Walker Hall: Holborn Head, Pentland Firth

ND17SW 8028 c. 109 716

N58 37.4 W3 32.1

NLO: Holborn Head [name: ND 109 716]

Thurso [name: ND 115 687]

Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81].

7 March 1876, WALKER HALL, 12 yrs old, of Sunderland, Lloyd's cont., 7.74, 3 A 1, last survey 6.74, wooden barque, 344 tons, 11 crew, Master D. Johnstone, Owner Anderson, Hovan, & Co., Sunderland, departed Leith for Lisbon carrying coal, wind WNW10, stranded off Holborn Head, Thurso Bay.

Source: PP Abstracts Returns of Wrecks and Casualties on Coasts of the UK 1875 - 76 (1876 [C.1632] LXVII.191).

Thurso, 7th Mar., 5.30 p.m., the WALKER HALL (barq.), of Sunderland, Johnston, from Leith to Lisbon, with coal, put back from the Butt of Lewis, North West gale, and brought up in this bay: crew landed in lifeboat: vessel in great danger: parting anchors: gale continues unabated.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 19,305, London, Wednesday March 8 1876.

Thurso, 8th Mar., 9 a.m., the WALKER HALL (barq.), of Sunderland, parted from her anchors and drove ashore at Clarendon head, at 8 p.m., yesterday, and is breaking up: cargo washed out. Strong gale, NW: now moderate: SW, 8 a.m.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 19,306, London, Thursday March 9 [1876].

NMRS, MS/829/69 (no. 2616).

(Classified as barque, with cargo of coal: date of loss cited as 7 March 1876). Walker Hall: this vessel was wrecked near Holborn Head, East of Thurso. Capt. Johnston.

Registration: Sunderland. 345nrt. Length: 36m. Beam: 8m.

(Location of loss cited as N58 37.5 W3 32.0).

I G Whittaker 1998.