• Article |
• Discussion |
• Edit |
• History

As one of the furthest English counties from the coast, Derbyshire is not generally recognised for its seafaring tradition. But nor is it entirely devoid of ocean-going links, for a number of vessels have carried the name of the county. Here Peter Seddon considers the third of the ‘Derbyshire’ fleet.

In 1889 the celebrated Liverpool-based shipping company Bibby Line named one of its vessels ‘The Lancashire’. It was quickly followed by ‘The Yorkshire’ and in no time at all a tradition had been established which continues today - the naming of vessels after the English shire counties.

Although the ships generally had no formal link with their allotted 'shire', the counties in question were inclined to ‘adopt’ their namesakes unofficially - so it was not untypical for local newspapers to report on 'their' ship's progress and in time of war perhaps to back fund-raising efforts.

Over the years no fewer than four Bibby Line ships were named ‘Derbyshire’.

The third vessel so-christened was a cargo carrier built in 1966 by William Doxford & Sons (Shipbuilding) Ltd at Pallion Yard, Sunderland.

It weighed 7412 tons, had a length of 507 feet 2 inches, a beam of 67 feet 2 inches, and a service speed of 17 knots. Sister to the Worcestershire, she was delivered to Bibby Line Ltd in February 1966 and transferred to Bibby Bulk Carriers Ltd in 1973.

In 1976 she was sold for 4.6 million dollars to Naviera de Transportes Chrysovalandrou S.A. of Panama and renamed Captain Lygnos for management by Lamda Servios Generales S.A. of Piraeus, the port of Athens, Greece.

In 1981 she was renamed Chrysovalandrou, but this second change did not prove auspicious. On 24 November of that year, during a voyage from Piraeus to Poland, a significant fire broke out in the engine room.

The ship struggled on for a further two days before anchoring on 26 November off Cartagena, in south-eastern Spain. There her crew abandoned ship and allowed her to burn out.

The amidships was completely gutted (nor was the ship’s owner too pleased) and on 6 December 1981 the former ‘Derbyshire’ met its end when it was towed into port and broken up by the firm of Don Franciscu Jimenez.

The natural conclusion to this sorry tale would be that this was the most unfortunate of the four ‘Derbyshire’ vessels owned by Bibby Line, but in fact the fourth ship suffered an even more tragic fate.

Built in 1976 the freight vessel went down in 1980 with the loss of 44 lives, a tragedy which resulted in bitter controversy and a long-running legal argument.

Perhaps ‘Derbyshire’ - with its land-locked connotations - is not such a lucky name for a ship after all.

The four Bibby Line vessels named after the county were built in 1897, 1935, 1966, and 1976 – not a single one survives.

FEEDBACK

Did you enjoy this article? If so, why not comment on it? Perhaps you disagree with something in it, or you know something the writer doesn't and can add some extra facts. You may want to ask a question about this article. Making a contribution is easy - either click 'edit' to insert more information or 'discussion' and then 'add comment.' This is your site. Please feel free to use it to the full and share your memories, thoughts and knowledge about Derbyshire with others.

If there is no 'edit' link showing it means the article has either previously been published in the Derby Evening Telegraph, or it has been protected by the site administrator and cannot be edited.'

County:  Derbyshire

Return to You_and_Yesterday