Burton Stather Shipbuilders

John Wray (1796 - 1884)

John Wray and Son in 1865 built a pier for the Steam Packets which passed daily on the journey from Gainsborough and Hull.

His shipbuilding yard existed for nearly a century.

He appears in the 1841 Census with his wife Elizabeth and again in 1851 with an occupation of Ship Builder employing 16 men and has a son William and niece Sarah. In 1861 aged 65 years he was still ship building and employing 27 men and 12 appentices. By 1881 he was retired and living with daughter in law Ellen widow of William.

Ships built by John Wray and Son

Sloop 'Alkborough' for Cook and Sutton.

1854 Sloop 'Walcot' was built at a cost of £380 54'6" x 14'9" x 6'6".

1863 Schooner 'Summer Cloud' (47120) 78' x 20'2" x 10'2" 91.57 tons registered Aberystwith.

1863 - onwards 8 vessels were built for James Fisher & Sons of Barrow.

1863 'Emma' (47791) 134 tons 95.5 x 22.2 x 12.2 twin masts - missing 1880..

1864 'Doctor' (47798) 148 tons 103 x 22.5 x 12.9 twin masts - wrecked 1894.

1868 'Lizzy'

1866 'Burton Stather' built for Bullard, King & Co. London.

1872 The 'Growler a wooden ketch rigged vessel official number 65286 built fo James Fellowes 6840 tons.

1873 'Burton' (67704) Trawler 68.87 tons 72 x 19.2 x 10.05 - 1897 sold to Norway.

1875 Sailing trawler 'North Sea' built in oak 72.6 x19.9 x 10.1 and insured for £390.

1885 'Bacchante' 85.1 tons built for George William Cook and sold in 1897 to John Doe for £325 and ended up in Iceland.

Fishing smack 'Swift' for Garsides.

Other ships built at Burton Stather

1826 'John Carolus' Sloop (7656 Official No.) 37 tons for Richard Grassby, Thos Hebblewhite, Newport, Wm Reynolds, Blacktoft

1827 'Elizabeth' Sloop (17423 Official No.) 48 tons for William Burkill, Garthorp

1829 'Eliza' Sloop (2709) 45 tons for John Kirk, Leeds

1833 'William & Mary' Sloop (19623) 85 tons for Thomas Bradbury, Long Causewy, Lancs

1834 'Friends' Sloop 38 tons for James Mason

1841 'Francis' Sloop (21513) 49 tons for Robert Percy, Wm Smith

1841 'Friends' Sloop (7696) 40 tons for John Kelsey, William Burkill

1841 'Concord' Sloop (4859) 40 tons for John Holiday

1841 'Planter' Schooner (212) 66 tons for Ellen Farnell, Josh Rowbottom & others

1842 'Richard & Francis' Sloop (23019) 50 tons for John & Samuel Martin, Ferrybridge

1843 'Charity' Sloop (28082) 46 tons for Joseph Cawthorn, Knottingley

1843 'Ocean' Schooner (4760) 82 tons for Jas Dudding, Matt Woodhall, Knottingley

1844 'Alice' Sloop (5474) 41 tons for Richard Wilson

1846 'Hope' Sloop (832) 42 tons for John Hudson, Knottingley

1846 'William Burkitt' Sloop (4791) 55 tons for John Kelsey

1847 'Economy' Schooner (23197) 76 tons for Thomas Wright, Knottingley

1848 'Samaritan' Schooner (481) 86 tons for William Dyson, James Grayburn, Joseph Bradley

1849 'Acorn' Sloop (17147) 36 tons for William Thomas Walker

1850 'Expert' Schooner (22683) 87 tons for Joseph Arnold, Knottingley Thomas Ramsay, Goole

1851 'Nancy' Sloop (4853) 43 tons for Benjamin Gibbins, Barton

1852 'Elizabeth' Sloop (11852) 65 tons for William Hamilton

1852 'Hamilton Sloop' (5394) 45 tons for William Dyson

1852 'Mystery' Schooner (4779) 90 tons for Charles & James Saville, J.S.W. Richardson, Gorge Dryden, Wakefield

1854 'Ocean Bride' Schooner (24088) 116 tons for Jos Arnold, Knottingley Jer Bemtley, Goole

1856 'Thomas Holt' Sloop (17853) 46 tons for Thomas Holt, Garthorpe Shore

1856 'Wave' Sloop (18066) 61 tons for William Smith, John Holt, Garthorpe

1857 'Dekar' Schooner (18778) 68 tons for Jonathan Abbott, York. Thomas Abbott, Hull

1858 'William Maskell' Schooner (20470) 70 tons for William Holdsworth

1881 'Samuel' Sloop (12492) 36 tons for Samuel Beecroft, Geo Whiting

For pictures and further details click on this link