Alexander Masterton (1822-1904)
Master Mariner
Alexander Masterton, master mariner, lived in Gourock, and makes his appearance in the news on a number of occasions: the death of his wife while he was on a voyage; succesfully defending a claim for lost wages; captain of a vessel racing to India, and finally as a result of a Board of Trade inquiry after his ship, the "Amaranth" was grounded on a sandbank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Later that year, that same ship was struck by an iceberg which caused some damage to the quarter.
Genealogy
Alexander Masterton was the fourth child and only son of Charles Masterton, clerk to the East India House, London and Elizabeth Thomlinson, who had married in 1811 in London. Thanks to a reference to his father Charles's promotion within the East India Company, we know that Charles had a brother Alexander, baillie in Culross. This places him as part of the family from Torryburn and Culross for which details can be found at this link.
Glasgow Herald
DEATHS - At Manor Crescent Gourock, on the 17th instant, Ann Neasmith, wife of Captain Alex Masterton.
Glasgow Herald
21st September, 1869
DEATHS ON BOARD SHIP. - Captain Masterton, of the ship Zanzibar, which arrived at the Tail of the Bank on Monday from Java, with a cargo of sugar, reports that while the vessel was on her homeward passage an apprentice seaman, named Robert Constant, aged 15, son of Mr Constant, gunner on board H.M.S. Black Prince, died of dysentery. - The cook, Timothy Fey, also died on the passage home. Deceased, who was about 43 years of age, was married, and resided in town.
Glasgow Herald
16th December, 1869
Much interest, as our readers are aware, has for years past been vested in the annual race from China to London by the tea clippers, the majority of the crack ships amongst the fleet being Clyde-built composite vessels. Occasionally a race takes place between vessels leaving the Clyde for the East, but as there is no special season when ships are pitted against each other on any particular outward voyage little interest is taken in these contests. Intelligence, however, has just been received of the arrival at Calcutta, within a few hours of each other, of four iron-built clippers, which left the river early in the present year. On Saturday the 8th January last the ship City of Lucknow, 1195 tons, Capt. Watson, forming one of Messrs George Smith & Son's fleet of East India ships, and the new ship Orissa, 1200 tons, Capt. Masterton, belonging to Mr John Kerr, Greenock, sailed from the Tail of the Bank within a few hours of each other. On the following Monday they were both spoken - the former in 51 N. 8W., an the latter in 50N. 7W. In the Herald of the 27th ult. the arrival of the City of Lucknow was reported, but no date was stated. The Orissa reached Calcutta on the 3d. instant, having thus, it would appear, been beaten by several days.
On the eve of the 20th and early on the morning of 21st January last, other two ships belonging to Messrs Smith & Son, and Mr. Kerr, Greenock, started from the river for Calcutta within a few hours of each other, viz.:- City of Lahore, 988 tons, Captain Stewart, and Zanzibar, 1199 tons, Captain Gilmour. On the 19th Feby. both ships were spoken - the Zanzibar standing lat. 017 N., long 26.44 W. Telegrams have been received that both vessels reached Calcutta almost simultaneously on 3d inst. The net time of arrival has not reached us; but the probability appears to be that the Zanzibar will be declared the winner of a somewhat remarkable ocean race. Considering the season of the year, the respective passages, although exceeding 100 days, are considered satisfactory. The Zanzibar was built by Messrs Robertson & Co., Greenock, about eighteen months ago. This is her second voyage. The City of Lucknow was built by Messrs Barclay & Curle, Glasgow, in 1869. This is likewise her second voyage, her first "round" having been a remarkably fast one. The City of Lahore was built by Messrs Stephens, Glasgow, in 1864, while the Orissa was built by Messrs Thomson, Glasgow, towards the end of last year.
Glasgow Herald
7th May, 1870
IMPORTANT TO SEAMEN AND OTHERS.
An action at the instance of John Pattison, carpenter, Greenock, against John Kerr, shipowner, and Alexander Masterton, shipmaster, sometime master of the Zanzibar, of Greenock, belonging to Mr Kerr, was called in the Sheriff Court on Friday. The action concluded for three months' wages, in lieu of expenses incurred by the petitioner through his not being provided with the medicines and others prescribed by the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 and 1867. The petitioner alleged that the ship Zanzibar, in which he was carpenter, sailed from Greenock on or about 26th Dec., 1868, on a voyage to Bombay, and returned to Greenock on or about 14th Dec., 1869; that when the ship was off Bombay she received orders to proceed to Batavia for the purpose of discharging part of her cargo, which she accordingly did - the remainder of the cargo being discharged at Samarang; that while the ship was at Batavia the petitioner took unwell with fever and ague, caused and augmented, as he alleged, by the want of proper medicines being furnished to him; and that he was more or less ill of said complaint till April or May following the arrival of the ship home to Greenock. On the calling of the petition on Friday, the respondents stated, as a bar to the action, that the petitioner had granted the statutory release to the ship and shipmaster, which was declared to be a discharge and settlement of all claims or demands regarding the voyage in question. The Sheriff postponed the further hearing of the case till yesterday, when parties were heard upon the plea above-mentioned, and the Sheriff thereafter granted the following interlocutor:-
"Greenock, 4th December, 1871. - The Sheriff-Substitute having heard parties' procurators, Finds it established, by production of a release duly signed by the petitioner, and attested in terms of the Merchant Seamen's Act (17 and 18 Vict. c. 104, sec. 175), that the petitioner has thereby granted (cl. 2) a discharge and settlement of all demands between the shipowner and shipmaster and him, in respect of the past voyage or engagement mentioned in the petition: Therefore assoilzies the respondents from the conclusions of the petition: Finds no expenses due, and decerns.
(Signed) H. L. TENNANT.
"Note. - This is a claim or demand in respect of a past voyage or engagement - in fact, it is in point of form a claim of wages; and there appears to the Sheriff Substitute to be no doubt that it falls under the broad terms of the second clause of sec. 175, declaring what is to be included within the operation of the release. (Initialed) H.L.T."
Agent for Petitioner - R.W. Chalmers.
Agent for Respondents - Hew McIlraith.
Glasgow Herald
5th December, 1871
The Scotsman
GREENOCK BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY. - Yesterday a Board of Trade inquiry into the circumstances attending the stranding of the Greenock ship Amaranth in the Gulf of St Lawrence in May last was opened in Greenock, before Justices Neill and Blackmore. Captains Vaux and Ward acted as naval assessors; Mr William Auld, writer, appeared on behalf of the Board of Trade; and Mr Duncan Clerk, writer, represented the master and officers. According to the opening statement, the Amaranth was a vessel of 1197 tons, and belonged to Mr John Ward and others. She left Greenock for Quebec, with coal, on 2d April last, and on the morning of the 13th May grounded in the St Lawrence on a sandbank. She was afterwards got off and repaired, but the loss, including cargo thrown overboard, was about £3000. Captain Masterton, the first and second mates, and several of the crew gave evidence. Mr Warden, one of the owners, was an experienced, skilful, and trustworthy navigator. There was a thick fog when the vessel stranded, and snow was falling heavily. After questions had been submitted by Mr Auld to the Court as to whether the master and the officers had taken all necessary precautions against the stranding of the ship, and whether she had been skilfully navigated, he announced that the Board of Trade considered that the certificate of Captain Masterton should be dealt with. The Court then adjourned till to-day, when decision will be given.
The Scotsman
27th September, 1883
SPOKEN
Bark, Amaranth, (of Greenock,) from Quebec, for Greenock; Oct. 10, lat. 47, lon. 47 10.
The New York Times
16th October, 1884