100 Years ago today.
The Ellan Vannin Tragedy - Hugh E Jones (Source Hughie's Ditty Bag)
Snaefell, Tynwald and Ben-My-Chree,
Fourteen ships have sailed the sea.
Proudly bearing a Manx name,
But there's one will never again
Oh, Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company,
Oh, Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea.
At one a.m. in Ramsey Bay
Captain Teare was heard to say,
"Our contract said deliver the mail,
In this rough weather we must not fail."
Ocean liners sheltered from the storm,
Ellan Vannin on the wave was borne.
Her hold was full and battened down,
As she sailed toward far Liverpool town
With her crew of twenty one Manxmen,
Her passengers Liverpool business men.
Farewell to Mona's Isle, farewell,
This little ship was bound for hell.
Less than a mile from the Bar Lightship,
Ellan Vannin by a wave was hit.
She sank in the waters of Liverpool Bay
And there she lies until this day.
Few Manxmen now remember
The third day of the month December
That terrible storm of Nineteen-Nine,
Ellan Vannin sailed for the very last time.
"The Ellan Vannin was originally built as an iron paddle steamer and named Mona's Isle". Constructed in Scotland by Tod & MacGregor at Meadowside, Glasgow in 1860 at a cost of 10,673UK£. She had a gross tonnage on building of 339 tons, top speed of 12 knots and an overall length of 63.09metres. She was launched on 10 April 1860. In 1883 the Mona's Isle was converted to a twin screw steamer by Westray, Copeland and Co. of Barrow and renamed Ellan Vannin on 16 November 1883.
(From the Middle Bar Email List - but I knew the song beforehand as played by the Spinners.)
Snaefell, Tynwald and Ben-My-Chree,
Fourteen ships have sailed the sea.
Proudly bearing a Manx name,
But there's one will never again
Oh, Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company,
Oh, Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea.
At one a.m. in Ramsey Bay
Captain Teare was heard to say,
"Our contract said deliver the mail,
In this rough weather we must not fail."
Ocean liners sheltered from the storm,
Ellan Vannin on the wave was borne.
Her hold was full and battened down,
As she sailed toward far Liverpool town
With her crew of twenty one Manxmen,
Her passengers Liverpool business men.
Farewell to Mona's Isle, farewell,
This little ship was bound for hell.
Less than a mile from the Bar Lightship,
Ellan Vannin by a wave was hit.
She sank in the waters of Liverpool Bay
And there she lies until this day.
Few Manxmen now remember
The third day of the month December
That terrible storm of Nineteen-Nine,
Ellan Vannin sailed for the very last time.
"The Ellan Vannin was originally built as an iron paddle steamer and named Mona's Isle". Constructed in Scotland by Tod & MacGregor at Meadowside, Glasgow in 1860 at a cost of 10,673UK£. She had a gross tonnage on building of 339 tons, top speed of 12 knots and an overall length of 63.09metres. She was launched on 10 April 1860. In 1883 the Mona's Isle was converted to a twin screw steamer by Westray, Copeland and Co. of Barrow and renamed Ellan Vannin on 16 November 1883.
(From the Middle Bar Email List - but I knew the song beforehand as played by the Spinners.)