Officers and Crew of the Loch Sloy
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Officers and Crew of the Loch Sloy 1. Captain: Peter Nicol, 38, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Captain Peter Nicol was born 1861 in the town of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, the son of Janet ‘Jessie’ Gillan and Peter Nicol Snr a Master Mariner and Sailmaker. He spent a great deal of time in the care of his mother and siblings as his father was at sea for a lot of the time. Peter Nicol Snr began his career aboard the 650 ton barque ‘Cyclone’ in the late 1850’s under Joseph Hossack. Later he served as mate and sailmaker aboard the ‘Wandering Chief of Banff’, and then the ‘Guiding Star’. Eventually he gained his masters ticket and commanded ships if his own. Peter Nicol Jnr grew up in Peterhead, the eldest of 4 children, he had two younger brothers Robert, and John and a sister, Helen Jane. Whilst Peter Jnr was off at sea the family lived at 10b Love Lane, Peterhead, his mother Jessie acting as defacto household head and carer for the 3 youngest children. The family later moved to 6 James Street, Peterhead where John, a baker, looked after his aged parents along with his unmarried sister Helen. Peter Jnr grew up listening to the stories of his father’s adventures at sea and it was not long before he followed him into the trade beginning as an apprentice sailmaker at the age of 17. He met and then married Isabella Simpson in 1880, and later this year their first child Peter was born. The family lived in Peterhead with Isabella’s father William Simpson, a labourer, and Elspet Simpson, along with Isabella’s younger sisters Elspet and Mary and younger brother William. Isabella’s elder sister Margaret and brother, John (the eldest son) had already left home. Isabella worked as a shopkeeper to support her and her young son. Peter Nicol Jnr was away at sea for much of the time and it was many years before that had another child. The Nicol’s eldest son Peter died sometime before 1887 and their next child, another boy, born in that year was named Peter in his memory. Their next two boys came in quick succession, William John Nicol born in 1889, and James William in 1890. Peter Nicol went to sea as a sailmaker aboard the Loch Etive under the command of Captain William Stuart of Peterhead, starting out as an apprentice. Captain Stuart was a friend of his fathers, the two having served together when William Stuart was still learning his trade as a ships mate. Captain Stuart commanded the Loch Etive from her launch in 1877 until his death aboard her in 1896. Peter Nicol jnr, being an intelligent and industrious young man made the most of his opportunities and under Captain Stuarts tuition he was able to take the Board of Trade’s examination for Second Mate. He stayed with the Loch Etive from 1878 until 1893 and worked his way up from apprentice sailmaker to chief officer. The adventures of the Loch Etive were also those of Peter Nicol jnr. With his growing financial success the family needed a bigger home and so moved into 18 York St, Peterhead. William Simpson was working as a coalkeeper and Isabella was running a small store to help make ends meet. Peter Nicol continued as first officer until he gained his Extra Masters Ticket in 1893. The ‘Loch Etive’, at anchor Hobson's Bay. State library of Victoria. Try as he may, Peter could not gain a birth as master and commander of his own vessel. Continuing as chief officer aboard the Loch Etive his luck began to improve when in 1893 his only daughter Isabella was born. This wind change continued when the previous captain of the 900 ton barque Firth of Dornoch, D. Miller, left the vessel and had to be replaced. The ships owners, J. Spencer & Co, of Glasgow offered command of the ship to Peter Nicol who jumped at the chance of his first command. Bidding a fond farewell to Captain Stuart he left the Loch Etive and headed back to Peterhead for a time. His replacement as first mate aboard the Loch Etive was William Wade, a future master of the Loch Sloy. The Firth of Dornoch left Glasgow in late December 1893, and arrived in good time in Sydney on the 10th of January 1894. Staying in port for a short time the ship left for London. For the next few years Captain Peter Nicol plied his trade aboard the Firth of Dornoch travelling from Glasgow, to Sydney, and to Lyttelton in New Zealand, with trade goods and passengers. Heading home the Firth of Dornoch would sail from Sydney to New Castle for coal which would then be shipped to Timaru and Valparaiso in Chile where it would be exchanged for nitrate that was in high demand in Britain for the production of fertiliser and gunpowder. THE FIRTH OF DORNOCH. 1895 “The barque Firth of Dornoch, from Glasgow, which we reported in our yesterday's issue’ as having anchored in the quarantine ground, to tranship 600 cases of dynamite, is an iron vessel, built by Messrs Kuasell and Co . of Glasgow, in 1881 her dimensions being—Length 200 ft 4in, breadth of beam 32ft Sin, and depth of hold 19ft, and owned by Messrs J. Spence and Co., of Glasgow. She brings some 1460 tons of cargo, 240 tons of which is for Wellington. she is under the command of Captain Peter Nicol, who is on his first visit to this port, and has made the passage in 90 days. Like other vessels which have lately arrived in the colocie3 she sighted a quantity of ice between the meridian of Greenwich and the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Nicol reports leaving Glasgow on February 20, towed to Ailsa Craic, and set sail to a moderate N.JE. breeze, and took her departure from the South Bishop's Rock, bearing S.E. 20 miles, on the 22nd; half moderate winds, principally from north to east, until March 2, in lat. 29.10 N... long. 19 31 W., when the first of the N.E. trades set in, which were fresh, and gave out nine miles south, crossing the equator on March 15' in long. 25 W. on the 23rd day out; then she had variable winds until the 20th, when she met the S.E. trades in lat. 4.25 S., long. 28 30 W. The trades were moderate and gave out on the 27th, in lat. 27.12 S., long. 35.25 W., and were succeeded by a moderate N.E. wind until April 10, in lat. 35.48 S., long. 1.55 W., when she encountered The Firth of Solway: sister ship of the Firth of Dornoch, with same a strong U.K. gale with rigging, livery and deck setting. heavy sea; crossed the http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?10491 meridian of Greenwich on the following day, in lat. 38.48, on the fiftieth day out, when the gale abated and she had light winds from N.E. to S.E., and on April 22, in lat. 45.56 S., long. 14.40 E., passed two large icebergs, and on the following day passed a number of bergs—several being very large—and a quantity of broken ice, and spoke the ship Frankenstein, of Liverpool, same day, in long. 16.10 E., and on the 24th the wind increased to a etoonx S.W. gale; passed several more icebergs,” Six feet tall, a solid build with a red beard and hair Captain Nicol cut a rather imposing figure in his blue serge coat and trousers, when he strode about upon the poopdeck. By the late 1890’s Peter Nicol had established himself as a reliable and conscientious ships master. He had made many friends amongst the captains of the Loch Line among whom he could count William Wade as friend. In 1894 James Nicol aged 19, Peter and Isabella’s nephew joined his uncle aboard the Firth of Dornoch as the ships steward. This was his first time at sea. The Nicol’s last child, Robert R Nicol was born whilst Peter was at sea in 1896. At this stage the Firth Line was struggling to compete with the larger steamers so they shifted their attention to the coal and nitrate runs from Newcastle to Chile and onwards to London. When the owners of the Firth of Dornoch found themselves in financial straits they began to sell off their fleet of composite barques. Amongst the casualties of this corporate downsizing was Peter Nicol. He found himself without a command when J. Spencer & Co sold his vessel out from under him to A. T. Rosasco of Genoa, Italy, (who much later renamed the ship ESCAMBIA). Peter Nicol went home to Peterhead where he applied for the vacant position of local harbourmaster. He just missed out on gaining the job, which went to Captain Simpson, a relative of his wife. A few days later came an offer from his old company that would change the Nicol’s family lives forever. Captain Nicol was not out of work for long, realising the value of a safe and reliable skipper, James Lilburn had his agents approach and recruit Peter Nicol. After a short negotiation of his contract Captain Nicol was appointed to the command of the 1200 ton barque ‘Loch Sloy’ in December of 1898. Christmas time in the Nicol household was one of celebration and new beginnings. At the behest of his wife, Isabella, Captain Nicol agreed to take onboard his nephew, William John Simpson as an apprentice.