Lawhill

"Lawhill" was a steel-hulled four-masted barque active in the early part of the 20th century. Although her career was not especially remarkable, save perhaps for being consistently profitable as a cargo carrier, in the 1930s Richard Cookson went on board and extensively documented "Lawhill's" internals and construction, which was later published in the Anatomy of the Ship series.

"Lawhill" was built at the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company yard of W. B. Thompson in Dundee, Scotland, and launched on 24 August 1892. Named after the Law, a hill in the middle of Dundee, "Lawhill" had been ordered by shipowner Charles Barrie for the jute trade, but only made two voyages carrying jute before the business became unprofitable, and shifted to other cargoes.

During the 1890s, a demand was developing for kerosene in the Far East, which could be more efficiently carried by sail at the time (the "Falls of Clyde" would take up this unusual trade several years later), and in 1899 "Lawhill" was sold to the Anglo American Oil Company. She made nine voyages carrying oil and other cargoes, then the development of storage tank capacity reduced demand, and "Lawhill" went to G. Windram and Company in 1911.

In 1914, she was sold to Finnish owner August Troberg, and "Lawhill" became Finland's largest sailing ship. Despite the hazards of World War I, "Lawhill" continued to sail, managing to elude U-boats and arrive unescorted into Brest in May 1917, carrying wheat from Australia. However, French authorities refused to let "Lawhill" leave, citing the risks, and used her as a store ship. While in port, "Lawhill" was purchased by another Finn, Gustaf Erikson, but before she could get to sea, Finland became an ally of Germany, and in June 1918, the French government officially requisitioned "Lawhill". The French started to convert "Lawhill" to a motor ship, but after much protest, Erikson finally got her back in January 1919, and she resumed carrying wheat, first from Argentina, then from Australia again, as well as timber and other cargoes. On October 1, 1932 she rammed and sunk Polish steamer SS "Niemen" (3107 BRT) in Kattegat (the "Lawhill" captain was found not guilty).

After twenty years of steady service as a grain carrier, "Lawhill" was seized by South Africa in August 1941, Finland having sided with the Axis. The ship was used by the South African government for cargo during the war, then sold to private citizens of South Africa, who used "Lawhill" on several voyages. Showing signs of deterioration, she was sold to a firm in Lourenco Marques and arrived there with great ceremony in September 1948. However, the necessary repairs were beyond the means of her new owners, and she rotted at anchor in the Tembe River for many years, and was finally broken up for scrap sometime in the 1960s.

References

* Kenneth Anderson, Roderick Anderson, Richard Cookson, "The four-masted barque" Lawhill (Conway Maritime Press, 1996) ISBN 0-85177-676-0

A 1:48 scale model constructed by Roderick Anderson as part of his research for the Anatomy of a Ship book is currently on display in the new Western Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle.

External links

* [http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Ships/Fourmast_ships/Lawhill(1892).html Lawhill history]
* [http://www.ahailey.f9.co.uk/lawhill.htm 1:75 scale model of the steel four-masted barque Lawhill, 1892-1957] Currently in the office of Erikson's Capital AB at Mariehamn, Åland