The Commerce was built in 1825 by Grayson & Leadley of Liverpool as a wooden paddle steamer with engines of 140hp by Maudslay. She was 194 nrt and 144 x 22 x 16 ft in size. She was used by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company for their services between Ireland and Liverpool. In 1847, her engines were removed, and she was rigged as a 3-masted barque of 446 tons. Her owners from 1848 were P. Stuart/Stewart & P. Douglas of Liverpool. More history.
She was returning to Liverpool from Bonny in West Africa with a cargo of palm oil when she developed a leak and was abandoned off the Blasket Islands on 3 April 1850. Her crew of 25 took to her long boat and landed at Minard (East of Dingle). Her captain's name was variously spelled in newspapers and Lloyds Register but his certificate names him as William Hind Larkman Corran of Liverpool[Certificate: 70732].
Launch [from Liverpool Mercury - Friday 22 July 1825]:
... The same day, a very fine steam-packet, named the Commerce; of
340 tons burthen, was launched from the building yard of
Messrs. Grayson and Leadley. This is the third vessel belonging
to the Dublin and Liverpool Steam-packet Company and is
intended to ply betwixt this port and Dublin.
She is one of the largest that bas been built here, and, from her
construction, is calculated to carry a large cargo on an
easy draught of water. She has two flush decks and a double
tier of beams. Her accommodation for passengers will be
elegant, spacious, and airy. Her engines, we are inforrmrd, are
of greater power than those on board any vessel belonging to
Great Britain, and are made by Henry Mawdsley, Esq., of
London, whose character as an engineer is well known. ...
From Galway Vindicator, and Connaught Advertiser - Saturday 13
April 1850:
SHIPWRECK. A three masted vessel, laden with oil, having
sprung a leak at sea, became a total wreck on the afternoon the 3d
inst., having struck against the west Blasket Island. For four days
previous the sad disaster, the crew, consisting of 26 men and the
captain, 3 of whom were Blacks, were incessantly engaged at the pumps. At
length, finding their efforts unavailing, and 12 feet of water in the
hold, they got into the long boat, copper bottomed, and trusted
themselves to the merciless ocean in a tremendous stormy sea. They
were, about 12 o'clock on this day (Thursday), fortunately for
themselves, noticed by the look out man of the Minard coast guard
station, who hoisted a flag and beckoned them into Minard. Thus did
they providentially escape a watery grave. The ship's name was the
Commerce of Liverpool, having sailed from the west coast of Africa - the
Captain's name is Wm. Hinde Larkam Corron, who reached this town in
Coast Guard's attire, having in the hurry of the moment, at leaving the
ship, forgotten both clothes and desk which contained his money. Mathew
J. Moriarty Esq., agent for Lloyds, immediately waited on him at
Petrie's hotel. [From Dingle Correspondent of the Tralee Chronicle]
The crew of the above vessel, 25 in number, including four Blacks [not seen before in that part of Ireland], were forwarded from Minard to Tralee last night, by Lieutenant Stern, RN agent of the Shipwrecked Mariners benevolent Society, of London, to Thomas O'Connell Esq., Honorary Secretary here for the Society in this town [Tralee]. Mr. O'Connell took every care of them, and sent them to-day on to Queenstown[Cobh], from whence they will shipped to Liverpool, at the expense of the Society. Beside paying their car-hire, each received 1s. 6d., per day for subsistence.
The vessel was 449 tons burden, from Bonny on the coast of Africa, laden with palm oil, bound to Liverpool, Her cargo was valued at about £15,000. The owners are Stewart and Doyles of Liverpool. [From Tralee Post]
Postscript A trawler picked up a barrel in 150ft of water off the Blasket Islands - which is likely to have come from this vessel.