Lady Gertrude: Toward Pier, Upper Firth Of Clyde

13 January 1877, LADY GERTRUDE, 5 yrs old, of Glasgow, iron steamship, 75 tons, 11 crew, Master D. Bell, Owner Gillies and Campbell, Wemyss Bay, departed Wemyss Bay, Fifeshire, for Rothesay, Firth of Clyde, in ballast, 50 passengers, wind SE, stranded, Toward Point, Argyllshire, Firth of Clyde.

Source: PP Abstracts Returns of Wrecks and Casualties on Coasts of the UK 1876 - 77 (1877 [C.1891] LXXV.181).

Greenock, 15th Jan., 10.47 a.m., the LADY GERTRUDE (paddle str.), while on passage from Rothesay to Wemyss bay, ran ashore on Saturday at Toward point, her engines having heated and could not be worked: lighters and tug despatched from here.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 19,572, London, Tuesday January 16 1877.

Glasgow, 16th Jan., the LADY GERTRUDE (s) still remains on the rocks at Toward, where she went ashore, 13th Jan. She is stated to have broken up between her engines and boilers, and no hopes are entertained of getting her off. [Record received incomplete].

NMRS, MS/829/69 (no. 2757).

(Classified as iron paddle steamship, carrying passengers: date of loss cited as 13 January 1877). Lady Getrude [Gertrude]: this vessel stranded at Toward Pier. Capt. Bell.

Registration: Glasgow. Built 1872. 167grt. Length: 58m. Beam: 5m.

(Location of loss cited as N55 52.0 W5 1.25).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Quality of fix = PHOT

Horizontal Datum = OGB

Orientation of keel/wreck = NS

Circumstances of Loss Details

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The LADY GERTRUDE's engine failed to go astern when approaching the pier and the vessel grounded.

Report by J Crowther.

Surveying Details

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29 August 1975. The outline and centre spine of wreck can be seen sticking up through the sand in Achavoulin Bay at 55 52 03N, 005 01 21W. The wreck is approximately 200 feet long (61 metres) is is lying with its keel orientated 000/180 degrees.

Report by HMS HECTATE from aerial photographs.

30 March 1978. The wreck is now thought to have been covered by sand.

Report by HMS HECLA, 12 November 1977.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

The equation of the recognised wreck with the recorded loss of the Lady Gertrude remains unverified, but is accepted.

Toward Pier is presumably to be equated with Toward Quay (NS16NW 28) at NS 11020 67840.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 18 January 2010.

Whittaker ID : 2972

Name : LADY GETRUDE

Latitude : 555200

Longitude : 50115

Date Built : 1872

Registration : GLASGOW

Type : SS (IRON)(PADD)

Tonnage : 167

Tonnage Code : G

Length : 58

Beam : 5

Draught : 2m

Loss Day : 13

Loss Month : 1

Loss Year : 1877

Comment : Stranded at Toward Pier. Capt. Bell

Cargo : PASSENGERS

UKHO Identifier : 003951

Feature Class : Wreck

Wreck Category : Wreck showing any portion of hull or superstructure

State : LIVE

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 55.86742,-5.02367

Horizontal Datum : ETRS 1989

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 55.86742,-5.02367

WGS84 Origin : Block Shift

Previous Position : 55.86750,-5.02250

Position Method : Air photography

Position Quality : Surveyed

Position Accuracy : 25.0

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : -1

Vertical Datum : Mean Low Water Springs

Name : LADY GERTRUDE

Type : PADDLE SS

Flag : BRITISH

Length : 45.7

Orientation : 0.0

Tonnage : 75

Tonnage Type : Net

Cargo : BALLAST

Date Sunk : 13/01/1877

Bottom Texture : Sand

Contact Description : Entire wreck

Original Sensor : Reported Sinking

Last Sensor : Video Sensor

Original Detection Year : 1877

Last Detection Year : 1975

Original Source : Other

Last Source : Survey Vessel

Circumstances of Loss : **ENGINE FAILED TO GO ASTERN WHEN APPROACHING TOWARD PIER AND VESSEL GROUNDED.

**BUILT 1872 WITH 2 CYLINDER COMPOUND ENGINE, SINGLE SHAFT, 1 BOILER. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY GILLIES & CAMPBELL, WEMYSS BAY. (SIBI)

Surveying Details : **H4242/75 29.8.75 OUTLINE AND CENTRE SPINE OF WRECK STICKING UP THROUGH SAND IN ACHAVOULIN BAY, IN 555203N, 050121W [OGB]. LENGTH APPROX 200FT. LYING N/S. (HMS HECATE, AERIAL PHOT, INDEX 1114/171, DTD 22.3.75). INS AS HULK, PECKED OUTLINE, LYING N/S. BR STD.

**30.10.75 SHOWN AS ST. NC 1906.

**H2579/76 30.3.78 THOUGHT TO HAVE COVERED BY SAND. (HMS HECLA, ROS DTD 12.11.77). NCA.

POSITIONS BELOW THIS POINT ARE IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND DECIMALS OF A MINUTE

**30.1.03 EUT POSN: 5552.045N, 0501.420W. NE 1906.

General Comments : THOUGHT TO HAVE COVERED BY SAND

Chart Symbol : ST

The iron paddlesteamer Lady Gertrude is recorded as having been built in 1872 by Blackwood & Gordon, Paisley and Port Glasgow (Moir and Crawford 2004: 68-69). More information available online at http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=14918 [accessed 1 December 2014].

Information from Sally Evans (Cotswold Archaeology), 28/11/2014.

Name: Lady Gertrude

Position: 55.86742, -5.02367

Basis for Identification: Loss position.

Shipbuilder: Blackwood and Gordon

Build Date: 1872

Loss Date: 1877

Vessel type: Paddle steamer

Surviving Features and Condition : UKHO (1975): Outline and centre spine of wreck sticking up through sand in Achavoulin Bay, in 555203n, 050121w [ogb]. length approx. 200ft. lying n/s. (HMS hecate, aerial photo, index 1114/171, dtd 22.3.75). Hulk, pecked outline.

UKHO (1978): Wreck thought to have been covered by sand.

Moir and Crawford (2004): Salvage conducted and engines removed. It is reported that sections of the hull can occasionally be seen above the sand.

The outline and spine can be seen on aerial photographs dating to 2005, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Sand cover is variable and the hull is most exposed on the 2005 aerial photograph (information from google earth, historic view).

Moir and Crawford (pers. comm 2015). Metal debris near pier may be from this wreck, but not definite.

Seabed and type and marine environment: Sand. The wreck remains are sometimes exposed at low tide (depending on sand cover).

Information from Sally Evans (Cotswold Archaeology), 28/11/2014.

The maritime archaeology of the Clyde has been identified as a focus for a major study of human interaction with the river through time by the RCAHMS following on from recommendations by the Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF). Source to

Sea has been developed as the long-term research programme, of which the research into human connections with the River Clyde forms part. This project has comprised a study of the surviving shipwreck heritage of Clyde-built vessels lost within the Clyde estuary and Firth of Clyde.

This project has collated information from a range of sources and has enhanced knowledge of Clyde-built wrecks within the Clyde. In particular information from recreational divers has proved invaluable and has been the source of detailed information about the current condition of many Clyde-built wrecks, useful for on-going management. A number of wrecks previously recorded as of unknown identity in the RCAHMS database were positively identified during the project and more accurate positional information was established for a number of other wrecks. Additionally, the project identified a potentially significant wreck (Margaret Niven) the remains of which were not previously recorded. This project has also identified a number of other potentially significant wrecks within the Clyde, which reflect both its unique contributions to world-wide shipbuilding and local connections. These wrecks include paddle steamers (Lapwing and Princess of Wales), Clyde Puffers (e.g. Margaret Niven), steam-yachts with military connections (HMS Breda), a dredger (Greenock) and an 18th-century West Indiaman (Lady Margaret). Numerous other wrecks have been identified by this project, and all display some degree of significance.

Information from Sally Evans (Cotswold Archaeology) April 2015