''Lord Clarendon'' was the largest wooden ship ever built in

Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. The ship was named in honour of the British statesman, George Villiers, the 4th Earl of Clarendon. The ship was built to order at

North Sydney North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney Council. History The Indigenous people on the s ...

by William Nesbitt for clients in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

. She was completed in November 1851 and left North Sydney for

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

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with a cargo of timber on November 13, under the command of Samuel Hannan. Her

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

was damaged by a severe storm hours after leaving port and the ship turned back for North Sydney for repairs. However, ''Lord Clarendon'' ran aground at Low Point at the entrance to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Harbour. The ship was not badly damaged and plans were made to refloat her as soon as the weather calmed. However, a violent gale on November 26 carried away the

foremast The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the median line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, giving necessary height to a navigation light ...

and

mainmast The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the median line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, giving necessary height to a navigation light ...

, damaging the ship beyond repair. The crew were rescued the next day. The ship soon broke apart but some cargo and fittings were salvaged.

References

John Parker, ''Cape Breton Ships and Men'', (London: Hazell Watson & Viney, 1967) p. 48-49, p. 178.

External links

Parks Canada Ship Information Database Registry Information, ship Lord Clarendon, official no. 9017946
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord Clarendon (ship) Maritime history of Canada Tall ships of Canada Individual sailing vessels Ships built in Nova Scotia Victorian-era merchant ships of Canada Sailing ships of Canada Shipwrecks of the Nova Scotia coast History of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality 1851 ships Maritime incidents in November 1851 Full-rigged ships