Another source.

[BobG]

A few months ago while hunting for information concerning one of my relations, I found a web site that provided some very interesting information I had not expected to learn. It all started while searching the on-line passenger arrival records at the New South Wales Archives in Australia. Luck was on my side this particular evening, for I found an arrival record of my grandmother's uncle Robert Livingstone Mearns and his family. There they were, arriving in Sydney from London aboard the ship Cairn Clug in August 1878.

From previous searches over the past few years I had learned Bob had married his Scottish bride Isabella in London on 10 December 1868, moved to Queensland in 1869 and set up his dental practice in Townsville. This must have been a return trip after visiting motherland Scotland. Not wanting to leave any stone unturned, I thought I'd try to learn a little about the ship Carin Clug. I did a Google search and came up empty. Nothing at all. That's unusual! Google is like the city of Hong Kong, if it exists, you can find it there.

When it comes to ship records the ultimate source is Lloyd's of London. I have used this resource before with great success but had read that they had transferred many of their records to Guildhall Library in London. Undaunted, I Googled Guildhall Library and searched their on line catalog (catalogue to you Islanders) and eventually located the following:

Marine History
A major collection of marine material has been deposited with us by Lloyd's of London, and this is especially useful for tracing information on merchant vessels and shipping casualties. The only biographical material is contained in the Lloyd's Captains' Registers, 1869-1948, which include both Merchant Navy masters and mates. These are available for consultation in the Manuscripts section.
We do not hold any information on ordinary merchant seamen - for this you should contact either the Registry of Shipping and Seamen at Cardiff or the Public Record Office at Kew. The latter also holds records of the Royal Navy and its personnel. There are no photographs or other illustrations in the Lloyd's marine collection - for these you should contact the National Maritime Museum. However, we do purchase many related works on merchant fleets and shipping companies, shipbuilders, disasters at sea (including, of course, the Titanic), and all things maritime. Click on the list below to download leaflets
Casualty returns (49kb)
Immigration records in Australia and New Zealand (61kb)
Immigration records in North America (48kb)
Lloyds List Indexes (42kb)
Marine Sources (101kb)
Passenger and Crew Lists (83kb)
RMS Titanic (44kb)
Shipping loss information (57kb)
Shipping records of ownership and salvage (35kb)
Voyage Record Cards (55kb)
Useful addresses for maritime research (72.4kb)


Figuring it was worth a shot, on 20 October 2005 I sent the following email to..

printedbooks.guildhall@corpoflondon.gov.uk

Dear Staff Member,
I am seeking information about a ship called "Carin Clug", Burthen 156Tons. Mastered at one time by Alexander Bernie. Known to have sailed from London to Australia during the late1870's. If possible, a particular transit arriving in Sydney August 1878.

Two months to the day later I received the below listed email Guildhall Library.

In reply to your email of 20 October, which has been forwarded to us by search@guildhall library, I can find no reference to a vessel named Carin Clug sailing in 1878. However, there was a vessel sailing at that time named Cairnbulg [sic] which was 1567 [sic] tons gross and had a master named A Birnie.
The iron ship Cairnbulg was built in March 1874 by Duthie of Aberdeen and owned by William Duthie. Registered in Aberdeen, she measured 261.3 x 39 x 23 feet, was 1567 tons net, 1599 gross. She had 2 decks and 1 bulkhead. Her official number was 65107 and her Signal Letters were NFCB. [Lloyd’s Register of Shipping 1877-78].
On 20 May 1878, Cairnbulg cleared Customs for Sydney. She sailed from Gravesend on 22 May and was spoken with on 25 June in position 7N 26W. The next report is of her dismasted, with loss of topmasts on the 5th August in lat. 39S., lon. 68E. [Lloyd’s List 26 August, 1878, column 25]. Cairnbulg eventually arrived at Sydney on 8 September:
‘Sydney, 11th Sept. – The Cairnbulg, Birnie, arrived here 8th Sept., from London, reports: 29th July, in lat. 40S., lon. 57E, encountered a heavy NW gale; at 4.30p.m. on the 31st a hurricane struck the ship with terrific violence, breaking the iron fore and main yards &c.; at 5.30[?]p.m. everything on the foremast above the cap went over the side; the maintopmast and its upper gear was blown away almost directly afterwards; the vessel was now on her broadside and the only chance of saving the mizenmast was to cut away its upper spars, which was done, and these in falling carried away crossjack, spankerboom &c. and the vessel then righted. The ship was found to have fore hatch stove, main deck nearly chafed through in several places, two after-houses stove in, part of crossjack through the poop deck, several stanchions and chainplates [? indecipherable] and other damage. 2nd Aug, in lat 41S., lon. 63E, sighted a vessel with only the stump of a mast standing; could not make her out distinctly.’ [Lloyd’s List 29 October, 1878, column 31].
This indistinct vessel was probably the Glen Osmond, Captain Maples, which arrived at Adelaide on 23rd August and reported: ‘…on 3rd Aug. a perfect cyclone was raging round the vessel and on the dawn of the 5th she found herself in company with the Cairnbulg, Birnie, from London to Sydney, which had suffered during the previous gale, her main, fore and mizen topmasts having been carried over the side, taking with them all the lower yards. Her boats and deck-gear also appeared to have much suffered. The master requested no assistance.’ [Lloyd’s List, 22 October 1878, column 30].
I hope that this information is of assistance. We make no charge for our enquiry service but donations are always welcome. If you would like to help us maintain our present level of service please send a Sterling cheque or postal order, made payable to the Chamberlain of London, to Printed Books Section, Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury, London EC2P 2EJ. We also accept any Debit or Credit Card except American Express and Diners. Please give the name and full address of the Card holder, (including house number and post/zip code, if applicable), Card number, expiry date, issue number (for Maestro Cards), and your 3 digit security number (on the signature strip), if present.

End of email.

Looks like Bob and his family had a rough time traveling back to Australia. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the information I was sent. Think about it, an actual place, date and event in the lives of relatives that took place 128 years ago. Amazing what kinds of paper trails our ancestors have left behind and how more are becoming available on the net. I wonder what my descendants will be able to access about me in the future. Yes, I sent a donation!

Anyway, I thought some of you would be able to use the Guildhall Library as a resource. They also hold many other types of "Family History" related records. Search, search, search.

Good hunting.

BobG

[LesleyB]

Hi BobG
Looks like a good find!

I found the page which lists all the guides to the records they hold:

Guild Hall Library guides

Best wishes
Lesley