Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Mutiny on board "Alan Ker" from Ardrossan to USA

The following transcript was kindly contributed by Mr. Jim Hunter, of Ardrossan.

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated 2nd January 1858, page 2

MUTINY ON BOARD AN ARDROSSAN SHIP

On Monday, says the "Northern Whig", the ship "Alan Ker" of Belfast, Captain Winter, bound from Ardrossan to Norfolk, Virginia, United States, put into this port, the crew being in a state of mutiny.
The ship left Ardrossan on the 27th November, and had proceeded to sea a considerable distance, when the crew refused to proceed further on the voyage.

We have learned from her owner, Mr James Barnet, that the seamen had been paid, as usual, in monthly advance notes, and that the vessel had not proceeded far to sea when signs of mutiny were evidenced among the crew - indeed, some of them, it appears, entered her with the determination of not proceeding on the voyage.

We conversed with some of the seamen on Monday night in the police office, and the most intelligent among them stated that the "Alan Ker" is about twenty-three years old.
All the men on board believed her hull to be sound, but when she was nine days at sea, they found that her rigging and pumps got into such a state as rendered her completely unseaworthy.
All of the "forecastle hands," in this state of things, passed aft, and told Captain Winter that they would not proceed on the voyage, but that they would "work" the ship into the nearest British port.
Captain Winter asked them if they were mad? To which they replied they would not proceed farther on the voyage.
The course of the vessel was immediately altered, and on arriving in Belfast on Monday, the seamen were given into custody.

On the trial, at the Police Court, the master stated that the pumps were new, but - with characteristic vagueness of attestation - "to the best of his knowledge the vessel was seaworthy," and that "the ship was tight, and made no water."
The prisoners were not, of course, allowed to give evidence; but we have three other seamen who were not in custody, and who will be obliged to proceed with the ship called to prove she was not seaworthy.
The bench read a lecture to the prisoners.
They were reminded that, had they been in the Royal Navy, two of them would have been "assuredly hanged," and "the others flogged"; that they could not be allowed "to set the Captain and mate at defiance, or there would be an end to all order, and no man would invest his money in ships," that two of them should be imprisoned for twelve weeks, at hard labour, and to forfeit whatever wages were due to them, and the others to be imprisoned for eight weeks, at hard labour.

We have no doubt the sympathy of a large portion of the community will go with the incarcerated seamen of the "Alan Ker," while the case only shows the further necessity for reform in the mercantile laws of the country.
The underwriters will not think better of their chores with Belfast shipowners for the present proceedings of the Belfast bench.