Maritime record MHG50169 - Leila: North Sea

NMRS Report: (21/12/2006 15:12:28)
ND35NE 8031 unlocated

NLO: Noss Head [name: ND 389 550]
Sinclair's Bay [name centred ND 37 56]
Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81]
Clyth Mains [name: ND 280 362]
Keiss [name: ND 347 612]
Keiss Links [name centred ND 338 590]
Wick [name: ND 362 508].

Wick, 3rd Feb. There has been a violent gale since yesterday. A mahogany seat, painted white, about 10 feet long, and apparently part of the side saloon sofa of a steamer, with brass fixing, was washed ashore here this morning: it has apparently not been long in the water. Several other pieces of wreck wood have also been found on the coast, and it is reported from Clyth that a considerable quantity of wreck, including one piece of large bulk, was seen passing that coast yesterday afternoon. Some flour barrels have also come on shore, and a broken name board, with the letters LELA on it, has come in at Keiss, and near the same spot a large swinging boom of a full-rigged vessel has been found: a number of casks are also floating in this bay.
Source: LL, No. 15,858, London, Monday, February 6 1865.

Wick, 4th Feb. This morning an additional quantity of wreck has come ashore here and at varous other parts of the coast. Fromits nature there is no doubt that two vessels have been lost, one a Norwegian, a considerable quantity of Norway staves having been washed ashore. The other must have been either a steamer or a large and new vessel, splendidly fitted up. Large quantities of cabin mahogany panelling have been washed in: also a fine mahogany table, part of an oak quarter deck taffrail, portion of a companion compass case, &c., also a bag containing two yellow painted life buoys, wrapped up in grey paper: on a card attached to the bag was an address, running thus, as far as could be deciphered:- `P Brig---- --- Gall, Capt.----, Messrs. James ----- & Co., North Shields¿.
Source: LL, No. 15,858, London, Monday, February 6 1865.

Liverpool, 7th Feb. The wreckage washing on shore at Wick is believed to be from the LEILA, which sailed from Shields, for Calcutta, 2nd Jan.: her stores were addressed to her by rail `DOCTOR GALE (which name she bore up to the [Record received incomplete].

NMRS, MS/829/72 (no. 10792).

(Classified as [full-rigged] ship, with cargo of coal: former names cited as Dr Gall and City of London, and date of loss as 2 January 1865). Leila; this vessel is presumed to have foundered off Noss Head. Capt. Fairbairn.
(Maiden voyage, Liverpoool? 1881 grt?)
Registration: Danish. Built 1864. 1381 tons register.
(Location of loss cited as N58 25.0 W2 40.0).
I G Whittaker 1998.

The map sheet assigned to this record is essentially arbitrary.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 21 December 2006.