Fenton Mangnall (GM142) is shown as the registered owner of the Denbigh, a ship built in 1860 and which had an exciting but short career. The “Denbigh Project” gives further details about the ship and the work being done on it. Below is my transcription of the “Certificate of Registry” where italics represent the information written onto the form and question marks are for text I have been unable to interpret.

Official Number of Ship 28647
Name of Ship Denbigh
Port Number…198 Port of Registry…Liverpool British or Foreign Built…British
Whether a Sailing or Steam Ship;
if steam, how propelled… Steamer
Paddle Wheels
Where built… at Birkenhead
in the County of
Chester
When built… Sixteen? June? 1860
No., Date and Port of previous Registry (if any) New Ship First Registry
Number of Decks .. .. .. One Build .. .. .. Clinkers?
Number of Masts .. .. .. Two Gallery .. .. .. St???
Rigged .. .. .. .. Schooner Head .. .. .. .. ?
Stern .. .. .. .. Round Framework .. .. Iron
Captured by the United States and lost at Galveston
— per Form 20 received 21 Feby 1867.
Tonnage
No. of Tons
Tonnage under Tonnage Deck .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
235.76
Closed in Spaces above the Tonnage Deck, if any, viz.:Space or Spaves between Decks ..
Poop .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Round House .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
22.48
Other enclosed spaces (if any), naming them .. .. .. .. .. ..
258.24
Deduct Allowance for Propelling Power .. 37/100 .. .. ..
95.55
Register Tonnage. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

162.69
Measurements Length from the forepart of the Stem under the Bowsprit to the aft side of the Head of the
Stern-post .. 182 .. feet .. 6 .. Tenths
Main Breadth to outside of Plank .. 22 .. Feet .. 5 .. Tenths
Depth in Hold from Tonnage Deck to Ceiling at Midships .. 8 .. Feet .. 7 .. Tenths
Additional Particulars for Steamers
Tons
Deduction for Space required for Propelling Power . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
95.55
Length of Engine Room if measured . .. 39 .. Feet ..– .. Tenths
Number of Engines .. .. .. Two
Combined Power (estimated Horse Power) .. 100
Names, Residence, and Description of the Owners, and Number of Sixty-fourth Shares held by each Owner .. .. ..
Fenton Mangnall of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Merchants and Manufacturers 64/64
Dated 1st Oct 1860 Signed
Registrar S Price Edwards

The Denbigh was built at Laird’s Yard in Birkenhead for the mercantile firm of Robert Garner & Co of Manchester of which Fenton Mangnall was a partner. It cost £10,150 to build and was launched in August 1860. After fitting out she was delivered to Gardner’s on 26 September 1860. The Denbigh was an iron-hulled side-wheel steamer of 162 tons, 182 feet 7 inches in length, 22 feet 6 inches wide and with a draft of 7 feet. On her trial trip she had a wind assisted speed of 13.5 knots and her feathered side-wheels turned at 39 revolutions per minute. Initially the Denbigh ran between Liverpool and the Welsh coastal town of Rhyl as a packet ship. In September 1863 the Denbigh was sold to the European Trading Company, an amalgamation of three firms – H O Brewer of Mobile, Alabama, Emile Erlanger & Co of Paris, and J H Shroder & Co of Manchester. She was fitted out as a blockade runner in the American Civil War. No change in ownership was recorded with the Board of Trade which may have been an attempt to disguise her new occupation. However, this subterfuge failed and the US Consul in Liverpool was aware of what was happening and alerted the US Naval Secretary.

You can read the rest of the exciting life of the Denbigh on the “Denbigh Project” website or in the book “British Ships in the Confederate Navy” by Joseph McKenna on page 237.

[Last updated 07 Oct 2012]