Liverpool Mercury, Feb 1st 1884
Supposed loss of a Liverpool Vessel with 28 lives
It is feared by the loss of the Liverpool sailing ship, West Ridge, 28 lives have perished. The vessel left the Mersey for Bombay on the 28th June last, with a large cargo of coals and as she has not been heard of since the 13th of July last when she was reported in lat. 44. N, long, 9. W, she is posted at Lloyds as missing, lost with all on board.
List of crew who signed articles at Liverpool to proceed in the vessel, but of these two neglected to join, Michael JUDGE and F. K. HALLETT. It is customary when men fail to join, after signing articles to obtain substitutes, and it is believed that substitutes were obtained in the present case, but the returns of such had not been furnished to the Board of Trade in the case of the West Ridge :-
John ARTHUR, Shetland, master
W. H. PERKS, Worcester, mate
George STAINTON, Westmoreland, 2nd mate
Joseph GILLIES, Prince Edward Island, carpenter
Alexander AIRD, Ayr, steward
J. FULLERS, Stranrear, cook
J. CANNING, Belfast, AB
Frantz KEON, Stockholm, AB
John BEARD, Devon, AB
Robert MITCHELL, Ayr, AB
M. PETERSEN, Sweden, AB
William HITHERINGTON, Liverpool, AB
John WHINCOT, Yarmouth, AB
W. M'RAE, Liverpool, AB
Henry WOODS, Liverpool, AB
Michael JUDGE, Liverpool, AB
Emil SITYALLY, Norway, AB
J. MULLOY, Kingston, AB
Thomas K. WILLIAMSON, Chismonding, AB
Joseph SHERER, Glasgow, AB
W. C. EDWARDS, Liverpool AB
F. K. HALLET, Rock Ferry, OS
Robert EYRE, Liverpool, OS
Thomas GOUGH, Liverpool, sail maker
L. W. TROTTER, H. L. CLAYTON, Henry WILKINSON and G. H. HOBSON, apprentices.
The West Ridge was a ship of 1400 tons register and was owned by Mr W. B. SPROULE of Liverpool
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Liverpool Mercury Oct 11th, 1884
Feared loss of a Liverpool ship and all hands
The large Liverpool ship CASSIOPE, is now so long overdue that it is feared she has gone down with all hands. She left Rangoon on the 22nd February last for the Channel for orders and since that time no tidings have been received of her. When she left Rangoon she had on board a cargo of 2110 tons of rice. It is the general belief the vessel encountered the terrible cyclone which prevailed off the Mauritius in March last, the month following her departure from Rangoon, and she was unable to outlive the violence.
She was an iron vessel of 1559 tons register, built in Whitehaven in 1875 and the property of Mr J. H. HEAP of Liverpool until a couple of years ago, when she changed hands, and on the voyage in question belonged to Messers GRACIE BEAZLEY and Co, of Liverpool. She left the Mersey in the early part of October last year for Rangoon, the under mentioned is a list of men who signed articles to proceed her. Two able seamen who signed to proceed in her did not join. As the vessel was on her homeward voyage there may have been some change in the composition of the crew :-
W. WITHERS, master, Norfolk
H. LAMBERT, mate, Constantinople
F. W. WILBER, 2nd mate, Whitehaven
K. NELSON, carpenter, Denmark
R. RICH, boatswain, Devon
W. NELSON, sail maker
J. MEDCALFE, steward, Burton
S. SCIBEROS, cook, Mold
J. M'CANN, Manchester, AB
Carl W. SIBLON, Sweden, AB
A. M'TYRE, Belfast, AB
Frank CAIN, Jersey, AB
W. CLEMENTS, Belfast, AB
R. M'CREDIE, Port William, AB
Thomas. J. DAVIES, J. QUIRK, Samuel WILLIAMS, Frederick JONES, R. BRISCOE, Liverpool A.Bs
John YOUNG, Halifax, AB
Charles GEORGE, and Philip HUGHES, Bordeaux, A.Bs
William COOK, Wexford, AB
Charles SPENCER, Orkney, AB
Henry GARDNER, Boy, York
Apprentices, William Boswell TANNER, Francis RIMMER, Liverpool, George SMITH, F. W. VALE, Richard J. HONNALL, London
John YOUNG and Joseph QUIRK, neglected to join the vessel.