Hms Lively: Chicken Rock, Stornoway, Lewis

NB42NE 8001 4969 2880

N58 10.6333 W6 15.4667

NLO: A' Chreac [name: NB 497 287]

Stornoway [name: NB 425 330]

Cala Steornabhaigh [name centred NB 431 315].

7 June 1883, HMS LIVELY, wooden S.S., 835 tons, 78 crew, Master A. A. C. Parr, departed Ness, Lewis, for Stornoway, in ballast, 7 passengers, wind E4, stranded, total loss, Chicken Rock, entrance to Stornoway Harbour.

Source: PP Abstracts Returns of Wrecks and Casualties on Coasts of the UK [Record received incomplete].

NMRS, MS/829/69 (no. 3382).

The gunboat Lively went aground and was wrecked on Chicken Rocks, about 5 miles from Stornoway.

[A long report is given].

Source: Fife Free Press, 9 June 1883.

Quality of fix = PA

Horizontal Datum = OGB

General water depth = 16

Circumstances of Loss Details

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The armed paddle steamer HMS LIVELY was wrecked on the Chicken Rock, Eye peninsula, near Stornoway.

Surveying Details

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25 September 1970. Some remains of what is reported as HMS LIVELY (Capt P O Falconer) lie in area off Chicken Rock. The remains are mostly metal parts in a general depth varying from 12.1 metres to 30.5 metres. What appears to be a copper nail recovered measures 0.75 inches diameter and 22 inches length.

Report by letter dated 23 Septemeber 1970.

5 October 1970. An application to purchase HMS LIVELY was made by a F Macleod of Stornoway, who has reported locating several copper bolts, presumed to be from this wreck.

2 March 1976. The area imediately north of Chicken Rock beacon was investigated by divers. The wreck is broken up. Parts are scattered over a wide area, including the paddle wheel and amounts of non ferrous metal.

Report by HMS HERALD 1 December 1975.

6 November 1978. There was no evidence of the wreck between NW through W to S of Chicken Rock. Copper cladding sheets and non ferrous fragments were found in crevices on the east side of Chicken Rock at 5 - 10 metres depth [at low water].

Report by RAF Coningsby Sub Aqua Club, May 1978.

23 August 1979. The wreck lies lies on the SE side of Chicken Rock in 10 metres. The wreckage is well scattered in rock gullies. Two paddle wheels are whole and a large iron flywheel lies to the east of the site. Nothing stands above surrounding rock reefs.

Report by RAF Coningsby Sub Aqua Club - 1979.

14 November 1985.The site was dived upon 23 August 1985. It lies in a depth of 14 to 16 metres and consists mainly of planking in two main areas. The paddle wheels were sighted.

Report by RAF Lossiemouth Sub Aqua Club expedition, 17 October 1985.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Classified as wooden paddle steamship, in ballast: date of loss cited as 7 June 1883). HMS Lively: this vessel stranded on Hen & Chicken Rock, near Stornoway. Capt. Parr.

Registration: London. Built 985grt. Length: 66m. Beam: 8m.

(Location of loss cited as N58 10.60 W6 15.50).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):

A225 Brass and/or copper [unspecified], including candle holder and valve tap: found on seabed.

NMRS, MS/829/33.

Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):

A1615 assorted brass fittings: from seabed

A3505 1 broken brass strap hinge, 1 copper belay pin: from seabed.

NMRS, MS/829/35.

Plans (but not photographs) of this vessel are held in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Information from Ms G Fabri (NMM), 7 November 2003.