Isabella Kerr: Atlantic

NB45NW 8001 unlocated

Greenock, 26th Oct., 11.17 a.m., the CLYDESDALE (s), from the West Highlands, reports that wreckage has come ashore on the island of Skye, marked ISABELLA KERR: no further news. [The ISABELLA KERR, Hedger, sailed from Greenock, 23rd Sept., for Bombay].

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,881, London, Tuesday October 27 1874.

London, 28th Oct., a letter has been received from the owners of the ISABELLA KERR with reference to the Greenock telegram published in List of 27th Oct. They state that there appears no groundfor supposing that the wreckage mentioned had belonged to their vessel. It appears that a nameboard picked up at Uist, with some door panelling and seamen's chests, were marked "ISABELLA N." and from this the report respecting the ISABELLA KERR had arisen: the seamen's chests bore names of persons who are known not to have been in the latter vessel.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,883, London, Thursday October 29 1874.

Greenock, 28th Oct., 3 p.m., information has been received here that a chest containing a book with the name of "R. Alexander, 4 Ingleston Road, Greenock", has been washed ashore at Galston, Lewis: on inquiry it is found that the above-named person was engineer on board ship ISABELLA KERR, hence to Bombay.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,883, London, Thursday October 29 1874.

London, 29th Oct., a letter from the owners of the ISABELLA KERR states that part of a head board had been picked up, marked "ISABELLA", forming the first part of the name of a vessel: the other portion of the board containing the rest of the name had not been found: the owners state that Robert Alexander, whose name was found in a book picked up in a chest at Galson, sailed in the ISABELLA KERR.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,884, London, Friday October 30 1874.

Greenock, 31st Oct., a report from Stornoway states that there is a mistake in the report regarding the ship ISABELLA KERR that the name of Robert Alexander was upon a book found in the chest which came ashore at Galson, Lewis, last week: the name was Robert Anderson, 17 Renfield - something like St. - , Greenock.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,887, London, Tuesday November 3 1874.

Glasgow, 5th Nov., the following telegram has been received from Stornoway: "I regret to say that I was misinformed about the name upon the book found in the chest which came ashore at Galson. I have now seen the name. The address is "Robert Alexander, 4 Engleston Street, Greenock". Beside this book, which was Gray's Arithmetic, the chest contained a large quantity of clothing, 2 pairs of elastic sided boots, a school slate with "A" upon it, 2 bars of soap, a small box with tobacco pipes, a small jar of butter and sixpence in silver. The chest with contents will be sent to Greenock for identification".

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,891, London, Saturday November 7 1874.

Stornoway, 11th Nov., a ship's bucket, marked "ISABELLA KERR" is reported to have been picked up at the Butt of Lewis, and to have come ashore at the same time as the chest previously reported.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,898, London, Monday November 16 1874.

Glasgow, 28th Nov., a bucket with copper hoops, marked "ISABELLA KERR", was picked up yesterday at Ness, Lewis.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,911, London, Tuesday December 1 [1874].

Greenock, 17th Feb., 3.30 p.m., two pieces of wood, apparently headboard, and bearing the name "ISABELLA KERR", were landed here today by Stornoway steamer.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 18,978, London, Thursday February 18 1875.

NMRS, MS/829/70 (no. 4170).

(Classified as composite (full-rigged) ship, with cargo of coal: date of loss cited as September 1874). This vessel left Greenock for Bombay on 23 September 1874; wreckage was discovered on the West side of Skye [sic.]. Capt. Hedjer.

I G Whittaker 1998.

The map sheet and quasi-administrative area assigned to this record are arbitrary, being derived solely from the location of discovery of wreckage. The parent vessel was presumably lost in the Atlantic, probably beyond Scottish waters.

The 1997 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map notes Gabhsann bho Dheas and Gabhsann bho Thuath at NB 438 585 and NB 445 589 respectively.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 30 June 1998.