Bartley
Captain Patrick Bartley, of Rosses Point, joined the SS Olive at an early age
before transferring to ocean going vessels. Both he and his brother, John, were mate and
cook, respectively, on the SS Ruby of Glasgow when she rescued the crew of the SS
Liverpool off the Isle of Man in December, 1916.
Patrick was subsequently in the employment of the Sligo Harbour Board and acted as temporary Harbour Master for a period. He was the first master of the dredger, SS Elsinore, and later commanded the SS Tartar. In 1939 he returned to sea and later became a Pilot at Ardrossan, a position he retained until his retirement in 1957. His death the following year removed from the scene the last of the old sea captains who gave sterling service to both the Harbour Board and the Sligo Steam Navigation Company. His brother, John, was cook on the Carrickfergus for a number of years before his premature death.
Captain Bartley’s eldest son, Patrick, Jr., was a Cadet on a ship torpedoed in World War II and lost with all hands. A younger brother, Alec, also went to sea. He became an Officer in the foreign trade and now lives in retirement in Scotland.