Isle of Man post office marks 100 years since Ellan Vannin sinking

By Laura Davis on Nov 9, 09 05:23 PM

THE Isle of Man post office has released a new set of stamps marking the 100-year anniversary since the sinking of Ellan Vannin, which was sailing between the Isle of Man and Liverpool when she vanished.

The disaster was immortalised in song by Hughie Jones of the Liverpool folk band The Spinners, who runs a folk club in the Everyman Bistro each Tuesday evening.

In 1909, the 339-ton passenger and cargo steamer Ellan Vannin fought through a hurricane in a bid to get to Liverpool and then vanished.

Later that day, one of the indicators of her fate, among floating lifebuoys, dead sheep and bags of turnips in the River Mersey, was a floating mail basket. Crew of the Formby Lightship retrieved it. Birkenhead Post Office opened it and found mail from Ramsey, Isle of Man.

Ellan Vannin was a 49-year-old veteran of the Steam Packet fleet; so small that she was regarded as the company mascot. Many knew her as 'L'il Daisy'.

She had a reputation, however, of being a 'weatherly little craft' that got the mail through in atrocious weather conditions when bigger vessels took shelter.

Launched at Glasgow on 10 April 1860 as a paddle steamer named Mona's Isle II, she was converted at Barrow-in-Furness in 1883 to a screw vessel and re-named Ellan Vannin, the second Manx steamer to bear the name. A rival Castletown line had operated the first between 1854 and 1858.

At 1.12am on 3 December 1909, when the Ellan Vannin left Ramsey for Liverpool, a North-West gale was developing but it was not thought to be dangerous. The Ellan Vannin's Master, James Teare, was a cautious man.

Later, however, the gale worsened to hurricane force. On the Isle of Man there was structural damage. Roofs were stripped of their slates.

Even then, nautical men thought the Ellan Vannin had 'come through ordeals quite as bad, if not worse'. Indeed, she reached the mouth of the River Mersey safely.

What happened next would always be debated. Did she collide with an unknown vessel? Did she hit a sandbank? Did mighty waves overwhelm her?

Experienced sailors reckoned that the sea at this point would be seething and bubbling as huge waves met fast-moving waters emerging from the Mersey. What happened next must have been quick, allowing no time for anyone aboard to put on lifebelts.

At about 6.50am, for that was when the ship's clock stopped, the Ellan Vannin went down, settling upright in two halves, one of her masts protruding above the surface at low water. Because she was a hazard in a busy shipping lane, she was eventually blown up.

A Board of Trade Inquiry decided that 24-foot waves overwhelmed her, even swept away the bridge. She went down by the stern then her bow broke off.

Fourteen passengers and her crew of 21 were lost - many of them never recovered - but it could have been worse. The Ellan Vannin could carry 299 passengers.

The Steam Packet Company would never use the name Ellan Vannin again.

The Spinners' lyrics go like this...

Snaefell, Tynwald, Ben My Chree Fourteen ships had sailed the sea
Proudly bearing a Manx name,but there's one will never again
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company, Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea

At one a.m. in Ramsey bay,Captain Teare was heard to say
"Our contract said deliver the mail, in this rough weather we must not fail"
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company, Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea

Ocean liners sheltered from the storm, Ellan Vannin on the wave was borne
Her hold was full and battened down ,as she sailed towards far Liverpool Town
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company, Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea

With a crew of twenty-one Manxmen, her passengers Liverpool businessmen
Farewell Mona's Isle farewell, this little ship was bound for hell
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company, oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea

Less than a mile from the Bar lightship, by a mighty wave Ellan Vannin was hit
She sank in the waters of Liverpool Bay, there she lies until this day
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company, oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea

Few Manxmen now remember , the third day of the month December
The terrible storm in Nineteen-nine , Ellan Vannin sailed for the very last time
Oh Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Company , Oh Ellan Vannin, lost in the Irish Sea.