Sailing Trawler Margaret FD208
Additional information courtesy of Henry Leadbetter.
Technical
Official Number: 114301
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 51
Net Tonnage: 22
Length: 64.8 ft
Breadth: 17.7 ft
Depth: 9.85 ft
Rig: Ketch
Built: John Singleton & Co, Fleetwood
History
Ketch/Auxiliary motor ketch – trawling
1903: Built by John Singleton & Co, Fleetwood.
5.1903: Completed by Richard (‘Fish Dick’) Leadbetter, Wyre Dock, Fleetwood for William Leadbetter, 33 North Church Street, Fleetwood (20/64); Nanny Leadbetter, Fleetwood (2/64); Harriet Leadbetter, Fleetwood (4/64); Betty Wright, Fleetwood (8/64); William Coulburn, Fleetwood (2/64); John Coulburn. Fleetwood (2/64); Thomas Rigby, Fleetwood (8/64); George Butler Woods, Fleetwood (4/64) and Richard Leadbetter (16/64) (64 shares) as MARGARET.
29.5.1903: Registered at Fleetwood (FD208), William Leadbetter designated managing owner.
25.9.1903: Eight shares (W. Leadbetter) sold to Isaac Leadbetter, 40 St. Anne’s Road West, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea and two shares (W. Leadbetter) sold to Edwin William Mann, 60 Claremont Terrace, Fleetwood.
30.1.1915: Fishing off Morecambe Bay (Sk. Leadbetter), picked up 23 survivors of steamer BEN CRUACHEN (3092grt/1903) on passage Scapa Flow – Liverpool, stopped by U.boat (U21) 15 miles NW of Morecambe Bay Light Vessel and scuttled by explosive charges in position 53.36N 03.51W. Landed at Fleetwood.
Pre 1924: Sold to William Leadbetter, 54 Sagar Terrace, Blakiston Street Fleetwood (managing owner).
Oil Engine: 4 stroke 4-cyl 56bhp by Gardner Engines Ltd, Patricroft, Manchester.
10.10.1924: Registry closed and re-registered as auxiliary motor ketch. Owner William Leadbetter, 23 North Albert Street, Fleetwood (managing owner).
5.5.1939: Sold to John Wignall, 11 Walmsley Street, Fleetwood & others (John Wignall managing owner).
20.9.1941: Sold to William Winston Curwyn, Crawford Arms Hotel, Conway.
4.5.1944: Sold to James C. Screech, 10 Myrtle Street, Appledore.
27.6.1944: Sold to Hubert Jones, 30 The Grove, Uplands, Swansea.
10.12.1946: Sold to William Alfred & D. L. George, Swansea.
12/??/1949: Sold to James Robert Sheader, 20 Tennyson Terrace, Hartlepool. Fleetwood registry closed. Registered at Hartlepool (HL92).
1960: Suffered engine explosion and subsequently abandoned near old Lifeboat Station.
1991: Buried when new Boathouse constructed to house Atlantic 21.
This vessel was originally built for Richard Leadbetter(Fish Dick) who was my great, great grandfather and operated by my grandfather William Leadbetter with his son Henry Leadbetter (my father) The engine fitted was a Gardiner Diesel engine my father having attended Gardiners at Patricroft, Eccles, Manchester to be trained in operating this engine. I traced this vessel to Hartlepool and found that after an Engine explosion she was left tiedupnear the old lifeboat station. She was later covered over during the construction of the new lifeboat house.