extant on both the port and starboard side of the vessel. A total of eight small finds were also uncovered. The six from T1 were recovered for detailed recording and photography before being reburied on the site. The final two finds were from outside the excavation area, one of these was left in situ, the other which had been disturbed by the excavations, was fully uncovered and recorded prior to reburial. The finds comprised four bottles of two different sizes, possibly beer bottles, a square Dutch gin bottle, a ceramic ink bottle, a piece of ceramic and a brass hinge.

Archive: Nautical Archaeology Society

Funder: Historic Scotland

Mary Harvey – Nautical Archaeology Society

NM 6583 4437 The Sound of Mull field school undertook a survey, 18–26 June 2011, on the site of the John Preston, a 19th-century shipwreck. A total of 38 dives were undertaken by seven participants, under the supervision of Mary Harvey and Steve Liscoe.

The survey conducted in 2011 aimed to create a comprehensive site plan of all surface features, which could form the basis for a dive guide for future visitors. In order to achieve this, a primary objective was to establish some permanent control points on the site. A total of six markers were placed around the exterior of the site, with a further two points located on the keel. These markers will enable visitors to orientate themselves on the site plan, and be used in any future surveys and monitoring on the site.

A total of 22 features were identified in 2011. A collection of seven features, six iron and one timber was identified in close proximity to the anchor winch. As the timber was not substantial, it is possible that this is mobile on the site and not in an original context. Future monitoring of the site will help to determine if this is the case. Given the proximity of this collection to the anchor winch, which is known to have broken in 2000, it is likely that these features are elements of the winch machinery, possibly a swivelling chain catch and release hook.

With the exception of a piece of coal, all remaining features recorded in 2011 were iron objects. Two of these also contained timber, but the concretions prevented any identification of the artefacts. A total of three iron knees have now been located on the site, these are all of different sizes but each show a bend in one arm where the knee is likely to have been positioned around a beam. Three pieces of iron strapping have also been identified and it is likely that these were reinforcements for wooden joints on the vessel.

A further investigation of timbers on site was not conducted in 2011; however, extant timbers were observed to the N of the keel and remain an area of interest for future surveys. The areas excavated during 2010 were also monitored and appeared to be stable.

Archive: NAS

Funder: Historic Scotland

Nautical Archaeology Society, 2011

Whittaker ID : 1312

Name : JOHN PRESTON

Latitude : 563200

Longitude : 54815

Date Built : 1855

Registration : CAERNARVON

Type : SCHOONER (WOOD)

Tonnage : 116

Tonnage Code : N

Loss Day : 2

Loss Month : 12

Loss Year : 1882

Comment : Stranded near Lochaline, near Ruba Dearg. Capt. Jones

Cargo : SLATES

UKHO Identifier : 058347

Feature Class : Wreck

Wreck Category : Distributed remains of wreck

State : DEAD

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 56.53305,-5.80362

Horizontal Datum : ETRS 1989

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 56.53305,-5.80362

WGS84 Origin : Original

Previous Position : 56.53323,-5.80253

Position Method : Global Positioning System

Position Quality : Precisely known

Position Accuracy : 25.0

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : 15

Vertical Datum : Mean Low Water Springs

Name : JOHN PRESTON

Type : SV (SCHOONER)

Flag : BRITISH

Length : 23.2

Beam : 5.9

Draught : 3.5

Orientation : 90.0

Tonnage : 116

Tonnage Type : Gross

Cargo : ROOFING SLATE

Date Sunk : 02/12/1882

Bottom Texture : Sand

Contact Description : Notable debris

Original Sensor : Reported Sinking

Last Sensor : Diver Sighting

Original Detection Year : 1882

Last Detection Year : 2000

Original Source : Other

Last Source : Divers

Circumstances of Loss : **BUILT IN 1855 IN WALES. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY E WILLIAMS, PORT DINORWIC. PASSAGE PORT DINORWIC FOR FRASERBURGH. STRANDED IN FORCE 10 GALE 0.5M W OF LOCHALINE PIER, MULL. CREW SAFE. (ARGYLL SHIPWRECKS, SHIPWRECKS OF W SCOTLAND, SIBI).

Surveying Details : **5.4.00 REMAINS OF WRECK LIE IN 5631.983N, 0548.217W [WGD] ON EDGE OF SAND/SHINGLE LEDGE IN GEN DEPTH 15MTRS. LIES PARALLEL TO SHORELINE. ONE LARGE PIECE OF HULL REMAINS, REST OF REMAINS OF VESSEL AND PILES OF SLATES SCATTERED ON SEABED. SITE DIAGRAM. (ARGYLL SHIPWRECKS). STS. NCA.

**5.4.00 MOST PROMINENT PART OF WK IS THE KEELSON, THE LONG TIMBER OVERLYING THE KEEL. (DIVER MAGAZINE, APR '00).

**13.2.12 EXAM'D 30.10.11 USING M/B. NOT LOCATED WITH 250MTRS OF LISTED POSN. SEABED GENERALLY FLAT. (NETSURVEY, HI 1374). AMEND DEAD. NCA.