The Lady Kinnaird

“The sloop Lady Kinnaird of Dundee, a one-masted fore and aft rigged sailing vessel of 52 tons burthen, had been built by William Syme of Elie in Fife in 1784/5 and sold to William Patrick, shipmaster, Dundee in 1785,” says a regular reader.

“Patrick seems to have had some financial difficulties and borrowed monies against the security of his vessel from George, Lord Kinnaird and from Provost Riddoch of Dundee on separate occasions.

“He duly paid off Lord Kinnaird but not Provost Riddoch.

“The provost actioned the Bond of Assignation of William Patrick to Alexander Riddoch of April 10 1788 and the Instrument of Possession in Favour of Alexander Riddoch of April 14 1788.

“It is interesting that the provost took possession of the Lady Kinnaird with her heall masts, sails, Raes Anchor Cable Tows, Tackle, Floatboat and heall furniture an apparelling thereto belonging, With all right and Title he could pretend thereto. So the provost obtained a fine sloop for his unredeemed loan.

“It is known from other records that the Lady Kinnaird traded regularly from Dundee to the Baltic when owned by William Patrick and an examination of shipping records, held in the Letter Book of Customs at the City of Dundee Archives, shows the various entries relating to the Lady Kinnaird – her destinations and the names of her various Masters.

“However, she had a similar fate to her successor which sank off the coast of Australia. By 1801, she was owned by a Captain Wood sailing from Shields in north east England and in 1820, with the same owner, she was based in Waterford, Ireland.

“This sloop foundered on December 29 1824, off Garroch Head, Isle of Bute.”