The sailing barque Queen Mab (1887) under tow off Hugh Town, St. Mary's Isles of Scilly.

A starboard broadside view of the sailing barque Queen Mab (1887) under tow from the steamer Lyonnesse (out of the picture) heading towards Hugh Town, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly. There are three gigs being towed off the stern with the lifeboat Henry Dundas second from last. The Lloyd's gig is off the starboard side. The photographer was on the shore. Rocks are in the foreground.

Glass copy negative G14411 is a larger version of this image.

The Queen Mab was on passage from Chile to Falmouth for orders with a cargo of logwood when it grazed the Spanish Ledge getting close in shore to take on a pilot. The ship took on water after anchoring and, with assistance from gigs and two lifeboats, and the steamer Lyonnesse was towed with difficulty to the pier head at St Mary's where it was secured very low in the water. The boats involved were the Lyonnesse steamer, St. Mary's lifeboat Henry Dundas, and the gigs Leo, O. and M., and James and Caroline, who were awarded a salvage fee in January 1904. The ship was eventually towed to Le Havre, arriving on 12 October 1903, having left on 9 October.

Object Details

ID: P50914
Collection: Historic Photographs
Type: Glass plate negative
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Gibson & Sons of Scilly
Date made: 1880; February 1883 February 1885 May 1895 1899 14-22 September 1907 1903 20 September 1903 1906? September 1907 August 1908 1909 October 1910 11 February 1912 1912 April 1913 April 1914 16 April 1915 April 1915 1918-1925 Circa 1920-1930s June 1923 December 1929 September 1938 Unknown
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Gibson's of Scilly Shipwreck Collection