Information from book Lelia by Chris Michael (with permission) -
see here .
Plus some additional (later) information in [].
Summary here.
Further detailed history of some of the vessels is appended.
Confederate raiders, built at Liverpool:
Built Lairds:
Alabama
Iron rams
Built W C Miller:
Florida:
Summary here
Alexandra/Mary:
Summary here of building at Liverpool.
After the court cases at Liverpool and then Nassau, the Alexander (now
called Mary) was too late to aid the Confederate cause - and returned in 1865 to
Britain. She was then arrested and impounded in London Dock - the US Government
claiming to own her, as an ex-Confederate vessel. Court cases ensued
which challenged this - see below. However, on 16 June 1869, it was agreed by
both parties that she could be sold - with the proceeds retained by the court
until a decision was made.
When sold, she was converted to sail, as a barque - details here.
[from Liverpool Daily Post - Thursday 13 May 1869]:
THE MARY (OTHERWISE THE ALEXANDRA). This is a case of possession, and
was heard in the Court of Admiralty on Tuesday. The plaintiffs are the
Government of the United States of America, and the defendant is Mr.
Charles Prioleau, of Liverpool. The plaintiffs in their petition state
that the Mary, otherwise the Alexandra, was purchased by certain
agents of the Confederate Government with moneys which were the
property of the plaintiffs, and that, therefore, they are the rightful
owners of the vessel, and entitled to possession of her. The defendant
in his answer states that the Mary, otherwise Alexandra, was built by
Mr. W. C. Miller, of Liverpool, for the firm Fawcett, Preston, and
Co., also of Liverpool, in the year 1863; that Fawcett, Preston, and
Co. had no dealings with the Confederate Government, or with anyone
on their behalf in relation to this vessel; that the vessel was, in
the month of June, 1864, transferred to Henry Lafone, of Liverpool,
and registered by him on the 14th of July following in his name, at the
Custom-house at Liverpool, as the Mary, and that the Mary was
afterwards transferred by bill of sale by Lafone to the defendant, who
registered her in his own name on the 21st of April, 1866. The
defendant denies that the second sum of money expended in the
building, purchase, or outfit of the vessel ever belonged to the
Government of the Confederate States. The case was instituted in the
sum of £20,000 in the month of February, 1867, and the vessel, ever
since, has been lying under arrest in the London Docks. In June last
interrogatories were administered to the defendant, and answered, to
his supposed connection with the Confederate Government and their
agents in this country. The Judge subsequently, at the instance of the
plaintiffs, ordered the defendant to attend in court to be
cross-examined upon his answers to certain of the interrogatories, and
produce all books and papers relating to the building, equipping, and
purchase of the Alexandra. Mr. Prioleau accordingly attended on the
5th instant, and had been under examination several hours when the
court adjourned. The examination was resumed and completed on
Tuesday.
The Queen's Advocate, Sir J. Karslake, and Mr. E. C. Clarkson,
appeared for the plaintiffs; Mr. Milward, Q.C., Mr. Butt, Q.C., and
Mr. Benjamin for the defendant. Mr. Prioleau, cross-examined by Sir J.
Karslake: The Captain Bullock referred in one of my answers was an
agent of the Confederate Government, and for about a year had a room
my office, in which he transacted the business of the Government of
which he was an agent. He first came in 1861; no rent was paid for his
room. I was financial agent of the Confederate Government, and saw
Bullock daily and constantly upon Confederate business from the time
of his arrival in England to the end of the war. Do not remember having
had a conversation with Bullock about the Alexandra, or with anyone in
his presence. Will not say no conversation occurred; but do not
remember it. Told Bullock at some time or other that it was my
intention to present the Confederate Government with a gunboat, but
only spoke to him once or twice, as it was matter with which he had
nothing to do. Never told him the intended destination of the Alexandra.
Was present with Bullock in Miller's yard in the spring of 1863, when
the Phantom was launched. The Alexandra was then partly in frame, but
we did not inspect her, indeed, I never myself saw the vessel until
she was launched. I think Bullock was not at the launch. Hamilton was
at the launch of the Alexandra; he came to England in 1861 or 1862. He
had been lieutenant in the United States' Navy, and reported himself
to Bullock for duty as an officer of the Confederate States. Bullock
was introducoed by me to Fawcett, Preston, and Co.; he wanted to
be introduced to someone who could build a gunboat. Fawcett, Preston, and
Co. contracted to build the Phantom and the Florida. If the Alexandra
had gone out according to my original intention, Hamilton would have
commanded her. I arranged with him to take charge of her after I had
heard from Bullock that the duty for which Hamilton came to England
was not to be performed. I don't know if Hamilton obtained Bullock's
permission to go out in charge of her. Told Bullock, and heard it
said by others in Bullock's presenoe, that Hamilton was to take out
the Alexandra. Bullock did not disapprove of this. I arranged with Mr.
Mann, of the firm of Fawcett, Preston, and Co., as to the character of
the vessel I wanted to give to the Confederate Government. Mr. Mann
alluded to her Majesty's gunboat Sturdy, and said, "That's the sort of
boat you want". Fawcett and Co. agreed to build a model of a gunboat,
which I was to buy, if I liked it, and refuse if I didn't. The price was
to be £12,060 if I took her, and to include three guns and
everything complete. There was no memorandum written about the
contract. This is not my usual practice. The vessel was to be completed
as soon as possible. Mr. Wellsman, who had recently come from America,
was the only one of the partners in England at this time. My other
partners were in Charleston. These gentlemen are not now partners.
Advances were made to Fawcett and Co. from time to time while the
vessel was being built. No arrangement was made as to repayment in
case I should not choose to take her. She was seized by the Government
in 1863, and upon her release, at the close of the law proceedings, I
abandoned my intention of sending her out. At the time of her release
she was not completed. I had advanced £8,000 upon her, and Mr.
Mann told me that Lafone had offered £9,000 for her, and that I had
better take it. I sold her to Lafone. The £8,000 were paid out of
the funds of the firm at the time when enormous transactions were
going between the firm and the Confederates; we were receiving and
paying large sums of Confederate money. The debt due from the
Confederates to my firm at the present time is about £290,000.
The defendant was examined at great length upon the books of his firm,
and as to the state of accounts between the firm and Lafone, and
continued: After the Alexandra was released, it was evident that my
original intention could not be carried out, and that there was
nothing left but to make the best use I could of her for a merchant
ship. She was not completed when proceedings were taken, and never
completed as a gunboat, but as a merchant vessel, and called the Mary,
and had no other register than a merchant vessel. I never saw her
after she was made into a merchant vessel. I know nothing of her
qualifications as a merchant vessel, and at this time she is worth
only about £200 or £300. She is rotting."
Being further
examined as to entries in respect of the Mary, which appeared in the
books of the firm down to a recent date, the witness explained that
even after she was sold to Lafone, he had "a controlling interest" in
her, and continued: "When I abandoned my original intention of
presenting her as a gunboat to the Confederate Government, I had do
something with her, and determined to convert her into a merchant
vessel, and put her in the name of some British subject, who would
never be suspected, to go to Nassau, and, if possible, run the
blockade; and, if she succeeded, she was to be given to my partners at
Charleston. There was no written agreement to this effect; it was
simply a verbal one, and Lafone was to be paid for his services. The
vessel was seized at Nassau upon her arrival there, and detained to
the end of the war, when she returned to this country and was
immediately arrested by the American Consul in this country. I paid
the costs of the proceedings at Nassau; altogether I have paid
£29,000 on acoount of this vessel. The defendant was further
examined as to certain items of account; but as these as well as other
portions of the examination contained matters in dispute, and upon
which explanations are promised at the hearing, we defer a report of
these until the case is heard. The Court, upon the motion of Mr.
Butt, fixed an early day for the hearing of the case.
Later history of Alexander/Mary:
Built W C Miller, 1863, as a wooden steam vessel suitable for
conversion to a gunboat; launched as Alexandra. Three mast,
brigantine rig. After a court case, allowed to proceed to sea, if
unarmed and British owned. Registered Liverpool 308/1864 as Mary, 124
tons, owned H Lafone. ON50263. Proceeded to Nassau, where again
involved in a court case, so provided no services to the Confereracy.
Returned to London 1865, where claimed as a prize by the US
Government. This was disputed, see above, but the vessel was allowed
to be sold in June 1869. In MNL 1870-2 as S G G Thompson,
sail, 202 tons, re-registered at Liverpool 780/1869. From 1872-4,
registered Dundalk 7/1872, 140 nt. LR1875 has: barque, 125.6 x 22 x
9.4ft, 129 tons, built Liverpool 1863 by Laird[sic]. Then 1874-6
registered Plymouth 12/1874. By 1877 registered Liverpool again, and
name changed back to Mary by 1878, barque, 129 tons. From 1881-1919 registered
Shanghai, as a schooner, owned Hong Kong, 147 tons.
More detail on the history of some of the Liverpool-built blockade runners.
Built Lairds:
Iron paddle steamer Mars, built Wigram, Blackwall, 1852, 196grt, 124nrt, 176.5 x 17.5 x 9.3 ft, 70 hp engines by Miller, Ravenhill, owned Gravesend Steam Packet Co, first registered London 1853. ON 9062. Registered at Dublin from 1859-1864 as 144nrt, trading Dublin-Wexford-Waterford. Sold for use as a blockade runner, in the American Civil War, registered Nassau, Bahamas from 1865-68. Reported as running the blockade twice successfully from Nassau to Charleston in April and in May 1864. She was reported as one of a number of blockade runners at Nassau in November 1864. Appropriation Book annotated "lost Amer?(Advice?) 30-1-1868".
[from Sun (London) - Monday 21 June 1852]:
LAUNCH OF A RIVER STEAMER - The directors of the Gravesend Star Steam
Packet Company, in the same laudable spirit of providing the best class
of vessel for the Gravesend station which has so long merited them,
added on Saturday to their fleet another beautiful vessel, which from
her appearances bids fair to deprive their own hitherto unexcelled
Jupiter [ON 770, also ran Blockade - once and captured 27 June 1864 by Proteus] of
her laurels. The vessel, having received from Mrs Annie Dubois, the
name of Mars, was launched about 3 o'clock from the yard of the eminent
builders Messrs. Wigram and Sons, at Blackwall. The engines, of 90
horse-power, are in course of construction by Messrs. Miller,
Ravenhill, and Salkeld of Glass-house-fields; but from the interruption
caused by the engineer's strike, it is not expected that the Mars will
be ready for the station before the end of July.