This record consists of a documentary reference to a shipping casualty which has been assigned to the maritime named location BRISTOL CHANNEL pending more information which may allow a more precise location for the loss to be assigned.

Event and Historical Information:
The JOHN HOWARD was an iron-hulled steamship built J L Thompson at Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, in 1874. The ship was registered new at Cardiff on 14 November 1874 (24 in 1874). At that time, technical and configuration specifications were given as 1236gt (deducting 446.89 tons for allowance for space for propelling power leaving 790 registered tonnage); 235.5ft length x 31.2ft breadth x 22.2ft depth; internal spaces include forecastle, carpenter and cook's store, chart house, bridge sides; the crew spaces include provision for carpenter, cook and engineers store, 2nd mate, chief mate, 2nd and 3rd engineers, chief engineer, engineer's mess and steward; length of engine room 34.5ft; 2 compound surface condensing engines producing 120hp, diameter of cylinders 29 and 54 in, length of stroke 36 in, made by John Dickinson, Planer's Hill, Monkwearmouth. The JOHN HOWARD was registered at Cardiff by John Gower Marychurch of Cardiff, shipowner. Transacation recorded in the registry include the sale of various small numbers of shares to individuals such as Edward Oliver Jones of Cardiff, coal merchant; Joseph Lowe Thompson of Monkswearmouth of county of Durham, iron shipbuilder (and builder of the JOHN HOWARD); Thomas Webb of St Andrews Crescent Cardiff. Merchant; William and Samuel Symington of Northampton Road, Little Bourden, Northamptonshire, coffee merchants; and Samuel Thomas of Squborwen (?) in parish of Aberdare, colliery proprietor. The ship's registry was closed on 9 September 1879 after it was reported that the JOHN HOWARD had foundered in the Bristol Channel on 6 September 1879.

Sources include:
Port of Cardiff Shipping Register 1866-1881, folio 187, Glamorgan Record Office DRBS1/4

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, October 2009.