Florence Nightingale - a general history

Official No. 14439; Code Letters LNDP.

The prow was ornamented with a full length figure of Florence Nightingale. In one hand she held a handkerchief & in the other a cup. On each side of the bow there was a carving of a wounded, recumbent soldier looking up at her.

Owners: Richard Young, Wisbech.

Masters: 1859-64 Thomas Ransom Lee (C.N. 15300 Hull 1856); 1864 John Lindsay (C.N. 3238 Dundee 1853).

Voyages: 26 June 1856 Liverpool for Calcutta; November 1857 London for Hong Kong; 5 August 1858 sailed for Buenos Ayres; 15 May 1859 arrived at Deal from Buenos Ayres; 12 October 1859 from Cronstadt she stranded off Porokala in the Gulf of Finland; 7 November 1859 outside the port of Liverpool with flags of distress flying; May 1860 London for Singapore.

Florence Nightingale foundered after a collision with the Newcastle & London passenger steamer Admiral between the Gunfleet Sand & the Sunk light vessel on 3 April 1864. Out of a crew of seventeen a fireman and a seaman were drowned. A later inquiry found the Admiral to be at fault.

Report of the master in the Stockton & Hartlepool Mercury 13 April 1864:

‘Sailed on 1st April from Sunderland & proceeded all well until the 3rd. At 2.30am weather fine & the wind WNW with light breeze being betwixt the Gunfleet & the Sunk lightship, saw a light ahead which was approaching very fast & proved to be that of a steamboat. I ordered my helm to be put a-port & hailed her with all my might to put her helm a-port but no answer was received. At that moment the ship struck my vessel 18 feet abaft (behind) the main rigging on the port side & cut clean into the ship to the cabin-house on deck. We all tried to save ourselves as best we could & got on board the vessel which proved to be the steamer Admiral of Newcastle-on-Tyne from London with 80 passengers on board. As soon as we got on board we heard a scream for help & the chief mate of Florence Nightingale, with the assistance of the passengers & crew, got a small boat out & saved one of the crew of our vessel who was on some of the floating wreck, Florence Nightingale having sunk five minutes after she was struck. Finding we were two deficient in our number went round the wreck again but could see no-one. We then got on board the Admiral & proceeded to Newcastle-on-Tyne where we arrived on 5th April at 2am.’

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