Clio was a three-masted barque of 473 tons, built in 1838 at Granville, Nova Scotia, from black birch, pine and oak. Registered at St John's, Newfoundland, she spent her career on the transatlantic timber and emigrant routes between Britain and Canada. Clio regularly carried Cornish emigrants to Quebec and returned with timber cargoes for shipyards in Cornwall. She remained in service until 1866, when she was reported as "abandoned at sea" on 3 July. [1]
Clio was built in 1838 at Granville, Nova Scotia, using black birch, pine and oak. She measured 473 tons and was completed as a three-masted barque. On launching she was registered at St John's, Newfoundland, before entering transatlantic service. [2]
Early service and Padstow ownership
Soon after completion, Clio was purchased by Avery, a long-established merchant house based in Padstow, Cornwall. At this time Padstow was a recognised Lloyd's surveying port with an active deep-water trade. Clio became one of the principal vessels carrying emigrants from Cornwall to Quebec and returning with timber cargoes for Padstow's expanding shipyards. Two surviving passenger diaries provide first-hand accounts of life on board during her Atlantic crossings. [3]
Command and later operations
Command of Clio initially rested with Avery and Brown until 1845, when Edward Rawle and Robert Easthorpe took over. By the early 1850s her size made entry over the Doom Bar increasingly difficult, and Padstow ceased to be her home port. She continued to operate on the Quebec route from Falmouth, Plymouth and occasionally Gloucester. By 1865 she was owned by J. Moore of Stonehouse, Devon. The final entry in her record states that she was "abandoned at sea" on 3 July 1866. [4]
Associated vessels and ownership
Clio operated alongside several related vessels on the Quebec route, including the John, Siam and Oriental. In 1855 their captains were William Symons (Clio), Edward Rawle (John), Charles Rawle (Siam) and Henry Tom (Oriental). The Rawle family, originating from Boscastle, were established shipowners with interests in Plymouth and Padstow.
Joint owners of these vessels included Thomas Ham of Plymouth, William Williams of Padstow, Robert Williams Avery, Philip Rawle the Younger, Philip Rawle the Elder and James Moore. The John was lost in 1855 after striking the Manacles off St Keverne, resulting in more than 190 passenger deaths.
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