NIMROD

[shipstamps]

Built as a wooden sealer under yard No 36 by Stephens & Son, Dundee, Scotland for Job Bro’s, Liverpool.
Launched under the name NIMROD.
Tonnage 334 gross, dim. 136 x 26.9 x 16ft. (41.5 x 8.2 x 4.9m.)
Schooner rigged.
1866 Completed.

Job Bro’s was active in Newfoundland and between 1866 and 1872, the firm built three large sealing vessels “wooden walls”, NEPTUNE, NIMROD and HECTOR, providing 100.000 seal pelts annually for its south side oil manufacturing premises. Over the years the firm owned approximately 265 vessels.
In this period Job Brothers and Company also established plants for converting fish offal into fertilizer at Bay Bulls, Catalina and L’anse au Loup.
During the twentieth century, Job Brothers & Co. Ltd was a pioneer in artificial fish drying at its Blanc Sablon, L’Anse au Loup and Forteau premises, and was also among the first to experiment with methods of freezing fish. In one of the firm’s most innovative and successful undertakings, the BLUE PETER, a 5000 ton steamship was equipped with a brine freezing system as well as a canning plant for the production of salmon. The firm also diversified into timber, mining, manufacturing and processing in the first half of the twentieth century.

The NIMROD was used as a sealer in Newfoundland waters by Job Bro’s till she was sold to Shackleton for £5.000 in May 1907.
1889 She got a new engine of the compound type of 60nhp., and new boilers fitted in.
Shackleton intended to rename her in ENDURANCE, but she kept her old name NIMROD.
She was rerigged as a barkentine, and fitted out for Shackleton British Imperial Antarctic Expedition at the yard of Luckely’s Green’s at Blackwall. The fitting out cost was £7.000.

30 July 1907 the NIMROD left East India Dock at London under command of Capt. Rubert England and sailed to Cowes, where King Edward inspected the vessel on 04 August.
When the NIMROD sailed the original owner was William Beardmore one of the sponsors of the expedition.
05 August she sailed from Cowes bound for Torquay, from Torquay she sailed on 7 August, Shackleton stayed behind to resolve the money problems the expedition had. He would follow later by mailboat. (RMS INDIA of the P&O line embarking at Marseilles.
In the meantime the NIMROD sailed to Lyttelton in New Zealand where Shackleton boarded her .
01 January 1908 she left from Lyttelton overloaded and towed by the KOONYA of the Union Steamship Company, the reason that she was towed the NIMRTOD could not carry sufficient coal for the voyage to Antarctic and return.
The voyage was hampered by storms and very high seas; she shipped heavy seas smashing the bulwarks with rolls of sometimes 50 degree both ways.
10 January the weather eased, and when nearing the pack ice the KOONYA let go, and the NIMROD was on her own.
03 February the expedition landed on Ross Island near Cape Royds, later that day the weather worsened and the NIMROD stood off in the Mc Murdo Sound, till the next evening before she could near the landing place again, discharging commenced again, but the NIMROD had to move away a few times before the stores an equipment were discharged on 22 February, and she could steam out to sea, back to New Zealand, leaving behind the men of the expedition.
26 March 1909 she returned at Lyttelton, Capt England was relieved from his command, the cooperation between him and Shackleton was not so good.
07 November 1908 command was taken over by Capt. F.P.Evans, (he commanded the KOONYA when she towed the NIMROD to the Antarctic) and she sailed out to the Antarctic waters to pick up Shackleton’s expedition members.
28 February 1909 Shackleton boarded the NIMROD, and after sending a rescue party to pick up Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams, all members of the expedition were save on board the NIMROD on 04 March 1909, and the NIMROD headed for New Zealand.
29 March 1909 Captain Evans signed off at Lyttelton; command was taken over by the Chief Officer John King Davis.

Under his command the NIMROD sailed from Lyttelton on 10 April and via Macquarie Island and Cape Horn, making a call at Montevideo before heading to England, arrived Falmouth 26 August 1909, from where she sailed via Torquay and Eastbourne to London.

After her return she was used by Shackleton as a floating museum of his voyage, around 40,000 people visited the ship at 1 shilling a person.
Friday 2 December 1910 at 2.30 she was offered for sale at a public auction at the Baltic Exchange Sale Room in London. She will be sold as she lies afloat at Birkenhead.

Then her history became obscure, she is not more mentioned in Lloyds Register.
Most probably was she then bought by a Captain Webster, anyhow he was the owner when she made a voyage to Siberia in 1911, and reached the Yenisei estuary.
The Times of 24 December 1912 gives then, The NIMROD the expedition ship of Shackleton arrived at Appledore on Saturday from Vardo. (North Norway). She was transferred to the Russian flag in June last, and is to be laid up at Appledore until the spring. (Can not find anything on this voyage, more info is welcome.)
During World War I she became an inspection ship by the British Admiralty. (but is not mentioned in Ships of the Royal Navy.)

Then she disappears from sight till 30 January 1919 when the Times gives:

The steamer NIMROD, formerly of the Shackleton Antarctic Expedition, foundered near Yarmouth, UK east-coast at midnight on Wednesday, and the only survivors of her crew of 12 are James Truelson (mate) and Russell Gregory (boatswain), which after clinging to the keel of a capsized lifeboat were washed up on Thursday morning between Caister and Yarmouth.
The NIMROD sailed from Blyth under command of Captain Doran with a cargo of coal to Calais when she struck the on the Barber Shoals. Water soon filled her engine room and the vessel began to break up. The Chief engineer could not be found. Eleven men, who could only find shelter under the broken bridge, were continually in danger of being killed by wreckage which was washed about by the seas. The NIMROD took a heavy list, her starboard lifeboat was swept away and the men got into the port lifeboat on the bridge-deck, but a huge wave struck the boat, which turned over, all the men being thrown beneath. Three struggled clear of the wreckage and clung to the upturned keel of the lifeboat, but one of then soon let go and sank. Truelson and Gregory hung on, and half an hour later this lifeboat got clear of the wreck. It was bitterly cold and the seas constantly swept over the two men, but by getting their feet into lifelines, they were able to hang on. As they passed the Cockle Lightship they shouted for help, but the noise of the wind and the sea drowned their cries. They saw tugs searching, but could not make themselves heard. When they had almost given up hope, the tide turned and after five hours their boat was thrown broadside on to the beach. They soon received help, and ware taken to Yarmouth Sailors Home where they are now recovering.
Yesterday afternoon five bodies of seamen were washed up between Gorleston and Hopton south of Yarmouth, and an other was seen in the seas. All were wearing lifebelts. One more body came ashore north of Caister and another at California, a neighbouring village. They are all believed to be the bodies of men of the NIMROD.

The New Zealand Post gives by these issues of 2008 the following:

DEPARTING OF NIMROD FROM LYTTELTON.

New Zealand on 1 January 1908, the expedition’s ship, the NIMROD was cheered on by crowd of thousands.
The 40-year-Norwegian-built converted sealer was packed to capacity with 255 tons of coal. To save the limited supply of coal, she was towed south by KOONYA, a steel-built steamer, until the first icebergs were sighted. It was an arduous journey, frustrated by pack ice and the NIMROD taken on water. Finally on 3 February 1908, the month of Shackleton’s 34th birthday, the NIMROD arrived at Cape Royds, Antarctica, where the expedition party built their base.
The NIMROD returned to Lyttelton, returning to collect the expedition party on 3 March 1909.

Australia Anatarctic Terr. 1979 15c sg 42.
Ross Dependency 2008 50c sg?

Source: Info received from John Stevenson. Shackleton by Roland Huntford. The newspaper The Times.
Some web-sites.

[aukepalmhof]

The stamps issued by AAT in 2009 for the Centenary of the Expedition to the South Magnetic Pole gives on 1 stamp the expedition ship NIMROD

Unloading the NIMROD.

On 3 February 1908, the NIMROD was moored on bay ice at Cape Royds, where the British Antarctic Expedition established its winter quarters. The motor car was the first item to be unloaded (as seen on the stamp) from the ship, followed by the Manchurian ponies, which were used in Shackleton's attempt to locate the geographical South Pole.

Falkland Islands 2022 £1.10 sg?, Scott?

[Arturo]

Nimrod

Australian Antarctic Teeritory 2001, S.G.?, Scott: L117c.