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Rare Liverpool Imprint

This detailed sea chart, produced under the direction of marine surveyor William Lord and lithographed by A. Miller of Liverpool, provides a comprehensive navigational guide to the Victoria Channel, a key maritime approach to Liverpool. Published as a supplement to an 1837 chart, it meticulously outlines the placement of buoys, lightships, sandbanks, and water depths, ensuring safe passage for vessels navigating these waters. The chart is an essential document reflecting the advancements in hydrography and maritime safety measures during the early 19th century. 

The chart presents an intricate depiction of the seabed, featuring soundings in feet to indicate water depth at mean low water during spring tides. Various shading techniques distinguish between different underwater formations, such as sandbanks, shoals, and mudflats. Key obstacles, including the Bar of Helbre Swash and North Burbo Bank, are marked to alert mariners to potential hazards. The Crosby Channel and other key waterways are delineated with detailed buoyage systems, allowing ships to follow safe routes. 

A prominent feature is the lightship system, including a three-masted vessel with a black hull and a broad white streak, which displayed a black ball by day and three lights at night in a specific order. The lightship also burned a blue light every two hours after 6 PM and emitted a gong and bell sound alternately during fog conditions, providing crucial auditory and visual signals for safe navigation.

The arrangement of buoys is meticulously outlined, with red buoys marking the starboard side and black buoys marking the port side when entering Liverpool. Black and white striped buoys are positioned over intervening banks or flats. Each buoy is labeled according to its associated channel, such as F for Formby Channel, C for Crosby Channel, and V for Victoria Channel. The numerical sequence of the buoys aids in determining the outermost markers. 

The chart provides essential data on tidal variations, listing the rise of tides above equinoctial low water levels and also details of tidal flow velocities, showing the progression of current speeds over six-hour intervals, with rates ranging from ¾ mile per hour during the first hour of spring tides to 2½ miles per hour at peak flow. 

The Crosby Lighthouse, an important navigational aid, is specifically noted, exhibiting a revolving red light visible 10 feet above high tide level. Other terrestrial reference points, such as Formby Point, the River Alt, and various life boat stations, are also depicted, providing mariners with additional guidance when approaching the coastline. 

This chart represents a significant effort in improving maritime safety during a time when Liverpool was a principal hub of global trade. The careful documentation of lightships, buoys, and tide patterns reflects the increasing precision of 19th-century cartographic and hydrographic surveys. The improvements made to the Victoria Channel, including detailed buoyage and light placements, underscore the ongoing efforts to mitigate the perils of shifting sandbanks and strong tidal currents. 

Rarity

The chart is very rare.

We locate a single example in the British Library.