The Lottie Sleigh was built in 1852 at Prince Edward Island (modern-day Canada) as a 700-long-ton (710 t) barque merchant ship.

She was named after the wife of Colonel Sleigh, a major landowner of the island who owned the land upon which the shipyard stood.

[1] The ship's figurehead, a three-quarter length depiction of a woman with blonde hair, a white bodice and blue dress, is believed to represent Mrs Sleigh.

[1] On 15 January 1864 the vessel was at anchor on the River Mersey near Birkenhead when a steward knocked over a can of oil whilst trimming a lamp.

[2] Locked doors were reported to have been blown open and most of the gas street lamps in Liverpool extinguished by the shock wave.