THE SUNDERLAND SITE - PAGE 071
SHIPBUILDERS - PAGE 20

May I suggest that you navigate the site re Sunderland data via the index on page 001. On this page I will continue to advise such data as I have located about the shipbuilders of Sunderland, U.K. and expand upon the data presently available on site. A list of the Sunderland built vessels referenced in these pages is at the top of page 040. A list of the Sunderland shipbuilders referenced in these pages is a little lower on page 040. Copyright? (27 + 1 + 3 + 2 = 33) Test. Do you want to make a comment? A site guestbook is here. Corrections in any of the material which follows, however tiny, would be most welcome. And additions, of course! OSWALD & CO. T. B. OSWALD T. R. OSWALD OF MONKWEARMOUTH, SUNDERLAND First a few images. Hover your mouse over each thumbnail to read the subject matter. Do view the image that is available by clicking the thumbnail image above. It takes you to an e-Bay item, available as this page is updated, of a print from the Mar. 1, 1872 issue of 'The Engineer'. Showing the engines that were installed in two ships that were built, in 1871, at the Oswald shipbuilding yard at Sunderland, specifically Bertha & Scindia. Neither of those vessels are listed yet on this site. The page is offered by vendor 'prints-4-all', of Scotland, who surely must be commended for posting listing images of such an amazing quality. I should add that these words were not solicited by 'prints-4-all'! Just written to recognise the quality of an e-Bay listing image, with no logos to destroy the visual impact of the print. Like many other names in these pages today, really just names. That require research - to the extent I can in fact do that. I have seen a few references to T. R. (Thomas Ridley) Oswald. Washington, built 1873, is here (all the others there are already covered below). And maybe a few more elsewhere. Need help! But now, thanks to Brenda Avery, of Southampton, England, and to the WWW link she has kindly provided, and also to this fine page, I learn that Thomas Ridley Oswald ('Thomas') was born Jun. 29, 1836 at Lewisham, Kent, the son of William Oswald (Aug. 8, 1795/Sep. 11, 1876), a Deptford Provision Merchant, and Elizabeth Florence (née Laing) (Aug. 12, 1805/Oct. 8, 1889), his wife. Thomas or his family must first have moved to Stepney, in the East End of London, & then to the north-east because he later became an engineer & shipbuilder & established a shipbuilding business in Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland. The business, I presume, was not a success, since Thomas became bankrupt in 1862. But he recovered, rebuilt his business, & by 1871 he employed 19 men and boys. For reasons not yet known to the webmaster, he moved his business in 1875 from Sunderland to Woolston, Southampton, Hampshire, & there went into business (1876) with John Murray Mordaunt, i.e. 'Oswald, Mordaunt & Co.' The business was, I presume, a success because by 1881, it was employing no less than 1200 men. A giant business at the time, I am sure. The yard was sold in 1900. Thomas moved to Milford, Glamorganshire, but died at Greenwich on Jun. 22, 1916, at the age of 79. Brenda, who is, I understand, a very distant cousin of Thomas Ridley Oswald, advises me that the 'Oswald' family was involved with shipping literally for centuries - since as far back as the 1600s! A Scottish family, from Kirkcaldy, with family members who served with distinction as Members of Parliament  and with the military, but with, over the years, a continuing tradition of involvement in shipping & in shipbuilding. Thomas married at least twice. And had at least one son (by his second marriage to Wilhelmina Catherine), i.e. William Digby Oswald (1880/1916), who served in the Boer War but was later killed in France during WW1. This site advises that 'Oswald, Mordaunt & Co.', of Southampton, were the successor shipbuilding company to T. R. Oswald. Yes indeed, as the above confirms. Miramar lists (highest hull number on page). It used to be that you could click on the links that follow & get to the relevant Miramar page. But no longer! The new procedure must be to go to Miramar (here) & log in (you must be registered to view any page). And once you are logged in, return to this page & all the following links should work for you:- 30, 51, 89, 118, 149. (149) Names of vessels constructed by 'Oswald'. In Sunderland. As I find them. In a table in build date sequence. 1 John Bull 484 (later 492 & 499)  tons Hull #? 28377 Mexico 1860 A 3-masted iron barque. Per 1 (1886 wreck data, image), 2 (data & Charles Biggs image), 3 (Wikipedia, Mexico), 4 (1886 article), 5 (images, 2 survivors 60% down), 6 (2 E. D. Walker prints of Mexico), 7 (images), 8 (inquiry report), 9 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). There are a great many WWW pages that cover the 1886 wreck. Just a few of them are referenced above. 150 ft. 1 in. long, signal letters P.W.F.R. Built for Temperley & Co. (of Newcastle?) & registered at London. The webmaster has, thanks to 'Google books', a number (not all) of editions of Lloyd's Register, visible in a giant image at left. The vessel would seem to have served North America, China & New Zealand in its early years. In 1878/79 'Carter & Darke', of London, became the owners. By 1880/81, in which year there are two register entries, the vessel was owned by H. Ellis & Sons, of London. But was sold, to 'Oetling Gebruder', of Hamburg, Germany, & renamed Mexico. On Dec. 3, 1886, the vessel, Captain Burmeister in command, with a crew of 12 all told, left Liverpool for Guayaquil, Ecuador, with a general cargo. The vessel was hit by a severe westerly gale off the Lancashire coast, & anchored, in a dangerous position, off Ainsdale. In the night, she dragged her anchors & was driven ashore at Horse Bank, Birkdale, opposite the Palace Hotel, close to Southport, Merseyside, near the mouth of the Ribble Estuary. But a long distance from the shore. The nearby lifeboat stations at Lytham, St. Anne's & Southport came to her rescue & all of the crew was rescued. But at a giant cost. Three open rowed lifeboats with sails, manned by 44 volunteer crewmen went to the vessel's night time rescue. Lifeboat Eliza Fernley of Southport was at the vessel's side when a huge wave turned the lifeboat upside down. It never righted itself. 13 of her 16 man crew were drowned. Three were saved but one of the three soon died. Laura Janet, of St. Anne's, with a crew of 13 was also lost. So 27 of the 29 crewmen in those two boats were lost. Charles Biggs, Thomas Clarkson in command, of St. Anne's, on her maiden rescue run, rescued Mexico's crew & returned safely to St. Anne's. The worst such disaster ever. The Mexico was later re-floated, sold for £45 to a firm at nearby Preston, was repaired at Preston & became a tourist attraction for two years, moored at the Lytham St. Anne's pier. Later, presumably when owned by L. T. Merrow & Son, of Glasgow, she completed a journey to the Falkland Islands & back but was lost on Feb. 27, 1890 - stranded at Tantallon, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, while in ballast & in a NE gale. She became a total wreck. The 1886 disaster is the subject of 'The Great Lifeboat Disaster of 1886' by J. Allen Miller, published in 2001. If any good came from the disaster, it was from its impact upon the design of later lifeboats to make them safer & self-righting. Can you correct the above, or add anything? An image? 2   Ironsides 898 (or 899) tons Hull 12 29768 1861 An iron immigrant sailing ship, perhaps. Per 1 (data), 2 (data), 3 (1864 passenger data), 4 (arrivals data), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 185 ft. long. Some confusion as to name - both Ironsides & Ironside are referred to. Built for Temperley & Co. (of Newcastle?) & registered London. 3 records a May 6, 1864 voyage, Gravesend to Auckland, New Zealand, with 197 passengers. 4 records that voyage & 4 more voyages to Auckland, 2 in each of years 1867 & 1879. Damaged? & repaired in 1867. Can you help with more data or an image? 3 St. Thomas 1274 (or 1245 or 1283) tons Hull 24 47460 Etna 1863 An iron single screw steamer, brig rigged. A passenger & cargo vessel, it would appear. Per 1 (data incl. 1893 pilgrims to Mecca), 2 & 3 (both same Etna data), 4 (West India & Pacific, St. Thomas), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 226 ft. long, signal letters VNQW. The webmaster has a number of editions of Lloyd's Register available to him ex 'Google' books, thru 1890/91 - see left. Such listings generally clarify many matters but in this case the listings are a real puzzle. The vessel is recorded, in 1864/65, not as St. Thomas, but rather as Saint Thomas. The Mercantile Navy List and Maritime Directory for 1867 similarly names the vessel Saint Thomas. And it then totally vanishes from the registers for many years until 1873/74 when it appears as Etna. In 1887/88, Lloyd's advised that the vessel's name had changed from St. Thomas to Etna, a change that actually occurred 4 or so years earlier, in Apl. 1883. As I say, a puzzle. The vessel was built for the 'Liverpool, Western & Spanish American Steam Packet  Co. Ltd.', which company was formed in 1863 & owned by Imrie, Tomlinson & Co. & Alexander Duranty & Co., both of Liverpool, who also were joint managers. 'Imrie', with the name struck out, is recorded as the owner in the 1864/65 Lloyd's Register. Likely for passenger & cargo service between Liverpool & ports in the West Indies. In Jan. 1864, the vessel was sold to 'West India & Pacific Steam Navigation Co. Limited', but I read that the registered ownership was not changed until Apl. 1865. In Jul. 1872, the vessel was sold to  W. B. Forward, of Liverpool, & in Mar. 1873 sold or transferred to T. B. Forward, also of Liverpool, & 're-engined' in Oct. 1873. I have read that when 'Atlas Steam Ship Co. Ltd.' ('Atlas'), of Liverpool, was formed (1873?) the vessel was transferred to that company. For service between New York & the West Indies. And renamed Etna in Apl. 1883 - but that date is clearly incorrect since the 1874/75 Lloyd's Register records the vessel then i) named Etna & ii) owned by Atlas. In May 1884, the vessel was sold to Charles H. Pile, a ship broker, of London. In Oct. 1884, the vessel was sold to a name that I really cannot read in the available 'Google' data snippet, maybe 'J. H. Peel & S. A. L...', of London, & then sold by the mortgagee to William Ross, also of London.  In 1885, (or maybe in 1886) the vessel was sold to A. Laming & Co., of London, maybe 'Alfred Laming & Co.' or A. H. Laming, (their sole vessel apparently). The vessel was 're-boilered' in 1893. On May 13, 1893, Captain Straker in command, the vessel left Swansea, Wales, for Jeddah (Jiddah, Saudi Arabia for Mecca) & Yembo (Yanbu, Saudi Arabia for Medina) via Tangier, carrying pilgrims from Morocco. A Sep. 8, 1893 report in Lloyd's Register advised that 100 passengers (pilgrims) & 8 crew members aboard Etna died of cholera in the Red Sea en route from Jeddah to Karaman, an island N. of Hodeidah (Al Hudaydah), Yemen, & a 'sanitary station for inward pilgrims from the East'. The vessel returned to Jeddah & then via Yembo, Beirut & Algeria to (ultimately) Middlesbrough. I am advised that on Aug. 8, 1893, the vessel arrived at Genoa, Italy, to be broken up. I thank Ted Nutt for his assistance re the above data. Can you help with more data and/or an image? 4 Spirit of the Morning 599 tons Hull 37 50293 Ellen 1864 A 3-masted iron barque. Per 1 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 168 ft. 6 in. long, signal letters W.H.M.S. I have read that the vessel was built for J. Bell, of Liverpool. And was only later owned by J. Jackson, also of Liverpool. But such 'Lloyd's Registers' as the webmaster has available, (at left), show J. Jackson to be the owner in 1865/66, with no ref. to the vessel in the 1864/65 edition. A number of later owners - from my available Registers - B. B. Honan in 1880/81, J. M'Fee (presumably means 'McFee') in 1887/88, & A. W. Joanning in 1890/91, all of Liverpool. In or about 1896, the vessel was sold to P. Viborg, of Norway. A number of other Norwegian owners followed, it would seem. Somewhere along the line, likely soon after first sold to the Norwegians, she may have became Ellen (though Miramar does nor reference the name). I have no later Lloyd's Registers to track the change, alas. In Jul. 1900, while en route from Vera Cruz, Mexico, to Falmouth, Ellen was abandoned by her crew in the Atlantic, it would seem in a dismasted condition. She was presumably found, towed, initially to the Solent, maybe & then to Gravesend, repaired & returned to service. I have WWW found no detail as to the circumstances. Any loss of life? From 1917 to 1923 the vessel was owned by 'Skibs A/S Sandø', I think of Tvedestrand, Norway, with Lars Jorgensen the manager perhaps. Removed from the registers by 1924. Can you help with more data or an image? 5   Medway 1823 tons 1865 An iron immigrant/cargo steamer. Per 1 (Lloyd's Register data, Medway), 2 & 3 (data, Medway, British Colonial/Temperley), 4 (detailed data re 14 voyages to Canada), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 285.2 ft. long, one funnel, single screw, two masts, speed of 10 knots. With a 'clipper stem'. I do not think I have read for whom she was built - Temperley, of London, owned the vessel in the 1866/67 edition of Lloyd's Register. In Apl. 1867, she was chartered to 'Hiller & Strauss' (have seen referred to as a US/Belgian company) & made 3 return voyages for them on the Antwerp, Belgium, to New York route. Repaired in 1867. In 1869, perhaps, she became owned by the British Colonial Steamship Company Limited, which company later, in 1872, became the Temperley Line ('Temperley'). Damaged and repaired in 1871. Her 1st voyage for Temperley (London to Quebec & Montreal, Canada) commenced Jul. 27, 1869. Registered London. 14 voyages, 1870 thru 1873, London to Quebec & possibly Montreal listed at link 4. On Sep. 6, 1873, she was wrecked in the Strait of Belle Isle (between northern tip of Newfoundland & the mainland coast of Canada). 4 lives were apparently lost. Can you help with more data? 6 Neva 625 tons Hull 49 53268 1865 An iron cargo ship, a brig. Per 1 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 212.1 ft. long, single screw. Can anybody explain the usage of the term 'brig' re this vessel. A brig is a two-masted sailing ship  with square sails & a gaff sail on the rear (main) mast for manoeuvrability. This relates to a powered vessel? Brig rigged, I presume? Built for 'John A. Dunkerley and Co.' ('Dunkerley'), of Hull, a long established company (have seen an 1847 ref.) which served Scandinavian ports & the Baltic likely to as far E. as Saint Petersburg, Russia - since the Neva River enters Neva Bay at that city. But I now read that Mercantile named its ships after world rivers, hence Neva. So I presume there was a relationship between Dunkerley & Mercantile. Dunkerley, I see, managed ships for others also. The vessel was re-engined, in 1873, with compound machinery provided by C. D. Holmes & Co., of Hull. Dunkerley & Mercantile Steamship Co. Limited, ('Mercantile') of London, would seem to have jointly owned Neva in 1874/75 (do I understand the Lloyd's reference correctly? - at left). And in 1875 it was transferred 100% to Mercantile who owned it until 1888 when it was sold to W. H. Stott & Co., of Liverpool - which company later became 'Stott, Cocker & Co.'. On Feb. 16, 1907, the vessel was stranded on the coast of Denmark, (exactly where & in circumstances unknown, can you tell us about them) was towed (I presume) to Hamburg, Germany, where, seriously damaged, it was broken up. We thank Ted Nutt, for providing most of the information in this listing. The WWW record for this ship is essentially non-existent. Can you help with more data? Now I have also read, in a Google data 'snippet', that in the 1870s, Dunkerley 'passed over' its ships to Newcastle Steam Shipping Co. I suspect however, in view of the data above, that I have misunderstood & may have mis-quoted that reference. 7 Nile 725 tons Hull 44 or 45 perhaps 53264 1865 An iron cargo ship, a brig. Per 1 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 211.9 ft. long, single screw. Can anybody explain the usage of the term 'brig' re this vessel. A brig is a two-masted sailing ship  with square sails & a gaff sail on the rear (main) mast for manoeuvrability. This relates to a powered vessel? Brig rigged, I presume? Built for 'John A. Dunkerley and Co.' ('Dunkerley'), of Hull, a long established company (have seen an 1847 ref.) which served Scandinavian ports & the Baltic. I now read that Mercantile named its ships after world rivers, hence Nile. So I presume there was a relationship between Dunkerley & Mercantile. Dunkerley, I see, managed ships for others also. The vessel was re-engined, in 1873, with compound machinery provided by C. D. Holmes & Co., of Hull. Dunkerley & Mercantile Steamship Co. Limited, ('Mercantile') of London, would seem to have jointly owned Nile in 1874/75 & in 1880/81 (do I understand the Lloyd's references correctly? - at left). We thank Ted Nutt, for providing most of the information in this listing. Ted advises, however, that in 1875 the vessel was transferred 100% to Mercantile who owned it presumably until the end. In 1881, either at Oct. 10 or Nov. 13, the vessel left Shields for Kronstadt (30 km W. of Saint Petersburg) & went missing. The WWW record for this ship is essentially non-existent. Can you help with more data? Now I have also read, in a Google data 'snippet', that in the 1870s, Dunkerley 'passed over' its ships to Newcastle Steam Shipping Co. I suspect however, in view of the data above, that I have misunderstood & may have mis-quoted that reference. 8   Durham 998 tons 54713 1866 An iron immigrant sailing ship, perhaps. Per 1, 2 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 198.6 ft. long. Cemented in 1866. Damaged & repaired in 1870. Owned by Temperley & Co. (of Newcastle?) & registered London - but maybe that was in 1872? However, vessel seems not to be referenced on 'Temperley' fleet page. Link 1 refers to voyages to India & New Zealand. So this page (Merkara about 50% down) might possibly relate. Other owners? Can you help with more data? 9   Flamborough 670 tons Hull 57 1867 A cargo ship. Per 1, 2 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Limited data. Owned 1867 by Sandford Fletcher (Dominion Line of Steamers). Other owners: 1870, Montreal & Maritime Provinces Steamship Line. 1875, Quebec & Gulf Ports Steamship Co. Initially in service Montreal-Maritimes but based at New York c. 1877. Would seem to have been frozen in at Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada, in winter of 1871/2. Stranded Jul. 29, 1876 at Bonaventure Island, below Quebec & re-floated. Can you help with more data or an image? 10 Forfarshire 1238 tons Hull 57 56779 1867 A 3-masted passenger (composite?) sailing ship. Per 1 (Shaw Savill), 2 (extensive data, Forfarshire, 80% down), 3 (data & passenger list re 1873 voyage to Wellington, NZ, with 235 passengers), 4 (dates of 6 voyages to NZ), 5 (image), 6, 7 & 8 (voyage details, 1869/1875/1882), 9 (see bottom ref.), 10 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 201.9 ft. long. Built for J. Morrison of London, or maybe of Sunderland. In 1873, sold to Shaw, Savill & Company, & commenced voyages to Australia & New Zealand ('NZ'). Vessel apparently had a permanent leak, a leak that was never found & required regular pumping. Made six voyages to NZ in years 1873 to 1900, & more to Australia. Damaged & repaired in 1877. Partial new deck in 1879. In 1882, transferred to Shaw Savill & Albion Co. Ltd., of Southampton, & registered there. Suffered significant damage while en route to Wellington, NZ, in 1894. In 1895, was sold to the Argentine Republic. May have ended her days as a hulk on the Thames river. A number of the WWW sites state that the vessel was actually built by J. Morrison, of Sunderland, for his own account, rather than built by 'Oswald' for him. Can you help with more data? Or correct the above. 11 Cashmere 1277 tons Hull 72 58930 Lofthus 1868 A 3-masted iron barque. Per 1 (fine data page, modest image), 2 (data + tiny image thanks to William L. Trotter, an illustrator, probably ex 'Thirty Florida Shipwrecks', published 1992), 3, 4 ('pdf' p.4), 5 (Lofthus), 6 (2003 & 2005 photo sets of wreck available), 7 (a fine 'Peter Schulz' wreck image (thanks so much Peter!) ex link 6), 8 (repeat of modest image of wreck aground), 9 (does this page in Norwegian, with its Lofthus references, relate?), 10 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Above links are repetitive! 222.8 ft. long. Built for Liverpool Shipping Company, of Liverpool, (H. Fernie & Sons managers). Engaged in the East Indian trade & accordingly sported false gun ports to (hopefully) ward off far east pirates, a common practice at the time, it would seem. Vessel given new deck in 1890. And, I presume, was damaged in some way in 1893 which necessitated repairs. Sold in 1897 to 'Barque Lofthus Actierederi', of Lillesand, Norway, (J. A. Henschien, manager), registered Lillesand, renamed Lofthus, & used in the American trade. On Feb. 4, 1898, while en route with a cargo of lumber from Pensacola, Florida, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lofthus (Captain Fromberg) was blown off course & driven high onto the beach at Boynton Beach, N of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida east coast (off Manalapan). Vessel a total loss but the crew of 16 & the ship's dog & cat all saved. Dog & cat received immigrant status! Three Friends, (a tug more normally engaged in running guns to Cuba!), offered assistance. Vessel stripped & then sold for $1,000 for the 800,000 ft. of timber contained in its holds. In Sep. 1898, vessel suffered the indignity of being blown up with dynamite so the lumber in its hull could be salvaged. Wreck, today an easy dive site, lies in 15/20 ft of water, 175 yards offshore, in (since 2003) a 'Florida Archeological Preserve'. Deck beams, an iron mast, hull plates & maybe the bow still there today. I gather that the anchor was moved from where it was found, to be closer to the wreck site. Can you help with more data and/or an image? 12 Penthesilea 1668 (or 1707) tons Hull 74 63167 1869 A 3 masted fully rigged iron ship. Per 1 (image), 2 (Lloyds Register 1869/70), 3 (list of 36 passengers, Aug. 1872 arrival at Victoria, Australia), 4 (131 Australian newspaper references to vessel, thru 1904), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 243.3 ft. long. Built per an expired e-Bay listing for James MacKnighton, of Liverpool. If so, the vessel must have soon been sold because Lloyds 1869/70 indicates 'Jones' of Liverpool to be the owner, which, I believe means W. H. & S. Jones & Co. Certainly travelled extensively to Australia. D. Venters her captain for many years. On Nov. 18, 1873, when at Williamstown (Melbourne), a fire aboard was i) speedily extinguished & ii) nearly destroyed the ship. William Dossett, about 16 years old, pleaded guilty to starting the fire & was sentenced to 2 years hard labour. Surely carried passengers to Australia. A search at 'Mystic Seaport' indicates that 'Jones' was the owner during years 1875/1882 but in 1883 records W. D. Reid as the owner. It would seem that he previously was her captain. No records there after 1883. On Jan. 19, 1890, under the command of Captain F. Wilson, & while en route from Newport, Wales, to Mauritius with a cargo of coal, the vessel went ashore in force 10 winds at Baggy Point Rocks, about 15 miles WNW of Barnstable, North Devon (possibly at Saunton Sands). No loss of life. All aboard were rescued by the Braunton & Appledore lifeboats. Per an e-Bay item, 'some reports state she was re-floated, but BOT states she became a total loss'. It seems to me that she must have been re-floated, because there is only one Miramar ref. to a vessel of the name & there are Australian references to the vessel thru 1904. 'Recent to' Apl. 18, 1901, the ship was in a collision (where?) with steamer Hinemoa. What eventually happened to her? Can you correct the above data and/or add anything? 13   Rialto 1226 tons Hull 75 58992 Sandøi Edel 1869 An iron barque. Per 1 ('pdf' page in Norwegian #75 Edel), 2 (extensive page in Norwegian Sandøi), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 215.5 ft. long. Built for Merchant Shipping Co. Ltd., of London. Sold 1888 to 'Conr. Paulsen', and in 1903 to 'Fr. Johannessen', both of Elsfleth, Germany. In May 1907, sold to 'A/S Sandøi' (C. A. Olsen, V. Sandøy, managers?), of Tvedestrand, Norway & renamed Sandøi. In Sep. 1915, sold to 'A/S Edel' (H. T. Realfsen, manager?), of Skien, Norway, & renamed Edel. In 1917, sold to 'Skibs-A/S Sandø' (Christiansand Shipping Co. Ltd., manager?), of Kristiansand, Norway. On Nov. 30, 1920, lost rigging & hull damaged while en route from Norfolk, Virginia to Bordeaux, France. On Dec 20, 1920, put into St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, to effect repairs. No later data. The webmaster regrets his inability in Norwegian. He has tried to report correctly the data at 1 (via a WWW translation), while the data at 2 seems not to relate to the vessel to any extent, but it does seem to indicate that the vessel went all over the world in the years of 1907 thru 1913. Can you correct the above data or add anything? 14 Merope 1050 (or 1054 or 1082 or 1950) tons 63605 1870 A composite clipper which later became a barque. An immigrant ship. Per 1 (55% down), 2 (Shaw Savill), 3 (Sep. 24, 1875 to New Zealand ('NZ'), 4 (image), 5 (1872 voyage to Lyttleton, NZ, & data), 6 (1876 voyage to Lyttleton). 7 (1879 voyage, then rigged as a barque, sinking report), 8 (an 1870 passenger ticket, how interesting!), 9 (1870 voyage), 10 [A truly fine painting of Lyttleton in 1886, by John Gibb (1831/1909)], 11 (crew lists available), 12 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 203 ft. 3 in. long. Built for Shaw, Savill & Co. In 1882 transferred to 'Shaw, Savill and Albion Co.' or maybe 'Shaw, Savill and Albion Co. (Limited)'. Made 18 voyages to NZ, including 12 to Lyttleton, one at least of which was under charter to NZ Shipping Company. She mostly sailed from East India Dock in London, but 2 voyages departed from Glasgow. 1871/5 carried 'assisted immigrants' to NZ. One voyage (3): arrived at Timaru, NZ, on Sep. 24, 1875 with 264 passengers ex London, 84 days out from Plymouth. On Apl. 4 (or 11), 1890, returning on her 19th voyage, under the command of Captain Thomas, she left Wellington, NZ, for London, with a cargo of wool, tallow & flax. On Jun. 26/27, 1890, the cargo 'fired spontaneously'. The fire spread quickly; vessel had to be abandoned; only 2 boats could be launched. Where did it happen? 'Off the Western Islands'. I have read off the River Plate, but have also read nearing the Azores, which seems to be the correct version. The Azores were known as the 'Western Islands'. At 40.56N/32.26W. On Jun. 26, 1890, vessel was 'burnt nearly to the water's edge'. The words re the rescue efforts are most confusing to the webmaster. It would seem that the crew was rescued by either Servia or Servantia, bound for Hull, which landed the Captain & 11 crew at Deal, Kent, on Jul. 14, 1890. But 7 of the crew were transferred from that vessel to Blue, or W. F. Babock, an American vessel bound from San Francisco to Liverpool & presumably landed there. No passengers aboard & no lives lost. A litho of the vessel exists, by T. G. Dutton. Can you correct the above data or add anything? 15   Franklin 1878 (or 1829) tons Batavia 1871 A iron passenger/cargo ship. Per 1 (Baltic Lloyd), 2 & 3 (same data), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 282 ft. long, one funnel, two masts, speed of 12 knots. With a 'clipper stem'. Built for 'Baltischer Lloyd' (Baltic Lloyd), of Stettin, Germany, (& German registered), which company would appear to have gone into liquidation on Apl. 25, 1876. Her maiden voyage, from Stettin to New York via Copenhagen, Denmark, commenced on Aug. 8, 1871. 14 voyages on that service, the last being in Jul. 1874. Later that year she was sold to 'Raffaele Rubattino' of Genoa, Italy, & renamed Batavia. Webmaster's guess! 'Rubattino' ran steamers to India, Singapore and Indonesia. This vessel, in view of its name, was probably used on that service. Why do I say that? Because Indonesia used to be known as Batavia. 'Rubattino' together with I. & V. Florio, of Palermo, Italy, later formed 'Navigazione Generale Italiana'. On Nov. 23, 1877, Batavia was wrecked on 'Capy Shoals' nr. Marseilles, France. Can you help any? Maybe confirm or deny my guess! 16   Humboldt 1824 (or 1801 or 1880) tons Hull 100 Sumatra 1871 An iron passenger/cargo ship. Per 1 (Baltic Lloyd), 2 (Humboldt [4]), & 3 (same data), 4 (Sumatra), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 282 ft. long, one funnel, two masts, speed of 11 knots. With a 'clipper stem'. Built for 'Baltischer Lloyd' (Baltic Lloyd), of Stettin, Germany, (& German registered), which company would appear to have gone into liquidation on Apl. 25, 1876. Her maiden voyage, from Stettin to New York via Copenhagen, Denmark, & Christiansand, Norway, commenced on Jun. 27, 1871. She arrived at New York on Jul. 16, 1871 with 655 passengers. 15 transatlantic voyages, the last commencing Jul. 9, 1874 (Stettin to New York via Antwerp, Belgium, & return). Later that year she was sold to 'Raffaele Rubattino', of Genoa, Italy, & renamed Sumatra. 'Rubattino' ran steamers to India, Singapore & Indonesia. This vessel, in view of its name, was probably used on that service. In 1881, vessel was transferred to 'Navigazione Generale Italiana', formed that year by the amalgamation of 'Rubattino' with I. & V. Florio, of Palermo, Italy. In 1910, transferred to newly formed 'Societa Nationale del Servizi Marittimiti'. In 1913, transferred to  'Societa Marittima Italiana', of Genoa. Scrapped in 1923. Can you help any? An image perhaps? 17 Hylton Castle 1258 tons 1871 A cargo ship, a steamer. Per 1 (story, image, & wreck location), 2, 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Owned by Surtees & Co., of North Shields. Chartered to R. Dunsmuir of Nanaimo B.C., Canada, for coal trade. Vessel arrived at Victoria, B.C., from U.K. in 1880. Vessel sprang a leak in a violent storm while en route from New York to Rouen, France, (overloaded apparently) with cargo of corn. Tried to return to port. No loss of life (a lifeboat at sea for 3 days however). A dive site today. 18 Kingston 1305 later 1436 & 1449 tons 65575 1871 An iron cargo ship, with 2 masts, brigantine rigged. Per 1 (data, dive images, etc.), 2 (map with Shag Rock marked), 3 ('pdf' file, Apl. 1881 London wreck inquiry), 4 (data, images, & later career of Cousins), 5 (extensive data), 6 (data, Kingston), 7 (diving images), 8 (French 2-page 'pdf' re wreck, thanks to Laurence Verjus), 9 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 79.9 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 262.2 ft., speed of 11 knots, signal letters KMCT. The webmaster has a few editions of Lloyd's Register available to him from 'Google' books - see left. The vessel was built for 'Mutual Steam Shipping Co.', of London. By the 1876/77 edition of Lloyd's, the vessel was owned by 'Commercial Steamship Company Limited' ('Commercial'), of London & registered there. John S. (Sheriff) Hill was the ship's managing owner. She was re-boilered in 1878, I read. On Jan. 20, 1881, with Captain Thomas R. (Richard) Cousins in command, the vessel left Cardiff, Wales, with a cargo of coal & a crew of 25, bound for Aden via the Suez Canal. She passed through the Suez Canal safely, leaving it early on Feb. 16, 1881 & proceeded S. through the Gulf of Suez until just before midnight that day when she ran aground at Shag Rock (Sha'ab Ali Reef). On the eastern shore of the Gulf. The night was clear, the sea was calm. At 27.46.42N/33.52.36E. At the SW corner of the rock. Quite close, in fact, to where Thistlegorm later sank. The dates are a matter of confusion to the webmaster. Many references are to the vessel having run aground on Feb. 22, 1881, but the wreck Inquiry report seems to most clearly state Feb. 16, 1881. The crew tried to free the ship & jettisoned 60 or 70 tons of coal to assist in the effort. F. W. Ward came upon the scene, offered to take off the crew but did not offer a tow. Columbian came by later, did provide a tow but was unsuccessful in the attempt. Freeing the ship being considered now impossible, 17 crew members were taken aboard Almora on Feb. 19, 1881. The Master & the remaining 7 crew members left the ship by boat on the evening of Feb. 20, 1881 & made it to Jubal Island (on the W. coast of the Gulf of Suez). They ran short of water, it would appear, & headed out into the Red Sea again where Strathmore rescued them on Feb. 24, 1881 & landed them at Suez. The ship? It slipped backwards off the reef & sank - into 14 to 20 metres of water. On Feb. 20, 1881 or maybe later. Declared a constructive total loss on Feb. 28, 1881. No loss of life. There was an inquiry into the sinking & Cousins was found to have neglected proper navigation. Though he had, by the time of the Inquiry, already been suspended for 2 months by Commercial, his master's certificate was suspended for a further 6 months, during which period the court recommended that he be allowed a first mate's certificate. The second officer bore part of the blame. I read, how very interesting, that Cousins later was given command of Harvest in Oct. 1881 & ran her aground twice that year. And he ran it aground again a year later. No further mishaps (gratefully!) in the balance of his career. The wreck was not identified until quite recently & while found but unidentified was known as 'Sarah H'. The vessel would seem to be in good condition considering its age & the corals are said to very fine. Remains of an older wreck seem to lie under her starboard side. A dive site today. Can you add anything? 19 Dhoolia 2660 (or 2659) tons Hull 128 68250 1872 A passenger ship that became a cargo ship & had a short & difficult life. Per 1 (launch of Dhoolia, ex Mechanics Magazine of 1872), 2 (data re Dhoolia, ex Nautical Magazine 1872, p#1043), 3 ('pdf' file, Court of Inquiry re 1876 sinking), 4 (summary of the Court hearing), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 100.8 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 330.8 ft., then the largest ship ever built on the River Wear. Schooner rigged with three masts & with passenger accommodation most luxurious (with a dining table 50 ft. long & punkahs). Signal letters WRJS. Dhoolia? Not sure exactly where it is located in India, but it is 215 miles from Bombay, today's Mumbai. The webmaster has a few editions of Lloyd's Register available to him from 'Google' books - see left. The vessel was built for C. M. Norwood & Co. of Hull, intended for their 'Red Cross Line' of Calcutta passenger trade between England & Calcutta, India, via the Suez canal. In Sep. 1873, the vessel ran aground in the Red Sea, en route to India, & 'sustained very considerable damage to her bottom'. The vessel was then sold, to Hill, Smith & Co. of Hull, brought to Hull & there repaired by Earle's Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. At considerable expense it would appear. Captain Hill, presumably the 'Hill' of Hill, Smith & Co. stated that the cost of acquisition & repair amounted to about £14,000. The vessel voyaged to Calcutta & Colombo but en route, in Apl. 1875, the vessel grounded again, this time in the Suez canal. She was not seriously damaged, completed her voyage & upon return to Hull was again repaired. There would seem to no possibility that these groundings & repairs made her any the less seaworthy, all repairs being completed quite properly. The vessel made 2 voyages to New Orleans, a voyage to Odessa in southern Ukraine, & 2 to Alexandria, Egypt, likely returning with grain. On Dec. 3, 1876 the vessel left Alexandria  for Hull, with 2600/2700 (maybe 2800) tons of cargo, largely cotton seed & barley & also wheat and beans. John H. (Henry) Stephens was in command with a crew all told of 43. On Dec. 11, 1876, the ship lost the use on one of her boilers due to the action or perhaps inaction of Henry Dibb, the 2nd engineer. The ship left Gibraltar on Dec. 17, 1876, & encountered strong head seas & high winds, soon a major gale, after rounding Cape St. Vincent. I must direct you to the Court record above (3) for the blow-by-blow of what then happened, but in a nutshell, heavy seas broke over the ship on the evening of Dec. 22, 1876. Those raging seas broke open the doors to the officers' berths, & broke thru a wooden bulkhead between those quarters & the very large engine room hatchway. The water cascaded down into the engine room. The crew did what they could to repair the bulkhead & keep the ship in as safe as possible a position relative to the seas. Steering chains broke & steering had to be done from the aft wheel. The water continued to pour in, the boilers became extinguished & the ship wallowed. By 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 23, 1876, there was 10 or 11 feet of water in the engine room. Malta (not sure which one) arrived on the scene & the crew left the ship, some at 9:30 a.m. & others later, I think, but am not sure, via Malta's boats. The Captain & the donkey-man were the last to leave at 2:30 p.m. that day when there were 16 to 17 feet of water in the engine room. The ship foundered during the night, at or about 43.26N/9.30W, close to the NW tip of Spain. Malta continued with her voyage to Corunna, (I presume A Coruña in Spain), & in due course landed all of the crew except one, back in England. So no loss of life. The conclusion of the Court was that had the bulkhead been of iron rather than wood, the ship would likely have survived the storm. In the future no ship with such a bulkhead would ever get surveyor approved. The master & crew were commended for their actions throughout except for Henry Dibb, whose licence was cancelled for neglect of duty & drunkenness. Can you add to and/or correct the above? 20 Ernst Moritz Arndt 2597 tons Hull 130 Habana 1872 A passenger/cargo ship. Per 1 (Baltic Lloyd), 2 & 3 (Habana), 4 (modest image of Habana), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 317 ft. long, one funnel, two masts, speed of 12 knots. Built for 'Baltischer Lloyd' (Baltic Lloyd), of Stettin, Germany, (& German registered), which company would appear to have gone into liquidation on Apl. 25, 1876. Her maiden voyage was from London to New York via Havre, France, on Feb. 2, 1873. 6 transatlantic voyages, the last being Stettin to New York via Antwerp, Belgium, on May 28, 1874. In 1879, vessel was sold to 'A. López Y Compañia', of Spain & renamed Habana. Sold 1881 to 'Compañia Trasatlántica Española', which company in 1886/1896, & maybe before, served the New York to Havana, Cuba, route. Vessel was used on that route. Scrapped in 1900. Can you help any? 21   Thorwaldsen 2545 (or 2600 or 2206) tons 1872 A passenger/cargo ship or cargo/passenger ship. Per 1 (page bottom), 2, 3 (page bottom), 4 (NY Times archive), 5 (a ref. to 96 passengers only), 6 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 319 ft. long. Built for Baltischer Lloyd (Baltic Lloyd), of Stettin, Germany. Clearly used in the Transatlantic passenger trade to North America & carried cargo also. Had a very short life, it would seem, since on Apl. 4, 1873, while en route from New York to Copenhagen, Denmark & on to Stettin, the vessel ran aground & was wrecked at Toreko (Torekov today?), on the SW coast of Sweden (at 56.26N/12.30E). The vessel was 50 miles off the normal course for shipping entering Skälderviken Sound there, if, that is, she was attempting to do that. Copenhagen is not very far to the south & she may have just been off course. No loss of life. 4 lists her most interesting cargo, which included 17 packages of whalebone, 213 'reapers' & '500 barrels extract of logwood', whatever that is. Do read the list! The article does not mention how many passengers she was carrying. Can you add anything? 22   Zanzibar 944 tons Hull 134 Zulu 1872 A cargo ship. Per 1, 2 (Union), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Launched as Zanzibar. Completed Nov. 16, 1872 & acquired by Union Steamship Company as Zulu. From the names we may conclude it was intended to serve South Africa ('SA') & indeed the vessel provided 'intercontinental mail service' to SA &, per 2, provided SA coastal service. Sold in 1877 to David Sassoon & Co. (or maybe to 'S. Ezekial'). Travelled, it would seem, to Bombay, India ex Southampton & Cardiff. On Jul. 31, 1877, was wrecked 20 miles N of Peniche, Portugal (I think). That's all for now! Need help! 23   Severn 1736 tons 68454 1873 A cargo ship. Per 1 (II) (25% down), 2 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Owned by Royal Mail Lines, Ltd. (or a similar fleet name) from 1873 to 1888. Hulked in 1892. That's all for now! Until new data or imagery surfaces. 24   Fitzclarence 863 (or 917 or 919) tons Hull 140 71683 Caledonia 1874 A cargo ship. Per 1 [Müller (3)], 2 (1894), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Originally owned by 'London Rotterdam Steamship Co.', & registered Glasgow. In 1898 sold to 'Wm. Müller & Co.', of Rotterdam, & renamed Caledonia. On Dec. 14, 1894, vessel ran aground at Katwijk?, en route (I think) from Newcastle to Rotterdam - no loss of life. Scrapped at Ghent, Belgium, in 1928. Can you add anything? 25 Foyle 1662 (or 1652 or 1664 ) tons Hull 141 70642 Jarlen 1874 An iron sailing ship. Per 1 (text and image 20% down), 2 (1880-1881, 80% down page), 3 ('pdf' #44), 4 (Nourse, Foyle [1]), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Built for Nourse Line (James Nourse 1828/1897), of London. 243.2 ft. long. Initially registered London. On May 19, 1897, transferred to C. A. Hampton & E. Bromehead, of London. Sold 1899 to C. H. Hampton & E. Bromehead (both sentences are correct? My distant memory thinks that I have read somewhere that Hampton/Bromehead were creditors or maybe executors of the James Nourse estate). Sold in 1903 to 'A. F. Klaveness m.fl.', of Sværdstad/Sandefjord, Norway & renamed Jarlen. 1904 taken over by A. F. Klaveness & Co., of Sandefjord, Norway. 1908 - Unable to translate the following 'Overført til reg. i Kristiania' ('overført' means attack or raid). On Jun. 16, 1908, left Lobos d’Afuera, Argentina, or maybe Lobos de Tierra, Peru, bound for Antwerp with a cargo of guano. Vessel probably left Peru & put into Argentina en route. Disappeared with all hands (20). Can you help, perhaps with the above translation from Norwegian? 26 Bann 1719 tons Hull 147 73550 Hildegard 1875 An iron full-rigged sailing ship. Per 1 (30% down, with image), 2, 3 (Nourse), 4 (Nourse routes), 5 (nr. bottom, labourers India to British Guiana), 6 & 7 (images), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 250.1 ft. long. Built for James Nourse (1828/1897), of London. Clearly travelled to Australia. Interesting data at link 5, as follows 'Nourse's established service was Europe to Calcutta with salt or railway iron. From there, a cargo of rice and a party of coolies would be picked up for non-stop transport to the West Indies, followed by a passage (usually in ballast) to the east coast of North America where grain or case oil was loaded for Europe. London - Calcutta - Australia voyages were also made and possibly London - Australia direct.' On May 19, 1897 transferred (see words re Foyle above) to C. A. Hampton & E. Bromehead, of London, & on Mar. 20, 1903, sold/transferred to 'James Nourse Ltd.', also of London. In 1904, was sold to 'O. D. Ahlers', of Bremen, Germany, & renamed Hildegard. In 1911, the vessel became a coal hulk at Port of Spain, Trinidad. Can you add anything? 27   Hospodar 1625 (or 1585) tons Hull 146 70984 Cavaliere Michele Russo (all one name) 1875 An iron full-rigged sailing ship. Per 1 & 2 (identical refs., Hospodar), 3 & 4 (Algoa Bay), 5 (Italian page re Cavaliere Michele Russo), 6 (link 5 Google translated), 7 (NY Times, 1889/90 voyage to San Francisco), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 76.1 metres (249.8 ft.) long. Built for J. Hargrove, of Liverpool. Likely the vessel was owned, in fact, by many individual owners with J. (John) Hargrove the managing owner. Later 'Hargrove, Ferguson & Jackson' were recorded as owners & later still (1882) 'Hargrove & Hellon'. I thank Stephen Davies, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, for his assistance re this listing. He advises that his museum contains 4 James Imray 'blueback' charts of the vessel's 1881/84 circle voyage from Liverpool to China via S. America, Australia & the U.S. At a date between 1882 & 1885, the vessel was sold, to G. B. Millar, likely of Liverpool also, since the vessel was registered there. On Jun. 27, 1889, the vessel left London bound for San Francisco. The voyage was not routine & she arrived at San Francisco only 474 days later, then the longest passage between the two ports. The vessel had arrived at Rio de Janiero ('Rio'), Brazil, at the end of Dec. 1889, in a dismasted condition & with the captain sick. The Captain (L. Lloyd) returned to England, J. Thomason, the ship's mate, took command, & the vessel was refitted with rigging sent out from England. On Mar. 18, 1890 the vessel left Rio for San Francisco, & arrived there (via Valparaiso, Chile), on Oct. 16, 1890. I wonder what her cargo was? Hopefully not perishable! In 1898 the vessel was sold, to Hargrove & Fraser (the Hargrove name again). In 1901, it was sold to 'Russo Bros.' of Sorrento, Naples, Italy, & renamed Cavaliere Michele Russo. On Aug. 31, 1902, the vessel was at Algoa Bay, nr. Port Elizabeth, S. Africa, having arrived from New South Wales, Australia, with a cargo of coal. It & 37 other ships were at anchor when 'the great gale' hit on Aug. 31 & Sep. 1, 1902. The greatest storm ever in a place noted for its storms. The vessel, & maybe 20 others, were driven ashore & destroyed. If I understand the translation correctly, 19 crew were aboard Cavaliere Michele Russo & 16 lost their lives. The Captain (Ferdinando Russo?), was not aboard at the time. In total, in the storm, maybe more than 60 lives were lost, & 300 or so were rescued. Have also read that 18 vessels were destroyed & 63 lives were lost. Some trivia! Port Elizabeth was noted for the export of ostrich feathers. Can you add anything? An image? ROBERT PACE OF SOUTHWICK Data about Robert Pace (Oct. 8, 1809/Nov. 17, 1886) is fragmentary. But thanks to a number of parties, & principally thanks to David Elliott, of Gloucestershire, England, & Andrew Pace, from N. of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, we can advance this 'Pace' listing. Robert Pace came from a large family. A son of Joseph Pace, a sailor from Sedgefield & his wife Mary. Robert had 8 brothers & sisters & two at least of his siblings were baptized at Hartlepool, of interest in view of the shipbuilding association of the 'Pace' & 'Blumer' families. We do know that on Aug. 8, 1831, he married Eleanor Spraggon at Holy Trinity Church in Sunderland. He was, we believe, foreman for George Booth, a shipbuilder at North Sands until 1859 when the Booth family emigrated to New Zealand ('NZ'). During those years he was recorded as a 'Foreman Shipwright' on the birth certificates of three of his children (1853, 1854 & 1858). When the Booths emigrated to NZ, Robert & John Blumer would seem to have set up business together under the name of 'Pace, Blumer'. Robert may have been the senior partner since his name is recorded first? It seems not to be known how long the two were associated but it may have been through 1864 (that is my guess) when John Blumer established a new business at North Dock, & the 'Pace, Blumer' (or whatever then was the true name) North Sands location was taken over by Mr. Joseph L. Thompson. It would seem that Robert Pace (in 1864?) went into business for himself assisted by three of his sons - William who acted as draughtsman & also Robert & Thomas. Witness the following data. David Elliott's research indicates that, per the 'Sunderland Weekly News', Robert Pace began a 350 ton barque in Jan. 1865. In Oct. 1865 he began a 340 ton barque. And in the week of Nov. 17, 1865: 'Launched from the yards of Robert Pace a 9 years barque, 360 tons, measuring 120 feet long, breadth of 27.5 feet, depth of 17.5 feet. Sold to Mr Eggleston of Monkwearmouth. A similar listing in the week ending Apl. 6, 1866 records the launch from Southwick of another '9 years barque' of 418 tons for J & E Lumsden, Sunderland.' The first reference to a named vessel, that David found, was to the Minerva as below. A 9 years barque? Peter Sill, of the U.K., has kindly advised (thanks!) that the '9 years' may well refer to the then typical period of 9 years between complete vessel surveys - required for Lloyds certification. For quite a while, we did not know what later happened to Robert Pace's shipbuilding business. Or indeed, exactly where it was. But David Elliott has now alerted me to 'Reflections of Southwick', a text written in or around 1893 by Luke Crown. On p.8 of the 'pdf' is a paragraph about Robert Pace which helps clarify the history. It would seem (do correct me if I have misunderstood) that the 'Pace' shipbuilding site was W. of the George Clark Engine Works & E. of the 'Austin & Mills' yard. On the N. bank of the river of course. About where the Queen Alexandra Bridge was later built, it would appear. The site was then less that perfect, presumably before the river was dredged. '... the stream was not very strong in his favour, and rather shallow, he struck the gound (sic) at last and failed. But it was not for want of perseverance ...'. When the business ended, Robert Pace worked at the North Sands yard of 'Joseph L. Thompson and Sons'. Robert Pace, described as being a very quiet, sedate, religious person, a leader of the free Church, would appear to have lived in Southwick & had, I understand, 12 children, (forgive me if I say that I have some sympathy for Eleanor!), 2 of whom, both sons named Joseph, did not survive childhood, 3 at least of whom emigrated. 2 daughters went to NZ (Sarah Jane & Eva). And Robert, who was David Elliott's great great grandfather, and also a shipwright, emigrated to the U.S. in the 1880s - to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Isabella, born in 1838, clearly was one of the children who did not emigrate. She married George H. Wrightson, a ship surveyor. And Robert was living with the 'Wrightson' family, at 44 Dock Street, Monkwearmouth Shore, in 1881 & later died at 28 Dean Terrace, in Sunderland, on Nov. 17, 1886, at age 72. His wife Eleanor died about a month after her husband. It is of interest to note that 'David Elliott' & 'Andrew Pace' family traditions both state that the emigration of Robert (one of Robert Pace's sons) to the U.S. was precipitated by a fire at the Pace & Blumer shipyard. That tradition says that the fire took place on a Sunday & that John Blumer (a most religious man) would not allow the fire to be put out on a Sunday. So all was lost. But no date is available for that fire and its existence has not yet been confirmed by contemporary records. David indicates that the Pace family were members of the Salvation Army & speculates that maybe neither party was prepared to tackle any fire on the Sabbath! Andrew confirms that the association of the Pace family with the Salvation Army was very long term indeed, & is so in Australia today (in early 2009). If you can add additional data related to Robert Pace, your contribution would be most welcome. 1   Minerva 349 tons 1866 A '9 years barque'. From the 'Sunderland Weekly News' for the week ending Aug. 17, 1866 'On Tuesday (14th) Mr Robert Pace launched a 9 years barque, 349 tons register, measuring 118 feet long, 27.5 feet breadth and 17 feet depth, named 'Minerva'. Owners are Kirkwood and Taylorson of Sunderland'. Peter Sill, of the U.K., has kindly advised (thanks!) that the '9 years' may well refer to the then typical period of 9 years between complete vessel surveys - required for Lloyds certification. WILLIAM PEARSON W. H. PEARSON Just a name today. I think that he had a shipyard on the south bank of River Wear a bit east of the road bridge. And that his facility was then taken over by John Denniston. And that the premises they had both occupied were later taken over by S. P. Austin and Son as it expanded after 1870. Need help! We do have the advertisement at left, for 'W. H. Pearson, Ship Builder & Repairer', published in the 1858 edition of 'Christie's Annual Shipping Register, Maritime Compendium, and Commercial Advertiser'. Published by John Christie, of Nelson Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, & available as a Google Book here. The advertisement confirms that shipyard location to the east of the bridges, which area was and maybe still is known as Panns. W. H. Pearson is referred to, in an 1852 volume, as being a builder at Ayre's Quay. Now I had thought that also was at Panns, but that seems not to have been so. It was rather a bit upstream of the bridges, on the south bank, at the location you can see here. Just south of the Laing yard. A bottling works, 'Ayre's Quay Bottle Works', is roughly at the site in the Ordnance Survey map of 1897. W. H. Pearson is recorded in 'Christie's' as building two vessels in 1857. Adrien (a barque of 394 tons) & Griffin, (a barque of 878 tons). More data as it is found! Murray Wright, of Auckland, New Zealand has been in touch, trying to research his family history. His great grandfather was William Hanson who married Elizabeth, the daughter of W. H. Pearson in 1845 & emigrated to New Zealand in 1858. And built ships there. William had a brother George, and William (presumably Elizabeth also) & George lived together on Low Street, Sunderland, in 1851. The webmaster will gladly forward to Murray Wright any communication you might have concerning this family history. 1   Adrien 394 tons 1857 A barque. The only data I have seen about this vessel is that it was registered at Sunderland, in 1857, in the names of Thomas J. Reay, James Lancaster, Stephen W. Rackley & John Smurthwaite, with the official number of 17,099. 2   Griffin 378 tons 1857 A barque. The only data I have seen about this vessel is that it was registered at Shields, in 1857, in the name of John Dale of North Shields, with the official number of 15,996. 3 Cydonia 250 (or 264) tons 54897 1866 A wooden brig, in Lloyd's as a 'snow', a type of brig. Per 1 (Board of Trade inquiry into 1876 grounding & loss, ex 'Accounts and Papers', published 1876, a 'Google' book), 2 (awards re the 1876 grounding also ex 'Accounts and Papers'). 104 ft. 7 in. long, signal letters H.M.V.Q. The webmaster has a few Lloyd's Registers available to him. The first reference in those volumes is in 1869/70 with the vessel then being owned by J. Morgan, of Sunderland, for the Mediterranean trade. I suspect that the vessel was earlier Lloyd's listed however. On Jan. 11, 1876, Cydonia, then owned by John Morgan of Sunderland, William H. (Henry) Hildebrandt ('Hildebrandt') in command, left North Shields, with 450 tons of coal, bound for St. Louis (Saint Louis, Guadalupe, West Indies perhaps), with a crew of 8 all told. Soon after 5 a.m. on Jan. 14, 1876, a bright light was seen on the starboard bow. The Court concluded that that light was the North Hinder Bank, while Hildebrandt, expecting the Galloper Light Vessel, thought it was in fact a fishing smack. Conditions hazy, visibility of several miles however. At 10 a.m. on the 14th, the vessel struck heavily on a shoal off the French coast near Dunkirk. The seas swept over the stranded vessel & washed away the longboat containing Hildebrandt & 3 crew members. The 4 were unable to regain the ship [no 'thowl pins' (rowlocks) in the boat], & in the afternoon they were found by a fishing smack & taken into Dunkirk. The mate, Mr. Taylor, aloft & looking for help, slipped & fell into the sea, to his death. The remainder of the crew were later rescued by a steam tug. No positional soundings were taken after noon on the 12th & at the important times Hildebrandt was not on deck - rather he was below decks and, while capable of carrying out his duties, also was 'not quite sober'. The Court concluded that the vessel & one life was lost by careless & inattentive navigation & suspended Hildebrandt's certificate for a one year period. Any visitor who clicks on the first link above, can read the report from which the above was condensed. The rescue sounds to be, shall we say 'routine'. Another report in the same volume, also linked above, paints a very different picture. The weather was clearly very bad & the survivors clung in the masts high above the heavy seas. The smack which rescued the Master & 3 crewmen was Miroir de Justice. And fishing boat Aigle was also involved, could not get near the wreck, but after repeated attempts got a rope aboard & hauled one crewman to safety. The tug which saved the final two crew members was Marine, piloted by Aigle. Marine launched its boat & saved the final two with lines. The rescue took place over 2 days & no less than 19 rewards were granted for the saving of life, including 2 gold watches worth £25 each, then a considerable sum of money - to the masters of Aigle & Marine. Can you add anything? GEORGE PEVERALL (1861? - ?) PEVERALL & DAVISON? Really little more than a name today. I have added the name because of learning of Pak Wan, a vessel that he constructed at or about 1865, now listed below. It would seem that George Peverall had a shipyard on the north bank of River Wear a little to the west of the road bridge, the only bridge there in his day. At an area called Wreath Quay. And that his facility, perhaps named 'Bridge Graving Yard' or 'Bridge Dock or Dockyard' was later (1880) taken over by Robert Thompson & Sons after being idle for some years. For that valuable information I thank Stan Mapstone: 1, 2. And I thank him also for these interesting words, which I may need to soon move to the Robert Thompson & Sons section of this site: In 1880 the Bridge Dockyard, which apparently had been idle for some years, was taken over by Robert Thompson & Sons, and from it came some spectacular broadside launches, used because the narrowness of the site precluded the ships from being launched in the normal way. There is a photograph of one of these launches in "Where Ships are Born". That photograph can now be seen on page 92. Now that location of Wreath Quay is a puzzle to the webmaster. Elsewhere on this site is a section of an 1897 map which show the river & staiths west of the bridges. Visible here. And at that time Wreath Quay would seem to be quite a distance to the west of Bridge Dock. It is possible however that the term Wreath Quay was applied earlier to quite a long stretch of the north bank. Peter Kirsopp advises (thank you Peter):- George Peverall was born at Durham City in 1825 & later married Louisa Cornwell also from Durham. The couple had 9 sons & a single daughter born in a number of places in the general Sunderland area i.e. at Newcastle, South Shields, Gateshead & Bishopwearmouth. He was apprenticed to a printer but by 1851 he was 'a prosperous ship and insurance broker at Olive St., Bishop Wearmouth.' In 1861, he was indeed a shipbuilder, employing 20 men & boys, and George Peverall, one of his sons, was his clerk. In 1871 he is listed as being at Nelson Street as a ship broker again & his second son John (described as an iron ship draughtsman) was living with him. By 1881, the whole family had moved to London with employments all unrelated to shipbuilding. Peter Kirsopp further advises - 'Olive St. is behind the bus station, Nelson St. was where Nelson Close is now, SE corner of Mowbray Park.' And that Davison was 'John Davison, shipbuilder at Wreath Quay which the 1858 Directory says extended from the bridge to Low Southwick.'. It would seem that the earlier data in this paragraph came originally from Peter Brownlee, whom we also thank. See the first Annie Archbell link below. Peter Kirsopp has additionally provided some names of a few 'Peverall' built ships ex Lloyds Register - which I list here since Miramar seems not yet to do so:- Belle a composite barque of 267 tons for Bowman & Co., Sunderland, 1863 Jane a barque of 265 tons for Brodie, London, 1861 Gresham a ship of 965 tons for Teigh & Co., London, 1861 Negress a barque of 242 tons for Lucas Bros, Bristol, 1860 Ibis a barque of 248 tons for Lucas & Co, Bristol, 1861 Echo a barque of 256 tons for W. Langton, London, 1859 Princess Clothilde a barque of 368 tons for Williamson, Leith, 1859 Fitzroy a composite barque of 572 tons for Adamson, London, 1863 Oriental Queen a composite ship of 898 tons for Adamson, London, 1864 It would seem that the 'Peverall' shipbuilding enterprise would therefore have come to an end before 1871? Was John Davison in business for himself, perhaps before or after any association with George Peverall? Can anybody provide any more data! 1 Annie Archbell 706 tons 1860 A fully rigged cargo ship which carried some passengers also. Per 1 (Lloyds data etc.), 2 (1861 arrival at Sydney, Australia), 3 (1862 voyage to Sydney), 4 (sinking in 1867, a May 31, 2010 message by 'BumbleB'), 5 (1867 report re loss, 75% down). Vessel not listed at Miramar. 155 ft. long. Built for either a) Brodie & Co., or b) John Brodie, of Trinity Square, London (collectively 'Brodie'), & registered at London. Link 1 advises that the vessel 'started her career by taking government stores to India, but later transferred to the London-Sydney route, and finally the London-China route. Lost in 1867. Maybe named after the wife of James Archbell, of Wapping, London, listed in the 1861 census as being a ship owner. But the Archbell relationship with Brodie (who may have originated in Portsoy, Scotland), is unclear. Would seem to have carried 'stores' to India in Sep. 1860, likely to Bengal. Carried a crew of 26 & 9 passengers in a voyage ex London that arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on Nov. 15, 1861. And 24 crew & 6 passengers on a similar voyage that arrived there on Oct. 30, 1862. 5 advises that the vessel was lost on Terschelling Bank, (West Frisian Islands in the North Sea, N. of Harlingen, Netherlands) on Apl. 13, 1867, with a loss of 4 lives, the remaining 14 crew being saved by Terschelling Pilot Boat #7. And adds that according to the 'Schager Courant' of Aug. 8, 1867, the skipper of the pilot boat received £19, another crew member received £6 & the remaining 4 members of the crew received £3 each from HM the Queen for their services. See 2nd image, at left. It would seem that the crew was 25 in number, with the Captain & 6 crew still aboard on Apl. 13, 1867 & presumably later saved. Heavy seas at the time. The vessel was en route from Blacklock Islands?, Apia, Navigators Islands, now Samoa, South Pacific Ocean, to Hamburg, Germany, chartered by 'Messrs Willis, Merry and Co.', of Sydney, Australia, with a cargo of guano. Additional detail concerning her loss is at the images at left. Her Master throughout was 'Morrice', I read, but the name differs from the data at two of the links above. I would be surprised, however, if Lloyd's Registers had the name wrong for so many years. Keith Case, of U.K., advises (thanks Keith!) that 'Morrice' was almost certainly Keith's great great grandfather, David Morrice, born in Jamaica in 1818 but from an Aberdeen seafaring family. He became Master of Pampero in 1868 & made two voyages. The second was to New Zealand & on to Shanghai. On Aug. 30, 1869, he sailed from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, for Shanghai & was never seen again. Anything you can add? 2 Pak Wan 795 (or 818) tons 47369 Muana Ala 1863 A 3 masted composite fully rigged ship later, thru 1889/90, re-rigged as a schooner, a barque & then a ship again. Per A (e-Bay image, Pak Wan), 1 (image, Pak Wan), 2 [1866 arrival at Sydney, New South Wales ('NSW')]. 186.0 ft., later 186.2 ft. long, signal letters VNHT. The webmaster has a number of Lloyd's Registers available to him, thru 1889/90, see left. Built for J. Patton of London, apparently for the China then Australia then Japan trade. In the 1874/75 edition of Lloyd's Register, the vessel was owned by A. Lawrence, also of London. In the 1885/86 edition, the vessel had become owned by J. Gillan, of Newcastle, NSW, Australia, though a long expired e-Bay listing (thank you 'scott-base'), referred to 'W. Smith', also of NSW, as being the owner. That e-Bay listing also referred to the vessel being sold to Hawaiian owners in 1886 (have also read 1889) & renamed Muana Ala. But that would seem not to be so, at least thru 1889/90, as at left. The vessel is said to have been wrecked, in Mexico, in 1903. Most WWW references (very few) refer to Australia. So I think the ship was probably an immigrant ship. The earliest date reference I could find is to the vessel arriving (2) in Sydney, NSW, Australia, on Mar. 2, 1866. Can you add anything? May I suggest that you navigate the site re Sunderland data via the index on page 001. To Thomas M. M. Hemy Data Page 41. All of the other Thomas Hemy pages, including image pages, are accessible though the index on Thomas Hemy page 05. [ ] £ To the Special Pages Index. A SITE SEARCH FACILITY Search This Site for Get a Free Search Engine for Your Web Site THE GUEST BOOK - GO HERE E-MAIL THIS LINK Enter recipient's e-mail: