Lady Endergally, ill-fated Sloop of Eyemouth

The Lady Endergally was built in Eyemouth in 1803. She may have been one of the unnamed ships of Fergus Crown who advertised as follows:

Tyne Mercury; Northumberland and Durham and Cumberland Gazette, Tuesday 25 October 1803
To be SOLD by private Contract, A New SLOOP of about 3½ Keels Burthen, ready to be launched Eymouth, near Berwick upon Tweed. Apply to William Row, Newcastle; Fergus Craven [sic] Eymouth.

By 1817 Lady Endergally had been re-registered in Campbeltown on the west coast, where she was engaged in the coastal trade. The Port of Dublin Import and Export lists of 18th March 1817 included the Lady Endergally.

Saunders’s News-Letter, Thursday 20 March 1817
Lady Endergally, Ryburn, Campbletown [sic]. — 75 herrings; 21 tons 8 cwt potatoes.

I found the Lady Endergally arriving in Grangemouth from Dunbar with Captain William Ryburn in September 1819, She was loaded with Herrings. Next, I found her arriving in Grangemouth again in February 1820. I also found her listed in a List of Ships registered in Campbeltown in 1820.

Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural History Society Magazine, Issue Number 33 June 1993
Lady Endergally, sloop, Master W Ryburn, 34 Tons, Built in Eyemouth, 1803, owner William Watson, trade coasting.

In November 1825 a strange report appeared in the Caledonian Mercury's Ship News.

Caledonian Mercury, Saturday 12 November 1825
Whitehaven, November 2. A sloop came on shore, 31st ultimo, near Southfield without any person on board, named, Lady Endergally of Campbeltown, laden with kelp.

The circumstances were made clear a few days later.

The Scotsman, Wednesday 16 November 1825
Monday morning, during a gale of wind from NW, the sloop Lady Endergally, Matthew Wallace, master, of Campbeltown, laden with kelp, drove on shore near Kirk Santon, in Millom. About an hour before she struck, the crew were observed to take the boat [tender] and leave her, hut had not proceeded far when it upset, and the whole perished.

Lady Endergally was successfully rebuilt and in 1826 she was advertised for sale.

Sloop Lady Endergally for sale

Cumberland Pacquet, and Ware’s Whitehaven Advertiser, Tuesday 21 November 1826
TO be SOLD, by AUCTION, on THURSDAY the 30th of November, 1826, at Three o’clock in the Afternoon, at the House of Mr. Thomas Jackson, at the Black Lion Inn, Whitehaven.
All that Good Sloop or Vessel, CALLED THE LADY ENDERGALLY, of ULVERSTON, with all her Materials she now lies in the Port of Whitehaven, Burthen per Register 34 71-94 Tons, and will carry about 40 Tons; has been recently rebuilt, and is nearly as good as new. The Vessel is well adapted tor the Coasting Trade.
Further Particulars may be known on Application to Mr. HOBSON, Solicitor, Whitehaven, and the Shipkeeper on Board will show the Vessel. The Purchaser to pay a Deposit of Ten per Cent, and the Remainder at Three and Six Months, giving satisfactory Security. HENRY NICHOLSON, Auctioneer.

It appears that the Lady Endergally did not sell at that auction. The following week she was advertised again:

Sloop Lady Endergally to be sold by Private Contract

Cumberland Pacquet, and Ware’s Whitehaven Advertiser, Tuesday 05 December 1826
All that good Sloop, or Vessel, called the LADY ENDERGALLY, of Ulverston, with all her Materials as she now lies in the Harbour of Whitehaven, Burthen, per Register, 34 71-94 Tons, and will carry about Forty Tons; has been recently re-built, and is nearly as good as new. The Vessel is well adapted for the Coasting Trade. Further Particulars may be known on Application to Messrs. Petty and Postlethwaite, of Ulverston; or Mr. HOBSON, Solicitor, Whitehaven; and the Shipkeeper on Board will show the Vessel.

In 1827 the Master of the Lady Endergally was Captain John Muncaster. It is likely that this was the same John Muncaster who previously commanded the Thomas, a new 80 ton schooner which he sailed from London to Ulverston in 1816, and between London and Seville several times during 1820 (Lloyds List).

Tragically the Lady Endergally met her end in 1827 with all hands lost.

Ship News, Lancaster

Lancaster Gazette, Saturday 10 February 1827
During the recent dreadful gale, a sloop foundered at sea, about six miles from Pile of Foudrey; which, there is scarce a doubt, was the Lady Endergally, of Ulverston. She was bound from Dundalk to Daddon, with a cargo of grain. The crew must have all perished.

Further explanation appeared in the Cumberland Packet a few days later.

Cumberland Pacquet, and Ware’s Whitehaven Advertiser, Tuesday 13 February 1827
During the late dreadful gales, a sloop foundered sea, about six miles from Pile of Fouldry, which, there is now scarcely any doubt, was the Lady Endergally, of Ulverston, Captain Muncaster. She was bound from Dundalk to Duddon, with a cargo of grain. The crew must have perished. This conjecture unhappily strengthened by no tidings arriving, from any part of the coast of the ill-fated sloop.

I can find no further references to the Lady Endergally and no burial details for Captain Muncaster, so the wreck of the Lady Endergally and the graves of her crew lie out at sea off the Pile of Fouldry, on the Lancashire coast.

[NOTE: I found a possible Baptism for a John Muncaster on 8th Nov 1790 at St Mary, Ulverston, son of Richard Muncaster, Mariner, and a likely marriage on 16th July 1808 at St Mary, Ulverston, of John Muncaster, a Mariner, and Mary Strickland, a Spinster. However, this John Muncaster was probably buried on 19 Nov 1825 at St Mary, Ulverston, aged 35.]

I received this lovely comment from Peter Reaburn on January 3, 2023:

Sheridan, I am distant relative of Captain William Ryburn who was the captain of the sloop the “Lady Edergally”. Your efforts here will add to the colour of my efforts to write a Blog of the Ryburn/Reaburn family in Australia.