FISH SUPPERS or FRUIT and VEG at CLADDACH KIRKIBOST
by Donald MacQuarrie
The wreck of the Schooner RAGNHILD on Kirkibost Island, North Uist 1836
The story starts at Westford Inn, North Uist. Outside there is a sign indicating you have arrived
and it shows name of Westford Inn and the emblem of a sailing ship.
The reason for this emblem is the fact that on the seaboard side of the island of Kirkibost,
a ship(schooner), was wrecked on 20th March 1836.
The connection with the Inn is that there is a length of timber running up the spine of a circular staircase which tradition says came from that wreck.
Do we know anything about the boat?
It is recorded that the RAGNHILD travelled from Kristiansund in Norway to La Rochelle in France.
She was built in 1813 and registered in Kristiansund between 1814-1836. She was built for a wealthy merchant Morten Hessling (1759-1821), and named after his wife.
When he died the ship and his business was taken over by his wife Ragnhild Hessling (nee Wold) (1770-1846)
The local Marine History Society at Kristiansund was contacted and told that there still remains a part of the bowsprit in Westford Inn. This caused an amount of interest in Kristiansund and the curator Jorgen Strand passed on this information pertaining to the RAGNHILD
It would appear that the Hesslings were not only merchants but were very prominent in the administration of the Kristiansund district.
In 1836 there was considerable trade between Norway, France and the Mediterranean Countries. The RAGNHILD would have carried clipfish(dried fish) southwards and then return with fruits, spirits, wines and salt on the northbound journey.
So which way was Ragnhild travelling when she was wrecked on Kirkibost Island? We don’t really know but local people could have had a treat of fish or even better still fruit, veg and wine?
What is difficult to understand is why the Ragnhild should take a course on the Western side of the islands where there no shelter and the Atlantic can be so wild.
What might be worth knowing is that Norway, which was at that time part of Denmark during the Napoleonic Wars, was on the side of France and hence the reason Britain blockaded the Norwegian coast till about 1820. Perhaps the route taken was a legacy from that time.
Norway at this time favoured the schooner type rigging. That is the sails were aligned on the length of the ship as opposed to the square rigger where the sails were arrayed crosswise.
It would appear that around 1829 the RAGNHILD was extended in length changing its capacity from 26cl to 36cl.
One cl. would be the equivalent of 12 barrels which indicates that she had 105 tons burthen.
In foreign trade she had a flag number Y – 9, the “ Y “ meant she was registered in Kristiansund
In 1829 the shipmaster was Captain H Kiempe but by 1833 the master Captain Tomas Thomsen.
It was probably this man who wandered ashore in 1836 to tell locals he was carrying Clipfish or Mediterranean wines and fruits. There was no loss of life
The part of the schooner embedded in the staircase at Westford Inn is the part that points out from the bow to carry the jib, ie the bowsprit
We have no plans or drawings for the RAGNHILD but we have included a painting of the ‘JANE’, a schooner, built in Norway at a similar time.
Note 1 Kristiansund Maritime Calendar for 2017 mentions the RAGNHILD
Note 2 Ragnhild Helsing is mentioned in Kristiansund History (Vol.2, pages321 and 322)
The wreck of the Schooner RAGNHILD on Kirkibost Island, North Uist 1836
The story starts at Westford Inn, North Uist. Outside there is a sign indicating you have arrived
and it shows name of Westford Inn and the emblem of a sailing ship.
The reason for this emblem is the fact that on the seaboard side of the island of Kirkibost,
a ship(schooner), was wrecked on 20th March 1836.
The connection with the Inn is that there is a length of timber running up the spine of a circular staircase which tradition says came from that wreck.
Do we know anything about the boat?
It is recorded that the RAGNHILD travelled from Kristiansund in Norway to La Rochelle in France.
She was built in 1813 and registered in Kristiansund between 1814-1836. She was built for a wealthy merchant Morten Hessling (1759-1821), and named after his wife.
When he died the ship and his business was taken over by his wife Ragnhild Hessling (nee Wold) (1770-1846)
The local Marine History Society at Kristiansund was contacted and told that there still remains a part of the bowsprit in Westford Inn. This caused an amount of interest in Kristiansund and the curator Jorgen Strand passed on this information pertaining to the RAGNHILD
It would appear that the Hesslings were not only merchants but were very prominent in the administration of the Kristiansund district.
In 1836 there was considerable trade between Norway, France and the Mediterranean Countries. The RAGNHILD would have carried clipfish(dried fish) southwards and then return with fruits, spirits, wines and salt on the northbound journey.
So which way was Ragnhild travelling when she was wrecked on Kirkibost Island? We don’t really know but local people could have had a treat of fish or even better still fruit, veg and wine?
What is difficult to understand is why the Ragnhild should take a course on the Western side of the islands where there no shelter and the Atlantic can be so wild.
What might be worth knowing is that Norway, which was at that time part of Denmark during the Napoleonic Wars, was on the side of France and hence the reason Britain blockaded the Norwegian coast till about 1820. Perhaps the route taken was a legacy from that time.
Norway at this time favoured the schooner type rigging. That is the sails were aligned on the length of the ship as opposed to the square rigger where the sails were arrayed crosswise.
It would appear that around 1829 the RAGNHILD was extended in length changing its capacity from 26cl to 36cl.
One cl. would be the equivalent of 12 barrels which indicates that she had 105 tons burthen.
In foreign trade she had a flag number Y – 9, the “ Y “ meant she was registered in Kristiansund
In 1829 the shipmaster was Captain H Kiempe but by 1833 the master Captain Tomas Thomsen.
It was probably this man who wandered ashore in 1836 to tell locals he was carrying Clipfish or Mediterranean wines and fruits. There was no loss of life
The part of the schooner embedded in the staircase at Westford Inn is the part that points out from the bow to carry the jib, ie the bowsprit
We have no plans or drawings for the RAGNHILD but we have included a painting of the ‘JANE’, a schooner, built in Norway at a similar time.
Note 1 Kristiansund Maritime Calendar for 2017 mentions the RAGNHILD
Note 2 Ragnhild Helsing is mentioned in Kristiansund History (Vol.2, pages321 and 322)
The ‘JANE’ built 1801 Norway
