Anlaby: Altarstones, Isle Of May, Firth Of Forth

23 August 1873, ANLABY, SS, of Hull, 717 tons, Official No. 60,227, Master Thomas Martin, iron screw steamship, departed Leith Roads for Danzig, 23 crew, carrying coal, stranded on the west side of May Island. Inquiry held at Hull.

Table 42: Statement of Official Inquiries in the United Kingdom into the Causes of Wrecks, Casualties, and Collisions, held by Order of the Board of Trade during the Year 1873-4.

Source: PP Abstracts Returns of Wrecks and Casualties on Coasts of the UK 1873 - 74 (1875 [C.1260] LXX.161).

Leith, 25th Aug., 5.57 p.m., the ANLABY (s), of Hull, from Granton to Danzig, with coal, went ashore on May island, on the night of the 23rd Aug., during a dense fog: little prospect of her getting off: a tug and lighters have gone to her assistance: strong East wind.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,517, London, Tuesday August 26 1873.

Leith, 25th Aug., [by telephone], the ANLABY got ashore on May island, at 6 p.m., 23rd Aug., during thick weather: forefoot fast on rocks: stern in eight fathoms of water: damage as yet slight: water smooth: steam pumps, lighters and tug ordered. [The above vessel left Granton, 21st Aug., for Danzig].

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,517, London, Tuesday August 26 1873.

Leith, 26th Aug., 11.25 a.m., a tug and lighter were sent yesterday, at 2 a.m., to the ANLABY (s), from Granton to Danzig [Gdansk], ashore on May island: saved anchors and two steam winches: not decided yet what prospect there is of saving the vessel.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,518, London, Wednesday August 27 1873.

General, the ANLABY (s) has sunk, and filled with water.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,519, London, Thursday August 28 1873.

Leith, 16th Sept., the ANLABY (s), from Granton to Danzig, which went ashore on May island, 23rd Aug., has been slung after much difficulty, and everything is ready to make an attempt to lift her when the weather permits.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,537, London, Thursday September 18 1873.

Leith, 17th Sept., the iron lighters WOODBURN and HEBBURN were in Anstruther, this morning, and it is supposed are now about taking hold of the ANLABY: weather very favourable.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,537, London, Thursday September 18 1873.

General, the ANLABY (s), from Granton to Danzig, ashore at May island, was expected to be lifted yesterday or today: since the recent destruction of the two lighters, divers have been engaged re-sorting the chains: two iron lighters had been engaged from the Clyde.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. 18,543, London, Thursday September 25 1873.

Dundee, 11th Oct., the operations for raising the ANLABY (s), from Granton to Danzig, which went ashore on May island, 23rd Aug., were discontinued yesterday. The heavy weather which has prevailed during the past week, and especially the last three days, has damaged her very considerably.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, Lloyd's List and Commercial Daily Chronicle, No. E18,560, London, Wednesday October 15 1873.

NMRS, MS/829/68 (no. 2474).

The BoT enquiry at Hull into the loss of the Anlaby resulted in the suspending for 6 months of the certificate of the captain, Thomas Martin, who, notwithstanding that thick fog prevailed, did not take a cast of the lead for 4 hours, or even ascertain the vessel's speed for 3 hours. The court emphatically characterised such a proceeding as 'blind navigation'.

Source: East Fife Record, 21 November 1873.

Leith, Aug. 5, ANLABY. For the last fortnight a diver has been engaged in blowing up the hull of the steamer ANLABY, which was wrecked on the May Island about five years ago. The WALLACE (s) brought here this morning portions of the hull and machinery, which have been purchased by a gentleman in Ayr.

Source: Shipping Intelligence, LL, No. 20,680, London, Saturday August 7 1880.

Leith, Aug. 20, the WALLACE (s) arrived this morning with portions of the hull and machinery of ANLABY (s), sunk at May Island. [Record received incomplete].

NMRS, MS/829/70 (no. 4994).

ANLABY, 1110 ton gross, steel steamer, 231' x 32' x 17'. Built 1870. Bound from Leith to Danzig with a cargo of coal. On 23 August 1873 she ran aground on the Isle of May. The wreck is in 20 metres of water. It is broken up and somewhat buried under rock falls. She lies north and south, with the stern and propeller to the south.

Butland and Siedlecki, BSAC Wreck Register, Scotland 1.

(Report in the 'Fife Free Press' of Saturday 30 August 1873 names the vessel as the PLABY of Hull).

B Baird 1993.

(Classified as steel steamship, with cargo of coal: date of loss cited as 23 August 1873). Anlaby: this vessel was wrecked at Alterstone [Altarstone], May Island. Capt. Martin. (ON: 60,227?)

Registration: Hull. 1110grt. Length: 70m. Beam: 10m.

(Location of loss cited as N56 11.25 W2 33.87).

I G Whittaker 1998.

ANLABY, 1110 ton gross, steel steamer, 231' x 32' x 17'. Built 1870. Bound from Leith to Danzig with a cargo of coal. On 23 August 1873 she ran aground on the Isle of May. The wreck is in 20 metres of water. It is broken up and somewhat buried under rock falls. She lies north and south, with the stern and propeller to the south.

Butland and Siedlecki, BSAC Wreck Register, Scotland 1.

Quality of fix = PA

Evidence = Divers Report

Horizontal Datum = OGB

General water depth = 20

Orientation of keel/wreck = EW

Circumstances of Loss Details

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The vessel ran aground, while on passage from Leith to Danzig.

Surveying Details

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14 December 1982. The wreck lies, broken up and somewhat buried under rock falls. The keel is orientated on a bearing of 000/180 degree with the stern and iron propeller at the southern end. The position given is 56 11 19N, 002 33 42W.

Source: BSAC Wreck Register, Vol.6.

In 1993 this vessel went aground on rocks N of the W landing jetty on the Isle of May. The wreck lies with its keel orientated 090/270and only the iron ribs of the keel and large 4-bladed propellor remain.

Source: R N Baird, Register of Scottish Shipwrecks.

19 January 1994. The site was not found.

Source: Oceonics (UK) Ltd.

Hydrographic Office 1995.

Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):

A2660 1 piece brass 'in shape of a chess piece': from seabed.

NMRS, MS/829/35.

The location cited by Butland and Siedlecki (BSAC Wreck Register) remains unverified, but is accepted. The current edition of the OS (GIS) MasterMap notes Altarstanes on the W side of the Isle of May, around NT 651 997.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 6 October 2010.

Whittaker ID : 2995

Name : ANLABY

Latitude : 561115

Longitude : 23352

Registration : HULL

Type : SS (STEEL)

Tonnage : 1110

Tonnage Code : G

Length : 70

Beam : 10

Draught : 2m

Loss Day : 23

Loss Month : 8

Loss Year : 1873

Comment : Wrecked at Alterstone, May Island. Capt. Martin (ON:60,227 ?)

Cargo : COAL

UKHO Identifier : 003106

Feature Class : Wreck

State : DEAD

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 56.18861,-2.56167

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 56.18853,-2.56319

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Position Quality : Unreliable

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : 20

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : ANLABY

Type : SS

Flag : BRITISH

Length : 70.4

Beam : 9.8

Draught : 5.2

Orientation : 90.0

Tonnage : 1110

Tonnage Type : Gross

Cargo : COAL

Date Sunk : 23/08/1873

Contact Description : Notable debris

Original Sensor : None reported

Original Detection Year : 1982

Original Source : Other

Circumstances of Loss : **BUILT OF IRON. ONE BOILER, COMPOUND EXPANSION ENGINE, SINGLE SHAFT. PASSAGE LEITH ROADS FOR DANZIG. RAN AGROUND ON MAY ISLAND. CARGO LIGHTERED BUT VESSEL LOST. (SIBI).

Surveying Details : **14.12.82 LIES, BROKEN UP AND SOMEWHAT BURIED UNDER ROCK FALLS AND ORIENTATED N/S (STERN AND IRON PROPELLER SOUTH) IN 561119N, 023342W. (BSAC WK REGISTER, VOL.6). NCA.

**1.2.93 WENT AGROUND ON ROCKS NORTH OF WEST LANDING, ISLE OF MAY. LIES E/W WITH BOW TOWARDS THE ISLAND. ONLY IRON RIBS OF KEEL AND LARGE 4-BLADED PROP REMAINS. (R N BAIRD, REG OF SCOTTISH WRECKS).

**HH090/605/01 19.1.94 NOT FOUND. (OCEONICS (UK) LTD., HI 605).

General Comments : ONLY KEEL AND PROP REMAIN

Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY

Date Last Amended : 20/10/2003