SS Ellan Vannin (1883) "Ellan Vannin" leaving the ship only a day or so before the sailing. Of the passengers on board, two were leaving the Isle of Man for business overseas. Mark Joughin of Ballawhannell, Bride, Isle of Man, was on his way to America to make enquiries into an estate which had been left to him. Another passenger was Edgar Blevin of the accountancy firm Kerruish, Son & Blevin of Douglas and Liverpool, whilst Christopher Heaton-Johnson of Beaconsfield Towers, Ramsey, Isle of Man, was en route to India. Thomas Quayle of Andreas, Isle of Man was a former steward for the Archdeacon
SS Ellan Vannin (1883) passage – something which would have caused her master no particular concern. However, the weather rapidly worsened and by 06:35hrs, when the ship arrived at the Mersey Bar lightship, the wind had risen to a Hurricane Force 12, and waves were reported to be exceeding in height. A strong consensus at the time was that with a following sea the "Ellan Vannin" had made good time to the Bar Lightship. Upon reaching the Bar her course would have been changed from approximately 130 degrees to 080 degrees as she entered the approach channel to the river. This would have caused