The Sunderland Site Page 076

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On this page ... Cuthbert Potts, G. Potts, William Potts or R. H. Potts & Brothers, Priestman, Radcliffe, Ratcliffe & Spence, Ratcliffe J., Ray and Riseborough, Reed J. or J. M., Reed R., Reed T., Reed or Reid, Reed and Banfield, Richardson W., Robinson. And page bottom (Apple advertising label).

Copyright? (1 + 1 + 10 + 44 + 1 + 1 + 10 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 14 + 3 + 1 + 28 = 120) Test.

Miramar, images, mariners-l.co.uk, MNL,

Corrections in any of the material which follows, however tiny, would be most welcome. And additions, of course!

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CUTHBERT POTTS

A list of Sunderland built ships, available to the webmaster, lists 18 vessels built by the shipbuilder from 1838 thru 1846. And one that looks doubtful in 1850.

Veronica
249/257 later 232 tons

5131

1840

A snow or brig. Veronica, which was launched in Jan. 1840, was registered at Scarborough on Feb. 25, 1840 (scroll to #5131). It is Lloyd's Register ('LR') recorded from 1839/40 thru 1848/49, a gap of 11 years, & again from 1860/61 thru 1869/70. And not thereafter.
During the first period, the vessel was owned by B. Walker of Scarborough, for consistent service from Sunderland to London, with 'Baker' always serving as the vessel's captain. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55, lists the vessel, in 1853 data, as registered at Scarboro' & owned by Thomas B. Walker, William Bean Fowler, & Isabella Fowler, all of Scarboro' - with Thomas Baker then the vessel's captain. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 lists her then owners as being T. R. Walker, William, Benjamin, and Isabella Fowler, all of Scarborough.
The vessel is site listed having seen a reference to what surely must be this vessel here (in blue) in a Lloyd's List report of events of Jan. 26, 1860. With 'Robinson' noted to be her captain. On that day, 10 vessels including Veronica, were on shore at Robin Hood's Bay ('RHB') (SE of Whitby) & many more were lost or damaged elsewhere on the east coast. As a result of a violent gale & snowstorm that hit on the evening of Jan. 26, 1860. The vessel, it would seem, was not lost that day. It was got off & on Feb. 6, 1860 arrived at Scarborough under tow, where, presumably, repairs were effected.
'The Standard' newspaper, of London, in an extensive article you can read here, tells us of the extent of the storm & of the vast damage that was incurred by vessels large & small. Veronica is mentioned in the article but very briefly.
From 1860/61 thru 1869/70, M. Clough of Whitby is LR recorded as the vessel's owner for service initially as a Whitby coaster but from 1861/62 for consistent service from Hartlepool to the Baltic. With M. Lund always the vessel's captain. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') lists the vessel as Scarborough registered from 1857 thru 1860, & registered at Whitby, Yorkshire, from 1861 thru 1871. From 1865 thru 1867, per MNL, the 233 ton vessel was owned by Moore Clough, of Whitby.
86.5 ft. long, some crew lists are available here.
Ownership must have changed again. MNLs of 1868 thru 1871 (1870) all record Harrison Allison, of RHB, as the vessel's owner or managing owner.
What finally happened to Veronica? A U.K. Government 1871 wreck list reports that on Sep. 27, 1871, per line 1547 here, the 233 ton brig foundered at Dogger Bank, while en route from Hartlepool to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, with a cargo of coal. Crew of 8 - none lost. Vessel then stated to be owned by Harrison Allison.
The webmaster likes to find detail of the circumstances that resulted in a vessel's loss. In that regard, Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) that on an unknown date in Sep. 1871, Veronica foundered in the North Sea, while en route as stated above. And further advises that her crew were rescued by a French lugger. 'The Standard' newspaper, of London, advised that such lugger landed Veronica's crew at Bridlington Quay, Yorkshire. The webmaster has now found a reference to the vessel in a Whitby Shipping history book, published in 1908. Which volume tells us that the vessel had actually become Whitby registered in 1860 & that in 1867 the vessel's owners were Harrison Allison & Hansell Gibson, each with 32 shares. The book further advises that Veronica left Hartlepool on Sep. 25, 1871 with its cargo of coal & a crew of 7 (rather than 8). On the next day, in an easterly gale with heavy seas, the vessel began leaking badly. The crew worked the pumps to no avail & with the vessel in a sinking condition they hoisted a distress signal. At 2 p.m. on Sep. 26, 1871, a French fishing vessel was sighted. With difficulty such vessel took Veronica's crew aboard & later, on Sep. 28, 1871, landed them at Bridlington. Do read the extensive text at the link. As the webmaster reads such text, the French vessel would seem to have been named Frenchman. Veronica was lost at a point about 70 miles off the coast at Whitby.
Can you tell us anything additional? #2602

G. POTTS
G. POTTS & SPEARMAN

A list of Sunderland built ships, available to the webmaster, lists just 2 tiny vessels built by G. Potts - in 1831 & 1847 respectively. And just one by G. Potts & Spearman - in 1829.

Pilot
19 later 14 tons

6224

1831

A steam driven vessel launched on May 17, 1831. Noted to be initially of 19 tons in two Sunderland build lists available to the webmaster. A tug perhaps? Of 18 HP. 53 ft. long. No Pilot crew lists seem to exist.
So far as the webmaster can see, the vessel was never Lloyd's Register listed - I checked thru 1862/63. It was, however listed in the North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Apl. 1848 data, at 14 tons only, registered at Sunderland, & owned by W. Mallaburn of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, & by J. Potts, R. Gordon & others, all of Sunderland.
I learn, thanks to a Nov. 2022 long expired e-Bay item, that on Sep. 08, 1848, the vessel's owners became John Taylor, Arthur Ray, John Elliott, John Wilkinson & Michael Renwick, with Ted Stafford the vessel's then master. Some related e-Bay images, webmaster modified - 1 & 2.
Meg Hartford advises, in early Apl. 2024, that on Aug. 12, 1853, 16 shares in the vessel, i.e. a quarter interest, previously owned by Mr. John Taylor, were offered for sale by John Taylor's executors at a public auction held at the 'Fox & Goose' pub at 123 High Street in Sunderland. Meg tells me that the shares sold for �105. To James Elliott who was however not the purchaser of the shares but rather his or their agents. The document images that Meg Hartford kindly provided - 3, 4 & 5.
In the North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5, Pilot is listed, in 1854 data, as now registered at Shields & owned by Thomas Foster Carr, of Chirton (N. of South Shields), & Francis Till, of Middlesbro', with Francis Till then her captain. Though Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1855 rather lists F. Sill (with an 'S'), of Middlesbro' as the vessel's owner & captain.
It may be that ownership changed again. TR of 1856 & also Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 both record the vessel, still Shields registered, as owned by F. Hill of Middleton (an area of Hartlepool). The names are, however, quite similar (Till, Sill, Hill) so the change may be just a typo!
The Mercantile Navy List tells us (scroll to #6224) that the vessel was first registered at Shields on Jan. 24, 1852. And lists the vessel from 1857 thru 1864 (but not in 1865), always Shields registered. It also tells us that Pilot was finally broken up - a certificate to that effect was dated, as I read the text here (scroll to #6224), on Feb. 01, 1864.
Is there anything you can add? #2656

WILLIAM POTTS
R. H. POTTS AND BROTHERS (1857 to about 1870)

A few words about 'Potts', hopefully with more definitive data in the near future. Written initially as a place to contain the existing listing re Cornelius, built in 1837, now the builder is known.

I read, in a guestbook message by Joanna Hammond, that the first William Potts (#1) had a shipyard possibly located at Hylton Ferry. That shipyard was taken over by his son, also William Potts (#2) (?/1850) & later by 'R. H. Potts and Brothers' or 'Potts Brothers' i.e. Robert Hutton Potts, Lipton Hutton Potts and Charles Hutton Potts., all children of William Potts #2. Somewhere along the line, there was a 'Potts' yard at Low Street in Sunderland. Need help!

Now there were many Sunderland area shipbuilders with the name of Potts. And an extensive study of them has been long since prepared by Bill Swift. I was intending to 'set the stage' if you will, in this spot, for Bill's research study but after many months I have not got that accomplished. So I now make available Bill Swift's extensive research study with its introduction & 8 chapters no less, in a large 'pdf' document of over 35 pages. Enjoy.

I will be happy to forward to Bill Swift, any questions or comments you may have re his 'Potts' study. You might send your request to me here.

Emblem
221 tons

1832

A snow or brig. The vessel, which was launched in Apl. 1832, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1831/32 thru 1841/42 only. LRs of 1831/32 & 1832/33 record Purdy & Co. as the vessel's owner for service from Dublin, Ireland, to Quebec, Canada. LRs of 1834 & 1835/36 record that the vessel was then registered at Sunderland.
In 1836/37, per LR, 'Atkinson' of Sunderland became the vessel's owner for consistent service, thru 1841/42, from Sunderland to Hamburg, Germany.
Her captains per LR? Thru 1832/33 LR records T. Purday as the vessel's captain but in all subsequent years rather lists T. Purdy (with no 'a').
What happened to Emblem? It would seem that in late Oct. 1841 the vessel ran aground on Middle Sand (I believe near Sheerness in the Thames estuary). This Lloyd's List report, from Wivenhoe (NE Essex near Colchester), published about 3 weeks after the event, notes 'Crew supposed to be drowned'. Was it 'our' Emblem? Probably but not yet certain.
Can you add anything additional? #2553

Cornelius
266/287 tons

1837

Cornelius was launched in May 1837 as per the contemporary newspaper cutting at left. Which refers to the vessel being built by 'Potter', which should, I understand, read W. Potts. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1837/38 thru 1846/47, from 1851/52 thru 1853/54 & not thereafter. For service from Sunderland to America but in 1852/53 for service from Sunderland to the Baltic. Just a few of such LR listings are available at left. I have very little data about this vessel, which would seem however, for most of its lifetime, to have been owned by W. Potts of Sunderland, though in 1852/53 & 1853/54 LR indicates Potts Brothers to be the vessel's then owners. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Apl. 1848 data, lists the vessel as then owned by William Potts of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland.
Paul Hilton, advises (thanks Paul!) that the vessel, in 1837, brought immigrants to Saint John, New Brunswick ('NB'), one of the 4 founding provinces that formed the Dominion of Canada on Jul. 01, 1867. Those immigrants went on to Harvey Station, SE of Fredericton, NB. Harvey Station was, I read, established in 1837, so perhaps these immigrants founded the community.
Derek Lambert earlier advised (thanks!) as follows:- 'May have been built at William Potts yard on Low Street by his sons, Robert and Lipton.' See here for data about Potts.
And what later happened to the vessel? Paul Hilton adds, re that matter, that 'it was about 1847 when the Cornelius sailed around the Great Barrier reef off Australia and it may have sunk there about that time.' In Aug. 2016, this listing was transferred to this page from its previous location on page 097. Re-reading Paul Hilton's words I thought I should check at Trove, Australia, to see if I could find detail re the vessel's loss. What I found was a bit of a surprise. There was indeed a vessel named Cornelius wrecked on the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef - on Sep. 23, 1854 in fact. But it was Cornelius, a brig built at Sunderland in 1841, not this vessel built in 1837. That later Cornelius is listed on site here with full detail as to her loss.
Anything you can add? #1844

3	Raven 283/263, later 255 tons 3526	1839	A snow or brig. *Raven, which was built by W. Potts in Mar. 1839, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1839/40 thru 1869/70. Thru 1847/48, per LR, the vessel was owned by W. Potts of Sunderland, i.e. by its builder, for service from Sunderland to London. With J. Myers her captain. From 1848/49 thru 1852/53, Simms & Co. of London were Raven's LR listed owners with R. Scott LR noted to be her captain. For service from Southampton to the Mediterranean in 1849/50 & 1850/51, ex London in 1850/51, to California, U.S.A., ex Liverpool in 1851/52 & ex London in 1852/53. During the period from Aug. 18, 1852 thru Oct. 13, 1852, Raven, then lying at London, was offered for sale. One of the sale announcements. From 1853/54 thru 1858/59, G. Nichols of London were, per LR, the vessel's owners for service, where indicated, from Hull to London (in 1853/54 & 1854/55) & from Milford (Milford, Hampshire, but maybe Milford Haven, Wales), to the Mediterranean in 1856/57 & 1857/58. With R. Hilliary her captain thru 1855/56 & H. Gibbs from 1856/57 thru 1858/59. From 1859/60 thru 1869/70, LR lists J. Smith of London as Raven's owner for service as a Liverpool coaster in 1861/52 & as a London coaster thereafter. Per the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') of 1865, J. Smith means James Thomas Smith of Deptford, London. LR advises that G. Allen was the vessel's captain in 1858/59, 'Marsh' in 1860/61 & W. Baker from 1861/62 thru 1869/70. But ... MNLs of 1866 thru 1870 all record the 255 ton London registered Raven* as rather owned by William Sheridan of Seaham Harbour, County Durham. 87.9 ft., later 86.0 ft. long (from 1863/64 per LR), signal letters HTQB, crew lists are available via this page.. What finally happened to *Raven? On Sep. 08, 1870, per line 373 here, the 283 ton brig foundered in the North Sea while en route from Sunderland to Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) with a cargo of coal. Crew of 8 - 7 lost. Vessel then stated to be owned by a new owner name - Jno. D. Brown. I learn that on Sep. 06, 1870 Raven* left Sunderland for Cronstadt under the command of William Miller with a crew of eight all told & a cargo of coal. On the evening of Sep. 08, 1870, when said to be 150 or 190 miles off Shields, a heavy gale was encountered. The vessel took on more water that could be controlled with the pumps, & when there was 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 ft. of water in her holds & the vessel's sinking was inevitable, the captain is said to have told each crew member to try to save his own life. Samuel Keeley, a cook, lowered the jolly boat & he & another crew member boarded it & left the side of the ship. The jolly boat was soon hit by a giant wave which washed the 2nd man into the sea. It would seem that for reasons unknown, *Raven's long boat could not be launched to save the other crew members. 'Keeley' spent 3 or 4 hours in the jolly boat, alone & without oars or provisions. He then was picked up, apparently insensible, by Fortuna, a Danish vessel, stayed aboard her for a few days & was landed at Frederikshavn (E. coast of Jutland, N. Denmark). Later he was transferred to a Newcastle steamship (name unknown to webmaster) & taken back to the Tyne. Upon arrival there, 'Keeley' immediately left for Seaham to meet with 'the principal owner Mr. Brown*'. I read that the vessel was not insured. A couple of contemporary news reports (1 & 2). Can you add anything additional? Or correct the above in any way? #2743
4	Hutton 194 tons	1844	A brigantine or schooner, built by W. Potts. *Hutton, which was launched in Jul. 1844, had a short life. It was always owned by the 'Potts' family of Sunderland, i.e. by its builders. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848-9 lists the vessel, in Apl. 1848 data, as a Sunderland registered schooner, owned by W., R. H. & L. H. Potts, all of Sunderland. Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed the vessel from 1845/46 thru 1852/53, thru 1849/50 as registered with the Liverpool Committee. Per LR, 'Tindle' was always the vessel's captain. LR records Hutton's service as being ex Sunderland from 1845/46 thru 1847/48, & then from Sunderland to the Baltic. What finally happened to the vessel? On Dec. 19, 1852, per line 2164 here, the 194 ton brigantine foundered off Dimlington (N. of the mouth of the Humber River, E. Yorkshire), while en route from Sunderland to London with a cargo of coal & a crew of 7 (none lost). Hutton* is stated to have been then owned by Robert H. Potts. This page adds little but notes that 'Tindle' was then her master. The circumstances of the vessel's loss? In hazy weather. The webmaster cannot really tell you. But he has read, in the London 'The Morning Post' of Dec. 23, 1852 (p8), in a Dec. 20, 1852 report from Hull - 'The Hutton, Tindall, of and from Sunderland for London, foundered off Dimlington, 19th Dec.' So perhaps the master's name was 'Tindall', rather than 'Tindle'. Is there anything you can add? #2477
5	Clarissa 320/354 tons 8295	1845	A snow or brig, later a barque, built by William Potts. *Clarissa* is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed, always as a snow, from 1845/46 thru 1859/60 & not thereafter. It was built by Wm. Potts for his own account, adapted for the American trade, & was launched on Mar. 10, 1845. A Lloyd's Survey report conducted while the vessel was in course of construction. The vessel was initially owned, accordingly, by W. Potts, from 1852/53 by 'Potts, Brs.' (brothers), of Sunderland for service from Sunderland to Quebec, Canada, thru 1851/52 & from Sunderland to America in 1852/53 & 1853/54. With 'Petty' the vessel's captain thru 1851/52 & S. Handley in 1852/53 & 1853/54. It would seem to have become a barque along the way. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Apl. 1848 data, lists the vessel as a barque owned by William Potts. It would seem, per LR as above, that the vessel was 'Potts' owned thru 1853/54. However, *Clarissa* is not listed as Sunderland registered in Mar. 1854, per the North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5. For good reason, as I have now learned. Major events in the life of the vessel took place in Dec. 1852 & in early 1853. I have spotted that from Jan. 28, 1853 thru Jan 31, 1853, *Clarissa* was advertised for sale at a public auction to be held at Lowestoft, Suffolk, on Feb. 03, 1853 - the vessel being described in such announcements in most glowing terms - here is one of those announcements. But I also have read, in Lloyd's List of Dec. 17, 1852, that that on the night of Dec. 16/17 1852, *Clarissa, en route from Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) to London, was totally lost on the Newcombe Sand (located off Kessingland, near Lowestoft, Suffolk), as was Mary Florence, a barque en route from Newcastle to Philadelphia, U.S.A. How can both reports possibly be true? It is now clear what had happened. Major gales & storms at the time affected not only the above two vessels but many others in the Lowestoft area. Clarissa* was under the command of Simeon Handley, with a crew of 12 & two passengers - fortunately all saved via a ship's boat. She had driven onto the sands on Dec. 17, 1852 when such a storm, maybe indeed a hurricane, had hit suddenly & with no warning. On Dec. 18, 1852, her masts 'broke out', but, because she was carrying timber, she floated off & was towed into Lowestoft harbour full of water & a total wreck. Towed, I learn, by Robert Fuller & Samuel Martin, who along with 'Handley' filed depositions re these events. The auction sale which was held on Feb. 03, 1853? Surely the advertisements were cases of false advertising. What was sold at that auction was not an operating vessel rather the hull of *Clarissa, stated to be dismantled & in the outer harbour at Lowestoft. Sold for �385, I read. Presumably bought by 'Butcher' of Lowestoft, & then repaired & returned to service. Some contemporary news reports - 1, 2 & 3. In 1854/55, Butcher & Co. of Yarmouth is LR listed as the vessel's owner, thru 1856/57, for service ex Yarmouth. With 'Casson' per LR the vessel's captain. In 1857/58, per LR, W. Farrer of Sunderland became Clarissa's owner for service from Sunderland to America, however such owner name is suspect since LR of 1859/60 records her then owner as being W. Farrow. And Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 lists the 324 ton barque's owners as being William Farrow, and William Farrow, jun., John Dobbing & James Barrett, all of Sunderland. LR of 1857/58 still has 'Casson' as the vessel's captain but J. Dinsdale is LR recorded in LRs of both 1858/59 & 1859/60. What finally happened to Clarissa? On Oct. 30, 1859, the vessel, which had left Sunderland for Malaga, Spain, with a cargo of coal & 'Dimsdale' in command, had to put back to Sunderland in a leaky condition & likely had to discharge her cargo. I have not read when the vessel left Sunderland after being repaired but it did leave, now with 'Kerr' in command & arrived at Malaga prior to Nov. 30, 1859. The vessel was at Malaga when gales hit the area. When Clarissa* was preparing to depart for Cardiff, Wales, in ballast, the vessel, 'Kerr' still in command, dragged its anchors & became stranded on Jan. 08, 1860 - at a beach variously named as Ivertern or Western or San Andres, all at or near Malaga. Her crew were all saved. It was reported, from Malaga, on Jan. 17, 1860, that the vessel was rapidly going to pieces. A U.K. Government wreck listing accordingly reported that the loss at line 14 here, & noted that her crew were 11 in number & that the vessel was, at the time, owned by William Farrow. Some contemporary news reports - 4, 5, & 6 (all in red). 100.0 ft. long. Is there anything you can add? Or correct? #2850
6	Mariner 312/334 later 312/342 tons 26222	1847	A barque, later a ship. Built by R. H. Potts & Bros. The vessel, which was launched in Feb. 1847, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1846/47 thru 1861/62 & not thereafter. Always LR noted to be a barque. Crewlist.org.uk seems to suggests that *Mariner* was always registered at Rochester - but that would be after 1854. *Mariner* was initially owned by Shotton & Co., registered at Newcastle & then at Shields. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Jul. 1848 data, lists the vessel as registered at Newcastle & owned by 'Shotton & Huggup'. For initial service, per LR, from Sunderland to Odessa (Ukraine, Black Sea), & from 1848/49 for service from Shields to the Mediterranean. 'Huggup' served as the vessel's captain during the period of 'Shotton' ownership, i.e. thru 1851/52. In 1851/52, per LR, W. Huggup became the owner of the barque now of 342 tons & registered at Greenock, Scotland, for service from the Clyde to the West Indies. 'Huggup' continued to serve as the vessel's captain thru 1852/53. A Sunderland shipping website, which site requests no links or recognition, refers to George Shotton & William Huggins (rather than 'Huggup') & notes that on May 22, 1851 William Scott, of Wapping, London, was a 3rd part owner. We thank such site. I note that this Lloyd's Survey, conducted while *Mariner* was in course of construction, refers to 'Huggup' as her then captain. On Jul. 28, 1852, the vessel was offered for sale at Greenock. From 1853/54 thru 1856/57, Lindsay & Co., of Leith, Scotland, per LR owned the vessel for service from Southampton, Hampshire, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With J. Murray her captain. In 1857/58, per LR, 'Haisman' became the owner of *Mariner* now registered at Rochester, Kent, initially for service from Sunderland to the Baltic, but then, in the period of 1858/1860, for service from London to the West Indies & later ex Sunderland. With, per LR, 'Haisman' her captain in 1857/58 & in the 1860/62 period, but J. Smith in years 1858/59 & 1859/60. James Smith I learn (Lloyd's survey). It seems likely, however, that 'Haisman' acquired the vessel rather earlier than 1857/58, since it apparently became Rochester registered on Nov. 10, 1854. A Medway registry sheet lists Abel Haisman as owning all 64 shares in the vessel at the time of her loss, but earlier (thru Nov. 1856) James Joseph Luck would seem to have owned 16 of such shares. On Oct. 06, 1860, Captain Haisman reported that *Mariner* had been fired upon, by Spanish forces, at Green Island, Algeciras, Spain. 97.6 ft. long (but have also read 96.3 ft. long). No crew lists seem to be available for the vessel. What finally happened to *Mariner? On Feb. 23, 1861, per line 1120 here, the 342 ton vessel, noted to be a ship, foundered off Cape Finisterre (NW corner of Spain), while en route from Newport, Wales, to Gibraltar, with a cargo of coal. Crew of 19 - none lost. Vessel there stated to be owned by Abel Harsman (with an 'r'). I learn that Mariner, under the command of Robert Haisman, in fact, was abandoned, in a sinking state, on the night of Feb. 15, 1861, at 45N/8.40W, having sprung a leak on Feb. 13, 1861 during a heavy SW gale. The crew (10 rather than 19 it would appear) took to the ship's long-boat & were rescued from it on Feb. 17, 1861 by Estelle, a French barque (registered at Nantes, France), under the command of Captain Giraud. Estelle* was en route from Trinidad, presumably to Nantes, where *Mariner*'s crew were, per captain Haisman, landed. (Nantes is on the river Loire, up-river from St. Nazaire). The second news report below seems to suggest, incorrectly, that at the time of its loss, the vessel was Newport, Wales registered. A couple of contemporary news reports - 1 & 2. Can you tell us more? Or correct the above in any way? #2765

Gratitude
338/351 later 323 tons

11799

1850

A barque. Gratitude, which was launched in Mar. 1850, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1850/51 thru 1865/66, owned throughout that entire period by Potts Bros. of Sunderland. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5, in Mar. 1854 data, lists the vessel as Sunderland registered & owned by Robt. H., Lipton H., & Chas. H. Potts, all of Sunderland. With Samuel Davison serving as the vessel's then captain. Turnbull's Shipping Registers ('TR') of 1855 & 1856 confirm such ownership. While Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies the owner names to mean Robert H., Lipton H., & Chas. H. Potts.
The vessel's captains, per LR? S. Davison thru 1854/55, J. Wilson from 1855/56 thru 1864/65. Davison again, but not per LR. And 'Morgan' briefly in late 1864. I note that TR of 1855 records S. Davison as the vessel's then captain.
Gratitude is Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') listed from 1857 thru 1865, always registered at Sunderland. MNL of 1865 records Robert H. Potts as her then, presumably managing owner.
The vessel's service? Per LR, Gratitude's service was always ex Sunderland, initially to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), from 1851/52 thru 1854/55 to India, from 1855/56 thru 1858/59 to the Mediterranean & from 1861/62 to France.
102.5 ft. long, signal letters KVDN, some crew lists are available via this page, per LR the vessel became of 323 tons in 1861/62.
The webmaster has skimmed but not researched Gratitude's operational history. There were a number of voyages to Ceylon thru Jun. 1852, with 'Davison' in command. Then a period of about 4 years during which I did not spot references to the vessel. A great many voyages into the Black Sea, to such ports as Odessa, Sebastopol, Taganrog, etc. returning with grain. Many voyages to Alexandria, Egypt, also returning with grain. And more to Bordeaux & Toulon, both in France. On May 02, 1862 the vessel arrived at Quebec, Canada, ex Bordeaux, 'Wilson' in command, & later returned to Limerick, Ireland. Some events that are notable. i) On Mar. 05, 1856, 'Wilson' in command, en route from Alexandria to Hull with a cargo of wheat, the vessel put into Lowestoft with damage to her stem & leaky. The vessel had been in collision with Rose of Spey, of Banff, Scotland, which vessel put into Yarmouth having lost her mainmast. ii) On Jul. 07, 1856, 'Davison' in command, lying in the river at Sunderland with no cargo or ballast & fully rigged, the vessel fell over on her starboard side, causing apparently no damage. iii) In late Oct. 1864, 'Morgan' in command, the vessel, en route from Sunderland to Bordeaux was in Yarmouth Roads making a small quantity of water. Six of her crew refused to proceed in her.
LR of 1865/66 notes that Gratitude had been 'Wrecked'. This newspaper article advises that the vessel was lost on the Aggerstrand (NW coast of Denmark near Thisted) on Aug. 28, 1865. 'Shilbo', her captain, lost his life as did many of her crew - only the mate & one man survived.
The webmaster has searched for additional data but cannot add too much to that brief report. It would seem, however, that the name 'Shilbo' is incorrect. It was reported, in Feb. 1865, that 'Shillets' was the vessel's then captain. On Feb. 24, 1865 a vessel named Gratitude, 'Shillito' in command, left Sunderland for Bordeaux, France, with 530 tons of coal. On Jul. 20, 1865, such Gratitude was anchored off Yarmouth having arrived from Quebec, Canada for Yarmouth. And finally, on Aug. 19, 1865, a vessel named Gratitude, with 'Shillitoe' in command, left Sunderland for Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia), probably with a cargo of coal.
Can you tell us more about what finally happened and/or add anything additional? #2795

8	Eaglet 217 later 203 & 192/304 tons 33404	1853	*Eaglet, a snow, later a brigantine, was launched in Jun. 1857. It is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1854/55 thru 1882/83 & was, per LR, owned by Potts & Co. of Sunderland, i.e. by its builder, thru 1868/69. With G. Waugh the vessel's captain thru 1858/59, G. Robinson from 1862/63 thru 1864/65, 'Lawson' from 1864/65 thru 1866/67, & 'Bradbury' from 1866/67 thru 1869/70. No captain's name was noted by LR in its editions from 1859/60 thru 1861/62. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5 tells us, in Mar. 1854 data, that Eaglet's then owners were Robt. H. and Lipton H. Potts & John Firth, all of Sunderland. With George Waugh her captain. While Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 essentially confirms such ownership data. As does Christie's Shipping Register of 1858. The vessel's service while 'Potts' owned? Per LR always ex Sunderland. To the Baltic in 1854/55 & 1855/56, to France in 1857/58 & 1858/59 & in 1864/65 thru 1868/69 (including specifically to Le Havre in 1864/65 & 1865/66), to London in 1862/63 & 1863/64. 'Best-efforts' details of an event in the life of the vessel that the webmaster happened to spot. On Sep. 28, 1858, Eaglet, 'Wilson' said to be in command, left Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) for Wyburg (Vyborg, NW of St. Petersburg), arriving there on Oct. 04, 1858. On Oct. 29, 1858, the vessel, 'Waugh' in command, en route from Wyburg to Grimsby with a cargo of deals & battens, ran on shore on the Fahludd or Falsterbo Reef (SW Sweden across the water from Copenhagen, Denmark). Her crew were saved but she was not expected to be got off. On Oct. 31, 1858, however, Eaglet, now a derelict, was found at sea by Gannet* of Dundee (built at Dundee in 1857), 'Webster' in command. He put 4 of his crew aboard *Eaglet* & brought her into Memel (now Klaipėda, Lithuania) on Nov. 03, 1858. The vessel was reported to then be tight & essentially undamaged despite her grounding. On Nov. 19, 1858, refitted at Memel without discharging, the vessel sailed again for Grimsby, now under the command of 'Creswick' & arrived at Grimsby on Feb. 17, 1859. To the best of the webmaster's knowledge the above is an accurate summation of the events. However Lloyd's List ('LL') on Feb. 21, 1859, published a report with a significantly different story - i.e. i) that *Eaglet* got off from the reef by discharging a portion of her cargo ii) that she was towed to Malmo, Sweden, rather than to Memel, & iii) makes no reference to the vessel ever being a derelict. LL also notes that after leaving Malmo she encountered bad weather & suffered damage. The reports are confusing indeed. And, I have not read about the circumstances which caused her to run aground in the first place - but presumably it was bad weather. Some contemporary news reports - 3, 4 & 5. 'Purdy' would seem to have next become the vessel's captain - from Apl. 1859 at least. On Jun. 18, 1862, the vessel, with 'Purdy' in command arrived at Archangel, Russia, ex Hamburg. On Aug. 09, 1862, *Eaglet, 'Purdy' in command, arrived back at Sunderland with a cargo of grain ex Archangel - for orders. But while it was nearing Sunderland, the vessel struck on Hendon Rock. It got off quickly, but the vessel became most leaky. And, as a result of the grounding, its cargo had to be discharged at Wylam's Wharf, Sunderland. On Aug. 18, 1862, 1000 quarters of water-logged oats, a portion of the vessel's cargo, was offered for sale at a public auction held at French's Wylam Wharf. Per these news reports 1 & 2. In 1869/70, again per LR, Eaglet* became owned by T. Minikin of Sunderland. I note that Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1874 lists Thomas Minikin as the vessel's then sole owner. For service, where LR indicated, ex Sunderland including to France in 1871/72. T. Minikin served extensively & frequently as the vessel's captain it would seem. But there were, per LR, other captains - J. Shotton in 1872/73 & 1873/74, & O. Anderson briefly in 1874/75. LR of 1882/83 listed T. Minikin as her then captain. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') lists the vessel from 1857 thru 1883, always registered at Sunderland. Owned from 1865 thru 1869 by R. H. Potts, of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, & from 1870 thru 1883 (1882) by Thomas Minikin, of Sunderland. 82.2 ft. long, signal letters RFDV, became a brigantine in 1869/70, a great many crew lists are available via this page. LR of 1882/83 notes that the vessel had been 'Abandoned'. I learn that, on Jan. 19, 1883, *Eaglet* left Sunderland for Rouen, France, with 340 tons of coal, under the command of Oliver Anderson. When off Cromer, Norfolk, on Jan. 25, 1883, the vessel encountered a 'full gale' & made water rapidly. *Eaglet* was driven to the north by the force of the storm & when 20 miles off Spurn, Yorkshire, at 5 p.m. on Feb. 02, 1883, the vessel had to be abandoned. *Teazer, a Grimsby smack, took Eaglet*'s entire crew aboard & landed them safely at Grimsby. Per these (6, 7 & 8) contemporary news reports. Can you tell us anything additional? Or correct the above text in any way? #2884
9	Heron 283 tons 28042	1860	A barque. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1860/61 thru 1872/73, owned for that entire period by Potts Bros. of Sunderland. For service for its lifetime, it would appear, ex Sunderland to France or to the Mediterranean. It was launched, I read, on Feb. 8, 1860. The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1867 & 1870 both list Potts Brothers of Low Street, Sunderland, as her then owners. 104.0 ft. long, signal letters PTSJ. LR of 1872/73 notes 'wrecked'. On May 26, 1872, per line 2458 here, the 283 ton barque sank at St. Pauls (possibly St. Paul, a small uninhabited island located 15 miles NE of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada), while en route from Bordeaux, France, to Montreal, Canada, with a cargo of wine. Crew of 9 - none lost. Then owned by Robert H. Potts. The circumstances of her loss have not yet come to hand. Can you tell us what happened, or otherwise add anything? #2119
10	Jane Alice 289 tons 29868	1861	A barque. The vessel was launched on Jul. 10, 1861 - as per this newspaper cutting - & first registered, at Sunderland, on Jul. 17, 1861 (scroll to #29868). The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1861/62 thru 1866/67, owned thru that entire if short period by Potts Brothers of Sunderland. For service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean & with 'Leighton' serving as the vessel's captain thru 1863/64 & 'Hazard' thereafter. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') record the vessel as Sunderland registered from 1862 thru 1867, owned from 1865 thru 1867 by R. H. Potts & Brothers of Sunderland. The vessel is not recorded in MNL of 1868. 110.0 ft. long, signal letters QHLD, some crew lists, thru 1867, are available via here. LR of 1866/67 states 'Wrecked'. This page (scroll to #29868) states, I think, that an advice re the vessel's loss was received on Mar. 22, 1867. There are a couple of references at 'Welsh Newspapers Online' to the vessel leaving Cardiff, Wales, for Alexandria, Egypt, on Jul. 31, 1865 & Sep. 01, 1866, with 563 & 552 tons of coal respectively & with Robertson or Robinson the vessel's then captain. Now there is a reference, on line 47 here, to a vessel of the name being lost near Morlaix, Brittany, France, on Dec. 02, 1867, while en route from Taganrog (Rostov Oblast, Russia, Sea of Azov, Black Sea), to Falmouth, with a cargo of rapeseed. Crew of 10 - 4 lost. I now believe that such reference is not to this vessel but rather to the Jane Alice built at Sunderland in 1866. I now learn that this *Jane Alice, was reported from Alexandria, Egypt, on Jan. 07, 1867 to be in the process of loading. On or about Jan. 10, 1867, the vessel must have left Alexandria with Robinson in command, a cargo of oil cake & a crew of 11 all told. Bound for Falmouth, presumably for orders. On Feb. 14, 1867, when off Cape de Gatt, Almeria, Spain, the vessel struck a rock during a violent gale, & immediately sank. Her 11 man crew were rescued by Ceres*, a Spanish coasting steamer, landed at Carthagena & were then required to enter a period of quarantine. A later report, from Almeria, stated that some sails & a few other materials had been recovered from the wreck. Some contemporary news reports - 1 & 2. Can you add anything additional? #2162

J. PRIESTMAN & CO.
JOHN PRIESTMAN & CO.
SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN & CO. (or COMPANY), from 1921 or 1923?
SIR J. PRIESTMAN & CO. LTD., from 1921 or 1923?

OF SOUTHWICK, SUNDERLAND

First a few images. Hover your mouse over each thumbnail to read the subject matter.

I have read that John Priestman (1855-1941), later Sir John Priestman, was born in Bishop Auckland, the son of a baker. Now the webmaster thought that he remembered that Bishop Auckland was in far away Scotland. But that is not so. It is located on the River Wear above the cathedral city of Durham, so was relatively close by. Anyway, he came at a very young age to Sunderland & was, at the age of 14, apprenticed at the Blumer shipbuilding yard. He later became Chief Draughtsman for Pickersgill, after having served in the Blumer drawing office. At Pickersgill, he in 1880 designed Camargo, their first iron steamer, but in 1882 left them to establish his own shipbuilding yard, known as Castletown, in Southwick, to the west of the Pickersgill shipyard. It looks as though he took over a yard there previously owned by G. S. Gulston. A site that had been vacant for a few years - from 1876 to 1882 perhaps.

Troutbeck, of 817 tons, was the first ship that Priestman launched - on Aug. 01, 1882. 'Where Ships Are Born' states Isle of Cyprus was the first, in 1883. Now Isle of Cyprus was the first 'Priestman' hull number indeed (#1) but it was not the first launch - being launched rather later, on Feb. 22, 1883.

Where Ships Are Born refers to John Priestman playing tennis in the shipyard with his manager, to the amusement of viewers on the south bank of the river - when the yard was idle during recurring depressions.

There were many many vessels to come including ships most similar to the 'turret' ships built by Doxford. The Priestman equivalents were termed 'tower-deck' (or maybe 'trunk-deck') vessels. They looked somewhat like turret ships but had a different arrangement of vessel plating.

The yard was in operation for 51 years, but in 1933 it closed for good. The yard itself was physically still there, however, & was resurrected in 1944 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd., with assistance from the Admiralty, for use in building needed new tonnage during WW2. A puzzle to the webmaster is a 1937 reference in a Sunderland Industrial Handbook to the yard having grown from 4 acres in 1882 to over 12 acres in 1937. With, in 1937, four berths capable of building ships of all types of up to 600 feet in length. If the yard was indeed out of business in 1933, why such a 1937 listing? I suspect that it may be that the business did not technically close in 1933, rather that the last Priestman built vessel was sold in that year. And that there was no subsequent Priestman shipbuilding activity. Can anyone clarify?

John Priestman (image at left ex 'Where Ships Are Born') was knighted in 1921 (or maybe 1923) & awarded a Baronetcy in 1934. Re both titles you are addressed as 'Sir', I understand. He died in 1941.

Sunderland's greatest philanthropist, it would seem. He supported a great many charitable causes in his lifetime & in 1931 endowed a charitable trust (1), bearing his name that still serves the areas of the former counties of Durham and Yorkshire to this very day. Its purposes include the 'feeding of poor... in times of distress', the 'employment and payment of nurses for the sick and infirm' & the building, 'maintaining and furnishing (including provision of organs)' of 'churches and mission halls and schools'. Most recent (2003 & 2004) trust donations were however to the churches & to the more general category of 'any charitable institution for the benefit of .. inhabitants of the County of Durham and in particular of ... Sunderland'. In his will he gave over �1.5 million, an amazing sum for those times, to many more charitable causes. The list is long & includes the donation of organs to local churches (he was a keen organist) & funds to rebuild St. Michael's Church in Bishopwearmouth.

A fine image of Sir John Priestman is here.

He (& his sister) earlier had built St. Andrew's Church in Roker, in memory of Jane Priestman, their mother. Funds were provided with a condition - that the church have a tower visible from the sea - & accordingly the church tower is on the east end of the church where normally it would be at the west end. It is interesting to read (1 & 2) that Priestman made his fortune not perhaps from the shipyard per se, or as a colliery owner though he was that also, as you might expect, but rather from investing the yard's profits to great advantage in South African goldmines & diamonds!

I had hoped to find an obituary on the WWW that might expand upon the above. And now, thanks to a kind site visitor, I am able to provide the Sir John Priestman obituary which was published in the London Times, of Aug. 7, 1941. You can read it here. lf you can provide additional data about Sir John, your contribution would be most welcome.
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Author Jean Wood has been in touch (thank you Jean!) to advise that Sir John Priestman married twice. In 1880, he married Naomi, daughter of D. P. Huntly, of Sunderland. They had no children & Naomi passed on in 1908. In Jul. 1915, he married his second wife, a distant relative of Jean Wood (2nd cousin twice removed). She was Sarah Marie Pownall (1880/1971), the elder daughter of A. E. Pownall, a Chorlton (Manchester) doctor & his wife Marianne (n�e Duterrau). Marie (she would appear to have been known as Marie rather than as Sarah), was rather younger than Sir John - by 25 years - and lived to age 90. She died only in 1971, 40 years after Sir John had passed away. There was one daughter, born in 1921, by the second marriage - Barbara M. Du T. Priestman ('Du. T.' likely means 'Du Terreaux').

Pauline Priano adds to the family history (thanks!) - Sir John Priestman was my great grandfather�s 1st cousin. His father, Robert Priestman, was indeed a baker with premises at Bondgate Street in Bishop Auckland. His father was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1824 & died there in 1867. Robert married Jane Smith (1830-1903) on Nov. 11, 1849 at St. Andrews, Bishop Auckland. Barbara Marie D. T. Priestman (1921/Mar251963), Sir John's daughter & Robert's grand-daughter, married Christopher John Leslie in 1954 in Westmorland. They had two children Angela Marie Leslie born in 1955 & Christopher B. Leslie born in 1959.

One of Sir John�s sisters, Polly, was born in 1853 at Bishop Auckland (died Mar. 25, 1940 at Poole, Dorset). She married Walter De Lancey Wilson, later knighted, twice Mayor of Gateshead, & founder of the Walter Wilson supermarket chain. Polly was his second wife & the couple had a further two children.

We end this section on a sad note! Susan Singleton has been in touch to advise that William W. (Weston) Robinson, Susan's grandfather, maybe employed as a concrete band fixer, lost his life at the Priestman shipyard on Apl. 02, 1930. He was in his prime of life, just 30 years of age, when he died as a result of a fall from a great height. His wife, Ellen Robinson, was left with little money and a 4-month old baby girl (Susan's mother Anne Robinson) to bring up. William's memorial card is here. Can anybody tell us what a 'concrete band fixer' would have done in a 1930s shipyard!

The west yard of Pickersgill's that used to be Sir John Priestman's yard. Ex 'Where Ships Are Born'.

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:- 32, 68, 106, 240, 284, 299. (199) A 'build list' of 'Priestman' vessels can now be found, on site, here.

Names of vessels constructed by 'Priestman'. As I find them. In a table in build date sequence. Not very many so far, however.

1		Acaster 1450 (or 1358) tons Hull 4 86946 Jeanne d'Arc Granli P. O. Haavik	1882	An iron cargo ship, schooner rigged, that had a great many owners. Per 1 (1882 ref. to launching, true p.293. Hard to find so text is available at left via thumbnail), 2 (page in Norwegian, extensive history, image), 3 (page in Norwegian, extensive history in English Jeanne d'Arc), 4 (Norwegian 'pdf' page, #16 on page 4, data, P. O. Haavik), 5 (data), 6 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 250.5 ft. long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of ? knots. Built for Perry, Raimes & Co., (Miramar states 'Raines') of West Hartlepool, U.K., & named Acaster, by Mrs. Cundall, at the launch. A series of West Hartlepool owners but with no change of name. W. E. Bagshaw became the owner in 1883. That name may correctly be 'Bagshawe and others', the name referenced in 'The Nautical Magazine' of 1884 respecting an Inquiry into the loss of a seaman, swept overboard on Jan. 23, 1884, in very heavy seas, with another severely injured (see left). Carrying iron ore. J. Wood & Co. became the owner in 1884, & R. Livingstone & Co. in 1889. It would seem that the vessel needed the assistance of the Newbiggin Lifeboat Station on Dec. 22, 1886, but no detail as to circumstances. In 1891 the vessel was 'taken over' by Livingstone, Conner & Co., also of West Hartlepool. In 1896, vessel was sold to 'A/S Ganger Rolf' (Bertrand Heyerdahl, the manager), of Kristiania (Oslo), Norway, & renamed Jeanne d'Arc. (Miramar refer to J. Meinich & Co. in 1895). In 1900, sold to 'A/S Ganger Rolf', Ganger Rolf Shipping Line, (Fred. Olsen, the manager), of Kristiania, with no change of name. In 1908, vessel was sold to 'A/S Kerguelen', (Storm, Bull & Co., the managers), of Kristiania. 'A/S Kerguelen' was, I read, a sealing & whaling company & the vessel was used as a supply ship for Jeanne d�Arc, (now Port-Jeanne d'Arc) a newly established shore-station at the French Kerguelen Islands, in the southern Indian Ocean. In 1912, the vessel was sold to 'D/S A/S Granli' (Thygo S�rensen & Birger Lie, the managers), of Kristiania, & renamed Granli. And in 1913, was sold to 'A/S P. O. Haavik' (Andreas Simonsen, the manager), of Haugesund, Norway, & renamed P. O. Haavik. On Feb. 22, 1914, the vessel grounded at La Canal de Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain, while loading salt. It must have been quite a grounding because the vessel would seem to have been wrecked there. Can you correct or add to the above?
2		Isle of Cyprus 1149 (or 1061) tons Hull 1 86108 Britannia Bj�rnvik	1883	A cargo ship, schooner rigged. Per 1 ('pdf', 1883 grounding inquiry report), 2 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 225.2 ft. long, speed of 8 1/4 knots. Built for 'Dixon, Robson & Co' which entity changed its name to 'Isles Shipping Co.', in 1908. On Apl. 17, 1883, however, the owner became Thomas Dixon, Jun.' & others, of Newcastle, Thomas Dixon having been on that date appointed the managing owner. On May 01, 1888, the vessel left St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands, in ballast, bound for Pomeron, Portugal, (NW of Gibraltar), with a crew of 17 all-told & with James J. (Joseph) Hebron, in command. On May 06, 1888, the vessel ran aground, in hazy conditions, near St. Ann's Bay, N. of Cape Corveiro, Western Sahara, W. coast of Africa. The vessel freed itself, unassisted, & was temporarily repaired at Las Palmas, Canary Islands. The hull was however badly damaged & the vessel proceeded to the Tyne for repairs at Messrs Smith's dock. An inquiry into the grounding was held in Jun. 1888, & the Master was found (alone) to be in default due to negligent navigation & was reprimanded. In 1897, the vessel was sold to C. W. Akerson (who may well be the agent rather than the owner), of Gefle, Sweden, & renamed Britannia. The vessel was again sold, in 1916, to K. Henningsen, (same comment), of Norrk�ping, Sweden, & renamed Bj�rnvik. Bj�rnvik seems to be a place name in Finland, though that may be irrelevant. Was broken up at Copenhagen, Denmark, in Q4 of 1936. Anything you can add?

Walter de Lancey
775 (or 839 or 845 or 846) tons
Hull 15

96295

Algarve
Biafra
Tryg

1885

A cargo ship, 3 masts, clipper stem, intended to be schooner rigged, but maybe square rigged? Per 1 (1885 ref. to Jun. 13, 1885 launching, p.105 Walter de Lancy & ref. on p.257), 2 [Elder Dempster, Biafra (2)], 3 (Biafra data), 4 (same data, 3rd item), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 200.8 ft. long, speed of 9 knots. A mystery re this vessel or so it would seem. While it would appear to have been named (by Miss Lillie Priestman) Walter de Lancey (or Lancy) at its Jun. 13, 1885 launch, it would seem to have become registered as Algarve (must be the same vessel - so much of the data matches). Delivered in Jun. 1885 to A. Centeno, of Lisbon, Portugal. In 1899, sold to Alfred Booth of Liverpool, but not a Booth Steamship Company vessel. Sold in 1890 to African Steam Ship Company, Limited (Elder Dempster Lines) & renamed Biafra. The vessel was likely hit by a storm when on Nov. 30, 1892 one crew member was lost. While en route from Lagos, Nigeria, to Hamburg, Germany, under the command of D. P. Dupeo, with a cargo of palm kernels. The incident, whatever it was, took place at New Calabar on the W. coast of Africa. The driving wheel of the vessel's capstan was broken but the listing does not state what exactly occurred. Biafra was used for feeder services along the W. African coast. In 1896, was sold to Rasmus F. Olsen of Bergen, Norway, & renamed Tryg. Square rig was removed. On Feb. 13, 1913, while en route from Bergen to Halifax, Canada, she foundered 70 miles off Portland (yes), Iceland. Can you correct or add to the above?

4	Deddington 2145 (or 1828 or 1833 or 1870) tons Hull 19 95790 Frederiksborg Sirius	1889	A cargo ship, a collier. Per 1 & 2 (Sir Henry Samman, 1849/1928, ['Samman'] & Deddington Steamship Co.), 3 [the Samman fleet, Deddington (1)], 4 (Sirius, Finnish page), 5 (link4 translated), 6 ('convoyweb.org', WW2 convoy duty, insert Sirius), 7 ('plimsollshipdata.org', Lloyd's Register data 1930/31 thru 1944/45, Sirius), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 280.5 ft. long (85.50 metres), speed of 9 knots, signal letters LGHW later KFNB & SGTN. Built for Deddington Steamship Co. Ltd., of Hull, owned & managed by 'Henry Samman & Co.'. Samman served as Deddington's managing director. The company was presumably named after the village in which Samman was born i.e. Deddington, Oxfordshire. I read that Deddington spent much of her time in the far east transporting coal from Australia to Batavia, as well as carrying wool back to England. In 1899, the vessel was sold to Danneborg Shipping Co., of Denmark, (C. K. Hansen, the manager), & renamed Frederiksborg. And in 1914, she was sold again, to Orion Shipping Company, (C. P. Jensen, the manager), also of Denmark, & renamed Sirius. In 1924, the vessel was sold for the last time, to 'Rederi - A/B Iris' (Iris Shipping Company) of Stockholm, Sweden. C. Abrahamsen certainly were the managers from 1930/31. 12 convoy references during WW2, mainly from U.K. to Norwegian waters, but some coastal U.K. voyages also (carrying coal where cargo is indicated). On Dec. 12, 1944, while en route from Sundsvall, Sweden, to Mantyluoto, Finland, with a cargo of coal, the vessel was wrecked near Bjorneborg, Finland. Miramar states it was wrecked 2 miles SE of the S�bbsk�r Lighthouse, which would seem to be near Pori, Gulf of Bothnia, W. coast of Finland. I cannot track the exact location of such lighthouse. 4 explains, I believe, the circumstances in Finnish, but translation is difficult. I can only say that it would seem that the weather was bad & the disaster was due to navigational error. No lives would seem to have been lost. Salvage tugboat Poseidon was involved, & the wreck was located in 1992. Can anybody advise the essence of what link 2 says, in English. Can you correct or add to the above? Another image?
5	Charles Steels 738/1170 (N/G) tons Hull 24 97385	1890	The webmaster has not fully researched this vessel. Which was, however, launched on Dec. 09, 1889 & first registered, at West Hartlepool, on Jan. 25, 1890 (scroll to #97385). Per 1 (sale of 1 share in vessel, ex eBay), 2 (vessel history, with list of lives lost). Was initially, per Lloyd's Register ('LR') owned by Lilly, Wilson & Co. of West Hartlepool. In LR of 1892/93, J. Wilson & Co., also of West Hartlepool, is stated to be the vessel's owner. LRs of 1893/94 lists J. Lilly & Co. of West Hartlepool as her owner. As does LR of 1897/98, with G. Mann listed as her then captain. Some operational details. There are many references to Charles Steels at 'Welsh Newspapers Online'. Clearly the vessel was a frequent visitor to the Welsh coal ports. Carrying coal i) to Bilbao, Spain & returning with iron ore or b) to Bordeaux, returning with pit wood. Most frequently ex Newport but later ex Cardiff. Also to Gibraltar, Passages (Pasajes, Spain), Barcelona, Rotterdam etc. One voyage was from Cardiff to Barbados in Jan. 1897 with Peterson in command. Some notable such references. i) in early May 1893, the vessel, en route from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, to Stettin (Szczecin, Poland, on the Baltic) ran aground at Saltholmen, near Gothenburg, Sweden. She was got off with assistance & taken to Copenhagen, Denmark, for inspection. It would seem that she suffered no damage. ii) On Oct. 28, 1897, the vessel was in collision with Henry Morton (ON #29029) of London in the River Thames at Rosherville, near Gravesend. Charles Steels suffered bow damage while Henry Morton was run ashore near Tilbury & there filled with water. iii) When at Oporto, Portugal, in late Apl. 1898, the vessel suffered a modest fire. iv) On Sep. 13, 1898 it was reported that the vessel, en route from Hamburg, Germany, to Granton (Edinburgh, Scotland) had collided with Corsica (ON #104917), from Dundee, when at Nienstedten, Hamburg. Both vessels suffered bow damage. The U.K. register for the vessel was, I read, closed in 1898. On Oct. 16, 1898, the vessel sailed from Leith (Edinburgh), Scotland, to Hamburg, Germany, with a cargo of coal. The vessel ran into a major gale a day after leaving port & on Oct. 20, 1898 a ship's boat bearing the name of Charles Stee (maybe Steels) was washed ashore at Buckhaven, Fifeshire (near Methil, Firth of Forth, Scotland), across the water from Leith. The vessel was never heard from again. She had a crew of 18, & is stated to have been under the command of Captain Peet. Thomas Peet, I read. As per these contemporary newspaper articles - A, B & C. Crew lists thru 1898 are available here. 230.0 ft. long, signal letters LNHF, 99 HP engines by Hutson & Corbett, of Glasgow, Scotland. Now in Apl. 2020, documents relating to the sale of a single share in the vessel were offered for sale via eBay. Link above. I understood that the sale was soon ended, the item being no longer available. But not so, it would seem. It is still available in Sep. 2023. In due course, I will make available via this page certain of the listing images which will be of interest to folks researching this vessel. Can anybody tell us more? #2178
6	Cheriton 1125 (or 1142) tons Hull 21 89127 Lennok	1890	A cargo ship. Per 1 (grounding report, Aug. 28, 1892, 'pdf' available), 2 (Lennok, 1915 sinking data), 3 ('uboat.net', sinking Lennok), 4 ('wrecksite.eu', Lennok sinking data), 5 & 6 (U-20), 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 70.6 (or 70.53) metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 231.5 ft. long, schooner rigged. Miramar indicate that the vessel was built for 'T. P. Richards & Co.' ('Richards'), of Swansea, Wales. But ... 4 refers to the owner having been Richards, Turpin & Co. Ltd., of London, I believe. Now the webmaster has a couple of editions of Lloyd's Register available to him from 'Google' books, thru 1890/91 - see left. It would seem that registration was intended to be in the name of Richards but the vessel was rather registered in the name of 'Steamship Cheriton Co. Ltd.', with Richards the managers. As is confirmed in the 'Priestman' build list available here. Later editions of Lloyd's Register would be helpful in regard to later ownership but are not available to the webmaster. On or about Aug. 25, 1892, the vessel left Cronstadt for Amsterdam with a cargo, including deck cargo, loaded at Saint Petersburg & Cronstadt (also known as Kronstadt, the port for Saint Petersburg, northern Russia, on the Gulf of Finland). James Luty was in command, with a crew of 17 all told. On the morning of Aug. 28, 1892, the vessel ran aground on the S�berbriton Shoal, Gotland. I cannot spot exactly where on the Island of Gotland that was. A part of the cargo was jettisoned & water ballast was pumped out of the ship's tanks, all in an attempt to lighten the vessel. At about 3:00 p.m. the vessel was successfully floated off. It was taking water & with all pumps working, it proceeded to Carlscrona, Sweden (on the Baltic), where it arrived at 8:00 a.m. on Aug. 30, 1892. The vessel's plates were damaged & 3 of the propeller blades had been broken. Temporary repairs including a new propeller were effected, a part of the cargo was discharged & the vessel proceeded to Amsterdam, its original destination. The vessel returned to Monmouth, Wales, for permanent repairs that cost �3,000. The Court attributed the grounding to careless navigation. The captain's certificate was suspended for a 3 month period while the 2nd officer was found to have kept his look-out in an unseamanlike manner. No lives were lost. In 1910, the vessel was sold to Joh. Linde, of Pernau, Russia (now P�rnu, Estonia), & renamed Lennok. On Jul. 13, 1915, Captain Raak in command, while en route from Archangel to London, the vessel was stopped by U-20, Kapit�nleutnant Walther Schwieger ('Schweiger') in command, when NE of the Shetland Isles. The crew was ordered to abandon ship & Lennok was then sunk by gunfire. About 35 miles NNE of Muckle Flugga, the northern tip of Shetland Isles, said to be at 61.05N/2.25W, which reference seems to be a little in error. I read that there were no casualties - I presume that the crew made it safely to land. You may be interested to know that Schwieger is noted for having sunk the Lusitania on May 07, 1915, off the Old Head of Kinsale, with approx. 1,200 lives lost. Can you correct the above as required, and/or provide additional data? An image perhaps?
7	Stalheim 2166 (or 2235) tons Hull 32 5140 Fama Blus Adine	1890	A cargo ship. Per 1 (data in Norwegian, ex here, a Word document, #56), 2 (13/3 1918, ref. to sinking), 3 (UB-34), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 290.4 or 290.5 ft. long. Built for 'Harloff & B�e', of Bergen, Norway. In Jul. 1893 sold to 'Andr. Olsen', also of Bergen. In 1911, sold to 'Otto Banck', of Helsingborg, Sweden & renamed Fama. On Dec. 8, 1915 sold to 'D/S A/S Blus' (Harald Hansen (or maybe Hanssen?) the manager?), of Skien, Norway, & renamed Blus. In Feb. 1916, sold to 'D/S A/S Adine', of Kristiania i.e. Oslo, Norway, (C. H. Engelhart & E. I. Hansen, managers) & renamed Adine. Later that year, in Dec. 1916, sold to 'D/S A/S Lloyd I' (Louis Poulsen & Co. manager), also of Kristiania. On Mar. 13, 1918, while en route from Rouen, France to the Tyne in ballast, was attacked & sunk by UB-34, at 54.42N/00.58E in the North Sea. The few references to the sinking are a small puzzle. Can you correct the above as required, or provide additional data? An image perhaps?
8	Murillo 2419 tons Hull 46 102927 Eptalofos Ger�nimo Guipuzcoa	1893	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Wilson Line, Murillo), 2 (French data & image, Guipuzcoa), 3 (extensive Spanish data, Ger�nimo & Guipuzcoa, image), 4 (Guipuzcoa abandoned, ex the Mar. 25, 1925 edition of 'La Vanguardia, l'Ouest-Eclair', p#7), 5 ('wrecksite.eu', Guipuzcoa wreck data & image), 6 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 91.7 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 8 1/2 knots, signal letters NGCH. The vessel was launched, as Murillo, on Oct. 25, 1893, by the Mayoress of Gateshead. Built for 'T. Wilson Sons & Co. Limited', i.e. 'Wilson Line', of Hull. In 1914, the vessel was sold to Mrs. Marie J. Mango, or maybe D. A. Mango, of London, registered at Piraeus, Greece, & renamed Eptalofos - 'Mango & Co.', of Piraeus, the managers. In 1916, the vessel was sold to 'Hijos de G. Escudero,' i.e. G. Escudero Sons, of Spain, 'A. de la Sota' the managers, & renamed Ger�nimo. The vessel was sold again, in 1918 - to 'Compa��a Naviera Mundaca', of Bilbao, Spain, & renamed Guipuzcoa. On Mar. 23, 1925, the vessel was en route from Huelva, Spain, to La Pallice, France, with a cargo of pyrites. It would seem that the vessel proceeded after being warned that the conditions were dangerous. It ran aground a mile NW of the La Baleine lighthouse, Pointe des Baleines, Ile de R�, near La Rochelle, France, at approx. 46.14.07N/01.33.07W. Tugs made a number of unsuccessful attempts to free the vessel, which was however abandoned on Mar. 25, 1925. The crew of 26 were taken aboard Atlas (a tug presumably), & landed at nearby La Pallice. We thank Claude Rabault, of 'Epaves du Ponant', for his kind assistance re this listing. Can you correct the above as required, or provide additional data? Another image perhaps?
9	Glenmoor 1983/3075 (N/G) tons Hull 52 104264	1894	A cargo ship. Per 1 ('uboat.net' sinking, Glenmoor, with an incorrect image, I think), 2 ('wrecksite.eu', sinking, Glenmoor), 3 (U-38), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 321.1 ft. long (97.87 metres) perpendicular to perpendicular, signal letters NMCG, 261 NHP engines by W. Allan & Co. Ltd., of Sunderland. The vessel attained 11 knots at her performance trials. Built for 'South Shields Steam Shipping Co. Limited' ('South Shields'), which company was initially of South Shields but moved its head office to Newcastle, Walter Runciman & Co., also of Newcastle, the managing owners. In Apl. 1897, South Shields was renamed Moor Line Ltd. On Nov. 06, 1915, the vessel was in the Mediterranean, en route from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to the Tees with a cargo of manganese ore. The vessel was, I read, captured by U-38, Korvettenkapit�n Max Valentiner in command, & sunk by torpedo, just maybe after the crew had left the ship since there was, apparently, no loss of life. At 37.06N/07.12E, 5 miles NE of the Cape de Fer lighthouse, NE of Philippeville, now Skikda (Sakīkdah), in eastern Algeria. U-38 was a most successful German submarine indeed, sinking 293,124 tons of Allied shipping i.e. 139 ships, including one warship, damaging 7 other vessels & taking 3 more as prizes. Can you correct the above as required, and/or provide additional data? Another image perhaps?
10	Reindeer 2412 tons Hull 60 105848	1896	A cargo ship which was launched on Jun. 9, 1896 & completed in Jul. 1896. Per 1 (launch in Jun. 1896), 2 ('wrecksite.eu', Reindeer, missing), 3 (discussion re the identity of a wreck, discovered at Shieldhead, Scotland, in 2006), 4 (a 'The Courier Co.' Nov. 21, 2016 article), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 294.0 ft. long perpendicular to perpendicular (89.6 metres), speed of 9 knots, signal letters PJSQ, 217 HP engines by T. Richardson & Sons Ltd. of Hartlepool. The vessel was launched for 'Jackson Bros. & Cory' of London, indeed the vessel was christened by Miss Jackson, who as a charming part of the launch ceremony released a cageful of birds from the vessel's forecastle. The vessel soon became owned (transferred maybe), certainly from 1897/98 per Lloyd's Register ('LR'), by 'Reindeer Steamship Co. Ltd.' of London, who owned the vessel for the balance of its lifetime. Jackson Bros. & Cory became the vessel's managers certainly from 1897/98. The vessel was, I read, requisitioned for WW1 service on Dec. 18, 1915. On Nov. 14, 1916, the vessel left Dieppe, France, for Middlesbrough in ballast. With a crew of 25, have also read 20. She was seen passing the Downs on Nov. 15, 1916 but was not seen thereafter. Now Middlesbrough is on the S. bank of River Tees in N. Yorkshire. Link 4 tells us that on Nov. 19, 1916 fragments of her wreckage, including her name plate, were found by lighthouse keepers far to the N. of Middlesbrough, near Todhead, located S. of Aberdeen, Scotland. The vessel may, due to wartime dangers, have chosen to travel westward & around Scotland en route to Middlesbrough. I read that parts of the vessel are on the sea floor at Shieldhill, a bit to the S. of Todhead. There is however doubt as to the identity of such wreckage, since the wrecked vessel, discovered in 2006, apparently carried bagged cement in 2 of its holds. Dr. Ian Buxton, of Newcastle, as I understand his words, does not believe that cement would have been used as ballast in 1916 & suggests the wreck may have been misidentified as Reindeer. There are, however, no other 'candidates' for the wreckage. Most bodies were never recovered. It would be interesting to further explore the statement that the vessel's name plate was recovered in 1916. James Smith has kindly provided this 'pdf' study of the vessel's history, which includes some detail of its WW1 service as a Collier Transport. Can you correct the above as required, and/or provide additional data? Another image perhaps? #1936
11	Copenhagen 3297 tons Hull 72 108711	1898	A schooner-rigged cargo steamship. Per 1 (data 60% down), 2 (wreck data page 149 & modest wreck image on page 150 - not visible today), 3 (wreck data), 4 ('pdf', wreck data), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 325 ft. long, speed of 10 knots. Built for 'Glasgow Shipowners Company, Ltd.' (Glen & Co. managers?), & registered Glasgow. Intended for use on North Atlantic routes. On May 27, 1900, while en route from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Havana, Cuba, in good weather & with a cargo of coal, ran aground 3 miles S of Hillsboro Inlet, Florida. Efforts were made to free the vessel, including unloading the cargo. Efforts continued until Jul. 17, 1900, when vessel was abandoned, a total loss. I read that the vessel & cargo were respectively valued at $250,000 & $12,500. Her most valuable items (engine, boilers, propeller etc.) were salvaged, including vessel's mahogany saloon table, which was used (still is, I wonder?) as a boardroom table by the 'Biscayne Yacht Club'. Crew of 26 stayed with vessel until Jun. 1st. Cause of the accident, per investigation, was the 'improper navigation' of her Captain (William S. Jones). The wreck was used for Navy fighter plane target practice during WW2. Scattered wreck remains today are in 16-31 ft. of water, 3/4 mile off Pompano Beach, Broward County, Florida. A popular dive site. The wreck would seem to be known locally also as the 'Cumberland Barge' (I wonder why). In 1994, the site was dedicated as the 5th Florida Underwater Archeological Preserve. Can you correct the above, or provide additional data? An image perhaps.
12	Trold 3247 (or 3594) tons Hull 75 5679 Avanti Thomas Krag Despina Lemos Dimitrios Chandris	1898	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Wilhelmsen Line, Trold), 2 (text & image, source of my data), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 389 ft. (99.1 metres) long, speed of 10 knots. Built for Wilh. Wilhelmsen, of T�nsberg, Norway, or maybe for 'I/S D/S Trold's Rederi', owned by Wilhelmsen. (It would appear there was another Trold in 1914 which is a puzzle, (23/12 1914), also owned by Norwegian owners.) Sold 1915 to 'Axel Robt. Bildt Aktiebolaget', of Sweden & renamed Avanti. Later in 1915 was sold again to Olaf �rvig, of Bergen, Norway, & renamed Thomas Krag. Sold 1917 to 'A/S Thomas Krag' & in 1923 to 'A/S D/S Thomas Krag', both of Bergen. Sold 1927 to George Constantine Lemos, of Greece, & renamed Despina Lemos. Sold 1930 to J. D. Chandris, of Greece, & renamed *Dimitrios Chandris*. Broken up late 1933 at Venice, Italy, by Ernesto Breda.
13	Pontos 5679 (or 5703) tons Hull 83 Pelotas	1900	A cargo ship, a collier. Per 1 (de Freitas), 2 [Hamburg-Amerika Linie, Pontos (1)], 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 131.7 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 432 ft., speed of 10 1/2 knots. Built for 'A. C. de Freitas & Co.', of Hamburg, Germany, but in the same year was part of the 'Freitas' fleet acquired by Hamburg-Amerika Linie. At a date early in WW1, likely in Sep. 1914, Pontos, along with 2 other colliers, supplied coal to Kronprinz Wilhelm, a German passenger liner which became an auxilliary cruiser or commerce raider. Have not read exactly where but it was likely at Trinidad Island - not the West Indian island of that name, but the tiny island rock about four miles by two that lies in the South Atlantic, about 700 miles E. of Brazil. Pontos had left Montevideo, Uruguay, on Aug. 07, 1914 & later put into Santa Catharina (now Santa Catarina), Brazil, on Oct. 9, 1914. Can anybody correct the above text and/or provide additional detail? In 1917, the vessel was seized by the Government of Brazil, registered at Rio de Janeiro, & renamed Pelotas. Engaged on the Santos (S�o Paulo), Brazil, to New York service. In 1923, the vessel was sold to 'Cantiere Navale Triestino', of Monfalcone (Trieste), Italy, a 1923 subsidiary of 'Cantiere Navali de Monfalcone'. On Feb. 24, 1924, the vessel left New Orleans for Newport News, Virginia, both U.S.A. On Mar. 05, 1924, the vessel left Newport News for Trieste, Italy, with a cargo of coal. On Mar. 14, 1924, the vessel was abandoned, in a sinking condition, at 34.35N/53.48W in the N. Atlantic. While I have not read the detailed circumstances, there was a major storm at sea. I have read that the crew were picked up by San Gaspar, a tanker en route from Tampico to London, with Jack Mitchell in command. WWW data is fragmentary. Can you add or correct anything? Another image? #1895
14	Sevilla 5135 (or 5156) later 7022 tons Hull 81 146549 (later)	1900	A cargo ship which became a whale factory ship. Per 1 (de Freitas), 2 (Hamburg-Amerika Linie, Sevilla), 3 (Salvesen), 4 (Polar Whaling), 5 (Lloyd's Register listings, 1930/31 thru 1945/46, ex 'plimsollshipdata.org'), 6 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 397.0 ft. long, 121.0 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 10 knots, signal letters KMLT, later VPNF. Built for 'A. C. de Freitas & Co.', of Hamburg, Germany, but in the same year was part of the 'Freitas' fleet acquired by Hamburg-Amerika Linie. The vessel was interned in Argentina in 1914, was ceded to Britain in 1919 & became owned, in 1922 it would seem, by the Board of Trade. Later in 1922, the vessel became owned by Christian Salvesen & Co. ('Salvesen'), of Leith, Scotland, & involved in whaling operations off the coast of Newfoundland & Labrador & off Antarctica. Registered at Stanley, also known as Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Became a whale factory ship & carried whale oil in bulk. In 1925, the vessel was owned by South Georgia Co. Ltd., also of Port Stanley, with Salvesen the managers. And in 1931 became owned by Polar Whaling Co. Ltd., of Leith, Scotland, a 'Salvesen' subsidiary. Ray Howgego has advised (thanks Ray!) that Sevilla was first employed as a floating factory ship in Antarctic waters in the 1922/23 austral summer - one of 14 similar factories operating out of six shore stations on South Georgia, South Orkney Islands, etc., supplied by 60 whaleships & auxiliary vessels. She continued in Antarctic service until the summer of 1931/32, & in 1933/34 was replaced on this station by New Sevilla (formerly the White Star Line Runic) which served as a factory ship until torpedoed en route to South Georgia in Sep. 1940. Crewed largely by Norwegians, the Sevilla�s long-term captain was Hans Halvorsen, who in 1928 sighted the Antarctic Vigia �Sevilla Rocks� in 61.28S/23.41W, about 300 km. SW of the South Sandwich Islands. The rocks were shown on the charts for a few years until proved to be non-existent (probably an iceberg). More significantly, during a whaling voyage in Sevilla in Mar. 1931, Halvorsen made the first discovery of Princess Astrid Land, the part of the coast of Queen Maud Land lying between 5� & 20� E. It appears that the Sevilla was used as a transport vessel during WW2. The vessel was broken up, in Jun. 1949, at the Ghent, Belgium, ship breaking facilities of Van Heyghen Freres. I wonder when & where was it rebuilt as a factory ship? Can you add anything?
15	Alston 3955 tons Hull 100 115154 Kinoene Maru	1903	cargo ship. Per 1 & 2 (similar data, Alston, page bottom re 2), 3 (Watts, Watts), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 105.8 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 347 ft., speed of 12 knots. Built for 'Webster & Barraclough Limited' ('Webster'), of West Hartlepool, a small tramp ship company established in 1879. Angus G. Elliott ('Angus'), of Alberta, Canada, whose father, it is believed, served aboard the ship in the 1919/1920 period, advises that from 1904 to 1913, the vessel travelled extensively, including to Suez, to Rio de Janeiro & Buenos Aires in S. America & to New Orleans & Galveston in the U.S. On Dec. 24, 1915, dynamite was found aboard the vessel, believed to be the result of attempted German sabotage. During WW1 it is known that the vessel travelled to Le Havre & Bordeaux, both in France, & to Genoa, Italy. The vessel was sold three times in quite rapid succession, without any changes of name. In 1917, when Webster went out of business, the vessel was sold to Britain Steamship Co. Ltd., of London, owned & managed by Watts, Watts & Co. Ltd., also of London. It was sold again in 1919, to Sir William Garthwaite (1874/1956. The 'Garthwaite Baronetcy' was created on May 19, 1919, & William became the 1st Garthwaite baronet (addressed as 'Sir'). Sir William Garthwaite was noted for his 1915/1929 fleet of sailing ships, 'Garth Line' perhaps, with ships named with the prefix of 'Garth'.) In 1919, the port of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, referenced its speed in loading ships - in Sep. 1919, Alston was loaded with 7,000 tons of general cargo there in 2 1/2 days. Angus further advises that (per Marj Kohli, of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, thanks!), the vessel made at least three Montreal/St. Nazaire, France, trips during the period of Apl. 1919 to Jul. 1920. In 1921, the vessel was sold to Marine Navigation Company of Canada Ltd. ('Marine'), managed by McLean, Kennedy and Co., both of Montreal. Marine, 'practically a subsidiary of a Marine Navigation Co. Ltd. of England, controlled by Sir William Garthwaite, Paris, France', linked Canada & France, it would seem. In 1922, per Angus, the vessel went from North Shields to London, where it was laid up for 19 months. Then had a crew of 42. In 1923, the vessel was sold to 'Hamaguchi Kisen Kaisha', of Amagasaki, Japan, & renamed Kinoene Maru. Note, there are WWW references also to a 'Hamaguchi Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha' of Dairen - the same company? In early 1927, the vessel was en route from Nagoya, Japan, to Dairen, NE China, in ballast. On Mar. 08, 1927, (or maybe on Apl. 07, 1927?), the vessel was wrecked at Tongochato, off Mokpo (SW tip of South Korea). WWW data re the wreck is fragmentary & have not read the circumstances. Any loss of life? Can you add anything? An image?
16	Drumgeith 3883 (or 3930) tons Hull 109 118745 Matra Newton Hall Maid of Lemnos Therese Moller Chi Hing Tien Ping	1905	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Drumgeith, models), 2 (extensive page re Drumgeith model, many images), 3 (Drumgeith model again), 4 (drawings available), 5 [Brocklebank, Matra (1)], 6 (Moller & Co., Therese Moller), 7 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty, Therese Moller), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 108.2 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 355 ft., speed of 9 knots but I have also read 12 1/2 knots. I gather that she could carry a large number of cattle, 'tween decks. Built for 'Village Steamship Co. Ltd.' ('Village'), with 'R. A. & J. H. Mudie', the managers, both of Dundee. In 1912, Village folded, & the vessel was sold to 'Thos. & Jno. Brocklebank Ltd.', i.e. Brocklebank Line, of Liverpool, & renamed Matra. But when was it so sold? In 1915, it would seem, as per Miramar. But who owned the vessel after 1912 when Village folded, thru to 1915? Maybe the sale was rather in 1912? In 1921, the vessel was sold to 'J. Ridley Son & Tully', 'Tyneside Line', of Newcastle, & renamed Newton Hall. The vessel was sold again, in 1927, to Byron Steamship Co. Ltd., of London, M. Embiricos the manager, & renamed Maid of Lemnos. In 1931 or 1932, the vessel became owned by Moller & Co., of Shanghai, China, who renamed the vessel Therese Moller. The vessel was transferred in 1935 to 'Moller Line Limited', of London. Just 5 WW2 convoy references, all in the Indian Ocean it would appear, (Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Bandar Abbas, Louren�o Marques, Suez). There presumably were independent voyages also, which I am not permitted to access. Carried coal where the cargo is indicated. On Jan. 30, 1947, the vessel was sold to 'Mak Man Sang', of Hong Kong, & renamed Chi Hing. And in 1954, the vessel was sold again, to 'China Overseas Lines Ltd.', but have also read 'Chinese Maritime Trust', of Shanghai, the managers maybe?, & renamed Tien Ping. Miramar advise that the vessel was broken up, in the Far East, in 1954. WWW data is not particularly extensive, except for models of her! Can you add anything?
17	Burwah 2317 (or 2273) tons Hull 124 120749 Chi Hwa Dah Tung	1908	A cargo ship. Per 1 [Howard Smith, Burwah (2)], 2 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty, Burwah), 3 (3 images Burwah), 4 [data, 40% down, BURWAH (11)], 5 & 6 (Cooma, aground), 7 (Burwah aground 1937), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 84.0 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 275.5 ft., speed of 12 knots. At her trials she recorded 13 1/2 knots fully loaded. Built for 'Australian Steamships Limited', owned & managed by 'Howard Smith Co. Limited', of Melbourne, Australia (collectively 'Howard'), the 2nd of 3 fleet ships of the name. Howard provided coastal shipping services throughout Australia. Her maiden voyage was from Sunderland to Sydney, New South Wales, via Fremantle, Western Australia. *Burwah* serviced the E. coast from Melbourne to Cairns; later on serviced the Adelaide/Rockhampton route; & later on still the Sydney/Melbourne route. On May 07, 1913, William Malcolm, 2nd mate, fell overboard & was drowned. On Jul. 07, 1926, Cooma, left Brisbane for northern Queensland ports with about 200 passengers aboard. At 7 p.m. that day, she ran aground in heavy seas on the southernmost section of North Reef, about 80 miles from Rockhampton, near Heron Island, Queensland. Burwah responded to the SOS, Captain R. Haswell in command, & arrived at the scene at 10 or 10:30 p.m that same day. Next morning she took Cooma's passengers aboard via 2 lifeboats from each of Cooma, Burwah & Ulooloo, the lifeboats towed to Burmah by 3 launches of HMS Moresby. No loss of life. Cooma's officers & crew were taken aboard HMS Moresby. Burwah landed the passengers at Port Alma, 60 miles distant. Cooma never moved from the spot, was later gutted by fire on Jan. 26, 1927 & ended up a total loss, sold for just �150. Burwah was laid up for a while from May 1932, maybe until early Jun. 1934. On Aug. 16, 1937, the vessel ran aground on a mud bar at the harbour at Newcastle, New South Wales. In late 1937, Burwah rescued the 39 person crew of Saros, which went aground in heavy fog at Point Hicks (Cape Everard), on the Gippsland coast on Dec. 25, 1937. And landed them at Sydney. 29 WW2 convoy references, all Australian coastal. In 1947, the vessel was sold to Tsu-Yau Lin, of China, & renamed Chi Hwa. In 1948, the vessel was sold again, to Tai Ho Steamship Co., of China also?, & renamed Dah Tung. On Feb. 16, 1951, the vessel arrived at Hong Kong, to be broken up. Can you add anything?
18	Greenbatt 1407 tons Hull 125 125447 Stancroft Neoptolemos Stancroft Castillo Almansa Valira	1908	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Billmeir & Stanhope, Stancroft), 2 (data & image Valira, 45% down), 3 ('overboard' ref. 90% down), 4 (Lloyd's Register data, 1931/32 thru 1945/46, ex 'plimsollshipdata.org'), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 73.1 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 9 knots, signal letters HNJW, MCWS, GJGG & EHTY. Built for 'Newbiggin Steam Shipping Co. Ltd.', of Newcastle. Interestingly, in 1937 it would seem that 2 seamen were swept off the ship during a storm & then swept back aboard by the very same wave. In 1937, the vessel was sold to Stanhope Shipping Co. Ltd. or maybe Stanhope Steamship Co. Ltd. (collectively 'Stanhope'), of London, Jack Billmeir or J. A. Billmeir & Co. the principal and/or manager, & renamed Stancroft. Stanhope, had, in 1936, become heavily involved in carrying cargo to Republican ports during the Spanish Civil War. Later in 1937, the vessel was sold to G. M. Mavroleon, of Greece, & renamed Neoptolemos. In 1938, the vessel was repurchased by Stanhope & re-named *Stancroft. The vessel was arrested in 1938 by British Navy vessels & charged with transporting weaponry to Spain contrary to law. I have read snippets but not enough to summarise the resulting lawsuits. On Dec. 27, 1938, the vessel was attacked by Spanish rebel aircraft during an air raid on Barcelona harbour & sunk. Direct hits. No loss of life. It was raised in 1939 by the Spanish Government &, owned by 'Empresa Nacional Elcano', was renamed Castillo Almansa. In 1959 the vessel was sold to 'Marcosa' (Maritima Colonial?), & renamed Valira*. On Mar. 29, 1967, the vessel arrived at the 'Desguaces y Salvamentos' ship breaking facilities, at Avil�s, Spain, to be broken up. Can you add anything?
19	Fernande 611/1326 (N/G) tons, later 613/1311 Hull 75 146338 (later) Bucintoro Carlo Garre Bucintoro	1909	The vessel was launched on Apl. 6, 1909. Per A & B (images of the vessel's launch, both ex Delcampe), C (Delcampe, vessel departing Caen), 2 (Southampton City Council/Plimsoll, Lloyd's Register ('LR') data, Fernande, 1930/31 thru 1932/33), 3 (Southampton City Council/Plimsoll LR data, Bucintoro, 1932/33 thru 1944/45), 4 & 5 (vessel history summaries), 6 (1943 air attack), 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 238.0 ft. long, 247.3 ft. long overall, signal letters JGHD later IKYO & NGZD, 177 HP engines by North Eastern Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., of Sunderland. The vessel was initially owned by Fernand Bouet of Caen (SW of Le Havre), France. It would seem that the vessel was seized by Germany when at Emden, Germany, on Aug. 4, 1914. On Apl. 21, 1916, the vessel was taken over by the German Army for service as a transport ship & on Jan. 19, 1919 was returned to Fernand Bouet. In 1923, Buck Steam Shipping and Coal Exports Ltd., of Goole, Dorset, acquired the vessel but did not change its name. However, LR of 1923/24 rather lists T. (Thomas) H. Buck, of Goole, as the vessel's then owner, her managing owner per the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') of 1923. MNL of 1930. In 1932, Salvagno Anonima Navigazione, of Venice, Italy, became the vessel's owner & renamed it Bucintoro. On Oct. 05, 1943 the vessel was in a floating drydock at Portolago (now Lakki), Leros, Greece, being repaired. The drydock was damaged in a German air attack but Bucintoro (or maybe just its cargo) floated out. A little later, on Oct. 8, 1943 and/or on Oct. 12, 1943, the vessel was hit & sunk. The drydock capsized on Oct. 15, 1943, I read. The vessel was re-floated, repaired, & put back into service in 1947 or 1948. In 1952, Umberto Tomei, of Viareggio, Italy, became the vessel's owner & renamed it Carlo Garre. In 1956, Giulio di Gravio, of Naples, Italy, acquired the vessel & named it Bucintoro for the 2nd time. In Jun. 1959, the vessel was broken up at the Terrestre Marittima SpA facilities at La Spezia, Italy. Anything you can add? #2244
20	Fluent 3659 (or 3660) tons Hull 234 132063	1911	A cargo ship. Per 1 (wreck data & location), 2 (uboat.net), 3 (Gibraltar), 4 (20 July 1917), 5 (sinking), 6 (words re UC class submarines & UC65 & C15) 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). About 125 metres long, speed of 10 knots. Built for James Westoll, or maybe James Westoll, Ltd., of Sunderland. Vessel was apparently detained at Gibraltar in Mar. 1916. On Jul. 20, 1917, defensibly armed, while en route from New York to London via Plymouth with a cargo of oats & steel (billets & forgings for the Ministry of Munitions), vessel was either (data conflicts) i) torpedoed by UC-65 or ii) hit a mine, & sank. At 50.28.8N/01.51.4W, 16 miles SE of Anvil Point, Swanage, Dorset. All 29 crew were saved. The wreck, identified by recovered pottery, lies in 40 metres of water. I read that UC-class boats were mine-layers, with distinctive vertical mine-laying tubes along the centreline of the forward part of the hull. After laying their 18 anti-ship mines they would stalk ships with their torpedo and gun armament. UC-65 itself lies in 2 pieces off the S coast of England, off Eastbourne, having been torpedoed by HM Submarine C15 on Nov. 03, 1917. Only 5 of the crew survived. Can you add anything? An image?
21	Vard 3839 (or 3927) tons Hull 233 Siljan Dalar�	1911	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Siljan), 2 (an informative uboat.net page), 3 (U-53), 4 (U-53, in German), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 105.9 metres (surely not 305.6) long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 11 knots. Built for 'D/S A/S Vard', or 'D/S Vards Akrierederi', of Kristiania (Oslo), Norway, A. Jacobsen, the manager. In 1915, the vessel was sold (D) to 'Rederi-A/B Transatlantic', of Sweden, G. Carlsson the manager, & renamed Siljan. In 1916-1919, the vessel was on a Calcutta, India (via Gothenburg/G�teborg) service to New York. In 1930, the vessel was sold again, (or maybe transferred?), to 'Rederi-A/B Rex', of Stockholm, Sweden, K. M. Kallstrom, the manager & renamed Dalar�. At 9:35 a.m. on Feb. 12, 1940, while en route from Rosario, Argentina, to Malm�, Sweden, (via Buenos Aires & Gothenburg), with a cargo of 5400 tons of linseed in bags, the vessel, a neutral vessel, was sunk by a torpedo fired by U-53. The vessel may have been stopped by U-53 to permit the crew to take to the boats? Yes/No? At 56.44N/11.44W, 94 miles SE of Rockall, west of Scotland. The Captain (his name?) lost his life. All of the other crew members (29) were picked up, after 17 hours, by Jan de Waele (324 tons), a Belgian trawler, & landed at Buncrana, Lough Swilly (County Donegal in NW Ireland). Can you add anything?
22	Portuguese Prince 4981 tons Hull 236 129798	1912	A cargo ship. Per 1 (40% down, Portuguese Prince), 2 [Prince Line, Portuguese Prince (2)], 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 125.0 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 410 ft., speed of 12 (or 11) knots. Built for 'Prince Line Ltd.' of Newcastle, J. Knott likely the manager. 1 advises that in Dec. 1914, the vessel carried 1,200 horses & 50 drovers from Galveston, Texas, to La Pallice, i.e. La Rochelle, Bay of Biscay, western France. The venture was a success & the vessel continued to carry horses for the duration of WW1. Some teething problems perhaps, with legal problems at Galveston re the 2nd shipment. It would seem that the vessel was involved in a collision in 1923 with Scandinavia, in the River Thames, but I am not able to read any detail as to exactly what happened & when. Scandinavia was, however, held to be solely at blame. I have read that due to the Depression, the vessel was sold, in 1933, to Glasgow scrappers for about �6,200. It would seem to have arrived, on May 19, 1934, at the Troon, River Clyde, ship breaking facilities of 'West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company Limited' ('Shipbreaking'). I have also read that the vessel was broken up by 'W. H. Arnott, Young & Co. Ltd.' ('Arnott'), at Troon. Arnott later, & likely at the time, owned Shipbreaking. WWW data re the vessel is modest indeed. Can you add anything? #1734
23	Tatra 5121 (or 4363) tons Hull 242 Cervino Rio Primero Cervino	1913	A cargo ship. Per 1 (extensive data in Hungarian), 2 (English equivalent of link 1), 3 (Argentine Government 1941 take over, 70% down, a table), 4 (data in Spanish, Rio Primero), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 114.3 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 10 knots. Built for 'Hungarian Levant Steamship Co. Ltd.', of Fiume, now Rijeka, Croatia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The vessel was 'intercepted' at Port Said, Egypt, in Aug. 1914, allowed to sail to Beirut, Lebanon, subsequently attempted to return to the Adriatic, but was forced to shelter in Italian controlled waters. Can anybody clarify the WW1 experience of the vessel? On May 23, 1915, the vessel would seem to have been seized by the Italian Government, & later that same year, sold to 'Olasz Korm�ny', of Genoa, Italy. Renamed Cervino in 1916. In 1923, 'E. Cesano', also of Genoa, would seem to have become the owner. In 1924, the vessel was acquired by 'Andrea Zanchi & Co.', of Genoa, with 'Marini & Brichetto', the managers. On Aug. 25, 1941, the owners became 'Flota Mercante del Estado', of Buenos Aires, Argentina, i.e. the Government of the Republic of Argentina, who took control of Italian steamers then in Argentine ports. May have been earlier interned. The vessel was renamed Rio Primero. In 1946, the vessel was returned to its earlier owners, i.e. Andrea Zanchi, & became Cervino again. On Jan. 26, 1959, the vessel arrived at the Savona, Italy, facilities of 'Ardem Co.' to be broken up. What was the vessel's WW2 involvement? I am sure that the above contains errors. Can you correct them or otherwise add anything? An image?
24	Time 3316 (or 3322) tons Hull 238 132442	1913	A cargo ship. Per 1 [Howard Smith, Time (2)], 2 (wreck, 90% down), 3 (image, aground, 1949), 4 (data), 5 (Queenscliff museum, 70% down), 6 ('pdf' map of wreck area, Time is #62), 7 & 8 (newspaper articles, wreck image at 2nd link), 9 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty, select Time, said to be British), 10 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 103.6 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, single screw, speed of 12 knots, signal letters THLK. Built for 'Australian Steamships Limited', owned & managed by 'Howard Smith Co. Limited', of Melbourne, Australia (collectively 'Howard'). Howard provided coastal shipping services throughout Australia. Albert Brew, who supervised Time's construction, delivered her to Australia & served as her Master for a while. Have seen the vessel described as an ore ship. I suspect that the vessel saw local service in WW2, having never left Australian waters - correct? WW1? 49 WW2 convoy references, all Australian coastal. On Aug. 23, 1949, the vessel was wrecked, Captain McClenaghan in command, on Corsair Rock (8 ft. of water), at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia. Have not read the full circumstances. Can you tell us? However I read that the entrance to Port Phillip is via the most shallow 'The Rip', a one kilometre wide stretch of water flanked by reefs - very often turbulent. Many ships have foundered in the area & specifically on Corsair Rock at the outer end of Nepean Reef. Time's steering failed after she was struck by heavy seas entering The Heads in the early hours of Aug. 23, 1949. She carried onto the reef. Her salvage rights & cargo were bought by a local consortium of 8 people. The cargo - 3,000 tons of sugar, timber, coal, hides & other goods - was salvaged & the vessel's equipment & fittings were auctioned off at nearby Queenscliff. No loss of life. She survived the pounding seas for many years - & looked as though she was merely at anchor. Explosives were used in 1959, to make her look like a wreck - for the movie 'On the Beach'. On Good Friday, 1960, the vessel slipped from the rocks into deeper water. Wreckage, at 38.3S/144.6E, is widespread on the northern side of Nepean Reef - but is rarely dived due to her treacherous position. A museum at Queenscliff, Victoria, has many photographs & relics on display. Can you add anything? Images?
25	Simoom 2222 tons Hull 245 135795 Portgwarra	1914	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Board of Trade inquiry ref.), 2 (W. E. Hinde & Co., 50% down), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 88.5 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 290 ft. long overall. Built for Trident Line Ltd., (Pardoe-Thomas & Co., the manager), of Newport, Wales. The vessel was sold, in 1920, to W. E. Hinde & Co., of Cardiff, Wales, & renamed Portgwarra. Portgwarra? A tiny coastal village on the Penwith Peninsula, in Cornwall. On Dec. 31, 1921, while en route from Blyth, Northumberland, to Rotterdam, with a cargo of coal, the vessel ran aground & foundered 11 miles WSW of the Maas lightship. I have not spotted exactly where that was, but clearly it was near the Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland). The lightship is now long gone. It would seem there was a Board of Trade inquiry in 1922, presumably into the sinking. Any loss of life? In Apl. 2011, thanks to Jan van Leest, of the Netherlands, we can tell you a little more. It would seem that there likely was no loss of life back in 1921, since the crew of Portgwarra made it to the Maas light vessel from which they were rescued by steam Pilot Cutter #10 of Rotterdam. Indeed, the British Government awarded a fine cup to Cornelis de Geus, the Master of that cutter, as you can see in the fine image at left. Jan's interest? In the summer of 1969, as a professional diver, Jan worked aboard Magnus 8, a 'sheerleg' salvage ship of Ulrich Harms of Hamburg. The Dutch Government had ordered that all obstacles laying higher than 31 meters above the seabed were to be removed in order to provide deep draught vessels with safe access to Maasvlakte & the port of Rotterdam. The name of Portgwarra could clearly be read on a wreck that Jan found near 'Maasboei 18' in the North Sea. It was generally in poor condition, draped with fishing nets & other debris, lying upside down on & in the sea bottom with its propeller & rudder pointing upwards. A rear section of the wreck, of some 300 tons, was however intact & was hoisted clear. It contained the ship's galley & an interesting looking brass pump that you can see here. Should you wish to know more of that pump, you may contact Jan via the webmaster. Jan we thank you! Now I stated above that there likely was no loss of life when Portgwarra foundered. I now learn that is not so! Adrian Green has provided (thanks!) an officially certified copy of an entry in the 'Marine Register of Deaths at Sea'. Which states that D. (Daniel) Green ('Green'), Adrian's great grandfather, then a 66 year old steward aboard Portgwarra, was drowned that day. Adrian adds that Green is buried at 'Ouddorp cemetery Row H no. 15.' Could there have been others? WWW data about the vessel is essentially non-existent. Can you add anything additional? The 1922 Enquiry report? An image of the ship? Alan Wright, of U.K., has been in touch & wishes to access a crew list for the vessel's final voyage - believing that his wife's grandfather may have been aboard. Should you have such a list do be in touch with the webmaster, who will gladly forward any data received to Alan.
26	Malvern Range 4524 tons Hull 252 137464 Kambole Stanthorpe Yolande Bertin Honduras Foo-Hsiang	1915	A cargo ship. Per 1 [Neptune Steam Navigation, Malvern Range (2)], 2 (K Steamship, Kambole), 3 [Stanhope Steamship, Stanthorpe (1)], 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 115.8 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 380.0 ft., single screw, speed of 8 1/2 (or 10) knots. Built for 'Neptune Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.' of Liverpool, Furness, Withy and Co. Ltd. the managers. In 1922, the vessel was sold to 'K Steamship Co. Ltd.', of London, 'Kaye Son and Co. Ltd.' the managers, & renamed Kambole. On Sep. 1, 1928, Kambole arrived at London ex Buenos Aires with a cargo of grain. There was likely a collision with Sun VIII, a tug I think, but the Google data 'snippet' ex Lloyd's List Law Reports is fragmentary so I cannot tell you what exactly happened or the decision. A second tug was also involved, Sun IX. On Apl. 29, 1937, the vessel was sold to 'Barry Shipping Co. Ltd.', of London, 'B. and S. Shipping Co. Ltd.' of Cardiff, the managers, with no change of vessel name. A day later, on Apl. 30, 1937, the vessel was sold to 'Stanhope Steamship Co. Ltd.', of London, 'J. A. Billmeir and Co.' the owners & managers, & renamed Stanthorpe. In 1938, the vessel was sold to Oscar E. Bertin ('Bertin'), of Shanghai, China, & renamed Yolande Bertin. Served in Eastern waters while registered in France. In 1941, the vessel was transferred by Bertin to 'Panamanian Freighters' of Panama City, Panama, Wallem and Co. of Hong Kong, the managers, & renamed Honduras. And in 1946, was registered in the name of 'Cargueros Panamenos SA', with no change of vessel name. In 1947, the vessel was sold yet again, for about $250,000, to E-Hsiang Steamship Co., of Keelung, China, & renamed Foo-Hsiang. Became Taiwan registered in 1949? On Nov. 09, 1953, the vessel arrived at ship breakers at Osaka, Japan, to be broken up. The above text likely needs correction. This Australian site seems to link the ship, when named Honduras, with 'Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited'. Can anyone explain that. Or add anything?
27	Elmtree 2686 (or 2450 or 2720) tons Hull 256 139594 Maindy Lodge Iron Chief	1916	A cargo ship, probably a collier. Per 1 (over 80% down #10, Iron Chief), 2 (Iron Chief), 3 (Maindy Shipping, 1922, 80% down re Maindy Lodge), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 290 ft. (about 93 metres) long. Built for 'Tree Steamship Co. Ltd.' (H. Jones & King the managers), of Cardiff. In 1920, the vessel was sold to Maindy Shipping Company Ltd., known as 'Maindy Shipping Line', also of Cardiff, ('Jenkins, Richards and Evans Ltd., the managers), & renamed Maindy Lodge. Registered at Sydney, New South Wales ('NSW'), Australia, which would seem to relate to the vessel being chartered for a year to 'Scott Fell & Co', of Sydney. Maindy went into liquidation in 1921, hence, in mid 1922, the vessel was sold to Interstate Steamship Company, (William Scott Fell the owner), the first fleet ship, & renamed Iron Chief. Acquired to serve the coal mines of Maitland Colliery in NSW. 0n Apl. 01, 1928, while en route from Port Stephens to Coffs Harbour (160 & 570 km. respectively N. of Sydney), with 10,000 railway sleepers (value �54,000), vessel struck Mermaid Reef, Crowdy Head, Port Macquarie, (400 km. N. of Sydney), NSW, & was beached near Diamond Head. Have not read any detail as to weather or other conditions. No lives lost. Ship a total loss & sold for scrap value of �160 only. Insurance monies paid for a replacement vessel to be built at Sunderland, also called Iron Chief. Can you add anything?
28	Kowarra 2125 tons Hull 253 139113	1916	A cargo ship. Per 1 & 2 (re sinking), 3 (image, Kowarra), 4 (Howard Smith), 5 (data), 6 (Lloyd's Register data, 1930/31 thru 1945/46), 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 270.0 ft. (about 87 metres) long, speed of 10 or 11 knots, signal letters JMBC, later VJFM. Built for 'Australian Steamships Ltd.' (Howard Smith the manager), of Melbourne, Australia, which company in 1914 became 'Howard Smith Limited'. The vessel was requisitioned by the British Admiralty, 1916/19, for use as a collier. It would seem that the vessel was later sold since in 1943 references are to either 'Australasian Steam Navigation Company' or 'Australian Steamships Proprietary Ltd.' ('Proprietary') being the then owner. Certainly Proprietary is the registered owner as & from 1930/31 as per link 6. On Apl. 24, 1943, defensibly armed, while unescorted & en route from Bowen to Brisbane (both Queensland) with a cargo of sugar, the vessel was sunk by two torpedoes fired by Japanese submarine I-26, under the command of Minoru Yokota, off Sandy Cape Lighthouse, Fraser Island, Australia (60 km. NE of Sandy Cape, Queensland). It would seem that 2 Japanese submarines surfaced after the attack. Sunk at 24.26S/153.44E. 21 lives were lost including D. McPherson, Kowarra's captain, & a gunner. But I have also read, at Trove, Australia, that 24 lives were lost. 11 survivors were, by a stroke of good fortune, picked up from a raft on Apl. 25, 1943 (2 had died overnight) by SC-747, a Subchaser attached to the U.S. 7th fleet, then engaged in escorting a convoy from Moreton Bay, near Brisbane, to Townsville in northern Queensland. Survivors were delivered to convoy vessel Van Vlissenberg, which was carrying Australian troops, & were landed at Townsville. Les Record, a survivor just 17 years old, was found naked but wearing a wrist watch - "the thing stopped" he said "and it was sold to me as waterproof"! There are 10 images of the wreck of a vessel said to be named Kowarra at this link, on the beach at Fraser Island. Here is the first of those images - follow 'next' to see the others. But I think, since Kowarra was sunk 60 or so km. away, it cannot be 'our' Kowarra, though stated to be sunk by the Japanese. Rather, I think, the wreck is of the Maheno. Kym McKay has been in touch to advise that her grandfather, Leslie Record, was one of the Kowarra survivors, found along with Jack Finnan & others on a life raft. Kym advises me that Leslie along with three later generations of his family are to visit the sinking site in Jun. 2013 & hope to hold a family memorial ceremony at the approximate sinking site. How wonderful! It would seem that a wreck was located on the sea bed some years ago by Trev Jackson, that may be Kowarra. Can anybody update us on that matter? Or add anything more?
29	Cliffside 4969 (or 3726) tons Hull 259 133599 Eastcliffe Modig Clare Lilley	1917	A cargo ship. Per 1 ('pdf', extensive wreck etc. data, from p#79 - search for Clare Lilley), 2 (wreck related - brief ref. 60% down), 3 (data Clare Lilley), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 350 ft. (106.7 metres) long, speed of 8 1/2 knots. Built for John Priestman of Newcastle. Renamed Eastcliffe in 1919. And later in 1919 sold to 'Ivar An Christensens Rederi A/S' (I. A. Christensen managers), of Kristiania (Oslo), Norway, & renamed Modig. In 1923, owned by 'A/S Ivarans Rederi', of Norway, (same managers). Sold 1934 to Clare Shipping Co. Ltd., of London, & renamed Clare Lilley. Involved in WW2 convoy duties from N. America to U.K. On Mar. 17, 1942, while i) en route from New York to Liverpool via Halifax with a cargo of bombs & ammunition, and ii) awaiting a Halifax pilot, vessel ran ashore in bad weather at Black Rock Point, nr. Portuguese Cove, at the entrance to Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada. Vessel broke in two. 5 crewmen lost. Some crew members were saved due to the efforts of Burt Spencer, a local resident, who repeatedly dove into the waters between the wreck and the shore pulling men to safety. Others were maybe saved by HMC ML053, a naval craft which stood by the wreck and may have been the vessel that rescued crew and the ship's cat. The munitions were largely removed from the wreck in the 1970s, & in the summer of 1999 the rest was removed (Trident, Mar. 07, 2005, p.22). Can you add anything?
30	Maindy Court 3792 tons Hull 260 139606 White Fan Aegeus	1917	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Ellis Island, New York, insert Maindy Court), 2 (Norman Wisdom obituary), 3 (Maindy Shipping, 1922, 80% down re Maindy Lodge), 4 (Lloyd's Register Data, 1930/31 thru 1937/38, ex 'plimsollshipdata.org' the source of the Lloyd's data at left), 5 (image, Maindy Court), 6 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). As this page is updated, an image of Maindy Court is available on eBay. Forgive me when I invite you to find it for yourself - I prefer not to 'reward' vendors by providing a link to images which bear excessive logos. 106.7 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 350 ft., signal letters EPC & later in life, JQKH & SVLM. Built for Maindy Shipping Company Ltd. ('Maindy'), known as 'Maindy Shipping Line', of Cardiff, ('Jenkins, Richards and Evans Ltd., the managers). A large crew, or so it seems to me at least. 2 arrivals at New York are recorded, in 1917 & 1924, with crews of 37 & 33 respectively. Is not that a large crew? Geoffrey Donnelly then the Captain. It would seem that an 'order of arrest' was issued in Germany against the vessel in 1921. I have read no detail of the circumstances. Now Maindy went into liquidation in 1921, & the vessel was then sold, at auction, to Sir David R. Llewellyn, Bart. ('Llewellyn'), with James Rattary the manager. While the vessel was, it would seem, registered in the name of Llewellyn, the business operating name would seem to have then become 'Maindy Fleet of Steamers', however a company named 'D. R. Llewellyn, Merrett & Price, Ltd.', of Cardiff were clearly most closely involved, at least through 1926. It seems likely the vessel saw service in Australia & New Zealand ('NZ') in 1922. It certainly arrived with steel at Tauranga City, North Island, NZ, on Oct. 9, 1922 & visited Bunbury, West Australia. The vessel is notable perhaps because Norman Wisdom, comedian extraordinaire, later Sir Norman Wisdom ('Wisdom'), served aboard her in 1930 for 5 months, at age 15, as a cabin boy. He collected the princely sum of �10 for his service, to Argentina with coal & back to Rotterdam with grain & meat. It then had a crew, all told, of 28. Norman Wisdom died, at age 95, in Oct. 2010. Lynne Harding has advised (thanks so much Lynne!), that her grandfather, Arthur James Thomas, MBE, (1891/1976) was the Captain of Maindy Court when Norman Wisdom served aboard her as cabin boy! He was her captain, in fact, for 7 years thru 1932. In 1957, the two met again during the taping of the TV show re Wisdom 'This Is Your Life' - image at left. Sir David R. Llewellyn, Bart. would seem to have owned the vessel until 1932, when it was sold to 'Fancott Shipping Company Ltd.', of London & Cardiff, W. T. & H. A. Williams, of Cardiff, the managers & renamed White Fan. For a short time only. In 1933, the vessel was sold again, to 'Pateras Bros.', of Piraeus, Greece, or maybe of Chios, Greece, & renamed Aegeus. On May 09, 1937, the vessel, en route from Gdynia, Poland, to Rosario (Argentina I presume), with a cargo of coal, was in collision, in dense fog, with Nashaba, a U.S. 6,062 gross ton cargo ship carrying (iron?) ore, at 54.51N/15.53E, (or at 54.37.5N/ 15.47.3E), 32 miles SE of the Danish island of Bornholm. And sank. No loss of life - the entire crew of 37 were saved by Nashaba & landed at Gdynia. Bornholm is located in the Baltic, far to the east of the rest of Denmark. Rather between Sweden & Poland. I have not been able to read the full circumstances. Nashaba leaked as a result but surely survived the encounter & later, on Feb. 26, 1945, hit a mine & sank in the Schelde estuary. The webmaster cannot recall the original source, now many years later, of the alternate location of the collision provided above i.e. 54.37.5N/15.47.3E. Do be in touch if you have any information about the matter or can provide a detailed account of the May 1937 collision. Can you add anything? Another image?
31	Maindy Manor 3791 tons Hull 261 139619 Bright Fan	1917	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Maindy Shipping, 1922, 80% down re Maindy Lodge), 2 (ref. Fancott), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 106.7 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, radio letters EPB. Built for Maindy Shipping Company Ltd. ('Maindy'), known as 'Maindy Shipping Line', of Cardiff, ('Jenkins, Richards and Evans Ltd., the managers). While I have read no detail, there was a 'High Court of the Admiralty' court case in 1920 involving Frodingham. Likely this one, also built at Sunderland (Osbourne, Graham). The vessel clearly spent time in the Australia & New Zealand ('NZ') area. I read a ref. to the vessel carrying 'Ephos' fertiliser from Safaga, Egypt, Red Sea, to Lyttleton, NZ. Now Maindy went into liquidation in 1921. The vessel was acquired by Sir David R. Llewellyn ('Llewellyn'), of Newcastle - with James Rattary of Cardiff likely the manager. Llewellyn had acquired ten Maindy steamers at auction, including Maindy Manor, for a total of �290,000. While I have read no detail, it would seem that at an (unknown to the webmaster) date in 1932, Maindy Manor went aground in the Paran� River, Argentina. Eastgate, trying to avoid Maindy Manor, went aground also. A 1933 court case, of some significance in maritime law, resulted. In 1932, the vessel was sold to 'Fancott Shipping Company Ltd.', of London & Cardiff, W. T. & H. A. Williams ('Williams'), of Cardiff, the managers, & renamed Bright Fan. The vessel was registered at London. On Sep. 25, 1932, the vessel left Churchill, Manitoba, for London, with a cargo of 252,992 bushels of wheat. At 4:40 a.m. on Oct. 01, 1932, (a number of most authoritative sites incorrectly state Oct. 01, 1935), in fine weather, the vessel hit the underwater edge of a 'growler' iceberg & foundered, about 25 miles NE of Wales Island, 'near Wakeham Bay'. Travelling at 6 1/2 knots at the time, it sank 3 hours later. At 62.12N/71.20W (or 62.15N/71.39W), in Hudson Strait, North West Territories, Canada. The vessel had obsolete charts (do see below), was off course, had no gyro compass (it's magnetic compass was inoperative due to the proximity of the magnetic pole) & no proper lookout was being maintained at the time of the collision. The Court of Inquiry, held in Ottawa, determined that 'a good and proper lookout was not maintained'. The crew was rescued by N. B. McLean, a Dominion of Canada ice-breaker. I read, amazingly, in a data 'snippet', that the charts that Bright Fan carried were charts that had been condemned by Hudson's Bay Company back in 1814! Can you add anything? An image?
32	Sunland 4879 (or 3798) tons Hull 263 142374 Daphne Embiricos Nicolaos	1918	A cargo ship. Per 1 (ref. to sinking, Embiricos Nicolaos, Mar. 21, 1941), 2 (Convoy AS.21), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 111.2 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular (365.0 ft.), speed of 9 1/2 knots. Most sites refer to a gross tonnage of 3798. Built for 'Sun Shipping Co. Ltd.', Mitchell Cotts & Co., the manager, both of London. In 1934, the vessel was sold to 'Cephalonian Maritime Co. Ltd.', 'N. D. Lykiardopulo', of Athens, Greece, the managers, & renamed Daphne. In 1939, it was sold again, to G. N. Embiricos, also of Greece, & renamed Embiricos Nicolaos. Only 1 WW2 Convoy reference, AS.21 as above. On Mar. 21 (or 22 or 23, data differs), 1941, while en route, in ballast, in Convoy AS.21, from Piraeus, Greece, to Port Said, Egypt, the vessel was hit by bombs dropped by German aircraft. And sank. At 34.30N/24.45E, 20 miles S or SE of Gavdo or Gavdhos Island, S. of Crete, by II/KG 26 He 111 or Ju 88 (per German sites) torpedo bombers. 2 lives were lost. Can you add anything?
33	Unden 4252 (or 4285) tons Hull 268 6372 Cate B	1920	A cargo ship. Per 1 (45% down Cate B), 2 (data & image, Norwegian page), 3 (Norvik 1st battle), 4 (hits Apl 9 & 10, 1940), 5 ('doc' file #52, alas link seems dead, hopefully it will resurrect), 6 (image of Cate B), 7 (page in Norwegian which relates to Cate B & Norvik), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 365.9 ft. long, speed of 9 1/2 knots. 1917 ordered by 'Torp & Wiese', of Bergen, Norway but sold (Nov. 1919) before being built to 'Rederi A/B Transatlantic' (G. Carlsson managers?), of Gothenburg, Sweden to whom she was later delivered. In Jun. 1938, sold to Th. Br�vig, of Farsund, Norway, & renamed *Cate B. On Apl. 8, 1940, vessel (Captain Birger Larsson-Fedde) was at Narvik, northern Norway. And in harbour when German vessels attacked Narvik (& many other places in neutral Norway), to control marine routes from Germany to the North Sea & North Atlantic & also control access to the iron mines of northern Sweden. On Apl. 08, 1940, 10 German destroyers attacked Narvik. Cate B* rescued 16 men from *Norge, that day, I read. The British responded quickly & on Apl. 10, 1940 the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla arrived at Narvik to the surprise of the Germans. 2 German destroyers in harbour were sunk & 3 heavily damaged. 6 merchantmen were also sunk. Not the end of that engagement, however. The data re Cate B* is however confusing. It would seem that Cate B was one of the 6 merchant vessels then sunk. But other sites say that only 3 days later, i.e. on Apl. 13, was she hit by a torpedo from destroyer Z-18 (Capt. Hans L�demann) & by shells & a torpedo from an unnamed British destroyer, & sank after 12 hours. The crew escaped to shore between the torpedo hits. One site says she was scuttled on Apl. 10, another references her not being sunk until Apl. 18, which seems a bit unlikely. The most detailed data is at 1. That is not the end of the story! The vessel was salvaged, in 2 parts apparently, by 'Norsk Bjergningskompagni A/S', in 1955 it would seem, but maybe not since this page says 1953. She was broken up at Stavanger, Norway, in 1955, by 'Stavanger Skipophugnings Co.' A large portion of the available data is in Norwegian, a most difficult language for the webmaster to understand & to WWW translate. Can you add anything?
34	Nestlea 4274 (or 4244) tons Hull 270 145450 launched as Lifjeld	1921	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Morrison Steamship, Nestlea), 2 ('plimsollshipdata.org', Lloyd's Register data, 1930 thru 1940, Nestlea), 3 ('convoyweb.org', WW2 convoy duty, click on 'SHIP SEARCH' then insert Nestlea), 4 (Convoy SL-53S, select the convoy at left), 5, 6, 7 & 8 (data related to Nestlea sinking), 9 (Mary Stanford, ref. Nestlea in table of dates, Nov. 1940, 75% down), 10 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Corrections to the data that follows may well prove to be necessary. 111.2 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, 365.0 ft., speed of 9 1/2 or 10 knots, signal letters KJHF & later GFZK. The vessel was launched, back in 1917, as Lifjeld for H. G. Martens, which would seem to mean Harald Grieg Martens, of Bergen, Norway. Can anybody tell us what happened to that transaction? Only rather later, in May 1921, was the vessel completed and, renamed Nestlea, became owned by its builder i.e. J. Priestman & Co. At a later unknown date, the vessel became owned by John Priestman personally, with J. Morrison & Son ('Morrison'), of Newcastle, the managers - as is recorded in the Lloyd's Registers of 1930/31 thru 1934/35 - at left. In the 1935/36 edition of Lloyd's Register, 'Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd.', a company owned by Morrison, had become the vessel's owners with Morrison still the manager. I have read little about its service record, only that amongst its cargoes were coal, maize & palm kernels. On Jul. 22, 1928, the vessel struck a pier at Cape Town, South Africa. On Nov. 05, 1931, Swansea trawler Radnor came to the assistance of Nestlea, which was then in distress, with, I think, its steering gear damaged in a major storm. Boiler & engine work was effected, at Barry, Wales, in 1936. Somewhere along the line, the vessel became 'fitted for oil fuel'. Just 4 WW2 convoy references. On Oct. 25, 1940, the vessel would appear to have left Freetown, Sierra Leone, in convoy SL.53 bound for Liverpool, with a cargo of manganese ore ex Takoradi (i.e. 'Sekondi-Takoradi', Ghana, W. Africa), bound for Workington. Strange to say, the vessel was a straggler. Why do I say that? It seems to be unusual that the vessel which carried the convoy's Commodore, in fact the Master of Nestlea, (his name?), was a straggler in his own convoy. The convoy started as 7 ships & became 9 when 2 vessels later joined the convoy. The convoy certainly hit bad weather. On Nov. 18, 1940, the vessel was bombed & shelled by a Condor aircraft of the German Luftwaffe. At 50.38N/10.00W, which I have read described as in the Irish Sea, WSW of Old Head of Kinsale, a headland near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. However 65 or so miles roughly S. of Fastnet Rock, at the SW tip of Ireland seems to better define the sinking location. I have not read the detailed circumstances but read that the crew & one gunner, 39 in total perhaps, were all saved. The ship was abandoned by its crew - Birch, a Royal Navy trawler, was sent, on Nov. 18, 1940, to search for & rescue survivors from the ship but found it low in the water & totally abandoned. It presumably sank later. On Nov. 19, 1940, *Mary Stanford, a 'Royal National Lifeboat Institution' lifeboat based at Ballycotton (S. coast of Ireland 25 miles E. of Cork) landed 22 survivors ex Nestlea* & 'rescued a (Nestlea) boat' on Nov. 20, 1940. Did that second boat contain the other 17 survivors or was another rescue vessel involved? Can you tell us? The Nestlea sinking is the subject of a chapter ('A Brush with a Condor') in 'Beware the Grey Widow-Maker: The Ongoing Harvest of the Sea', published in 2004 (or maybe in 2002) & written by Bernard Edwards. But do 'beware' that title. Bernard Edwards wrote also a quite different book entitled 'The Grey-Widow-Maker', a book that the webmaster acquired by mistake. Can you add to or correct the above? Perhaps provide the 'Edwards' Nestlea chapter text. An image of the vessel?
35	Stornes 4265 (or 4252) tons Hull 269 145454 Stornest	1921	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Morrison Steamship, Stornest), 2 ('plimsollshipdata.org', Lloyd's Register data, 1930 thru 1943, Stornest), 3 ('convoyweb.org', WW2 convoy duty, click on 'SHIP SEARCH' then insert Stornest), 4 (Ministry of Defence record of what happened to Stornest), 5 ('uboat.net', sinking data, Stornest), 6 (Wikipedia, Irish Oak & sinking of Stornest), 7 (Russian convoy, at page bottom), 8 (38 of the lost, Stornest), 9 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). Corrections to the complicated data that follows may well prove to be necessary. 377 ft. 6 in. long overall, 365.0 ft. (111.2 metres) long perpendicular to perpendicular, speed of 9 1/2 or 10 knots, signal letters KJLV & later GFZL. The vessel was built, as Stornes, for H. J. Hansen of Christiania, Norway. Later, in 1921 per Miramar, the vessel was owned by J. Priestman & Co., its builder, as Stornest. Which sounds as though the Hansen sale must have fallen through. In 1922, per 1, the vessel was owned by 'J. Morrison & Son Ltd.', of Newcastle. Which may well be so but it is strange that later on John Priestman owned the vessel personally with John Morrison & Son ('Morrison'), the managers - as is recorded in the Lloyd's Registers of 1930/31 thru 1935/36 - at left. Some events in its pre war years. On Nov. 09, 1926, the vessel was in collision, possibly with Holtreau? In 1933, the vessel went ashore in the White Sea (Barents Sea, N. Russia, near Archangel). It must have been re-floated & made it to Sunderland since extensive repairs to the vessel's bottom were effected by S. P. Austin & Sons Ltd. Those repairs entailed the removal & replacement of practically the whole bottom of the vessel. Data snippets seem to indicate that the ship had to be repaired often, including in 1932, in 1933 as already stated, & in 1937. By the 1937/38 edition of Lloyd's Register, & thru 1940/41, 'Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd.' ('Cliffside'), a company owned by J. Morrison & Son Ltd., had become the vessel's owners with Morrison still the manager. In the 1941/42 edition of Lloyd's, 'C. Strubin & Co. Ltd.', of London, had became the vessel's owners, though the Ministry of Defence stated Cliffside to be the owner in Oct. 1942. Maybe the companies were related? 28 WW2 convoy references, including 6 completed N. Atlantic crossings, returning with such cargoes as steel, grain, scrap, MT (what is MT?) etc. Also many U.K. coastal voyages, service to Freetown, West Africa, & to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. No references to Russia. In Dec. 1940 (the exact date?), the vessel radioed that it had sprung a leak 1000 miles W. of England & requested immediate assistance. It would seem that the vessel was involved in convoy work to Russia (probably Archangel/Murmansk). On one such voyage, Stornest suffered engine trouble & the ship was left behind. The engineers fixed the engine & the ship got home ahead of the convoy! On Oct. 02, 1942, the vessel left Milford Haven, Wales, for Boston, U.S.A., Henry O. (Otley) Smith in command, with a cargo of 6,000 tons of coal ex Swansea, Wales, & 39 aboard all told. On Oct. 04, 1842, the vessel joined convoy ON.136, a westbound convoy of 53 merchant ships. The convoy encountered bad weather, weather that I have read described as a mid-Atlantic hurricane, W. of Ireland. The convoy could not hold together & Stornest became a straggler. U-706, Korvettenkapit�n Alexander von Zitzewitz in command, found the vessel late on Oct. 12, 1942 & fired 2 torpedoes at Stornest at 1:38 a.m. on Oct. 13, 1942. Since neither torpedo detonated, two more torpedoes were fired at 2:05 a.m. One of the two hit Stornest 'abreast of the foremast' & there was a large explosion. At 54.25N/27.42W, almost half way across the N. Atlantic. The vessel, badly holed, signalled its distress. U-706 tried to finish Stornest off, from close range, with more torpedo attacks, at 2:34 a.m. & at 4:03 a.m., but the torpedoes likely were defective. U-706 surfaced again at 5:33 a.m., could see no sign of the ship, only an empty lifeboat & thought that she must have sunk. She didn't. At 4:29 a.m. on Oct. 14, 1942, Stornest broadcast, from 54.34N/26.39W, that she was listing heavily & could not last much longer. Her lifeboats had been lost. At 4:50 a.m., Stornest advised that the ship was being abandoned, the crew taking to life rafts. Irish Oak, rescue tug Adherent, anti-submarine trawler Drangey, & 2 corvettes went to Stornest's assistance. I do not think that Irish Oak could have made it to the scene, though Wikipedia advises that Irish Oak searched the seas for 10 hours. Regardless, at 1:57 p.m. on Oct. 14, 1942, Irish Oak abandoned the rescue due to high seas. Adherent & Drangey arrived at the scene on Oct. 17, 1942, continued to search thru Oct. 18, 1942, in fog, & on Oct. 19, 1942, the search was called off. So the entire crew was lost - 39 including 10 gunners. 'uboat.net' says it was 48 in total. Can you add to or correct the above? Another image of the vessel? #1839
36	Barbara 4266 (or 4290) tons Hull 271 145520 Barbara Marie Portsea Cipro Stella Empire Planet Inchkeith	1923	A cargo ship. Per 1 (data 50% down, '8th November 2007' Inchkeith), 2 (Inch Steamship, Inchkeith), 3 ('Thursday, 14 August', Stella), 4 (Convoy SC99), 5 ('Southampton City Council/Plimsoll', Lloyd's Register data, 1930/31 thru 1944/45, Empire Planet), 6 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 365.0 ft. (111.25 metres) long, speed of 9 knots, signal letters KPBT, later IBHH & BDTC, 300 NHP engines by George Clark Limited of Sunderland. Built as Barbara, it would seem, though that name is not referenced at 6. But Barbara is correct - recorded as such in Lloyd's Register of 1923/24. Built for Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd., which company was owned by John Morrison & Son of Newcastle. In 1924, the vessel was renamed Barbara Marie. In 1924 (or maybe in 1925) the vessel was sold to Sea Steamship Co. Ltd (Brown Atkinson the manager?), of Sunderland perhaps, & renamed Portsea. It was sold, in 1933, to 'Nivose Soc. di Nav', of Italy (A. Scinicartello the manager?), & renamed Cipro. And sold, in 1937, to Bargio Borriello, 'Lauro & Montella' the managers, of Naples, Italy, & renamed Stella. On Aug. 14, 1941, Stella, out of Recife, was captured by armed merchant cruiser Carcassia, W. of Cape Verde Islands. At 24.55N/40.23W (ref. doubtful). Sent with a prize crew to Bermuda. Soon renamed Empire Planet for Ministry of War Transport, managed by Golden Cross Line of Cardiff. Spotted a single ref. to convoy duty in WW2, Convoy SC99 from Halifax to Liverpool on Sep. 06, 1942. In 1947, the vessel was sold to Williamson & Co. ('Williamson') of Hong Kong (or maybe to Inch Steamship Company Ltd., a subsidiary of Williamson), & renamed Inchkeith. On Mar. 02, 1955, the vessel ran aground at Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal. At 12.01N/92.47.30E. Vessel a total loss. Can you add anything? Another image perhaps?
37	Coquetdale 1597 tons Hull 285 146925	1923	A cargo ship. Per 1 (data), 2 (wreck site), 3 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty), 4 (image), 5 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 245 or 254 ft. (about 80 metres) long, 74.7 metres perpendicular to perpendicular. Built for Enfield Steamship Co. Ltd. (S. Marshall & Co. the managers), of Sunderland. 16 WW2 convoy references, all U.K. coastal & mainly Tyne to Southend (for London). I am unable to access the independent WW2 voyages. On Aug. 08, 1940, while en route from Portsmouth to the Clyde in ballast, the vessel was bombed, strafed & sunk by German Stuka aircraft, 15 miles W. of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight. The wreck lies in 35/40 metres of water at 50.30.0N/01.40.2W. Can you add anything? Another image perhaps.
38	Eastlea 4267 tons Hull 274 148057	1924	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Morrison Steamship, Eastlea), 2 ('plimsollshipdata.org', Lloyd's Register data, 1930 thru 1940, Eastlea), 3 ('pdf', extensive data, ATKINSON, p 5/7, but pages not numbered. About 10% down), 4 ('uboat.net', sinking, Eastlea), 5 (U-106), 6 ('convoyweb.org', WW2 convoy duty, click on 'SHIP SEARCH' then insert Eastlea), 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 111.2 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, (365 ft.), speed of 10 knots. Built for Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd., which company was owned & managed by John Morrison & Son of Newcastle. Vessel registered at Newcastle. Just 2 WW2 convoy references, both in the eastern Mediterranean. The vessel was reported missing on Mar. 24, 1941. On Mar. 24, 1941 (carrying cotton seed & 'possibly' a part of convoy HX-115), & on the St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands to Newport News, Virginia, leg of a Cyprus to Newport News via S. Africa voyage, the vessel was torpedoed & sunk by a German submarine. But link 7 says travelling independently. At approx. 130 miles WNW of San Antonia, Cape Verde Islands. All 37 aboard, including Captain M. (Malcolm) Goudie McPherson were lost. Two of the above links indicate that U-106 was the German submarine involved. But 4 indicates that there are references that state it could well have been U-48. Sites also say that the vessel was lost on Mar. 30, 1941 which seems unlikely since the vessel had left St. Vincent on Mar. 23, 1941. Can you add anything? An image perhaps.
39	Westlea 4218 (or 4228) tons Hull 275 148107 Newton Elm Becheville	1924	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Morrison Steamship, Westlea), 2 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty, Becheville), 3 (French page, Becheville), 4 (data, 50% down, Becheville), 5 (extensive French 'pdf' re Mulberry Harbours, Becheville, #62, 80% down document), 6 (1931 grounding), 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 111.2 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, (377 ft. 3 in.), speed of 9 or 9 1/2 knots. Built for Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd., which company was owned by John Morrison & Son of Newcastle. Vessel registered at Newcastle. The vessel was sold, in 1927, to 'Tyneside Line Limited', 'John Ridley, Son & Tully', of Newcastle, the owners & managers, & renamed Newton Elm. On Dec. 18, 1931, the vessel ran aground near Crescent Head, 180 miles N. of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, while en route from Newcastle to London via Sydney, with a cargo that included huge cables, presumably manufactured at Newcastle Steelworks, for use in the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The vessel was refloated & repaired at Sydney. In 1937, the vessel was sold again, to 'Arlon Steamship Co. Ltd.', of London, James German & Co., of Cardiff, the managers, & renamed Becheville. The vessel was perhaps armed at Cardiff. As this listing is uplinked, I am denied access to WW2 convoy data at 'convoyweb.org'. But I understand that there are 66 WW2 convoy references. Many U.K. local refs. but also 8 N. Atlantic crossings, service in Norwegian waters, & to Seine Bay, France, in Jun. 1944 re the Normandy landings (see following text). When the vessel arrived at Liverpool from Halifax, Canada, on May 10, 1941 (convoy SC30) the vessel was involved in a collision. Have read no details. Carried steel & scrap on a few voyages. In 1944, the vessel was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport, with Christian Salvesen & Co., of Leith, Scotland, the managers. It maybe was transferred to the Admiralty on Feb. 8, 1944. The vessel left Poole, Dorset, on Jun. 06, 1944 in convoy 'Corncob 1', for France, & arrived off the Normandy coast on Jun. 7, 1944. It was scuttled, on Jun. 09, 1944 - sacrificed to form part of a breakwater for a 'Mulberry Harbour' on the coast of Normandy. The specific breakwater was 'Gooseberry 5', located at & off Sword Beach, at Ouisttreham, Normandy. I have seen many references, however, to the vessel being sunk on Feb. 08, 1944. Can anybody clarify that date? And explain the ref. to 'Oregon Steamship Co. Ltd.' here. Can you add anything? Another image perhaps. I read that 'From 70 North to 70 South' by Graeme Somner, contains an image of Becheville.
40	Boreas 1376 (or 1381) tons Hull 289 161570 (later) Gaunless Ule� Inger Kharlov	1925	A cargo ship. Per 1 (Morrison Steamship, Gaunless, but the data seems to be partially in error, the Oct. 28, 1941 sinking was a different vessel), 2 (extensive data, Ule�, Inger), 3 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 254 ft. 2 in. long overall, 74.7 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular, (244 ft. 1 in.) speed of 8 1/2 knots. Built for 'Skibs-A/S D/S Boreas', 'Torp & Wiese' the manager, both of Bergen, Norway. Ron Beaupre advises (thanks!), that the vessel sailed to the Great Lakes in 1928-1930. In 1933, the vessel was sold to John Morrison & Son of Newcastle, & renamed Gaunless. A name that looks like a spelling mistake! But I am corrected. It is, I learn, the name of a river which flows into River Wear near Bishop Auckland, Durham. In 1937, the vessel was sold again, to 'O/Y Finska Insjj� Ab.' ('Insj�'), of Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland, & renamed Ule�. Registered at Helsinki, then Viipuri (Vyborg, Russia), & then Helsinki again. A number of managers, it would seem, while Insj� owned the vessel - Ernst Sohn, Birger Carrell, Ab Edv. Bj�rklund Oy, & Birger Carrell again, but also referenced is F. Nichols & Son (but not at 2). There is, of course, no allied WW2 convoy data at 'convoyweb.org' re 'our' Ule�. Can anybody tell us about her WW2 service? In 1947, the vessel was sold to 'Rederi Ab Inger', A. H. Vang the manager, both of Helsinki, & renamed Inger. It would seem to have been sold or transferred, in 1948, to 'Rederi Ab Ergo', also of Helsinki, with no change of name. It was sold for the last time, in 1955, to the USSR, & renamed Kharlov. It would seem that the vessel may have ended its days in 1957 - but it was deleted from the lists only in 1970, however. Can you add anything? Another image perhaps?
41	Fernlea 4212 tons Hull 276 149403 Newton Pine	1925	A cargo ship. Per 1 ('uboat.net' data, Newton Pine), 2 (data re sinking, in article re John Alexander), 3 & 4 (U-410), 5 (Graig Shipping, 48% down), 67 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty, *Newton Pine), 7 (Morrison, Fernlea, refers to U-704), 8 (U-65), 9 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 111.2 metres long perpendicular to perpendicular (377 ft. 3 in.), speed of 9 or 9 1/2 knots. Built for Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd., which company was owned by John Morrison & Son of Newcastle. Vessel likely registered at Newcastle. The vessel was sold, in 1927, to 'Tyneside Line Limited', 'John Ridley, Son & Tully', of Newcastle, the managers, & renamed Newton Pine. On Oct. 20, 1927, the vessel, Donald McNicoll in command, was in collision with Canadian Runner, near Rimouski, Quebec, Canada, off Father Point, St. Lawrence River. Have no detail about the matter, other than i) that Newton Pine* would seem to have been at fault. At the later inquiry, McNicoll was stated to have 'erred grievously in judgement' & ii) that Canadian Runner made it to Rimouski & was beached there & iii) a major storm was in the area at the time. Visited Auckland, New Zealand, 3 times between Jul. 1929 & Feb. 1932. Boiler repairs at Barry in 1937. 48 WW2 convoy references, mainly U.K. local, including perhaps 5 N. Atlantic crossings, & service to Freetown (W. Africa) & Gibraltar. On Nov. 27, 1940, Newton Pine left Buenos Aires, Argentina, with grains for the U.K. On Dec. 13, 1940, German U-boat U-65, Korvettenkapitan Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen in command, fired a torpedo at the vessel, then 650 miles SW of Freetown, W. Africa. U-65 soon surfaced & a gun battle ensued. U-65 fired about 30 times & damaged but did not sink Newton Pine, which in turn fired many times. Newton Pine believed they scored a direct hit with their 20th & 21st salvos, & the submarine broke off the engagement & submerged. U-65 was not seen again. Newton Pine believed they had sunk U-65. Apparently the Ministry of Shipping agreed with that since 'prize money' was distributed to the entire crew of Newton Pine, based perhaps upon the value of the submarine to the Admiralty. We thank Sandy Davison for data re the battle. Sandy's father, John Davison was aboard Newton Pine that day, indeed was her Chief Officer, & received his share of the prize money in May 1941. U-65 did not sink. It tried to find Newton Pine again but did not succeed. It later was sunk with the loss of all hands, on Apl. 28, 1941. So there is only partial truth in the reference to the matter that I saw here. Sandy's full message can be read below should you wish greater detail. But before we leave the subject, we have a puzzle indeed. 'u.boat.net' has extensive references to U-65 but the data makes no reference to the Dec. 1940 attack upon Newton Pine. In 1941, the vessel was sold to 'Graig Shipping Company', 'Idwal Williams & Co.' the managers, of Cardiff, Wales. On Mar. 31, 1942 the vessel ran aground at Black Midden, Tynemouth. It was re-floated on Apl. 01, 1942, likely with the help of tugs. In Aug. 1942, the vessel delivered to Hull, grain & other cargo loaded at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. On Sep. 26, 1942, the vessel left Hull, with Evan O. (Owen) Thomas ('Thomas') in command, in ballast, for Halifax. It left Loch Ewe, NW Scotland, on Oct. 3, 1942, & joined W. bound convoy ON-136. Newton Pine became separated from the convoy, on Oct. 11, 1942, due to a storm. Newton Pine was alone, when at 10.29 a.m. on Oct. 15, 1942, it was torpedoed & sunk by U-410, Kapit�nleutnant Kurt Sturm (1906/1987) in command. Roughly at 55.00N/30.00W. Have read that is SE of Cape Farewell, S. tip of Greenland, but it is essentially in mid Atlantic. All 47 aboard, including the Captain, were lost. It would seem that 25 or 30 survivors at least took to lifeboats. But did not make it to safety. A list of all of the 47 names of the lost has been kindly provided to the webmaster by Celia Newman-Barker, mainly the 40 names recorded on Panel 73, of the Tower Hill Memorial, in London. Hence the ref. to 'Thomas' above being in command rather than Daniel W. (Wright) Fowle as at 1. Many references to it being lost on Oct. 16, 1942. There would seem to be more to the history of this vessel but the detail eludes me. The vessel was reported (by a now dead WWW site), to have sunk in the North Sea, after hitting a mine. But when? And sunk? If so, resurrected, I presume. In both cases, it would be good to locate additional detail. Can you add anything?
42	Frances Massey 4212 tons Hull 277 160060	1927	A cargo ship. Per 1 ('uboat.net', 1940 sinking), 2 (sinking, those who were lost), 3 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy duty, insert *Frances Massey), 4 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 111.2 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 365 ft., speed? Built for 'W. A. Massey & Sons, Ltd.' of Hull. 6 WW2 convoy references, including service to Mediterranean (Alexandria, Malta, Bone), U.K. coastal. The vessel travelling independently, left Milford Haven for Wabana, Conception Bay, Newfoundland, on May 15, 1940. On May 30, 1940, the vessel left Wabana, unescorted, for Glasgow, with 7,500 tons of iron ore ex the Wabana iron mines. Walter Whitehead was in command, & 35 were aboard all told, including a gunner. At 0.07 a.m. on Jun. 06, 1940, U-48, Kapit�n zur See Hans Rudolf R�sing in command, fired a torpedo at the ship, but missed. Two hours later, at 2.13 a.m., a second torpedo was fired. This shot did hit the ship 'in the foreship', & the ship sank within 30 seconds of the hit. An appalling loss of life - Captain Whitehead was the sole survivor, so 34 of the 35 were lost. Whitehead was picked up by HMS Volunteer*, a Royal Navy destroyer. The sinking took place 14 miles NW of Tory Island (off the NW coast of Donegal, Ireland), at 53.33N/8.26W. I have indicated above that the vessel was sunk on Jun. 06, 1940, which date seems to me to be correct. But ... many sites state, that the sinking was, in fact, on Jun. 07, 1940. I could spot no contemporary document that would clarify the matter. Can you add anything? Another image perhaps?
43	Ashlea 4222 tons Hull 291 149491	1929	A cargo ship. Per 1 (data & image), 2 (30% down), 3 (1st image), 4 ('1939, 7 Ottobre' & image), 5 (ref.), 6 (40% down), 7 (bottom), 8 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 380 ft. (or 367 ft. 4 in.) (112 metres) long, speed of 10 knots. Built for Cliffside Shipping Co. Ltd., which company was owned by John Morrison & Son of Newcastle. On the morning of Oct. 07, 1939, when en route from Cape Town, South Africa to U.K. with a cargo of crude sugar, vessel was captured by German raider Admiral Graf Spee about 1/2 way between Cape Town & Freetown, Sierra Leone. Ashlea was boarded, part of the cargo removed, the crew were transferred to Newton Beech & the vessel was scuttled. At 9.52S/3.28W, which looks to be east of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. Newton Beech (many references, which I believe are all incorrect, to 'Newton Beach'), had been captured by *Admiral Graf Spee* two days earlier. Ashlea was, I read, captured 'by surprise and deception' - Captain C. Pottinger thought she was a French battleship. The Germans gained useful intelligence from Ashlea since her captain had failed to destroy his confidential instructions from the Admiralty. On Oct. 08, 1939, crew were transferred to Admiral Graf Spee & Newton Beech was sunk. On Feb. 16, 1940, they along with the crews of many other captured vessels, were rescued at J�ssingfjord, Norway. Many links relate to Graf Spee & Ashlea. Can you add anything?
44	Rio Novo 2450 (or 2490) tons Hull 299 5524365 Ultragaz Gasbras Sul Mundogas Sul	1937	A cargo ship which later became a liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tanker. Per 1 ('warsailors.com' WW2 convoy data, Rio Novo, 2 images), 2 ('convoyweb.org' WW2 convoy data, Rio Novo), 3 (data, in Norwegian, image as Gasbras Sul), 4 (data in Norwegian re 'Lorentzen'), 5 ('Esso' court case, Gasbras Sul), 6 (image, Gasbras Sul), 7 (Miramar, link, you now must be registered to access). 94.9 metres long, perpendicular to perpendicular, 325.0 ft. (also read 311.4 ft.), speed of 11 knots. The vessel was launched in May 1933 but was completed only in Feb. 1937. While the data is confusing, I believe it was then sold to 'A/S Sobral', of Oslo, Norway, with �ivind Lorentzen, of Oslo, the managers. Lorentzen & A/S Sobral were closely related, see 4, but the data is far too difficult for the webmaster to summarise. 18 WW2 convoy references, thru Sep. 1942, including at least 5 N. Atlantic crossings, & U.K. local. The webmaster is not permitted, however, to access 'convoyweb.org' data re independent voyages. A sailor fell overboard on Sep. 11, 1942, ex Convoy ON-125, was picked up but died. Later in WW2, the vessel would seem to have independently connected U.S. ports & Progreso, but there are many places named Progreso & I cannot tell you which one it was. �ivind Lorentzen, of Oslo, would seem to have managed the ship for its entire life. In 1949, the vessel was sold to L.P.G. Comp. (Companhia?) Inc., of Liberia & renamed Ultragaz. And converted into an LPG tanker to carry 1600 tons of propane, in pressurised tanks, at a pressure of 250 lb. per sq. in., from U.S. Gulf ports to Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The vessel must have later reverted to A/S Sobral ownership because, on Sep. 17, 1955, Gasbras Sul, (then owned by A/S Sobral), under charter to Tropical Gas Company, was at Esso Standard Oil S.A.'s sea terminal at San Jose, Guatemala. A 'Chubasco' storm hit with force 6 winds, & Gasbras Sul, with great difficulty, put out to sea to ride out the storm. In so doing, the ship's anchors damaged Esso's submarine pipeline to the extent of $62,733.17. The court held that Gasbras Sul was not responsible. In 1961, the vessel may have been sold, to 'Pansupco S.A.', of Panama, & renamed Mundogas Sul & again been converted, this time, (perhaps?), to a refrigerated liquified petroleum gas carrier. The vessel was laid up in 1963 at Rio de Janiero. And in Aug. 1967, was broken up there. Data about the vessel is, to the webmaster, for language & other reasons, both difficult & confusing. If you can correct or add to the above, your contribution would be most welcome.

R. RADCLIFFE

The webmaster's knowledge about 'Radcliffe' is non-existent. A list of Sunderland built ships, available to the webmaster, lists 32 vessels built by R. Radcliffe from 1805 thru 1816. Of Monkwearmouth, it would seem.

Atlantic
214 later 215 later 187 tons

1810

A brig or snow. Which had a very long life. Atlantic would seem to have been Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1818 thru 1838/39, then a gap of 7 years, & again from 1846/47 thru 1850/51. It was certainly listed in 1818, then 9 years old & owned by N. Horn for service from London to Hamburg, Germany (in 1820/21 also), for service from Hull to the Baltic in 1819, & ex Lynn, Norfolk, in 1820 & from 1821 thru 1825. From 1826 thru 1833, F. Horn rather than N. Horn is LR listed as the vessel's owner, for service as an Exmouth, Devon, coaster in 1826 & as a coaster ex Plymouth (also Devon), from 1827 thru 1833. The Sunderland Shipping List of 1826 (a Google book) lists the 214 ton brig as owned by F. Horn & registered at Sunderland. LR seems to refer to just 3 captains in that total period - i) J. Spinks in 1818 (J. Spink in 1820/21), ii) Thompson from 1819 thru 1826 except for 1820/21, & iii) J. Scott from 1827 thru 1833.
The LR data from 1834 thru 1838/39 is cryptic indeed - all that is said is that Atlantic was now of 215 tons & was of Sunderland.
LR of 1846/47 thru 1850/51 lists the vessel, now of 187 tons, as both owned & captained by R. Simms of Lynn for service from Sunderland to Lynn or for service as a Lynn or Sunderland coaster. LR of 1850/51 provides only modest detail.
On Feb. 06, 1850, per line 515 on this page, the 188 ton snow foundered at Lynn, while en route from Sunderland to Lynn with a cargo of coal. Crew of 8 - none lost. Then stated to be owned by R. J. Simms. I learn, from this Lloyd's List report, that on Feb. 06, 1850 Atlantic, 'Brown' her then captain, struck on the 'Rouning Middle Sand in the Deeps'. The vessel got off, anchored but later sank in seven fathoms of water. I have not yet been able to learn exactly where such sands are located. But 'Rouning' may well correctly mean 'Roaring". Off Lynn, I presume.
Can you add anything additional? #2450

J. RATCLIFFE

The webmaster's knowledge about 'J. Ratcliffe' is non-existent. He would appear to have built just a single ship - Shepherdess built in 1841.

Shepherdess
202/196 later 171 or 172 tons

5978

1841

Shepherdess is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1841/42 thru 1868/69 with the exceptions of 1851/52 & 1852/53. It likely was launched in Aug. 1841 though LR of 1841/42 states '03', i.e. Mar. 1841. The vessel was owned thru 1847/48, per LR, by Todd & Co., of London, for service from Sunderland to Cadiz, Spain, in 1841/42 & 1842/43 & ex Liverpool thereafter including to Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, in 1846/47 & 1847/48. With 'Whitehead' the vessel's captain thru 1843/44, & C. Craig from 1843/44 thru 1847/48.
In 1848/49, per LR, W. Langly, of London, became the vessel's owner & captain. For service from Whitby to Hartlepool thru 1850/51.
From 1853/54 thru 1855/56, per LR, Shepherdess was owned by J. Laverick, of Whitby, for service from Newcastle to London, at least thru 1854/55. With G. Laverick her captain. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854, records the vessel, in 1853 data, as registered at Whitby & owned by George, John, and George Laverick jun. & Richard Verrill, all of Staithes, with George Laverick jun. serving as her captain. While Turnbull's Shipping Registers of 1855 & 1856 (in 1855 data), essentially confirms such data in a different order (but spells the vessel's name incorrectly).
LR of 1856/57 records Shepherdess as now registered at Scarborough, Yorkshire, owned by W. Wear for service from Scarborough to the Baltic in 1856/57 & 1857/58 & for service from the Clyde to the West Indies in 1858/59. With J. Wear the vessel's captain. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies the owner's name to mean William Wear. Who was her sole owner, owning, I read, all 64 of the vessel's shares.
A little Shepherdess operational detail while 'Wear' owned. On May 04, 1858, the vessel was entered out of the Clyde for Alicante, Spain. It went on to Carthagena, Spain, before returning to London. Was at Gibraltar on Jan. 03, 1859 en route to Cadiz & Cardiff. On Mar. 04, 1859, the vessel arrived at Deal, Kent, ex St. Lucia, West Indies, & sailed on to Shields (arr. Mar. 08, 1859). On Apl. 19, 1859 she arrived at Brest, France, ex Newcastle & on May 30, 1859 arrived at Dieppe, France, ex Swansea, Wales. On Jul. 12, 1859 she arrived at Cuxhaven, Germany (likely for Hamburg), ex Newcastle.
From 1861/62 thru 1863/64, LR tells us that G. Simpson, of Shields, was the owner of Shepherdess, now of 171 tons, for service from Shields to Rotterdam in 1861/62 & then for service as a Shields coaster. With T. Manson LR noted to have been the vessel's then captain.
I read that on Dec. 22, 1862, the vessel sank, at the back of the S. pier, at Lowestoft, Suffolk. Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) that Shepherdess, en route from South Shields to London, was driven ashore & sank at Lowestoft. Further that she was refloated on Dec. 24, 1862 & taken into Lowestoft in a leaky condition. And presumably was repaired & returned to service.
In 1863/64, per LR, Coverdale & Co., of Hartlepool, became the vessel's owner, for service as a Hartlepool coaster thru 1868/69. With 'Wilson' per LR, serving as the vessel's captain.
The Mercantile Navy List records the vessel as Hartlepool registered & of 172 tons from 1864. And lists as her owner from 1865 thru 1869 not 'Coverdale', rather Wm. Laidler of Hartlepool.
81.0 ft. long, signal letters JLVM, a couple of years crew lists are available here.
What finally happened to the vessel? LR of 1868/69 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. Wikipedia advises (thanks!) that on Dec. 27, 1868, Shepherdess ran aground on the Maplin Sand, off the coast of Essex (Thames Estuary near Southend-on-Sea). And that her crew were rescued by Hamburg, a U.K. steamship. This report tells us that Shepherdess had to be abandoned with 6 ft. of water in her holds. Hamburg was built at Hull in 1862, I learn.
Is there anything you can add? Or correct? #2633

RATCLIFFE & SPENCE (1849 thru 1858)
RATCLIFFE & CO. (1859 thru 1864)

The webmaster's knowledge about 'Ratcliffe' is non-existent. A list of Sunderland built ships, available to the webmaster, lists 26 vessels built by Ratcliffe & Spence from 1849 thru 1864 & 10 vessels built by Ratcliffe & Co. from 1859 thru 1864. So a total of 36 ships it would seem.

Built by Ratcliffe & Spence

1	Jane Tindall or Jane Tindell 181 later 159 tons 2152	1849	A schooner. The vessel, which was launched in Oct. 1849 & first registered, at Sunderland on Nov. 14, 1849 (#2152) is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1850/51 thru 1870/71. Always LR listed as Jane Tindall. There is however confusion as to the vessel's name. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL'), from 1860 thru 1871, all refer to *Jane Tindell* (with an 'e'). Unfortunately the available contemporary shipping registers do not clarify the name - they are not consistent either. Anyway, for the entire period stated above, per LR, the vessel was named Jane Tindall & owned by J. Tindall of Sunderland. With 'Alderson' serving as the vessel's captain thru 1857/58, W. Sutherland in 1858/59 & 1859/60 & T. Adams from 1860/61 thru 1870/71. For most of the vessel's lifetime, thru 1867/68 per LR, the vessel served France - from Sunderland to Rouen, France, thru 1853/54, from Newcastle to Rouen from 1854/55 thru 1857/58, then to France (with no stated destination), mainly ex Newcastle, but from Sunderland in 1858/59 & from Shields in 1860/61 & 1861/62. LR notes the vessel as a Newcastle coaster from 1868/69 thru 1870/71. The available contemporary shipping registers? Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55 lists John Tindell as the owner of Jane Tindell in Mar. 1854 with R. Alderson her then captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1855 lists J. Tindell of Sunderland as the owner of Jane Tindell with B. Bailes noted to be then her captain. TR of 1856 lists Jane Tindell as being owned by J. Tindell of Sunderland. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 reports Jane Tindall as being owned by John Tindall. The names are confusing! Sorry about that. 83.5 ft. long, signal letters HMWK. 5 years of crew lists are available here. LR of 1870/71 notes that the vessel had been 'SUNK'. Now, thanks to the folks at Google Books, we can tell you what happened to the vessel. This report (ex here) advises that on Dec. 21 & 22, 1870, Jane Tindall was in the River Seine, near Rouen, France, taking on ballast. With T. Adams then her master. Having previously unloaded its cargo of coal at Rouen. When it & five other British vessels were seized & scuttled by Prussian military forces. During the course of the then France/Prussia War. I read further that i) the vessel had left Sunderland on Nov. 10, 1870 for Rouen, ii) Thomas Adams was the vessel's captain, John Adams her mate & that the crew was 7 in number all told, & iii) the vessel was then valued at �1,800. Readers may well find it to be interesting to learn that all of such six scuttled vessels had been Sunderland built. Is there anything you can add to or correct in this modest history? #2314
2	Sultana 132 later 126 or 127 tons 2888	1849	A schooner. *Sultana, which was launched on Jul. 03, 1849, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1850/51 thru 1877/78 & not thereafter. LR recorded as a schooner thru 1853/54, a brig thru 1873/74 & finally, from 1874/75, as a brigantine. The vessel's captains per LR? 'Cassop' thru to 1857/58, J. Eastall from 1858/59 thru 1860/61, 'Allen' from 1861/62 thru 1864/65 & 'Hollingh'd' (Hollinghead I believe) from 1864/65 thru to 1877/78. For service from Sunderland to France thru 1853/54, from Sunderland to the Mediterranean from 1858/59 thru 1860/61, as a Yarmouth coaster from 1864/65 thru 1866/67 & otherwise, for many years, as a Sunderland coaster. Sultana* was owned, for its entire lifetime per LR, by J. Bowie of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, which owner name became LR recorded as J. Bowey from 1861/62. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5 lists the vessel, in Mar. 1854 data, as owned by John Bowey of Sunderland with Ralph Henderson then her captain. Turnbull's Shipping Registers of 1855 & 1856 & Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 all confirm such ownership. While the Mercantile Navy List records the vessel as Sunderland registered from & after 1857, owned from 1865 thru 1878 by John Bowey of Bishopwearmouth, later of St. George's Square, Sunderland. The webmaster has not researched the vessel's operational history. But notes one major event in *Sultana's lifetime. In late Nov. 1864, major gales hit the U.K. generally & specifically, towards the end of the month, hit the E. coast. The storms were most extensive. Sultana, I read, was driven onto Gorleston Beach, Norfolk, (have also read at nearby Corton, Suffolk), on Nov. 23, 1864, while en route from Sunderland to Abbeville, France, with a cargo of coal. The crew of Sultana, was, I read, rescued by the use of rocket apparatus. The vessel was later, on Nov. 29, 1864, refloated & taken into Yarmouth in a waterlogged condition. Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) (1 & 2) about such events. This article also refers to Sultana* being driven ashore. The contemporary newspaper articles are rather confusing. Many reports advise that 'Shead' was her captain when she stranded but there are many reports which rather name 'Hollingshead' or 'Hollingworth', which makes more sense (see above). It would seem that the vessel was at anchor & driven from such anchorage by the force of the storm. The crew of 5 took to a ship's boat but it capsized & the crew were then brought to shore by line & rocket apparatus. The crew may, however, have been 7 in total. One article refers to a pig which had been aboard the *Sultana. It must have broken free because it is reported to have swum to shore as (so the article states) did Captain Shead. The vessel was said to be insured for �900. Some newspaper reports - 3, 4, 5 & 6. On Nov. 30, 1864, the vessel was towed into Yarmouth & became aground in the river there, half full of water. But ... it clearly must have been later repaired. And continued in service for 14 more years. 78.0 ft. long, signal letters HRBM, many crew lists are available via this page. LR of 1877/78 notes that the vessel had gone 'Missing'. This U.K. Government wreck listing page tells us that on Dec. 08, 1877, Sultana* left Sunderland for Treport (NE of Dieppe, France), with 180 tons of coal & a crew of five. It was never heard from again. Can you add to or correct the above text. #2736
3	Saxon Maid 255 tons	1850	A snow, which had a very short life indeed - about a year. Launched in Mar. 1850, *Saxon Maid* is listed in Lloyd's Register ('LR') of 1850/51 only - then owned by Potts & Co. of Sunderland, for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean with W. Potts noted to have been her then captain. It is clear that the vessel only completed a single complete voyage. On May 31, 1850 the vessel, Potts in command, was at Deal, Kent, en route for Marseilles, France. In late Aug. 1850 the vessel arrived at Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) ex Marseilles & soon left for Kerch (eastern end of the Kerch peninsular, Crimea, Black Sea). *Saxon Maid* was back at Constantinople on Nov. 20/25 1850, & on Jan. 21, 1851 it arrived at Gravesend, London, ex Taganrog (Rostov Oblast, Russia, Sea of Azov, Black Sea), likely with a cargo of grain. What finally happened to the vessel? On the morning of Mar. 04, 1851, the vessel struck upon Whitby Rock, (located just 300/400 yards off the South Pier at Whitby, Yorkshire), was reported to be on the main shore there, filling with the tide & probably would become a total wreck. The crew & a part of her stores had been saved. On Mar. 06, 1851, the vessel was reported to then be a total wreck with 'much of the hull & stores lost'. *Saxon Maid* had left Sunderland for Bordeaux, France, en route to Valparaiso, Chile. As per these contemporary references - 1 & 2. In searching for data re this vessel, I noted that Potts was in command of *Saxon Maid* when it left Sunderland for Aden on Apl. 19, 1851. That was not 'our' *Saxon Maid*, rather a second vessel of the name. Also built in Sunderland - in 1851. It too had a very short life. Is there anything you can add to (or correct) in this rather brief account? The circumstances of her loss, perhaps. #2418
4	McLaren 195 later 177 tons 23652	1851	A snow, later a brigantine, which was launched in Jan. 1851 & was always registered at Sunderland. The vessel may have been rather built by 'Ratcliffe & Co.' (lists differ) & one of such lists & Lloyd's Register ('LR') initially names the vessel Maclaurin. Anyway the vessel was Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1852/53 thru 1869/70. Listed as Maclaurin in 1852/53 & M'Laren i.e. McLaren thereafter, always owned for its entire lifetime, by J. Tindell of Sunderland. With, per LR, B. Bailes her captain thru 1854/55, T. Payne from 1855/56 thru 1857/58 & J. Grosier from 1858/59 (when the vessel is first noted as a brigantine rather than as a snow), thru to 1869/70. For initial service from Sunderland i) to France thru 1854/55 & ii) to the Mediterranean from 1855/56 thru 1857/58. From Belfast, Ireland, to Oporto, Portugal, in 1858/59 & 1859/60, & thereafter to France, ex Shields in 1860/61 & 1861/62, ex Sunderland in 1862/63 & ex Newcastle from 1863/64 - specifically to Rouen in 1863/64 & 1864/65. Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55 reports her owner in Mar. 1854 to be John Tindell of Sunderland with Benj. Bailes her captain. John Tindell is again her listed owner per both of Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 & Christie's Shipping Register of 1858. The Mercantile Navy Lists from 1865 thru 1871 (1870) also list John Tindell as the vessel's owner. 85.7 ft. long, signal letters NSLR, some crew lists are here. What finally happened to the vessel? This report (ex here) advises that on Dec. 21 & 22, 1870, McLaren was in the River Seine, near Rouen, France, taking on ballast. With S. Hodgson then her master. Having previously unloaded its cargo of coal at Rouen. When it & five other British vessels were seized & scuttled by Prussian military forces. During the course of the then France/Prussia War. I read further that i) the vessel had left Newcastle on Dec. 02, 1870 for Rouen, ii) Spoors Hodgson was the vessel's captain, John Bull her mate & that the crew was 7 in number all told, & iii) the vessel was then valued at �2,000. But the value per the Government Valuers was �712 only. Readers may well find it to be interesting to learn that all of such six scuttled vessels had been Sunderland built. Is there anything you can add to or correct in this listing? #2315
5	Satellite 245 tons 27094	1852	A snow or brig. *Satellite* is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1852/53 thru 1862/63. Always regsitered at Stockton. I note that the Lloyd's Register Foundation website has three Survey documents re the vessel. This newspaper report (in red) tells of her launch & of her purchase by James Trowsdale of Stockton. She had been launched, I read, on Apl. 17, 1852. It would seem that the owner's names caused spelling difficulties! Per LR, it was initially owned by 'Trouzdale', of Stockton, for service from Sunderland to Hamburg, Germany, & from 1853/54 for service from London to Australia. 'Trouzdale' is LR stated to have been the vessel's captain thru 1856/57. From 1857/58, 'Tr'wsdale' of Stockton is LR listed as the vessel's owner with 'Tr'wsdale' her captain. For continued service from London to Australia, & from 1859/60 for service ex London. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5, in 1854 data, records James and John Trowsdale, of Stockton as the vessel's then owners with Jas. Trowsdale her captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 lists Satelite (with one 'l'), a snow, as owned by J. & J. Trowsdale, of Stockton, with J. Trowsdale the vessel's captain, which owner names Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies as meaning James & John Trowsdale. 92 ft. 6 in. long. So far as the webmaster can see, *Satellite* made a single voyage to Australia. It left London on May 24, 1853, for Adelaide, South Australia, 'Trowsdale' in command, with 5 passengers & a general cargo. Maybe via Portsmouth. It arrived at Adelaide on Sep. 21, 1853 & on Nov. 25, 1853 left Adelaide for Guam in ballast & with no passengers. In fact it went to Akyab (now Sittwe, Myanmar), via Galle (Ceylon now Sri Lanka). On Oct. 27, 1854 it arrived back at Falmouth ex Akyab & was sent on to Antwerp, Belgium. LR of 1862/63 notes that the vessel had been 'Lost'. On Nov. 12, 1862, per line 2505 here, *Satellite, a 245 ton brig was abandoned in the Mediterranean, at 37N/18E, (maybe at 37.3N/18.19E), about 150 miles E. of Sicily, while en route from Sulina (Romania, Black Sea), to Queenstown, Ireland, with a cargo of grain (corn). Crew of 10 - none lost. Then stated to be owned by James & John Trowsdal (means Trowsdale). I read that the vessel was abandoned in a sinking state, further that her crew were landed at Malta by Minerva*, an Austrian brig - on Nov. 25, 1862. The vessel, per such report, was en route to either Queenstown or Falmouth, for orders. Other news reports at the time refer to stormy weather in the Mediterranean at the time of the vessel's loss & note that the vessel had rather been abandoned on Nov. 11, 1862. Can you tell us more? #2811

Sir William Ffolkes
317 later 280 tons

23444

1852

Sir William Ffolkes? William John Henry Browne Ffolkes (1786/1860), 2nd Baronet. Prominent both in politics & in Norfolk & in U.K. life generally. The Ffolkes family owned lands in Norfolk from the time of the Norman invasion in 1066.
A wooden barque. Sir William Ffolkes, which was, I read, launched on Sep. 21, 1852 & registered at Lynn, Norfolk on Oct. 11, 1852, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1853/54 thru 1856/57 only. Frequently referenced as 'Sir William Folkes'. It was, per LR, of 317 tons & initially owned by W. (William) Miles, of Lynn, for service from London to Australia, with, again per LR, F. (Frederick) Goble serving as her captain.
LR of 1856/57 tells us that the vessel, now of 280 tons, had become owned by A. Robinson of London, for service from London to Swan River (Fremantle/Perth, Western Australia) with C. Steward then her captain.
What finally happened to Sir William Ffolkes? Alas I cannot today answer that question. This Mercantile Navy List page (scroll to #23444) tells us that per a certificate dated Oct. 13, 1856, advice was received that the vessel (which they incorrectly, I believe, name Sir William Folkes) had been sold to foreign interests. And ceased to be British registered. It seems likely that such new owner, of name & country unknown, might have changed the vessel's name. Need help!
This listing was advanced at the request of Ali Foster of New Zealand, who requested (here) details re the vessel's Nov. 1852 voyage to Australia.
The 'Huddersfield Chronicle' of Sep. 04, 1852 (search for 'Ffolkes'), tells us in a most detailed article that the vessel was intended to depart Sunderland's South Dock on Sep. 16, 1852, for Port Philip (i.e. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) & Sydney (New South Wales ('NSW'), Australia), with Frederick Goble her captain. The adult fare? 20 guineas per head. After presumably a brief voyage down the U.K. E. coast, Sir William Ffolkes, in fact, later left London on Nov. 20, 1852, for Melbourne via Plymouth (dep. Nov. 30, 1852) not under the command of 'Goble' but rather commanded by James Welch. On Apl. 10, 1853, the vessel arrived at Melbourne with 111 passengers - & clearly with a modest cargo also - which cargo which included both gold & silver. On Apl. 19, 1853 the vessel went on to Sydney with a part of the original cargo & 16 passengers in steerage, & on May 7, 1853 left Sydney for Newcastle, NSW, presumably to there load a cargo of coal. It was at Newcastle on Aug. 22, 1853 when Henry Welch, the captain's 21 year old son, died aboard the vessel. I suspect that the vessel then made a number of voyages back & forth between Melbourne & Newcastle.
On Jun. 28, 1854, the vessel left Newcastle for Melbourne, via Eden, Twofold Bay, NSW, & on Sep. 05 or 06, 1854 left Melbourne, via Adelaide, South Australia, for Callao, Peru, with 'Kemp' now in command. It arrived at Callao on Nov. 01, 1854 & arrived back in London on Jun. 05, 1855.
On Aug. 14, 1855, Sir William Ffolkes, left Gravesend, London, for Swan River with C. Stewart (maybe Steward) in command. It arrived at Fremantle on Dec. 13, 1855 after a voyage of 126 days, with about 25 passengers (these pages 1 (search for 'Ffolkes') & 2 (ex here) say 19 but refer I believe to emigrant passengers only) & a varied general cargo (a list is 'Trove' available). On Jan. 10, 1856, the vessel left Fremantle for Colombo (Ceylon, now Sri Lanka) in ballast, where it arrived on Feb. 16, 1856. It later left Colombo for Genoa, now Italy, via St. Helena & Gibraltar (arr. Aug. 04, 1856), with a cargo of coffee, cocoanut oil, cinnamon & coir fabrics. It was carrying mail for India & the U.K. when it left Australia so may well have gone on, in due course, to London.
A Sunderland shipping website which site requests no links or recognition tells us that the vessel was 104.5 ft. long.
There the data trail ends. Is there anything you can add to the above? Or correct? Its 'foreign' owner & country of registration from late 1856, perhaps? #2614

Built by Ratcliffe & Co.

7	Ocean Skimmer 382 tons Hull No. ? 28437 Peter	1860	A barque. The vessel was launched on Mar. 10, 1860 & first registered, at Sunderland, on Apl. 11, 1860 (scroll to #28437). It is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1860/61 thru 1876/77 at least (1877/78 is not available to the webmaster). It was owned, thru 1873/74 by 'Thompson' of Sunderland, with J. Wooler (thru 1866/67) & W. Gray (thru 1873/74) serving as the vessel's captain. Initially for service ex Sunderland, in 1864/65 & 1865/66 for service from Sunderland to the Black Sea, in 1866/67 & 1867/68 for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean, in 1868/69 & 1869/70 for service from Cardiff, Wales, to the Mediterranean, in 1870/71 ex Sunderland to the Mediterranean again, & in 1871/72 thru 1873/74 for service from Bristol to Montreal, Canada. In May 1861, I used to be able to read that the vessel carried a cargo of brandy from Bordeaux, France, to New York. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') of 1865 lists the vessel as registered at Sunderland & owned by William Thompson of Sunderland, while MNLs of 1866 thru 1874 (1870 is here) all list the vessel as owned by William Thompson, jun. also of Sunderland. Turnbull's Register of 1874 lists Wm. Thompson jun. as the vessel's then sole owner. In 1873/74 the vessel became both owned & captained by G. Pain of Sunderland. As is confirmed by MNL of 1875 which lists George Pain, of Sunderland, as the vessel's then owner. Both MNL of 1876 & LR of 1875/76 rather list Mrs. Jemima Pain, presumably George's wife, as her then owner. LR of 1876/77 lists no owner name but states that the vessel was then owned by German interests. 120.0 ft. long, signal letters PWKR. It would seem that the vessel became re-named Peter. As per the 1879 edition of 'American Lloyd's Register of American & Foreign Shipping' (thanks to Mystic Seaport). Neither Ocean Skimmer nor Peter is recorded in the 1878 edition. The vessel is there recorded thru 1883 & from 1884 thru 1887 is listed in the 'Record of American Shipping', owned thru 1886 by J. Friedriche & in 1887 by C. Scholvinck, both of Leer (see below). I presume that the vessel would also, of course, have been registered in Germany. I cannot spot any (later) listings for Peter in LR. The above listing was advanced as a result of data received from Dr. Gerd Cramer who advises that his great-grandfather Georg Cramer served as helmsman aboard the vessel in about 1879-1882. We thank Kurt van Loh of Emden for his research data re the vessel from which the following, via Gerd, is derived. Peter, signal letters now KGCQ, had as its first German owner (at date unknown) Albrecht Eduard Johann Sepel, of Hamburg, a manufacturer. On Aug. 01, 1876, the vessel became owned (as to 7/8) by Johannes Friedrichs & (1/8) by Wessel Woortmann, her captain, & registered at Leer (on the river Leda, a tributary of river Ems, Lower Saxony, Germany, near Emden). The vessel served Philadelphia, U.S.A., ex Rotterdam, in 1878. On Feb. 10, 1879, Johannes Friedrichs, (most likely not the principal owner, maybe rather his son), then aged 25, unfortunately died aboard Peter from yellow fever. During the period of 1880 thru 1882 the vessel traded to such places as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Paysandu (Uruguay), Jamaica & Trinidad ex Bremerhaven & likely other European ports & also ex Glasgow, Scotland. Antoni Scheepsma of Emden became the vessel's captain in 1882. In 1885, Carl Sch�lvink, a businessman, became the vessel's owner with Otto Reimers serving as her captain. In Dec. 1886, the vessel was en route from Hamburg to Buenos Aires with cargo & an 11 man crew when it encountered heavy weather. One seaman was swept overboard & lost, the vessel leaked badly & the cargo was partially damaged. The vessel grounded as it tried to enter the port of Vigo, Spain, where she was condemned. The hull, it would seem, was later sold. It may well have seen further service as a hulk, however it may also have been broken up - I have noted elsewhere in these pages that there were ship breaking facilities at Vigo. The vessel is last recorded in the Record of American Shipping in 1887. Crew lists, thru 1876, are available here. Can you add to the above, or correct anything? #2130
8	Caprera 215 tons 43735	1861	A brig or snow, which was completed in Aug. 1861, & first registered, at Sunderland, on Sep. 05, 1861 (scroll to #43735, I think that is what it says), is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1861/62 thru 1869/70, owned thru that entire period by W. Bedford of Sunderland. The owner's name is clarified by Mercantile Navy Lists of 1865 thru 1870 (but not 1871) to mean William Bedford of Frederick Street, Sunderland. Always for service ex Sunderland, initially, thru 1862/63, for service to the Baltic, in 1863/64 & 1864/65 for service to the Mediterranean, & from 1865/66 for service to South America. Bedford was always, per LR, the vessel's captain though LR lists Bedford thru 1865/66 & W. Bedford from 1865/66. There are references to 'Bedford' being the vessel's captain thru 1872, those references being in the American Lloyd's Record of American & Foreign Shipping, certainly in 1872 (ex Mystic Seaport ship registers). It would seem, however, that on May 14, 1863, (you used to be able to read it) the vessel arrived at New York for orders ex Oporto, Portugal, in ballast & under the command of a Captain Sinclair. 94.0 ft. long, signal letters TQFN. LR of 1869/70 notes that the vessel had gone 'Missing'. Which listing seems to be a puzzle since the second line 33 on this page advises that at an unstated date in 1866 the snow went missing while en route from Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) to Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire, with a crew of 7 & an unknown cargo. So 7 lives lost. Line 33 simply states lost 'On voyage' with no indication as to where she was when she went missing. Her departure date from Cronstadt is not known to the webmaster. The webmaster suspects, however, that the vessel was not lost in 1866 & that the page which so reports has the year recorded incorrectly. I say that because of the many (above) later references to the vessel, to the fact that 1867 crew lists are available, to the fact that this image refers to the vessel being surveyed at New York in Jun. 1870, & lastly that an advice re the vessel's loss was received on Jul. 02, 1871, as I read the data here. Can anybody add anything? Perhaps another source to refine her year & date of loss & clarify the circumstances. #2145
9	Fame 326 later 327 tons 43626 Ida	1861	The vessel was launched on Jul. 10, 1861 & first registered, at South Shields, on Jul. 13, 1861 (scroll to #43626). The webmaster believes that this newspaper cutting reports that Jul. 1861 launch. Fame would seem to be Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1861/62 thru 1883/84 at least, owned for that entire period by W. Allen of South Shields (W. C. Allen from 1876/77). For service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean thru 1864/65, from Shields to the Mediterranean in 1865/66 & 1868/69, from Cardiff to the Mediterranean in 1866/67 & 1867/68, ex Leith in 1869/70, & from Shields to Bari (on the Adriatic coast of southern Italy), from 1870/71 thru 1873/74. With a number of captains - M. Avitt thru 1865/66, W. Bruce thru 1868/69, J. Robertson maybe from 1868/69 thru 1875/76 or 1876/77, W. Menzies from 1875/76 or 1876/77 thru 1880/81, R. Ellerby thru 1883/84. The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1865 thru 1871 (1870) all list William C. Allen, of South Shields as the vessel's then owner, while the equivalent lists of 1872 thru 1883 (1880) have essentially the same data recorded as Wm. C. Allen. The 'Record of American & Foreign Shipping in 1885 still records the vessel as owned by W. C. Allen with R. Ellery her captain. The vessel became of 327 tons in 1876/77. The vessel is not recorded in LR of 1885/86. 113.0 ft. long, later (from 1875/76) 114.2 ft., signal letters TPRH. Now LR of 1883/84 records the vessel, still owned by W. C. Allen, as being registered in Sweden. Perhaps it had become the property of a Swedish owner? Many Fame crew lists, thru 1882 are available here. It is a pleasure to be able to advise what finally happened to the vessel, thanks to the diligence of William D. Lewis, whose article was published in the Summer 2011 edition of 'The Masthead', a 'pdf', the journal of the Presque Isle Yacht Club of Presque Isle, Michigan, U.S.A. At page 5. The vessel was apparently sold, in 1882/83 to J. F. Sjogren (of Cimbrishamn now Simrishamn, on the Baltic in S. Sweden, about 55 miles E. of Malm�) who renamed the vessel Ida. Possibly J. E. Sjogren. Ida is recorded, I see, in LRs of 1885/86 & 1886/87 at least. And I read it is listed also in LR of 1887/88 (unavailable to webmaster). Mr. Lewis tells us that the vessel went aground at Saltholm (a Danish island, in the �resund, the strait that separates Denmark & Sweden, near Copenhagen) on May 28, 1877, was successfully re-floated & sailed across the strait to nearby Malm�. It seems likely that her then condition did not warrant the necessary repairs. Can you add anything additional? #2157
10	Sarah 243 later 231 tons 44305	1862	This listing has been advanced upon the receipt by the webmaster of a 'pdf' file about Sarah, created by Bill Swift. We invite you to read Bill's detailed research & thank him for making it available via this site. The vessel, a snow or brig, would seem to be Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1862/63 thru 1878/79. Thru 1875/76 at least, the vessel was owned, per LR, by Lawson & Co. of Blyth, maybe for initial service from Sunderland to the Baltic, more certainly for service from Blyth to the Mediterranean from 1862/63 thru 1873/74. In 1870/71, however, the vessel served the Baltic ex Blyth. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1865 thru 1871 (1870) all list the vessel as registered at Shields & owned by George Lawson of Blyth. While MNLs of 1872 thru 1875 record the vessel, still owned by George Lawson, but now registered at North Shields. I should note that Turnbull's Register of 1874 lists the North Shields registered 230 ton vessel as then owned as to 22 shares by George Lawson of Blyth, with 21 shares each owned by John Dent of Blyth & Roger Dent of Newcastle. The vessel is recorded at 231 tons in LR of 1876/77 in which year the vessel was owned by Dent, Hodgson & Co. & registered at North Shields. MNLs of 1876 thru 1879 (1878), report the vessel as owned by 'J. Dent, jun.' of Blyth. It would seem clear, however, that George Lawson & John & Roger Dent were all partners in the vessel's ownership. 100.5 ft. long, signal letters TSMN. LR of 1878/79 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. Per this page, at an unknown date in Nov. 1878 (but believed to be Nov. 10 or 11, 1878), the vessel, stated to be still owned by Lawson & Co., foundered in the North Sea, on, it is believed, Middle Cross Sands (off Caister & Great Yarmouth, Norfolk). Sarah, under the command of Captain J. (James) Good, was en route from Villa Nova (S. bank of Douro River, across from Porto, Portugal) to Copenhagen, Denmark, via Yarmouth, which port she departed on Nov. 9, 1878 - with a cargo of cork, or ore & cork. Bill Swift's 'pdf' file includes 4 contemporary newspaper cuttings, which refer to storms/gales in that part of the North Sea on Nov. 10, 1978, storms which the vessel would have encountered after leaving Yarmouth Roads. Her cargo & some wreckage came ashore at Lowestoft & Yarmouth. The 'pdf' also includes detail about the 8 - the vessel's entire crew - who were sadly lost. Is there anything you can add? #2202

RAY & RISEBOROUGH

So far as the webmaster can see, John Ray & John Riseborough built just one vessel - William Packet in 1842.

William Packet
201/218 later 186 tons

1842

A snow. William Packet, which was launched in Mar. 1842, would seem to have been Lloyd's Register listed only from 1849/50 thru 1851/52, owned by Barber & Co. of Sunderland for service from Hartlepool to the Baltic & then Sunderland to London. However the North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Apl. 1848 data, lists W. Barker & Co. (with a 'k') as her then owner.
Some 'best-efforts' operational data - i) It was reported from Aldborough, Suffolk, on Jun. 29, 1848, that William Packet, headed southbound, was at anchor there, with fore topmast & main top gallant mast carried away during a squall that day. ii) On Aug. 18, 1848 the vessel arrived at Southampton ex Sunderland, with 'Hutchinson' in command. iii) On Jan. 28, 1849, during a severe gale, William Packet was one of a number of vessels that stranded near Seaton Carew, S. of Hartlepool. As per this (in blue) contemporary newspaper report. Which report notes that 'Mitchell' was her captain at the time. I note however that a deposition re the stranding was filed on Jan. 31, 1849 by James Kyle, stated to have rather been her captain. iv) In a report from Pernau, Russia (now P�rnu, Estonia), dated Jun. 29, 1849, it was reported that the vessel, ex Hull & with 'Kyle' in command, had been on shore on Domeanseas but assisted off & on shore again on the Lifland coast (cannot locate either place, likely both in Estonia). The vessel had arrived at Pernau leaky and with part of her cargo thrown overboard. Per here & here. v) On May 01, 1850, arriving at Elsinore, Denmark, ex Newcastle with 'Edwards' in command, the vessel ran aground entering Elsinore but got off without damage. vi) On Jan. 04, 1854, William Packet was one of many vessels driven ashore on the Potato Garth at Sunderland by a severe widespread gale. vii) On Dec. 29, 1857, the vessel, 'Hornsby' in command, arrived at Hamburg, Germany, ex Sunderland.
The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5, in Mar. 1854 data, lists Richd. Robinson & John Brown, both of Sunderland, as the vessel's then owners with John Brown her then captain. Turnbull's Shipping Registers of both 1855 & 1856, however, list the vessel's then owners as J. (John) Proudfoot & T. (Thomas) Robson, of Sunderland. With J. Smith her captain in the 1855 edition. Such ownership data is confirmed by Christie's Shipping Register of 1858, which also advises (at page bottom) that the vessel had been lost.
I learn that on Apl. 02, 1858, William Packet, with a cargo of coal, stranded to the S. of Wyk aan Zee (North Sea coast, W. of Amsterdam), her crew being all saved. One report (Caledonian Mercury) noted that the vessel had been abandoned. The circumstances were not stated. A later report stated that the vessel & its cargo was to be sold, presumably at a public auction, to be held on Apl. 13, 1858. The name of the vessel's captain at the time is not indicated in the available reports, but I note that 'Bell' was the vessel's captain in Mar. 1858 when the vessel was en route from Southampton to Swansea, Wales.
No crew lists seem to be available for the vessel.
Can you add anything additional? #2821

J. or J. M. REED

So far as the webmaster can see, this Pallion shipbuilder built a total of 25 vessels during the period from 1853 thru 1866.

1	Hygeia 267/275 tons (N/G) 47158	1863	Hygeia? A goddess in Greek & Roman mythology - of health, cleanliness & hygiene. A wooden barque. Built, I have read, by J. M. Reed, but per LR by 'Read'. *Hygeia, which was launched on Jul. 30, 1863, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1863/64 thru 1877/78, owned by 'Crsp & Cay', which LRs of 1870/71 & later tell us means 'Crisp & Cay'. Though LR of 1877/78 lists M. Cay jr. & Co. as the vessel's then owner. When one combines such info. with the available Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') data, it would seem that the vessel was owned, for its entire lifetime, by Joseph Crisp & by Matthew Cay, jun., both of South Shields, & their associates - 'Crisp' per MNLs of 1866 thru 1868, & Cay in 1865 & in 1869 thru 1878 (1870). A Sunderland website which requests no links or recognition tells us that George Coates, of North Shields, was one of her initial owners. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1874 reports that M. Cay, J. Crisp (both of South Shields) & G. C. Coats of North Shields, then jointly owned 34 shares in Hygeia. The remaining shares were owned by M. Cay, jun., J. Crisp & W. McCarthy, with 7, 7 & 16 shares respectively. LRs of 1863/64 thru 1867/68 record M. Cay jr. as the vessel's captain. Followed by R. Hooper from 1867/68 thru 1871/72 & 'McCarthy' (William McCarthy, I read) from 1871/72 thru 1877/78. The vessel's service per LR? From 1863/64 thru 1866/67 from Sunderland to the Mediterranean. From Leith, Scotland, to the West Indies in the following two years. Ex Cork, Ireland, in 1869/70 & 1870/71. And to Montreal, Canada, from Sunderland in 1871/72 & 1872/73 & from Shields in 1873/74, the last year where LR reported intended voyages. A little 'best efforts' operational history of Hygeia. Some London arrivals - Nov. 22, 1864 ex Algoa Bay, South Africa - Jun. 29, 1866 ex Puerto Rico - Jul. 08, 1868 ex St. Jago de Cuba, Cuba. On two occasions in 1869 the vessel, 'Hooper' in command, left Welsh ports (Cardiff & Newport) for Alexandria (Egypt) & Ancona, Italy. On Jan. 09, 1870, the vessel arrived at Ancona ex Newport, Wales. Per a Lloyd's List report from Ancona on Feb. 01, 1870, Hygeia* caught fire forward & 'sustained significant damage'. On May 15, 1872, the vessel left Cardiff for Riga, Latvia, with rails. And carried a similar cargo to Vyjorge (where is it?) in Nov. 1873 with 'Ny' (query) in command. On Aug. 19, 1874 the vessel left Cardiff for Constantinope (now Istanbul, Turkey) with 'McCarthy' in command. In a report from Malta on Feb. 01, 1877, *Hygeia* arrived there with modest damage & a shifted cargo, ex Kustendjee (Black Sea, near the mouth of the Danube). At an unknown date, the vessel en route from Barbados to London saved 18 crew members of a vessel (name unknown to webmaster) & transferred them to a pilot boat at Scilly. 107.4 ft. long, signal letters VMKS, many crew lists are available here. What finally happened to *Hygeia*? LR of 1877/78 notes that the vessel had gone 'Missing'. This Dec. 29, 1877 report states the vessel had foundered with all hands while en route from Alexandria to Falmouth. I learn that the vessel left Alexandria on Aug. 16, 1877, with a cargo of 450 tons of beans & a crew of 10 all told. Bound for Falmouth for orders. It was never heard from again. Per item 442 on this U.K. Government listing of vessels lost in 1877. I have not read the name of her captain at the time of her loss. Can you tell us more about the circumstances of her loss or otherwise add anything? #2576
2	Comus 361/377 tons (N/G) 47771	1864	The data for this vessel is confusing. Two Sunderland build lists, available to the webmaster, record *Comus* as 1863 built. As does Lloyd's Register ('LR') for the vessel's entire lifetime. However the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') from 1872 (when year of build was first noted), consistently record the vessel as built in 1864. As also does Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1874. I have chosen to list the vessel as an 1864 vessel, since it was first registered in that year. The vessel was, I read, launched on Dec. 13, 1863, but was first registered, at Newcastle, in early 1864 (scroll to #47771). The vessel is LR listed from 1863/64 thru 1877/78, stated to be owned, thru 1873/74 by ''Thmpsn' - presumably Thompson, of Newcastle. A Sunderland website, which requests no links or recognition, tells us that the vessel's first owners were George Thompson & Thomas Harper, both of Newcastle, & Thomas Black of North Shields. They also tell us that by Jan. 29, 1864, John Hair of Newcastle had also become a part owner. MNLs of 1865 thru 1872 (1870) all list John A. Hair, of Newcastle, as her then, presumably managing owner. MNL of 1874 records Thomas Harper of Newcastle as such. This is as good a place as any to note that TR of 1874, presumably before the sale of the vessel, records Thomson & Harper as owning 44 shares in the vessel, while J. A. Hair owned 7 shares & T. Black owned 13. All of Newcastle except Black (of North Shields). Per LR, 'Black' served as the vessel's captain thru 1866/67, Bartholomew from 1866/68 thru 1868/69, 'Snell' from 1868/69 thru 1871/72 & J. Hill from 1872/73 thru to 1876/77 (for such later years with a new owner). The vessel's service while Thompson etc. owned? Per LR, from Sunderland to China thru 1865/66, from Shields to the West Indies in 1866/67 & 1867/68, from Liverpool to Cocanada (located on the Orissa coast of India) from 1868/69 thru 1870/71 & from Blyth to the Mediterranean from 1871/72 thru 1873/74. LRs of 1873/74 thru 1877/78 all record *Comus* as Newcastle registered & owned by W. Allen. Which per MNLs of 1875 thru 1878 means Wm. Allen of Weybourne, Norfolk. J. Hill was the vessel's captain, thru 1876/77 - replaced by H. B. Mason in 1876/77 per LR. A little 'best efforts' operational data. It would seem that *Comus* left Sunderland for Shanghai, China, on Jan. 23, 1864. Vessel was part of 'Elliot's British Line of Eastern Traders' with 'Black' her captain. On May 16, 1865, *Comus* was entered in at London ex Yokohama, Japan. On Jun. 09, 1877, *Comus* was signalled at the Lizard ex Guadaloupe. Not an easy ship to search for! 118.0 ft. long, signal letters VQBP, crew lists are available here. What finally happened to *Comus? MNL of 1877/78 tell us that the vessel had gone 'Missing'. This U.K. Government wreck page (item #440) tells us that in early Aug. 1877, Comus* was en route from Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, to Demerera (Guyana, N. coast of South America), with a crew of 11 all told & a cargo of 557 tons of coal. Having left Troon, I read, on Jul. 29, 1877. The vessel was seen off the Tuskar (a group of rocks, topped with a lighthouse, located off the SE coast of Ireland near Rosslare & Wexford), on Aug. 02, 1877. And was never heard from again. Have not read the name of the vessel's captain at the time of her loss. Can you add anything additional? #2577
3	Ceylon 396 tons 51191	1865	A wooden barque. Built, I have read, by J. M. Reed. *Ceylon, which was launched on May 12, 1865 & first registered, at Sunderland, on May 30, 1865, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed ffrom 1865/66 thru 1877/78. It was, per LR, owned thru 1875/76 by Dawson & Co., of Sunderland. Which owner name is clarified by Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1866 thru 1875 (1870) to mean William Dawson of Sunderland. I note that Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1874 lists Wm. Dawson as the vessel's then sole owner. Per LR, R. Leach served as the vessel's captain while the vessel was 'Dawson' owned, indeed he continued to serve as captain, per LR at least, thru to 1877/78. The vessel's service per LR? From Sunderland to India in 1865/66 & 1866/67, from Sunderland to Aden in 1867/68, from London to Australia in 1868/69 & from Sunderland to India again from 1869/70 thru 1873/74. So far as I can see, the vessel made a single voyage to Australia, arriving at Brisbane, Queensland, ex London, on Oct. 4, 1869 with a varied cargo & under the command of R. (Richard) Leach. After a voyage stated to be of 120 days. On Dec. 11, 1869, Francis Cadell* towed *Ceylon* out of the river to commence her return voyage to London with about 1,100 bales of wool & other local produce. Have also read that she departed Brisbane on Dec. 13, 1869. Have not spotted when she arrived back in London. In 1875/76, per LR, T. Scott, of Sunderland, became the vessel's owner. Thomas Scott per MNLs of 1876 & 1877. 124.3 ft. long, signal letters HKTR, crew lists are available here. What finally happened to *Ceylon? LR of 1877/78 notes that the vessel had been 'Abandoned'. On Apl. 24, 1877, the 396 ton barque was abandoned at sea, at 36.51S/16.23E (SW of Cape Town, South Africa, in the S. Atlantic), while en route from London to Yokohama, Japan, with a general cargo of about 550 tons. Crew of 13 - none lost. The vessel was then owned by T. Scott of Sunderland. There was a Board of Trade Inquiry into the loss, (not WWW available that I can see), which determined - 'In a heavy gale and violent sea the "Ceylon" was totally dismasted, deck ripped open for a space of 15 feet by 5 inches wide, one pump destroyed &c.*' The Inquiry determined that the loss was not attributable to the barque's Master. As per this U.K. Government wreck listing page. This page (also U.K. Government) tells us that T. Cooper was the vessel's captain at the time of her loss. Can you provide the text (or a summary) of the Inquiry report, or otherwise add or correct anything? #2536

R. REED

Just a name today. A builder who, so far as I can see, built just a single vessel - Luna, as below. I note, however, that the Lloyd's Register Foundation records Thomas Reed as the vessel's builder.

Luna
195/184 tons

20054

1837

A brig or snow. Luna, which was launched in Aug. 1837, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed in 1838/39, from 1841/42 thru 1844/45 & from 1874/75 thru 1881/82. It seems likely that the vessel, initially registered at Sunderland (with T. Potter her captain), was, from 1841/42 at least, always registered at Rochester, River Medway, Kent.
LRs of 1841/42 thru 1844/45 record 'Hayman' of Rochester as the vessel's owner for service from Stockton to Rochester. With 'Pleling' (an unusual name) LR noted to have been her captain.
The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') comes to our rescue in the absence of LR data. It records Luna, from 1857 thru 1882, as Rochester registered with, from 1865 thru 1867, William Peters, of Halling, Kent, her owner. From 1868 thru 1867, MNL rather records Joseph Peters of Burnham, Kent. MNL of 1878 records Miss Harriet Crawford of Wells, Norfolk, as her then owner. And from 1879 thru 1882 MNL records William B. Fend, of Chatham, Kent - corrected perhaps to William B. Frend in MNL of 1882. The B. means Brown, I learn.
Much of such data is confirmed by LR. From 1874/75 thru 1876/77, LR records J. Peters as her owner, becoming Miss H. Crawford in 1877/78 & W. B. Frend from 1878/79 thru 1881/82.
The webmaster has not researched the operational history of Luna. The few references the webmaster did spot seemed to indicate that the vessel's life was primarily carrying coal from various ports in the north to Rochester.
75.0 ft. long,, signal letters MVLT, many crew lists are available via this page. Medway registry records for the vessel are available via this page - here and here but both slow to load (for me at least) & subject to Crown copyright - so I cannot show them to you. The records are most informative. They provide great detail & dates not included above.
What finally happaned to Luna? LR of 1881/82 notes that the vessel had been 'Lost'. It seems clear that the vessel was not lost in 1881 or 1882, rather in late 1880.
In late Oct. 1880, a hurricane ravaged the east coast of the U.K. It caused shipwrecks galore up & down the coast and much damage on shore. The hurricane & its effects was recorded extensively in the newspapers of the day. The situation at Redcar, Yorkshire, was particularly bad.
It would seem that 6 vessels were wrecked at Redcar on Oct. 28/29, 1880 - 'our' Luna, & five other vessels - Emmanuel Boucher of Whitby (a brig), Tees (a Stockton steamship), Mina or Minna (a German brig), Hazard (a Norwegian brig), & John and Mary a Portsmouth brig. A second vessel named Luna (ON 55340, registered at Sunderland but built at Montrose, Scotland, in 1867), also got ashore at nearby Coatham, but clearly survived the encounter.
Luna met its end in a spectacular fashion. At 11 p.m. on Oct. 28, 1880, Luna struck the Eastcarr rocks, while en route, in ballast, from Rochester to Shields. Such rocks, I presume, must be quite close to Redcar, S. of the pier. At 1.30 a.m. the next morning, Luna drove northward to the Redcar pier, carrying away 5 spans of such pier. There she grounded & remained fast. Rescue facilities were just not then available in view of the total catastrophe, further the supply of rescue rockets had been expended. So Luna's crew had no choice but to stay aboard the vessel. But at 4.30 a.m. on Oct. 30, 1880, Zetland, an older lifeboat I read, was brought back into commision & was able to safely venture out and rescue the entire Luna crew stated to be of 7 persons. Her captain, W. B. Frend, was the only casualty - he was severely hurt by being struck on the right leg by pieces of iron falling from the Redcar pier, which pier most clearly suffered major damage. Some contemporary news reports - 1 & 2.
Can you add to or correct in any way, the above text? #2816

T. REED

A builder who, so far as I can see, built 37 vessels at Sunderland in the years from 1826 thru 1840.

just a single vessel is today detail listed below. Hopefully more will be listed soon.

Adolphus
279 tons

1836

The vessel, a snow, was launched in Jan. 1836. It is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1836/37 thru 1849/50 & not thereafter.
Per LR, Adolphus was owned, for its entire lifetime, by 'Scurfield' of Sunderland ('Scarfield' in LR of 1836/37). With 'Lambton' her initial captain thru 1839/40, 'Croft' from 1839/40 thru 1843/44, 'Leman' from 1843/44 thru 1846/47 & R. Hodgson from & after 1846/47.
For service from i) Sunderland to London thru 1842/43, ii) Liverpool to Dordt (Dordrecht, Holland, I believe) from 1843/44 thru 1845/46, & iii) Sunderland to New York from 1846/47 thru 1848/49.
I note, however, that the North of England Martime Directory of 1848/9, in Apl. 1848 data, does not record 'Scurfield' as the vessel's then owner. It rather records Adolphus as Sunderland registered & owned by Lambton & Young, of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland.
What finally happened to Adolphus? I learn that on Nov. 08, 1851, the vessel, James Woodruff in command, left Hamburg, Germany, for Sunderland, arriving there on Nov. 24, 1851. It clearly then loaded a cargo of coal for delivery to London. At 3.30 p.m. on Nov. 30, 1851, Adolphus ran aground, on the Gunfleet Sands, located off the Essex coast near Clacton. With the help of the crews of three smacks, 3 keels of coal were thrown overboard & she was floated off at about 6 p.m. on Nov. 01, 1851. Thinking that all was well & that the voyage could be resumed, the smacks were then dismissed. Alas, Adolphus soon started to take on water - so much water that the pumps could not control it. The vessel sank in deep water at 4 a.m. on Dec. 01, 1851, still on the Gunfleet. Her crew were all rescued. I note that the 'Gateshead Observer', of Dec. 06, 1851, advised that the vessel was then owned by J. Lambton & Co., of Sunderland. I have read that some materials were later recovered from the wreck. A couple of contemporary news reports - 1 & 2.
Is there anything you can add to the above - or correct? #2854

WILLIAM REED (OR REID)

Little more than a name today. Often referenced as 'Reid'. He would seem to have built 13 ships, at Sunderland, in the period from 1847 to 1857. All of which are now detail listed below. I should note however that there may have been a 14th & 15th vessel - Sultana of 1849 & Alma of 1854 or 1855. Alma's builder is at present a little unclear. I record Alma in these pages as built by James Hardie, as seems, to the webmaster at least, to be correct. Here.

I have read that he built at Coxgreen or at Washington.

1	Madelina Grenfell 314/341 tons	1847	A barque. Launched on Jul. 07, 1847, the vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed in 1848/49 & 1849/50 only, owned by 'Nichols'n' of Sunderland, for service from Sunderland to Cuba. With 'Gray' serving as the vessel's captain. Such owner name is clarified by the North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/49 to mean, in Apl. 1848, W. (William) Nicholson & Sons, of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland. On Jul. 23, 1847, the vessel was at Deal, Kent, en route from Sunderland to Cuba, 'Gray' in command. The webmaster earlier had not spotted any later LR references to the vessel. But now, thanks to the kindness of today's John Gray, we can tell you what happened to *Madelina Grenfell. John advises that his GG grandfather [John McDonald Gray (1818/1848)] was the vessel's master when the vessel left St. Jago de Cuba, Cuba, on Aug. 15, 1848 bound for Swansea, Wales, with a cargo of copper ore. As per this hurricane reference (in red). En route, the vessel was lost with all hands when it fell victim to one of the many hurricanes of that year. A crew list for the vessel's 1847/48 voyage from Swansea to Cuba. One can only imagine the grief experienced by Elizabeth Gray, Captain Gray's widow, who was, John advises, left with 4 young children, all boys, to care for. Elizabeth became a housekeeper at Seaham Harbour & successfuly raised her 4 boys, two of whom later went to sea. Her oldest indeed, also John McDonald Gray, served as a ship's captain for 18 years & was the master of Resolution*, built by Hylton Carr at Sunderland in 1850. Elizabeth died in 1899, a widow for over 50 years! John we thank you for your input! This newspaper report refers to the loss of the vessel, which it incorrectly refers to as being named Madeline Grenfield. Can you add anything to this still brief listing? #2333
2	Sultana 496/588 (old/new) tons 12761	1849	A barque. This listing was revised in Feb. 2023, to remove wreck data that the webmaster now knows was properly related to another vessel named *Sultana. As the listing is revised, the webmaster cannot recall where he earlier had read that the vessel was built by William Reid of Cox Green. A Lloyd's Survey document dated Feb. 24, 1859 is available - during her build - & Mr. Reed (rather than Reid) is there noted to be her builder. Sultana* is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1848/49 (in the supplement) thru 1863/64. Always registered at London, the vessel was initially owned by 'Mitcheson' of London (which I learn means William Mitcheson) thru 1854/55 with 'Mainland', per LR, serving as the vessel's captain. For initial service from London to Calcutta (now Kolkata, India), from 1851/52 thru 1853/54 for service from London to Adelaide, South Australia, & from London to Australia (no port referenced) in 1854/55. The vessel made two voyages to Adelaide under the command of 'Mainland', i.e. David Mainland. i) On Aug. 08, 1851, *Sultana* arrived at Adelaide ex London (left Apl. 24, 1851) via Plymouth, with 233 Government immigrants - 169 adults & 64 children. On Sep. 16, 1851 it was entered out for departure from Adelaide for Madras in ballast. ii) On Oct. 07, 1852, the vessel again arrived at Adelaide, ex Plymouth (left Jun. 21, 1852) with 239 passengers, 160 aduts & 79 chlldren. In 1855/56 per LR, D. Maitland, surely the vessel's earlier captain, became the vessel's new owner with 'Tapper' (from 1856/57 W. Tapper), serving as the vessel's captain. For continued service from London to Australia in 1855/56 & ex London thereafter. Such data looks to be significantly wrong. We thank 'Trove', Australia, for most of the following data. 'Tapper', i.e. William Tapper, was *Sultana's captain much earlier than 1855/56. i) On Nov. 03, 1853, the vessel, 'Tapper' in command, left Plymouth for Adelaide (arr. Feb. 03 or 08, 1854), with 252 or 253 emigrants, after a 92 day voyage. It would seem that such voyage originated at Ardrossan, N. Ayrshire coast of Scotland -the vessel was there on Oct. 21, 1853. On Mar. 02, 1854, the vessel left Adelaide for Madras (now Chennai, India) in ballast. ii) On May 10, 1855, Sultana* arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, ex Plymouth (left Jan. 21, 1855) with 237 Government immigrants. This page says it rather arrived on May 26, 1855. On Jun. 26, 1855 the vessel left Sydney for New Caledonia (Noumea, French, 750 miles off Australian E. coast). ii) The vessel was expected to leave London for Sydney on or about Mar. 15, 1856. I have not spotted when it left London, nor when it arrived at & later left Sydney. The vessel was advertised for departure from Sydney for Hong Kong on Aug. 06, 1856, with William Tapper in command. But I have read that on Aug. 12, 1856, *Sultana* rather left Sydney for Guam. The Mercantile Navy List lists *Sultana* as London registered from 1857 thru 1864, but does not list the vessel in 1865. It seems to say, however, that the vessel was lost, per an advice dated Nov. 26, 1863 (scroll to #12761). Not good data as you can read next. In Apl. 1857, *Sultana* was en route from Hong Kong, to an unstated port (likely Robe) with a general cargo & Chinese passengers. On Apl. 27, 1857, in very 'thick' weather, the vessel struck on Cape Dombey, at the entrance to Guichen Bay (about 270 km. SSE of Adelaide, South Australia). The pumps could not keep up with the incomng water, so 'Garnett' her then master, beached the vessel to permit the passengers to be landed. The vessel was described as 'a total and unmanagable wreck'. Garnett the captain? He was the vessel's mate & took command when the captain, possibly but not certainly 'Tapper', had died on the voyage. 'Garnett' indicated that there were no pilots at Guichen Bay, but I read there was a pilot there but busy with another vessel at the time of the stranding. 'Garnett' might best have waited at sea until such pilot became available. A contemporary news report. 122 ft. 2 in. long, signal letters LDFR. No crew lists seem to be available. I note that LR of 1863/64 reported that *Sultana* had been 'Wrecked'. It seems to be clear that the vessel had been wrecked long before that date. Can you add to or correct the above text. #2737
3	Eliza Bain 262 tons 25966	1850	A snow. The vessel, which was first registered at Irvine (near Ardrossan, Ayrshire, near Glasgow), Scotland, on Mar. 7, 1850 (scroll to #25966), is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1850/51 thru 1859/60, owned for her entire lifetime, per LR, by Steel & Co. of Ardrossan. For service from Sunderland to the West Indies thru 1852/53, from Clyde to Surinam, Dutch Guiana (NE coast of South America), in 1853/54 & 1854/55, from Clyde to the West Indies in and after 1855/56. With, per LR, Steel (A. Steel from 1853/54) serving as the vessel's captain thru 1854/55, E. Corrigill so serving from 1855/56 thru 1858/59 & J. Stirling in 1859/60. I have read that the vessel was 92.5 ft. long. What finally happened to Eliza Bain? The first link above tells us that a certificate re the vessel having burnt was dated Aug. 24, 1859 (as I read the handwriting). This page tells us that on Jul. 10, 1859, a vessel of the name, surely this vessel, caught fire when at Kingston Harbour, Jamaica. Stated there to have been a Glasgow brig. The fire brigade, soldiers & others were unable to extinguish the fire & the vessel was 'totally consumed'. Several men, I read, were injured when her masts fell. It seems certain to the webmaster that this was 'our' Eliza Bain. I note however that 'Illustrated London News', in a very brief reference, referred to the vessel which burned as being a tug. No crew lists seem to be available for the vessel. Can you add to and/or correct this listing? #2336
4	Hendon 216 later 203 tons 2626	1850	A snow. Hendon, which was launched on Jul. 25, 1850, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1851/52 thru 1860/61. It was initially owned, per LR, by Walker & Son, of Sunderland, for Sunderland to London service. With R. Downs serving as the vessel's captain. In 1854/55, per LR, 'Smrthw'it', presumably Smurthwaite, also of Sunderland, became the vessel's owner for continued service from Sunderland to London. With 'Downs' continuing to be the vessel's captain .... .... until 1859/60 that is when LR advises that Hendon was now owned by J. Crossby of Sunderland with J. Sharp her new captain. For, under 'Crossby' ownership, service as a Sunderland coaster. Now the North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5 reports that in Mar. 1854, the vessel was owned by a group of 11 shareholders, including both John Crossby & John Smurthwaite. (You can read the full shareholder list at the link). So the change from Smurthwaite to Crossby may well have been simply a change in her managing owner. Such link clarifies that R. Downs meant Robt. Downs. Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1856 essentially confirms that shareholder list with one exception - it references J. Crossley rather than J. Crossby (as indeed it did in the TR 1855 edition also). It also indicates that the vessel's tonnage had become 203 tons. Such reference to Crossley is likely in error. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 again refers to Crossby. It would seem that there was a later change of ownership at date unknown. To William Richardson. A little operational history - On Oct. 24, 1856, the vessel left London for Sunderland, likely (though this page does not say so) in ballast. It went aground on rocks at Redcar, Yorkshire, in thick weather, was got off & reached Sunderland with 'extra assistance'. I have read that the vessel was 86.3 ft. long. On Oct. 04, 1860, per line 338 here, the 203 ton snow was lost at Geestem�nde (i.e. Bremerhaven, Germany), while en route from Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) to London with a cargo of oats. 6 of the 8 crew were lost. The vessel is stated to have then been owned by William Richardson. Readers should note that the loss of Hendon was not an isolated occurrence. A massive 3-day gale on Oct. 4/5/6, 1860 caused the loss of 60 ships along the coasts of Europe into the Baltic, including Hendon. And also affected shipping in the U.K. north-east. This article (in red) tells us that at the time of her loss, 'Longstaff' was Hendon's master, further that he was one of the six crew members who were unfortunately drowned. Can you add to or correct this vessel listing? #2334
5	Vesper 224 later 209 tons 22843	1850	A snow. The vessel, which I have read was completed in Mar. 1850, is Lloyd's Register listed from 1850/51 thru 1867/68, always owned, per LR, by 'Wilkinson' of Hartlepool. Which, it would seem, meant Thomas, George & Matthew Wilkinson. For service ex Sunderland thru 1854/55, from Hartlepool to the Mediterranean from 1855/56 thru 1858/69 & from Hartlepool to Hamburg, Germany, from & after 1859/60. For most of those years, LR did not reference a captain's name. However from 1855/56 thru 1858/59 LR did record 'Ferguson' as her then captain. Marwood's North of England Maritime Registry of 1854/55 (1854 data) lists Thomas Wilkinson of Hartlepool as her then owner with Martin Poll her then captain. Such owner name is confirmed by Turnbull's Shipping Registers of 1855 & 1856 (both of which state that Vesper was built at Hartlepool) with J. (John) Ferguson her then captain. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 lists George & Matthew Wilkinson of Hartlepool as the then owners of the snow, now of 209 tons. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1865 thru 1870 similarly list George Wilkinson of Hartlepool as the vessel's then owner. 87.0 ft. long, signal letters NPDT. Crew lists are available here. On Oct. 18, 1869, per line 33 on this page, Vesper stranded at the Tees Breakwater, Coatham, Yorkshire, while en route from Gefle (now G�vle, Sweden) to Hartlepool with a cargo of deals & iron. The vessel is stated to have had a crew of 6, two of whom lost their lives. The above text includes data from this fine site (thanks!) which talks of her loss a little differently, i.e. that the vessel, under the command of James Kitteringham, went ashore on the South Gare Breakwater at Redcar (Yorkshire) during fierce storms. Further that the captain was washed overboard & drowned, while a crew member sustained a compound fracture of the leg but presumably did not lose his life. I note that Coatham is part of the city of Redcar, so the stated differences in the loss location are of modest meaning. The stranding is briefly referenced here. The site referenced above provides much additional detail of interest about the vessel, particularly that 'S. Chapman' was the vessel's captain in 1864/65 & that the vessel featured a female bust figurehead, which figurehead was apparently removed on Dec. 07, 1855. Extensive detail about Wilkinson & Sons with biographical data of family members & others can be accessed here. Is there anything you can add? #2337
6	Regina 277/293 later 273 tons 14652	1851	A snow or brig. Regina is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1851/52 thru 1867/68. Though why it was listed for so long is a puzzle - it was lost in Nov. 1861. From 1851/52 thru 1856/57, the vessel was owned by 'Richardson' of Sunderland for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean. With W. Pratt serving as the vessel's captain. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55 records, in Mar. 1854, Cuthbert, Margaret A. and Elizabeth Richardson, all of Sunderland, as the vessel's then owners, with Wm. Pratt her then captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 lists C., M. A., & E. Richardson, all of Sunderland, as her then owners. LR of 1857/58 records E. Graham, jr., of Newcastle, as the new owner of the vessel for service ex Sunderland, with 'Watt' now her captain. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 (which records the vessel's O.N. incorrectly as 14625) lists Edward Graham & J. Snowdon, both of Newcastle, as the brig's then owners. This Whitby shipping history book page (in blue) tells us that the vessel became registered at Whitby in Nov. 1859. Owned by F. Robinson, Christ. Harrison & J. Weighill. LR of 1860/61, records Harrison & Co., of Whitby, as the owner of Regina, now of 273 tons, for service initially ex Sunderland but from 1861/62 for service from Falmouth to New York. With J. Robinson her captain. 95.0 ft. long. On Nov. 13, 1861, per line 1444 here, the 273 ton snow was stranded at Swin Middle (I believe on the N. side of the Thames estuary near Southend, Essex), while en route from Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) to London (not Whitstable, Kent, as there stated, I learn) with a cargo of tallow & lathwood. Crew of 10 & 1 passenger - none lost. Then stated to be owned by Francis Robinson. Wikipedia advises, I see, (thanks!) that reports re the vessel's stranding were published in the 'Times' & 'The Standard' newspapers, both of London, on Nov. 16, 1861 & by the 'Newcastle Courant' on Nov. 22, 1861. It would be good to provide here images of those reports. Welsh Newspapers Online provides (thanks so much!) 3 articles re the wreck of Regina & the most comprehensive of such articles can be read here. Regina had gone aground, on the night of Nov. 13, 1861, 7 or 8 miles off the Essex coast in heavy weather. Skelton, her captain, & the others took to a longboat, were picked by Effort, a schooner, & landed at Whitstable. Skelton was ill aboard Effort but on Nov. 14, 1861 he reported the loss to Mr. Wood, the Lloyd's agent at Whitstable. On the next day (15th), Skelton & such agent proceeded to the wreck to find 50 men aboard her & many boats alongside. Holes had been cut into the vessel's hull & other damage caused in the effort to get access to & steal the cargo of tallow stored in casks. The plunderers were told to desist, but such requests were roughly rejected. The plundering continued on the next day when Skelton & the agent returned but could not even get near to the wreck due to the number of smacks that surrounded her. Bad weather for a few days made access to the wreck difficult. Later, a steam tug arrived from Sheerness, Kent, &, since the men then aboard the vessel absolutely refused to leave, the tug left to soon return with a party of 12 Royal Marines. 3 Brightlingsea (near Colchester), Essex, plundering smacks were arrested & taken to Sheerness while 17 other smacks evaded capture & got away. It would seem that about 200 tons of tallow were stolen. Seven of the boatmen, of smacks Prima Donna & Sarah, were convicted & fined the then surely massive amount of �100 each, or face 3 months in prison. This is presumably not the end of the story because the men could not pay & intended to appeal. Have not read what later happened. Tallow? A hard fatty substance made from rendered animal fat, used in making candles & soap & indeed for many other uses. Is there anything you can add to this most interesting history? #2335
7	Nugget 148 or 149 tons	1852	A schooner. The vessel was previously in these pages as a 180 ton ship of unknown name, built by William Reid, of Sunderland & sold to a Sunderland owner. There are puzzles with that entry which I believe was for Nugget, but which, per a Sunderland build list available to the webmaster, was only launched in Sep. 1852. Was it really registered at Sunderland before being sold to Cardiff? As was so since the vessel was registered at Cardiff, Wales, on Jun. 27, 1852 (scroll to #9292). Despite the inconsistencies, I none-the-less believe that the 'unknown vessel' was truly named Nugget. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1853/54 thru 1864/65, always owned by C. Bailey of Cardiff, for service thru 1856/57 from Sunderland to London, & thereafter for service as a Cardiff coaster. 'Newman', per LR, was Nugget's captain thru 1856/57 & J. Morris thereafter. Another puzzle. The references to the vessel are few at 'Welsh Newspapers Online'. While registered at Cardiff, the vessel would seem to have spent almost no time there. 82.0 ft. long. No crew lists are available. LR of 1864/65 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. So far at least, the webmaster has not learned what happened to Nugget nor when. In or about 1864, most likely, since the vessel is not listed in the Mercantile Navy List of 1865. Is there anything you can add to this modest listing? #2340
8	Prodroma 266/274, later 250 tons 919	1852	A snow. The vessel, which was launched in Jun. 1852 & first registered, at Sunderland, on Jul. 6, 1852, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1853/54 thru 1860/61 only. From 1853/54 thru 1856/57, per LR, Prodroma was owned by 'Richardson' of Sunderland for consistent service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean. With W. Todd serving as her captain throughout such period. Marwood's North of England Mercantile Directory of 1854/55 clarifies the owner name to mean, in Mar. 1854, Cuthbert, Elizabeth, & Margt. A. Richardson, all of Sunderland, with Wm. Todd her captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1855 confirms such data, while TR of 1856 records the vessel as owned by C., E., & M. A. Richardson, all of Sunderland. Per LR, in 1857/58 the vessel became registered at Stockton (Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham), & owned by 'Rayner', for service from Stockton to the Mediterranean in 1857/58, thereafter, from Liverpool, to the Mediterranean. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 tells us that the vessel, now of 250 tons, was then owned by William Rayner, Henry Sutton & Henry Thompson, all of nearby Middlesbro'. What happened to Prodroma? On Dec. 03, 1860, per line 459 here, the 250 ton snow was stranded at 'N. Car, Seaton Carew' (North Gare Sand, Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool), while en route from Hamburg, Germany. Also, see these references - 1, 2 & 3. None of the 11 man crew (one ref. says 7 only) lost their lives. The vessel was stated to have then been owned by Wm. Rayner. The location would seem correctly to be North Gare (with a 'G') Sands. Is there anything you can add? Or correct? #2342
9	Rebecca 215/193 later 180 tons 26145	1852	A snow or brig. The vessel, which I have read was first registered in Mar. 1852, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1852/53 thru 1867/68 & not thereafter. For that entire period, per LR, the vessel was registered at Whitby, Yorkshire, & owned by the 'Storm' family of Robin Hood's Bay ('RHB'). Per LR, J. Storm thru 1859/60 & M. Storm thereafter. Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55 (1853 data) lists James, Matthew & John Harrison Storm as her then owners along with Wm. Steel, all of RHB, with Matthew Storm serving as the vessel's captain. Such data is confirmed by Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856. Two years later, in 1858, Christie's Shipping Register advises a slightly changed ownership, i.e. Matthew Storm, William Bedlington & Wm. Steel, all of RHB. The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1865, 1867 & 1868 all list Matthew Storm as the vessel's then, presumably managing, owner. Per LR, Rebecca served London i) ex Sunderland in the period of 1852/55 & ii) ex Hartlepool in 1856/60. It also served the Baltic i) ex Hartlepool (in 1855/56 & 1863/66) & ii) ex Whitby (in 1861/63 & 1866/68). M. (presumably Matthew) Storm served as the vessel's captain per LR from 1852/53 thru 1854/55 & from 1856/57 thru 1859/60, while Bedlington (presumably William Bedlington), served as captain from 1860/61 thru 1865/66 & maybe served briefly in 1855/56. J. Pattie would also seem to have served as the vessel's captain, in 1855/56 & from 1865/66 until the vessel's loss in late 1867. LR's recording of the vessel's tonnage is unusual. It is listed at 215/193 tons thru to 1854/55, 180 tons in 1855/56, 215/193 tons again from 1856/57 thru 1859/60 & 180 tons from 1860/61 thru 1867/68. 85.0 ft. long. Some crew lists are available here. LR of 1867/68 notes that Rebecca had been 'Wrecked'. Per the 2nd line 15 on this page, the 180 ton snow foundered in the North Sea on Dec. 02, 1867 while en route from Hartlepool to Landscrona, Sweden, with an unknown cargo. Crew of 7, all lost. Landscrona is on the W. coast of Sweden, across the water N. & a bit east of Copenhagen, Denmark. I should note that I have read elsewhere, in a data 'snippet' ex the Dundee Advertiser of Mar. 19, 1868, that the vessel was routed in the other direction, i.e. it left Landscrona in Nov. 1867, & went missing. Perhaps that or a similar report will become available to the webmaster in due course & the details can be learned. Since the above was first written, an 1867 wreck list has become available (in Accounts & Papers Vol. 63 1867-68). I cannot spot Rebecca in the extensive lists therein contained. Which is a puzzle, indeed. Is it possible that you have anything to add? #2338
10	Olive Branch 344/349 tons	1853	A brig, which was launched in Mar. 1853, & would appear to have been lost later that year. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed in 1853/54 only, owned by R. Oliver of Sunderland, for service from Sunderland to Quebec, Canada, with A. Bird noted to have been her captain. I have read that the vessel was 107.0 ft. long. Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) that on May 31, 1853, a vessel of the name, surely this vessel, was lost at White Head, near Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada, while en route from Sunderland to Quebec City. With no loss of life. As was referenced in the 'Daily News' of London on Jun. 21, 1853 & the 'London Times', of Jul. 05, 1853. Such loss may be recorded, here, in 'The Sailor's Magazine', published in New York, in Sep. 1853. Maybe reported twice! The vessel's loss would surely have been announced also in the Sunderland & Newcastle newspapers of the time. It would be good to be able to access those. Is it possible that you have anything to add? #2346

Duchess of Northumberland
461/531, later 487, later 481 tons

16154

1854

A barque. The vessel, which was launched in Jan. 1854 & first registered, at Shields, on Feb. 03, 1854, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1854/55 thru 1859/60 only. Owned, per LR, by S. Mease of North Shields, for initial service, thru 1856/57, from Sunderland to the West Indies, & from 1857/58 for service from Shields to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). With J. Gibson her captain thru 1856/57 & 'Dodds' thereafter. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55 (1854 data) lists her then owners as being Solomon, Robert Dryden, and John Augustus Mease, all of N. Shields, with Josiah Gibson serving as the vessel's captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 lists the then owners of 'D. of Northmld' to be (verbatim) S. R. D. & J. A. Mease, of North Shields, while Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 records Solomon, Robert, D. and John A. Mease, all of North Shields, as the then owners of the 481 ton Duchess of Northumberland.
LR initially records the vessel at 461/531 tons, becoming 487 tons in 1857/58. I have read that the vessel was 130.7 ft. long. No crew lists seem to be available.
Paul Roper advises (thanks!) that Solomon Mease (1800/1871) was not only a shipowner & businessman, but was also, twice, the Mayor of Tynemouth, a JP, a Tyne River Commissioner, & a pillar of the Wesleyan Methodist church. He had three sons - Robert Dryden Mease, George Dryden Mease & John Augustus Mease, all of whom at various times were in partnership with their father. Paul further advises that per her Surveyor's certificate, Duchess of Northumberland was built by Wm. Reed. Her maiden voyage was to 'Havanna', Cuba, but subsequently she sailed to Ceylon & Burma (now Myanmar), & most of her voyages ended in Antwerp, Belgium.
What happened to the vessel? Paul Roper tells me that she left Akyab (now Sittwe, Myanmar), on May 21, 1858. Per Wikipedia, as I interpret the entry, she left on Mar. 31, 1858, for Falmouth, Cornwall. Presumably for orders. Dodds was in command. The vessel went missing & was never heard from again. But we have a further puzzle to address. This page, ex 'Bankers' Magazine ...' published in New York, records what seems to be this vessel, built at Sunderland in 1854, abandoned at sea in Dec. 1858. An error? Need help! Anything you can add? #2350

12	Juno 260/254, later 223 tons 8443	1854	A snow. The vessel, which, I read, was launched in Apl. 1854, would appear to have been first registered at Sunderland only on Sep. 20, 1854 (scroll to #8443). It is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1854/55 thru 1863/64. The vessel was owned, thru 1859/60, per LR, by C. Alcock of Sunderland for service from Sunderland to Hamburg, Germany. With T. Bolton, always, per LR, her captain. It seems likely that this is the Juno, a brig, referred to on the 6th line on this page, ex here, which struck the bar at Sunderland & sank in the river on Nov. 15, 1854. Damaged, it presumably was soon raised & repaired. In 1860/61, the vessel, now of 223 tons, is listed as owned by 'Egglestne' (with an 'e' at the end), of Sunderland, for service ex Sunderland. With T. Franks her captain thru 1862/63 but J. Franks in LR of 1863/64. Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1855 lists Henry Eggleston, of Sunderland, as her then owner with R. T. Wishart her captain. TR of 1856 lists H. Eggleston of Sunderland, as her owner. Data which is confirmed by Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 which also lists Henry Eggleston as her owner. The vessel was registered at Sunderland, from 1860 thru 1863, per the Mercantile Navy List. 95.0 ft. long, signal letters KCFT. Crew lists of a single year (1863) are available here. Strangely, the vessel is noted to have been 'Lost' in LR editions of both 1862/63 & 1863/64. Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) on Apl. 16, 1863, a vessel named Juno was driven ashore at Cape Toulcha, Ottoman Empire. Toulcha I think is today's Tulcea, located near the mouth of the Danube River, Black Sea, today in Romania. As per the 'Hull Packet' of May 01, 1863. Wikipedia also advise, however, that another vessel named Juno was wrecked later that year - on Oct. 31, 1863 on the Norden Gronden, noted to be off the mouth of the Elbe river (i.e. North Sea), while en route from Hamburg to London. The location & routing of the Oct. 31, 1863 loss looks most likely for 'our' Juno. But this page (scroll to #8443) refers to a certificate re 'our' vessel's loss being dated May 27, 1863. I will keep an open mind on the matter hoping that new data of clarification will emerge. Can you tell us anything additional? #2352
13	Anne 246 tons 7362	1856	A snow, later a schooner. The vessel, which was launched in Mar. 1856, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1856/57 thru 1864/65. I read that it was first registered, at Sunderland, on Apl. 04, 1856. The vessel was owned for its entire lifetime by Brown & Co. of Sunderland. Initially for service from Sunderland to the U.S.A. (in 1856/57 & 1857/58), but mainly for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean (1858/59 & 1859/60 & 1861/62 thru 1864/65). LR of 1860/61, however, records service from Gloucester to France. 'Crksh'nk', presumably Cruickshank, was the vessel's captain thru 1859/60 while F. Brown was the vessel's captain in 1860/61. After that, E. Brown is LR noted to have been her captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 lists J. & W. M. Brown, of Sunderland, as her then owners. Which owner names Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies as meaning John Brown & Wm. M. Brown. 97.0 ft. long. Signal letters JSPR. Per LR a schooner from 1861/62. Crew lists of 1863 & 1864 are available. LR of 1864/65 states 'Abandoned'. Details as to the circumstances of her loss are not yet to hand. We do know, however, that a certificate re her loss was dated Oct. 12, 1864 (scroll to #7362). Can you tell us what happened to Anne & when. Or otherwise add anything? #2355
14	Ph�bus 313 later 303/304 tons 18682	1857	A barque, likely later a brig. The vessel, which was launched in Apl. 1857 & first registered, at Sunderland, on Apl. 24, 1857, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1858/59 thru 1879/80. Per LR from 1857/58 thru 1867/68, Phoebus was owned by 'Smallman' of South Shields, with W. Wood serving throughout such period as the vessel's captain. For service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean from 1858/59 thru 1860/61, from Shields to the Mediterranean in 1861/62, & from 1862/63 thru 1866/67 ex the Clyde. There is doubt as to the LR stated owner name of 'Smallman'. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 tells us that the vessel was then registered at Shields & was rather owned by John H. Small & Geo. D. Robson, both of South Shields. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records the vessel as registered at South Shields from 1860 thru 1868 & at North Shields thereafter. MNLs of 1865 & 1866, record George D. Robson of South Shields as her then owner or managing owner. LR of 1867/68 lists J. Dixon of Blyth as then becoming the vessel's new & seemingly her final owner or managing owner. But ... in MNL of 1868, Joseph Hodgson of Blyth was so recorded. Only from 1869 (1870) thru 1880 does MNL list John Dixon of Blyth as the vessel's owner or managing owner. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1874 lists the 384 ton barque as registered at North Shields & owned by J. Dixon of Blyth, & by Amelia J. Hansen & Susannah W. Button, both of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, with, respectively, 32, 16 & 16 shares. Her captains? W. Hill from 1867/68 thru 1869/70, J. Wood from 1869/70 thru 1873/74 but W. Wood or W. Woods from & after 1873/74. Her service under 'Dixon'? Where LR indicated. From Blyth to the Mediterranean in 1867/68 & 1868/69, from Leith, Scotland, to the Baltic in 1869/70, from Blyth to the Baltic in 1871/72, & from Blyth to Lisbon, Portugal, in 1873/74. 109.0 ft. long. signal letters MTNJ. It would seem that the vessel must have become a brig along the way - MNL so records the vessel from 1872. Many crew lists, thru 1878, are available. What finally happened to the vessel? Wikipedia advises (thanks!) that on Nov. 09, 1878, the vessel, noted to be a brig, ran aground on Sunk Sand, while en route from Helsingborg, Sweden, to London. Such grounding was noted here. (Now there would seem to be two Sunk Sands, one in the Thames Estuary & the other in the Humber estuary. The Sunk Sand referred to must be that in the Thames Estuary). Her crew of 9 were rescued by Volunteer, a smack. Wikipedia further notes (ex articles in 'The Times' of London) that Phoebus was re-floated the next day & taken into Harwich, Essex, in a severely damaged & waterlogged condition. There would seem to be more to the story. A 'Google' snippet (ex 'The Salvagers', Hervey Benham, published in 1980) notes that both Cupid, & Paul (of Colchester) were involved after her grounding in addition to Volunteer & that Harwich, a tug, was involved also - it was presumably Harwich which towed Phoebus into port. All made claims against Phoebus. The claims went to court & all were compensated. While it seems likely that the vessel was damaged beyond repair by the above grounding, it is possible that that was not so. LR continued to list Phoebus thru 1879/80 & more significantly MNL listed her in 1880. So there is a possibility that the vessel was repaired & saw service after 1878. Can you clarify the matter? Or tell us more about the vessel generally? #2356

REED and BANFIELD

The webmaster's knowledge about 'Reed and Banfield' is non-existent. A list of Sunderland built ships, available to the webmaster, lists 15 vessels built by the shipbuilder from 1839 thru 1841. Quite a number in such a short period. 'Reed' would seem to mean Thomas Reed.

1	Jane 210/219, later 200 tons 2884	1839	*Jane, a snow or brig which was launched in Jan. 1839, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1839/40 thru 1855/56 with the exceptions of 1851/52 & 1852/53 - & not thereafter. It was initially owned, per LR, by R. Clarke (or R. Clark) of Newcastle, for service i) from Sunderland to London thru 1844/45, ii) from Cardiff to London from 1845/46 thru 1847/48, ex Sunderland from 1848/49 thru 1850/51, & iii) from Sunderland to Fecamp (N. of Le Havre), France, in 1853/54. With 'Morley' serving as the vessel's captain thru 1845/46, D. Bridges (D. Matthew Bridges) from 1845/46 thru 1850/51, & P. Mitcalf from 1853/54 thru 1855/56. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Jul. 1848 data, records Jane* as Newcastle registered & owned by John Clarke & Co. of Newcastle. The equivalent directory of 1854/5, in Apl. 1854 data, records the vessel as still Newcastle registered & owned by R. Clark of Newcastle, B. Fairley of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, & D. M. Briges (no letter 'd') of Sunderland, with W. Craig her captain (also in TR of 1855). Such ownership data is confirmed by Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1856. Such owner names are clarified by Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 which lists *Jane's then owners as being Robt. Clark of Newcastle, and Barker Fairley & D. M. Bridges, both of Sunderland. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records Jane* from 1857 thru 1868, registered at Newcastle thru 1863 & at Whitby from & after 1864. MNLs of 1865, 1867 & 1868, all record Stephen Nesfield as the vessel's owner, of Whitby in 1865 & 1867 & of Manchester, Lancashire, in 1868. MNL of 1866 rather records Sarah Nesfield of Whitby as the vessel's then owner. The webmaster was pleased to see that the vessel is listed in a most informative Whitby shipping history volume. Which tells us that *Jane* was first Whitby registered in Jan. 1863 - Jan. 09, 1863 I read - with Thos. Nesfield then her sole owner (all 64 shares). By Aug. 1868, the ownership had become - Sarah Nesfield with 14 shares, Stephen Nesfield with 21, Mary Nesfield with 13 & Sarah Elizabeth Nesfield with 8. And also Joseph Shaw with 8 shares. 80.5 ft. long, signal letters unknown, an 1868 crew list is available via this page. I have read that the vessel was rather built by Thomas Reed of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland. The webmaster has not researched the operational history of *Jane* - which surely would be a difficult & time consuming task in view of there being so many vessels named *Jane* then in existence. A project for another day! But I note that on Jan. 07, 1849, *Jane* was in collision with a vessel named *Una* (built at Sunderland in 1848) off Southwold, Suffolk. Per this report (in red). What finally happened to *Jane? The Whitby volume tells us that in Oct. 1868, the vessel, with Captain Shaw in command, foundered 120 miles E. of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, through stress of weather. Further that the vessel's crew were rescued by a smack & landed at Cuxhaven (at the mouth of Elbe river, Germany). The vessel was in fact lost on Oct. 31, 1868, off Flamborough Head as stated, while proceeding from London to Newcastle, in ballast. As per these (1 & 2) contemporary news reports. Jane* happened to be at sea when massive gales were causing great shipping losses in the North Sea in late Oct. 1868. Such reports do not refer to the crew of *Jane* being landed at Cuxhaven - because that data is clearly incorrect. *Jane's crew were forced to abandon ship when Jane* sank & took to the ship's boat in which they spent eight hours in great hardship before being rescued - by *Gipsy Queen, a steamship commanded by Captain Nash. Which landed them safely at West Hartlepool. Gipsy Queen* was, it would appear, built at Stockton in 1856 - ON #12889 - & in 1868 was registered at West Hartlepool & owned by Christopher M. Webster of Pallion Hall, near Sunderland. The second news report perhaps explains the mistaken reference to Cuxhaven. Can you add to or correct the above text? #2917
2	Admiral 274/292 tons	1840	A snow or brig. *Admiral, which was first registered in Sep. 1840, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1841/42 thru 1846/47 only. Owned for that entire if brief period by Panton & Co. of Sunderland. For consistent service, per LR, from Sunderland to London with 'Snowden' her captain throughout. LR of 1846/47 notes that Admiral* had been 'Wrecked'. Ian Whittaker indicates (thanks!) that a Sunderland registered vessel of the name, with a cargo of coal, was wrecked at Portskerra, Pentland Firth, on Mar. 16, 1846. The vessel was, I learn, en route to Sligo (County Sligo, NW Ireland), with a crew of 12 and, it would seem, some passengers aboard also. It surely was this *Admiral. Pentland Firth is not in fact a firth (which generally means a small inlet), rather the strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the N. of Scotland. The vessel's loss is referenced in these contemporary newspaper reports (1, 2), the second of which, while mainly relating to the loss of Belfast* (a barque built in 1839 at Quebec, now Canada, Liverpool owned), details well the weather conditions both vessels had encountered. The vessel's loss is cryptically noted here (Nautical Magazine for 1846). Can anybody add anything? #2379
3	Auricula 274/292 tons	1840	A barque. *Auricula, which was completed in May. 1841, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') recorded from 1841/42 thru 1849/50 only. It was always owned, per LR, by D. (David) Francis of Swansea, Wales, for consistent service from Swansea to Cuba. With J. Oliver serving as the vessel's captain thru 1847/48 (except for a brief period in 1846/47 when 'Hogg', per LR, so served). From 1848/49 'Alex'nder' is LR noted to have been the vesssel's captain. The webmaster noted, at 'Welsh Newspapers Online', a few voyages from Swansea to Cuba, Oliver in command, when the vessel left Swansea in ballast rather than with a cargo of coal. On May 02, 1843, William Henry Dryden, the vessel's chief mate, died at St. Jago de Cuba - of fever. On Nov. 20, 1848, Auricula* left St. Jago de Cuba, Cuba, surely bound for Swansea, with a cargo of copper ore. As per this reference (in green). En route, the vessel was lost with all hands when it fell victim to one of many hurricanes of that year. A brief reference to the vessel. Is there anything you can add to expand this modest listing? #2405

W. RICHARDSON

The webmaster's knowledge about 'W. Richardson' is limited. A list of Sunderland built ships, available to the webmaster, lists 22 vessels built by such shipbuilder from 1857 thru 1876.

One of those vessels is now listed below. It was noted to have been built at North Hylton.

Florence Braginton
368 tons

50150

1864

Florence Braginton, a barque which was launched in Oct. 1864, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed, from 1864/65 thru 1877/78. Owned by 'Bragint'n' of Bideford, Devon, thru 1867/68, &, per LR, registered there. For consistent service from Sunderland to India, with, per LR, T. Turner always her captain, indeed, per LR at least, thru to 1869/70.
It seems likely that, per the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL'), the vessel was in fact registered at London for its entire lifetime, first registered there on Nov. 22, 1864 (scroll to #50150 at page bottom). MNL lists the vessel from 1865 thru 1877 with MNLs of 1865 thru 1867 recording the vessel as owned by Wm. D. Braginton (1822/1888) of Bideford. The 'D' means Dwerryhouse. Mr. Braginton was, for a while, the owner of a Mansion-House at Northam, N. Devon, named 'Knapp', a substantial property with 19 acres of land. He was, I read, a merchant & shipowner. Per this webpage, he owned seven ships including Annie Braginton (built at South Shields in 1860) & Louisa Braginton, built at Bideford in 1856, which vessel, like Florence Braginton, went missing. In 1867 in Louisa Braginton's case. Wm. D. Braginton went bankrupt in 1879, I read.
Some unusual Florence Braginton operational events in late 1864 & early 1865. On Dec. 27, 1864, the vessel, 'Turner' in command, was en route from Sunderland to Hong Kong, with a cargo of coal. When it was in collision, at 2 to 3 a.m., off the coast of Norfolk (Hasbro' Gat), with Superb (built at Sunderland in 1860), 'Hastings' in command, which was en route from Shields to Alexandria, Egypt, also with a cargo of coal. The damage to Florence Braginton was described in contemporary newspapers as being 'trifling' & the vessel continued its journey, putting into Plymouth, Devon, on Jan. 01, 1865.
The webmaster suspects that the damage to Florence Braginton was rather more than 'trifling'. Presumably to be able to repair the damage, her cargo had to be discharged, & on Jan. 14, 1865 she was still at Plymouth discharging her cargo into a hulk moored alongside her. A gale at Plymouth interved. Christiana, a small schooner, 'Wilcocks' or 'Willcocks' her captain & owner, loaded with copper ore and pit wood, drifted from her anchor onto Florence Braginton & the hulk beside her. Christiana chafed upon the the anchor chains of the two vessels so much that her bottom was cut right through & Christiana, uninsured apparently, sank. Related news reports - 1, 2 & 3.
And Superb? It was, I read, much damaged in the collision with Florence Braginton & put into Lowestoft on Dec. 27, 1864. To soon to be towed to Harwich, Essex, to be repaired. However it would seem that it was too damaged to be repaired, it being stated that it became a total loss. (But now see here). The owners of Superb later filed a lawsuit against the owners of Florence Braginton, the case being held at Admiralty Court, London, on May 03, 1865. You can read about the court proceedings here. And here. The Court's conclusion? Superb was solely responsible for the collision.
Florence Braginton made just a single voyage to Australia. On Oct. 05, 1866, the vessel arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Thomas B. Turner in command, ex Foochow, China, with a cargo of tea - 2,663 chests, 2,477 half-chests & 2,612 boxes. The vessel had left Foochow on Jul. 21, 1866. On Nov. 22, 1866 the vessel left Sydney for Valparaiso, Chile, with 480 tons of coal, arriving there on Feb. 02, 1867. In due course it arrived at Gloucester on Jun. 04, 1867, ex Valparaiso via Queenstown, Ireland, with a cargo of wheat.
I read that the vessel was sold at an 1867 auction, but have not spotted a sale announcement. I see, however, that on Sep. 21, 1867, the vessel left Cardiff, Wales, for Monte Video, Uruguay, with 'Davies' in command. It must, by then, have been sold.
In 1867/68, per LR, Florence Braginton was acquired by O. Davies of Port Dinorwic, Carnarvonshire, with, per LR, O. Davies serving as the vessel's captain from part way thru 1869/70 thru 1876/77. For continued service from Sunderland to India thru 1868/69, from Cardiff, Wales, to Mauritius in 1869/70 & 1870/71, & for service from Cardiff to India from 1871/72 thru 1873/74.
I note, however, that MNLs of 1868 thru 1877 all list David Davies of Port Dinorwic as her owner, from 1872 referencing the vessel as being built at North Hylton.
125.7 ft. long, signal letters WGVH, many crew lists are available via this page.
What finally happened to Florence Braginton? On Jul. 04, 1876, the vessel left Callao (Lima), Peru, for Ostend, Belgium, with a cargo of guano & with a crew of 11. The ship was, alas, never heard from again. Then owned by O. Davies of Cardiff. All as per item 338 on this page.
I learn that on Feb. 10, 1876 the vessel, 'Davies' in command, left Callao for (I think) Punta de Lobos, Peru (located S. of Callao) - but note that there also is a Punta de Lobos in Chile, far to the south. On Jul. 13, 1876, presumably back from Punta de Lobos, the vessel left Callao for Ostend under the command of Owen Davies, son of the 'chief owner' - with a crew of likely 12. So I read. Other reports say it rather left Callao on Jun. 29, 1876 with a cargo of guano. Now it was later reported by Gaetano or Gastano that she had spoken to Florence Braginton at 6.24S/28.49W off the coast of Brazil, on Oct. 17, 1877, but such report would seem to have been in error. Some contemporary news reports - 1, 2 & 3.
It was a delight to receive a message from Pieter Donche of Bruges (Brugge), Belgium, who has been researching his family history for decades. Pieter advises that Petrus Carolus Donche, aged 19, of Antwerp, left Antwerp on Sep. 12, 1875 as a 'novice' on Florence Braginton, then bound for Callao. He was aboard the vessel accordingly when, on Jun. 29, 1876, the vessel left Lobos (or Punta de Lobos) with a cargo of guano, bound via Callao for Ostend. Pieter believes that the vessel may well have loaded its cargo of guano at the Chincha Islands, near Pisco, Peru, well noted for its guano deposits, but he notes that there are a great many 'guano' islands off the Peruvian coast. When the vessel was considered to have been lost, Petrus's father, Charles Albert Donche (a ship carpenter & later a shipbuilder) received, via the British consul, the wages that were owed to his son. Petrus's death certificate was inscribed in the Antwerp Civil Registry on Oct. 18, 1878. And a funeral card was printed in his memory - with an inscription & an artist's rendering of Florence Braginton foundering in a wild storm (both at left). Petrus was described as 'unfortunately the victim of the wild sea in the year 1876 at the age of 19 years'. We sincerely thank Pieter for sharing this portion of his family's history.
Is there anything you can add?
P.S. As noted above, the Court case summary re the collision of Superb & Florence Braginton in late 1864 states that Superb was a total loss as a result of such collision. Now one would expect law case summaries to be fully accurate but this one was not. Superb must have been repaired. It continued in service until Feb. 23, 1877, when it stranded near Le Havre, France, & soon broke up.
Can you correct or add to the above? #2863

JOHN ROBINSON
JAMES ROBINSON

Little more than a name and some dates today. 'Where Ships Are Born' advises us that John Robinson had shipbuilding yards at Hylton & at Ayres Quay. And that he built nearly a hundred ships between 1846 & 1868 - all wooden ships of from 200 to 700 tons. Ayres Quay is just off the top left of the map available here. On the south back of the river, below the Deptford shipbuilding yard of Sir James Laing. Need help re John Robinson!

Now, thanks to Peter Kirsopp, we can now tell you a little more about John Robinson, or maybe about both John & James Robinson. And about James Robinson their father.

James Robinson (1785/1861 or later), born at Skelton, North Yorkshire, was a shipbuilder at Deptford from 1841, a builder who apparently suffered in the shipbuilding slump of the 1840s. He had at least two sons, i.e. John Robinson, born at Bishopswearmouth, & James Robinson (hereinafter referred to as James Robinson #2). In 1851 he was described as a shipwright only.

John Robinson (1815/?), was in the shipbuilding business at Deptford (presumably at Ayre's Quay) probably from 1846 - in 1851 he employed 47 men, & 10 years later, in 1861, he employed 30 men & 11 boys at his facility. In 1871 he is described as a 'late shipbuilder', with his father living with him.

James Robinson #2 (1820/?) was in the shipbuilding business in 1851, at Low Pallion, employing 13 men. At 1871 his status is unclear, but probably was retired. He was then living in a house inside the shipyard at Low Pallion with no employees indicated.

Peter Kirsopp has additionally provided to the webmaster a list of 45 Robinson built ships, covering the period of roughly 1856 thru 1863. Peter's list, an 'rtf' Word file, is available here (converted into an image). A modest start on a 'Robinson' build list is on site here.

Ayre's Quay is better known to the webmaster for the 'Ayres Quay Bottle Works', which bottle works operated there for over 200 years, from about 1723 to 1942.

A start upon the site inclusion of vessels built by builders named 'Robinson'. In a table in build date sequence. 27 vessels today. Hopefully more in the future.

Storm King
303/334 later 300 tons

25638

1839

A barque, later a snow, later a brig, launched in Jun. 1839. Built by Jas. Robinson.
Storm King is Lloyd's Register ('LR') recorded from 1839/40 thru 1871/72. It was owned, maybe thru 1853/54 (no owner's name listed re 1854/55 & 1855/56) by 'Rowlinson' of Liverpool, initially for service from Sunderland to the West Indies, from 1840/41 for service from Liverpool to Jamaica & from 1846/47 for service from Liverpool to Vera Cruz (likely Veracruz in Mexico, formerly known as Vera Cruz). For a few years, from 1848/49, service is recorded from Liverpool to Calcutta (now Kolkata), India.
Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory, of Mar. 1854, lists Richard Rowlinson as the vessel's then owner with E. Dryden serving as her then captain.
Likely about 1854/55, ownership changed - in LR of 1856/57 R. Wright of Shields is listed as Storm King's owner for service from Shields to the Mediterranean. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856 records her then owner as being R. Wright of South Shields, which owner name is clarified by Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 to mean Robert Wright. W. Wright became the owner, per LR, in 1860/61, for continued service from Shields to the Mediterranean, &, for a few years from 1862/63, for service from Shields to Cadiz, Spain. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1865 & 1866 record Wm. Wright, of South Shields as the 300 ton vessel's then owner.
From 1866/67 thru 1871/72, Rogers & Sons, of Shields, is LR listed as the vessel's owners for service from Shields to Hamburg, Germany. MNL of 1867, however, lists Storm King, still registered at S. Shields, as owned by R. S. Crosthwaite of South Shields. MNLs of 1868 thru 1872 (1870), all record the vessel as now registered at North Shields & owned by John S. Rogers of North Shields.
98.0 ft. long. Per LR, the vessel became a snow in 1861/62. Many Storm King crew lists are avaiable via here.
What finally happened to Storm King? On Mar. 09, 1872, per line 2320 here, the 300 ton brig foundered off Whitby, Yorkshire (now North Yorkshire), while en route from Shields to Morril (where is it, I wonder), with a cargo of coal. Crew of 9 - none lost. The vessel was then owned by John S. Rogers. Wikipedia advises (thanks!) that on Mar. 02, 1872, the brig ran aground on Haisborough Sands, off the coast of Norfolk, while en route from Shields to a European port & that her crew of nine were rescued by Veracity, a U.K. schooner (that I now learn was of Harwich). That she was refloated & put back to North Shields. Wikipedia also advises i) that on Mar. 09, 1872, the vessel foundered off Whitby, Yorkshire, ii) that her crew were rescued & iii) that the vessel was en route to a Spanish port. So Morril must be in Spain. Maybe Motril in southern Spain. We are not done! 'Nautical Magazine' tells us that she was rather lost on Mar. 08, 1872, at a point 12 miles SE of Flamboro' Head, Yorkshire. And mention that an Official Inquiry into the vessel's loss was ordered on Apl. 05, 1872 but subsequently was abandoned.
A 'Wiki' data source that sounds most interesting, was an article in the 'Dundee Courier' of Mar. 11, 1872 entitled 'Foundering of a Vessel off Flamborough Head'. The webmaster would much appreciate some kindly site visitor providing such article to the webmaster for inclusion here. But this may well be that article, with a slightly different title. It tells us that the vessel became leaky & that the pumps were overwhelmed. Veracity saved her entire crew & then transferred them all to Rob Roy which landed them at North Shields. On Mar. 10, 1872 it would appear. And Alexander Rogers was Storm King's captain.
The webmaster has tried, in his words above, to accurately summarise the events of Mar. 1872, as he has seen them reported. It seems, however, that the story is not yet complete. The vessel got into trouble off the coast of Norfolk, on Mar. 02, 1872 it would appear, & Alexander Rogers & his crew had to abandon the vessel which, per the captain's account then 'foundered' - off Yarmouth. How is it then that the vessel 6 or 7 days later, on Mar. 08 or 09, 1872, foundered again off Flamboro' Head, 190 nautical miles to the north? The only logical explanation the webmaster can come up with is that the captain was wrong when he stated that the vessel 'foundered' off the coast of Norfolk. 'Wiki' state, in that regard, that the vessel was indeed refloated & put back to North Shields. I wonder whether it was Rogers & Co., who organised her refloating. If not, Storm King would have become a 'prize' vessel, if you will, & the property of the persons that found it in an abandoned state. It would be helpful to know who was in command of Storm King on Mar. 08 or 09, 1872, when it sank off Flamboro' Head & who then was her owner. There must be important data still to be located. Need help!
Can you add anything additonal? Or correct the above text in any way? #2646

George and Elizabeth
205/192 later 174 tons

2948

1840

A snow or brig. Lloyd's Register ('LR') is of limited help in researching this vessel. Which was launched in Mar. 1840 & listed in LR from 1839/40 thru 1848/49, then a 25 year LR silence thru 1873/74. The vessel is then recorded in LRs of 1874/75 thru 1878/79.
The vessel was initially owned, likely only thru 1848/49, by G. Shevill of Sunderland, with 'Shevill' the vessel's captain thru such entire period. I say 'likely ...' because LR of 1848/49 provides minimal detail - often an indicator that the vessel had been sold. Under 'Shevill' ownership the vessel is noted to have consistently served from Sunderland to London.
In Apl. 1848, per the North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, in Apl. 1848 data, the vessel was stated to be owned by J. Todd & T. Burdes. The equivalent directory of 1854/5, in Mar. 1854 data, has John Tod of Southwick & Thos. Burdes of Sunderland as her owners with Thos. Burdes her then captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1855 lists her then owners as being Thos. Burdis (with an 'i') of Sunderland & John Todd of Southwick, with J. Frederick her then captain. TR of 1856 lists J. Todd of Southwick & T. Burdes (with an 'e') of Sunderland as the then owners of the now 174 ton snow - which owner names Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies as meaning John Todd & Thos. Burdes.
On Jun. 01, 1860, the vessel, 'Burdes' in command, was assisted into Sunderland, arriving ex Bruges, Belgium. En route the vessel had run aground on Seaton Snook (S. of Hartlepool) on May 28, 1860 & had suffered considerable damage - her bottom had been nearly knocked out. As per this 'Lloyd's List' report.
The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1865 thru 1871 (1870) all list Thos. Burdes of Sunderland as her then, presumably managing, owner.
LRs of 1874/75 thru 1878/79 all list L. A. V. Rudolphi, of Sunderland, as the vessel's then owner, but do not name her captain. 'Rudolphi' must have acquired the vessel rather earlier, in 1872 perhaps. The owner's name is clarified by MNLs of 1872 thru 1879 to mean Leopold Anton Victor Rudolphi of Sunderland. And by TR of 1874 which records 'Rudolphi' as the vessel's then sole owner.
80.3 ft. long, signal letters HRGM. Many crew lists are available here.
LR of 1878/79 notes that the vessel had been 'Lost'. On Jul. 04, 1878, per item 863 here, the 174 ton brig was abandoned at sea while en route from Sunderland to Caen, France, with a cargo of 280 tons of gas coal. The vessel sprang a leak in fine weather. The water gained rapidly & the vessel had to be abandoned 6 miles NE of the Hasborough Light in the North Sea (near Cromer, Norfolk). Crew of 7 plus 1 passenger - none lost. Then stated to be owned by L. A. V. Rudolphi of Sunderland.
Ther are some puzzles to bring to your attention. The loss of the vessel is also recorded in this U.K. Government wreck listing. Which tells us that at the time of her loss the vessel was rather owned by S. P. Austin of Sunderland & that R. Hughes was then her captain. I read that the vessel had left Sunderland for Caen on Jul. 02, 1878 with 'Hughes' in command. And 'Hughes' was the vessel's captain when she was abandoned - per this Lloyd's report. I cannot speak to her then ownership.
Can anybody tell us more? #2320

Rocket
111/101 tons

1844

A schooner. The shipbuilder is referred to in a build list of Sunderland built ships as being Jas. Robinson. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1844/45 thru 1854/55, always owned, per LR, by 'Adamson' of Sunderland. With 'Adamson' her captain thru 1848/49, then 'Wilson' from 1848/49 thru 1851/52 & J. Shotton from 1851/52 thru 1854/55. The owner's name is clarified by the North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9 which lists W. Adamson, of Sunderland, as the owner, in Apl. 1848, of the Sunderland registered Rocket. The LR data in 1853/54 & 1854/55 is modest - which suggests that the vessel may well have then been lost.
Wikipedia reports (thanks!) that on Mar. 09, 1853, Rocket was driven ashore at Eccles-on-Sea, Norfolk. As is confirmed by this Mar. 10, 1853 Lloyd's List report from Yarmouth, which notes that she was carrying a cargo of coal at the time. I read that Eccles-on-Sea is an ancient fishing village in Norfolk, located SE of Cromer, which village has virtually all been swept into the North Sea. The webmaster has not noted any reference to lives being lost, so I presume none were lost.
Can you add anything additional? #2512

Robert and Mary
228 later 207 tons

2810

1846

A snow, built by either W. & J. Robinson or J. & J. Robinson. Robert and Mary, which was launched in Jun. 1846, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1846/47 thru 1870/71. Thanks to the 'Lloyd's Register Foundation', a Lloyd's Survey report re the vessel, conducted at the time of building, is available here.
Thru 1849/50, Robert and Mary was, per LR, owned by R. Surtees of Sunderland for service from Sunderland to the Baltic. With 'Jobling' always LR noted as being her captain. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9 lists the vessel, in Apl. 1848 data, as registered at Sunderland & owned by R. Surtees & Jopling (with a 'p'), of Monkwearmouth, Sunderland.
In 1850/51, 'Taylorson', also of Sunderland, became her owner for similar service. With, per LR, 'Leighton' always her captain. Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5, in Mar. 1854 data, records the vessel as Sunderland registered & owned by Thos. and Jonathan Taylorson, of Sunderland, with Jas. Bedingfield her then captain.
From 1854/55, per LR, H. Penman of Sunderland was Robert and Mary's owner for service from Sunderland to Hamburg, Germany. With J. Watson serving as the vessel's captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register ('TR') of 1856 records H. Penman as her then owner, which name Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies as meaning Henry Penman. I note that TR of 1855 also records Henry Penman as the vessel's owner with Thomas Hancock her then captain.
An event in the vessel's life that the webmaster happened to spot. Lloyd's List reported that on Nov. 15, 1856 Robert and Mary, loaded with coal & with 'Watson' in command, was on shore at the outlet of South Dock at Sunderland. The weather must have been stormy - Clyde (built at Sunderland in 1818) was ashore nearby. While the vessel was exiting South Dock, it hit the quayside. Her crew apparently 'most discreditably' jumped on shore. They returned on board but refused to take the vessel to sea, even though she was not taking on water. Then, in trying to bring the vessel into dock, she grounded. Robert and Mary was soon lightened & was floated off having, I read, sustained no damage. Some contemporary news reports - 1 & 2 (both in blue).
It would seem that from 1859/60 to 1870/71 the vessel was owned by 'Richardson' of Sunderland for service as a Sunderland coaster - no owner name is LR recorded, however, from 1864/65 thru 1866/67. The Mercantile Navy List records Robert and Mary from 1857 thru 1870, always registered at Sunderland & owned, from 1865 thru 1870, by James Richardson, of Sunderland. While 'Richardson' owned, LR consistently records W. Hodgson as her captain.
88.0 ft. long, 207 tons from LR of 1860/61, some crew lists are available via this page.
What finally happened to Robert and Mary? LR of 1870/71 notes that the vessel had been 'Run down'. On Sep. 01, 1870, per line 867 here, the 207 ton snow sank off Whitby Lights after a collision, while en route from Sunderland to Southampton with a cargo of coal. Crew of 7 - none lost. Then owned by James Richardson. I learn that the vessel, W. W. Hodgson in command, was in collision with the British brigantine Sarah Jane, of Whitstable, Kent, on the night of Aug. 31, 1870 - when about 9 miles off Whitby, Yorkshire, or 2 miles NNE of Whitby Lights. Apparently in clear weather. Sarah Jane, George Painter in command & in ballast, took aboard two of Robert and Mary's crew (one, with a broken leg, having fallen from the foretop at the time of the collision) & later landed them at Seaham. The remainder of Robert and Mary's crew took to a ship's boat when their vessel sank at about 3 a.m. on Sep. 01, 1870. And safely landed at Whitby at about 6 a.m. that morning. Sarah Jane suffered some considerable damage as a result of the collision. There is some doubt as to the timing of the collision - it may well have occurred at 12.15 a.m. on Sep. 01, 1860 as advised by George Painter. Some contemporary news reports - 1, 2, 3, & 4.
The webmaster has not, so far at least, properly identified Sarah Jane, which was Lloyd's List referred to as Sarah and Jane. I suspect that Sarah Jane was registered at Faversham, Kent, rather that at Whitstable, & was built at Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1857 - ON #35556. Need help to clarify the matter.
Can you add to or correct the above? #2853

Clarinda
235/239 later 211 tons

26692

1847

A snow. Clarinda, which was, I read, launched in Aug. 1847, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1848/49 thru 1862/63 & not thereafter.
LR of 1848/49 records that the Sunderland registered vessel, owned by Ogle & Co. (Douglas Ogle) of Sunderland, for service from Sunderland to London with 'Don' her captain, had become Scarborough, Yorkshire, registered, & owned by J. Craven of Scarborough - for service ex London. With 'Harrison' the vessel's new captain thru 1855/56 & then E. (Edward) Jenkinson from 1856/57 thru 1862/63.
A 'Lloyd's List' report from Wells, Norfolk, on Sep. 29, 1848, advised that Clarinda, returning from Archangel, Russia, was on shore at Brancaster (NW of Wells). In fact the vessel was en route from Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) to London with 'Harrison' in command. The cargo likely had to be discharged. The vessel was soon repaired - this Lloyd's Survey relates to the matter.
The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9, records, in Apl. 1848 data, the Sunderland registered Clarinda as owned by J. Craven, of Scarborough. The equivalent directory of 1854/5, in 1853 data, has the vessel as now Scarborough registered, owned by John Craven of Scarborough with James Harrison her captain. While Christie's Shipping Register of 1858, confirms such registration & ownership. LR of 1862/63 listed J. Craven as the vessel's owner but then struck the data out.
In the absence of LR data, the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') comes to our rescue. It records Clarinda as Scarborough registered from 1857 thru 1863, & registered at Sunderland from 1864 thru 1868. The vessel is not MNL listed in 1869. MNLs of 1865 thru 1868 all list John Crouch, of Sunderland, as the owner of the vessel, now recorded at 211 tons.
84 ft. 6 in. long, signal letters PMFK, a few crew lists are available via here.
What finally happened to Clarinda & when? I learn that in early Dec. 1867, Clarinda, both owned & under the command of J. Crouch, was en route from Ostend, Belgium, to Sunderland in ballast. It had the misfortune to be at sea, off Hartlepool, when a hurricane hit the area on Dec. 01, 1867, affecting 100 or more vessels that were off Hartlepool at the time. The force of the hurricane drove Clarinda some 130 miles to the south in the next 12 hours, & the vessel ended up, on Dec. 02, 1867, off the coast of Lincolnshire. The vessel was seen, dismasted & in distress, near Sutton, Lincolnshire. It went aground at Ingoldmells (10 miles S. of Sutton). Sutton's Birmingham No. 1 lifeboat went to Clarinda's rescue & with great difficulty, & with the help of folks on shore, were able to save her entire crew of seven. The storm later took the vessel out to sea again & she came ashore, a derelict, on Blakeney Beach, Norfolk, on Dec. 03, 1867. Some contemporary news reports - 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5.
Anything you can add? Or correct? #2777

Good Intent
95 later 80 tons

24473

1847

The shipbuilder is referred to in two build lists of Sunderland built ships as being W. & J. Robinson. A schooner, which was launched in Dec. 1847 & first registered (scroll to #24473), at Inverness, Scotland on Jun. 17, 1848. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848/9 however, lists Good Intent as registered in Apl. 1848 at Sunderland & owned by J. McClennan of Lochalsh, Scotland. A vessel that, so far as I can see, was never Lloyd's Register listed. A vessel that would appear to have been owned, for its entire lifetime, by McClennan or MacLennan. The Mercantile Navy List records the vessel from 1860 thru 1871, at 80 tons from 1865, owned from 1865 thru 1871 (1870) by John Maclennan, of Lockalsh, Ross, Scotland. This (scroll to #24473) page tells us that an advice re the vessel's loss was dated Dec. 05, 1870. Now there are many detailed pages, available on site, of 1870 shipwrecks etc., but such lists do not refer to this vessel. No crew lists seem to be available. Can you tell us what happened to the vessel & when, or otherwise add to this modest listing? I should note that a vessel of the name, a schooner commanded by a captain named Scantlebury, arrived on Apl. 28, 1870 at Par, Cornwall, from Newport, Wales, with a cargo of coal. It struck rocks in trying to make the pier, & filled with water. The vessel was lightened & later taken into port. It is just possible, I guess, that this was 'our' Good Intent. But probably unlikely. #2308

7	Isabella Walker 254/262 tons 34898	1848	A snow or brig. The vessel, which was launched or completed in Feb. 1848, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1848/49 thru 1855/56 (& not thereafter). Per LR, its initial owner was T. Walker of Sunderland, who owned the vessel thru 1853/54 for service from Sunderland to America, with 'Walker' serving as the vessel's captain. The North of England Maritime Directory of 1848 lists T. & T. Walker, of Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, as the vessel's owner. In 1854/55 & 1855/56 the vessel was, again per LR, owned by Downey of Shields for service from Sunderland to the Baltic in 1854/55 & from Shields to London in 1855/56. No captain's name was referenced in LR of 1854/55 but in 1855/56, W. Downey is LR indicated to have been her captain. Now Marwood's North of England Shipping Register of 1854 lists William Downie, of North Shields, as the vessel's then owner with George Cunningham her then captain. Turnbull's Register of 1855 confirms the owner's name (Wm. Downie) but lists Wm. Downie rather than Cunningham as her then captain. The Mercantile Navy List briefly references the vessel here (scroll to 34898) & as I read the words seems to indicate that the vessel was lost in Sep. 1855. But I may well have misinterpreted the handwriting. Data as to what exactly happened to the vessel & when is not yet to hand. Can you help with that data or otherwise add anything? I would be remiss if I did not advise that I earlier in these pages indicated that the vessel was rather built by S. P. Austin & launched on Jan. 24, 1849. As per this (in red) launch announcement. I now believe that it is the launch announcement that got it wrong. A barque was launched by S. P. Austin on that date for a Mr. Walker of London. But that vessel was I believe named Zuleika. #2018
8	Regina 343/366 tons	1849	The webmaster has two Sunderland build lists available to him. One of them lists J. & J. Robinson as the vessel's builder, the other states John Robinson. A barque. *Regina, which was launched on Mar. 12, 1849, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1848/49 thru 1862/63. It would seem, however, that the vessel was not issued an Official Number so it likely was lost before Jan. 01, 1855, or perhaps sold to another jurisdiction. Regina, per LR, was initially owned, thru 1852/53, by J. Denton of Sunderland, for service, in 1849/50, from Sunderland to America, ex Liverpool in 1850/51, ex London in 1851/52 & 1852/53. With 'Deans' the vessel's captain, per LR, from 1848/49 thru 1852/53. LR does not refer to the vessel's voyages to Australia - as follows so far as I can see:- i) the barque left the Downs on Nov. 27, 1850, arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on Apl. 04, 1851, & left for Guam on May 18, 1851. ii) Regina* was at Manila in late Sep. 1851 loading for Sydney. But it rather first went to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, arriving there, with a cargo principally of sugar, on Oct. 28, 1851 & departing on Nov. 10, 1851 for Sydney. Where it arrived on Nov. 21, 1851 & departed on Feb. 13, 1852 for London with a cargo that included 10,266 oz. of gold. iii) *Regina* left the Downs on Sep. 22, 1852 for Sydney with the captain's wife & 36 other passengers & cargo. It arrived at Sydney on Jan. 28, 1853, after a 128 day voyage described as 'tedious', & left for its return voyage to London on May 01, 1853. I cannot track the vessel at Trove, Australia, later than that last entry. The vessel arrived back at London on Aug. 21, 1853. The vessel's captain on all of such voyages was frequently Trove reported as being 'Liddell' but correctly was R. R. Liddle, Ralph Liddle, I believe. From Sep. 02 1853 thru Oct. 18, 1853, *Regina, then lying at London, was offered for sale. Just one of the many sale announcements. It seems likely that D. Hart, of London, then acquired Regina. LRs from 1853/54 thru 1862/63 all record D. Hart of London as the barque's owner, for consistent service from London to Sydney, Australia - at least thru 1859/60. LRs of 1860/61 thru 1862/63 continue to list D. Hart as the vessel's owner but provide no port of registration or proposed routing data. Such data is, I believe, largely incorrect. The vessel did not, so far as I can see, visit Australia during such period. LRs from 1853/54 thru 1862/63 all record R. Liddle to have been the vessel's captain. Which data also seems to be quite wrong. His service clearly came to an end in Aug. 1853. It is a puzzle, in the light of such LR data, that Regina* seems not to have been given an Official Number on Jan. 01, 1855. And a puzzle also that after mid 1853, the vessel seems not to have sailed to Australia. I suspect that the vessel was sold along the way to foreign interests. Can you tell us what finally happened to her? And when? #2735
9	Robert and Mary 240/249, later, 217/227 tons 2904	1849	A snow or brig. *Robert and Mary, which was launched on Aug. 06, 1849, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1850/51 thru 1863/64, then an LR silence of 10 years, & in 1874/75. The vessel was, per LR, owned thru 1853/54 by R. Surtees of Sunderland, for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean, with J. Howe stated to have been the vessel's captain. In 1854/55 & thru 1863/64 per LR, Robert and Mary* was owned by 'Eggleston' of Sunderland with 'Kemp' her captain. For (where LR indicated intended voyages) service ex Sunderland in 1854/55 & 1855/56 then service as a Sunderland coaster thru 1858/59. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') of 1865 records William Eggleston, of Monkwearmouth, as the vessel's then owner. Such ownership is well documented elsewhere also. Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5, in Mar. 1854 data, lists the Sunderland registered 249 ton vessel as owned by William and Henry Eggleston of Sunderland with John Kemp serving as her captain. Such ownership is essentially confirmed by Turnbull's Shipping Registers of both 1855 & 1856, by Christie's Shipping Register of 1858, & by MNL of 1865. While LR provides no data for many years, MNL comes to our rescue. From 1866 thru 1869, MNL records Robt. Wilkin, of Sunderland, as *Robert and Mary's owner. MNLs of 1870 thru 1874 record the vessel, still registered at Sunderland, as owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Elder of Whitby. MNL of 1875, & also LR of 1874/75, both record John Knaggs, of Whitby, as the owner of the vessel, now Whitby registered. This Whitby shipping history book page tells us that the vessel became Whitby registered in Mar. 1874, owned by Jn. Knaggs, Elizabeth Elder & Jn. Jackson. 89.5 ft. long (LR of 1863/64), later 90.3 ft. long (LR of 1874/75), signal letters HRCN. Crew lists are available here. MNL tells us that Robert and Mary* was stranded & wrecked on Dec. 09, 1874. I have learned, thanks to 'Trove', Australia, that terrific gales, accompanied with hail, rain & snow, hit vast areas of the country including the NE coast of England, on the night of Dec. 08, 1874. 10 or more vessels ended up stranded or wrecked off the NE coast & *Robert and Mary* was one of such vessels. It is stated to have ended up on Middleton Beach (near Hartlepool) with its 'back broken and could not be got off'. As also happened to *Providence* of Hartlepool, built at Sunderland in 1852. The 'Trove' article is here for site visitors to read (*Robert and Mary* in red). It may well be that such article originated in the 'Bradford Observer' of Dec. 10, 1874. Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) that her crew were rescued by lifeboat. Can you add to and/or correct the above text? #2635
10	Susanna Dixon 238 later 211/218 tons 2061	1852	A snow or brig. *Susanna Dixon, which was launched on Jan. 07, 1852, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1851/52 thru 1882/83. There would seem to be a little confusion as to the vessel's name - the vessel is often listed as Susannah Dixon. The vessel's initial owner per LR, thru 1859/60, was W. (Wm.) Dixon of South Shields, with G. McDougall her captain thru 1856/57 & S. Hurrell from 1857/58 thru 1859/60. For i) initial service ex Sunderland, ii) in 1853/54 thru 1855/56 & from 1857/58 thru 1859/60 for service from Shields to the Mediterranean, & iii) in 1856/57 for service from Shields to the West Indies. Marwood's North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/55, in 1854 data, confirms the above ownership data, as do Turnbull's Shipping Registers ('TR') of 1855 & 1856, though the 1855 edition lists G. McDougal (only one 'l') as the vessel's captain. In 1860/61, per LR, Susanna Dixon* became owned by F. (Francis I think) Robinson, master mariner, of Whitby, Yorkshire, thru 1877/78. It would seem, however, that 'Robinson' acquired the vessel rather earlier that 1860/61. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 records the vessel as then registered at Whitby & owned by Francis Robinson. LR records F. Robinson as the vessel's captain thru 1864/65, T. Strutt from 1864/65 thru 1871/72 & W. Brown from 1871/72 thru 1877/78 indeed thru to 1879/80. While 'Robinson' owned, the vessel, per LR, served from Whitby to the Baltic thru 1870/71, from Newcastle to Lisbon, Portugal, in 1871/72 & from Newcastle to the Baltic thereafter thru 1873/74. In 1877/78, per LR, W. Murray, became the owner of the Whitby registered vessel, but J. Murray, is LR listed as the vessel's owner from 1878/79 thru 1879/80. That means John Murray of Howdon-on-Tyne, as is recorded below. In 1880/81 per LR, R. Hodge, became the vessel's captain & also her owner. See below re such name. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records the vessel from 1857 thru 1882, registered at Shields thru 1858 & at Whitby thereafter. Owned from 1865 thru 1875 by F. Robinson of Whitby, which name is clarified by MNLs of 1876 & 1877 to mean Francis Robinson. From 1878 thru 1880, MNL records John Murray of Howdon-on-Tyne, Northumberland, as the vessel's owner & Robert Hodges of South Shields in 1881 & 1882. 93.0 ft. long, 94.0 ft. from 1876/77, signal letters HMPJ, crew lists thru 1882 are available via here. And also lists from 1892 thru 1895 - surely in error! What finally happened to *Susanna Dixon? LR of 1882/83 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. This Whitby shipping history book page tells us that the vessel was totally wrecked, at Lowestoft, Suffolk, on Oct. 28, 1882. An astounding number of vessels were lost in storms in late Oct. & early Nov. 1882, including Susanna Dixon. Wikipedia tells us (thanks!) that the vessel, en route from South Shields to Trouville (mouth of River Seine, S. of Le Havre, France), was driven ashore & wrecked at Lowestoft on Oct. 28, 1882. Further that her eight man crew were rescued by Mornington. There is more to the Mornington* story. I learn that there was a giant gale or hurricane on the U.K. east coast, & particularly at Lowestoft, on Oct. 28, 1882. *Susanna Dixon* was just one of many vessels that were lost that day. The vessel, Robert Hodge in command, was anchored in Yarmouth Roads but her anchors failed & she tried to make Lowestoft Harbour. Arriving there, there proved to be insufficient water for her to be able to enter. *Rainbow, a Lowestoft steam tug, came to her rescue & took Susanna Dixon* in tow - but was unable to hold her in the then conditions. *Susanna Dixon* drove ashore on the South Beach at Lowestoft. The entire crew made their way in a ship's boat to *Mornington* (which was built at Sunderland in 1841) which itself was also lost that day. The Lowestoft lifeboat was launched & it rescued & landed from *Mornington* both sets of crews, 16 in total at 1 a.m. on Oct. 29, 1882. Some contemporary news reports (1, 2 in red). Is there anything you can add to the above? #2688

Berdinkha
287, later 250 & 256 tons

27073

1853

Berdinkha? The name would seem to refer to today's Cape Berdiansk or Berdyansk, a cape on the N. coast of the Sea of Azov, Black Sea, Ukraine, located near to & W. of the city of Marioupol. The vessel of the name was launched on Jun. 22, 1853 & first registered, at Whitby, Yorkshire, on Jun. 27, 1853. A LLoyd's Survey document, prepared while the vessel was in course of construction, is here.
Berdinkha, a snow or brig, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1854/55 thru 1877/78. It was, thru 1864/65 per LR, owned by 'Marwood' of Whitby, with, again per LR, 'Feaster' her captain thru 1856/57 & G. Page from 1857/58 thru 1864/65. For service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean thru 1857/58, from London to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, from 1859/60 thru 1861/62 & from Sunderland to China in 1862/63 & 1863/64.
The North of England Maritime Directory of 1854/5 records the vessel, in Apl. 1854 data, as registered at Whitby & owned by T., J., & M. Marwood & F. Pickernell, all of Whitby, with Thos. Feaster her then captain. Turnbull's Shipping Register of 1856, in 1855 data, confirms such info. While Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 clarifies the owner names to mean Thomas, John and Margaret Marwood and Francis Pickernell.
I note that the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records Berdinkha as Whitby registered from 1857 thru 1875 & registered at Hartlepool from 1876 thru 1878.
LRs of 1864/65 thru 1872/73 all record Andrews & Co., of Whitby, as the vessel's owner. LR of 1873/74 did record Andrews & Co as her owner but struck the name out, while LRs of 1874/75 thru 1875/76 record no owner name whatsoever. G. Meikle is LR noted to have been the vessel's captain from 1864/65 all the way thru to 1877/78.
Though not above referenced, 'Thompson', clearly C. Thompson, was the vessel's captain from about Jul. 1867 thru Dec. 1871. Christopher Thompson as per this Whitby history book reference & a shareholder. With voyages noted into the Mediterranean, to the Baltic, & to the West Indies. A number of them ex Bristol. On Mar. 20, 1868, the vessel, 'Thompson' in command, put into Portsmouth en route from Shields to Venice, Italy, likely with a cargo of coal. I note all this because it is possible that it was on such voyage that Captain Thompson commissioned a watercolour & guache painting of Berdinkha from Giovanni Luzzo (1851/1877), an Italian painter. Two fine websites feature the 'Luzzo' artwork (shown at left) - Christie's re a May 18, 2011 sale & MutualArt re a Sep. 21, 2021 sale. The Christie's page describes the painting as being 'in French waters calling for a pilot'. The two images do look markedly different from one-another.
MNLs of 1865 thru 1867 record Samuel Andrew of Whitby as the vessel's owner. Who was, I read, the sole owner in 1864 & half owner, with James Gray in 1865. James Gray & Christ. Thompson were half owners in 1867. From 1868 thru 1872 MNLs rather record James Gray of Whitby, while in 1874 & 1875, MNL records Geo. Mather of Newcastle as the vessel's then owner.
In 1876/77, per LR, J. Greenwood, became the owner of the vessel, now registered at Hartlepool, John Greenwood, of Hartlepool, per MNLs of 1876 thru 1878.
Some 'best-efforts' Berdinkha operational history. i) The vessel certainly traded with China in the period of 1862 thru 1864. It left Shields on Jun. 06, 1862 for Shanghai, China, with Bray (surely means Gray) in command. ii) In Jan. 1866, the vessel, George Meikle in command, was en route from Shields to Carthagena, Spain, with a cargo of alkali. On Jan. 20, 1866 Berdinkha was assisted into Ramsgate, Kent, with 8 ft. of water in her holds & much damaged. Per the captain from having struck a wreck or an anchor while at Deal Bank - on the Brake. When in port at Ramsgate, a very young seaman, Peter Merkives, 17 years old or maybe younger, fell to the deck from aloft & died instantly on impact. The vessel would appear to have been temporarily scuttled, her cargo discharged & the vessel was, I presume, soon repaired. iii) At 11 p.m. on Jan. 12, 1870, with 'Thompson' in command, & en route from Shields to Guadeloupe (an island group in the S. Caribbean, French) with a cargo of coal, Berdinkha struck on the Redcar Rocks at Redcar, Yorkshire. She unshipped her rudder & was badly leaky. Admiral, a steam tug, towed her into nearby Hartlepool which she left on Jan. 19, 1870 to return to Whitby, presumably to be there repaired.
98.5 ft. long, 100.5 ft. long from LR of 1871/72, signal letters PNST, many crew lists are available via this page.
What finally happened to Berdinkha? LR of 1877/78 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. I learn that on Dec. 04, 1877, the vessel, A. Macdonald in command, arrived at Aberdeen, Scotland, ex Riga, Latvia. It later left Aberdeen in ballast for Hartlepool. At 7 a.m. on Dec. 23, 1877, in strong winds & high seas, the vessel was driven onto the North Sands, at Hartlepool. Gleaner, a tug, along with, I read, two other steam tugs, tried to get her off but could not do so. Berdinkha was driven high on the sands by the rising tide & began to break up. 12 persons had come aboard the vessel from the shore at low tide to offer their assistance. Distress signals were raised & 6 aboard were saved by a coastguard rocket apparatus. The Hartlepool No. 1 lifeboat, named Charles Mather, I read, went out to the scene & brought the remaining 14 persons aboard to safety.
On Dec. 28, 1877 the hull of Berdinkha, along with her stores (sails, boats anchors, etc.) were offered for sale at a public auction held on the beach at North Sands. Some contemporary news reports - 1, 2 & 3. Also listed on this U.K. Government wreck listing page.
Can you tell us anything additional? #2819

Marioupol
273/299, later 267 tons

11318

1853

Marioupol? A city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, located on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov - noted for the export of grain - the 10th largest Ukrainian city. Alas a city often in the news as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On May 16, 2022, the last Ukrainian troops at the city surrendered. And on May 20, 2022, the Russian miitary took control of the city.
The vessel Marioupol, which was launched on Apl. 09, 1853, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1853/54 thru 1857/58 only. Owned by Marwood & Co., of Whitby, Yorkshire, for service i) from Sunderland to the Mediterranean in 1853/54, ii) from Cork, Ireland, to the Mediterranean from 1854/55 thru 1856/57 & iii) ex Liverpool in 1857/58. With, per LR, T. Taylor serving as the vessel's captain thru 1856/57 & 'Barnes' in 1857/58.
The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records Marioupol, incorrectly named in the registers as Marionpul, only in 1857. First registered at Whitby on Apl. 14, 1853 (scroll to #11318).
A little operational history, by captain. - 'Taylor'. On Aug. 24, 1854 the vessel arrived at Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey), ex Cardiff, Wales. Later, on Jan. 09, 1855, the vessel was entered in at London ex Cavalla (likely Kavala, northern Greece) & Smyrna. In Feb. & Mar. 1855, Marioupol, noted to have been chartered by His Imperial Majesty, the Sultan (of Ottoman Empire), was advertised for a departure from London to Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). It passed Deal, Kent, on May 27, 1855 & on Feb. 18, 1856 was entered in at London ex Cork, Ireland. - 'Barnes'. On Feb. 27, 1857 the vessel was cleared out of Constantinople for Queenstown, Ireland, or Falmouth, presumably for orders. Unfortunately, the webmaster is unable to find any later references to the vessel.
So what finally happened to Marioupol? MNL notes that a certificate re the vessel's loss was dated Jun. 23, 1857 (as I read the text available via the link above). A Whitby Shipping history volume tells us that Marioupol was lost in the Dardanelles, Turkey, but does not provide a date. The Dardanelles strait, near Constantinople, separates Europe from Asia. For the moment that is where the matter must rest. Until additional data emerges. A couple of final comments - the Whitby volume has proved itself, in the webmaster's experience, to be unusually accurate. It seems likely that the vessel's last voyage commenced in Liverpool.
Can you tell us more about the vessel's loss, or otherwise add anything? #2919

13		Odessa Packet 295/310, later 274 & 264 tons 17075	1853	An earlier listing updated in Aug. 2023. *Odessa Packet, a snow or brig, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1855/56 thru 1875/76, initially LR listed as built in 1853 but such date was amended from LR of 1857/58 to read 1854. The vessel, per LR, was owned thru 1858/59 by J. Smith of Sunderland with T. Sloan her captain. The North of England Maritime Directory, of 1854/5, in Mar. 1854 data, confirms John Smith of Sunderland as the vessel's then owner with Thomas Sloan as her then captain. Such Directory notes that the vessel was built in 1853. Strangely perhaps, the vessel, so far as I can see, is not listed in Turnbull's Shipping Registers ('TR') of either 1855 or 1856. There would seem to be confusion as to whether Odessa Packet* was built in 1853 or 1854. LR records the vessel as 1853 built thru 1856/57 but LRs from 1857/58 read 1854. The vessel is listed in an 1854 build list contained within TR of 1855. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL'), from 1872 thru 1875, consistently refers to the vessel as 1853 built. Other date references are in my text. The webmaster thinks it most likely that the vessel was correctly an 1853 vessel. In that regard its service may be of relevance. I note that on Jan. 02, 1854, *Odessa Packet, 'Ord' in command, sailed from Sunderland the short distance to Shields, from which it later departed, on Jan. 18, 1854, for Venice (now Italy) - with 437 tons of coal & 'Sloane' in command. Correctly Thos. Sloan per this Feb. 1854 report from Yarmouth. In due course the vessel arrived at Venice (it was discharging there on Apl. 05, 1854) & it left Venice for Ancona, Italy, on Apl. 18, 1854, there to load a cargo of 633 pieces of oak for delivery in late Aug. 1854 to the Woolwich Dockyard in London. From Aug. 25, 1854 thru Dec. 12, 1854, Odessa Packet* was offered for private sale. One of the sale announcements, which announcement also records the vessel as 1853 built. On Nov. 29, 1854, the vessel left London for Cardiff, Wales, & Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) with 'Simpson' now in command. But was the vessel sold? I suspect it was not. Fast forward 5 years. LRs from 1859/60 thru 1860/61 record 'Robinson' of Sunderland as the vessel's then owner for service from Hull to the Mediterranean - with 'Robinson' her captain. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 also lists the vessel as first registered in 1853 & owned by William Robinson of Sunderland. In 1861/62, & thru 1875/76 per LR, R. Bell, of Blyth, was *Odessa Packet's owner for service initially from Blyth to London but from 1862/63 for service from Blyth to the Baltic. With, per LR, just two captains - P. Marr from 1861/62 thru 1865/66 & W. Cotton from 1865/66 thru 1875/76. Now MNLs record the vessel from 1857 thru 1875, registered at Sunderland thru 1861 & at Shields thereafter. The MNLs of 1865 thru 1870 all record John Bell of Blyth, Northumberland, as the vessel's then owner or managing owner. MNLs of 1871 thru 1875 rather list Robert Bell, also of Blyth. 99.0 ft. long, signal letters MFDJ, per LR the vessel became of 274 tons in 1859/60 & 264 tons in 1875/76. MNL has 264 tons from 1871, many crew lists are available via this page. A little operational detail. On Feb. 07, 1872, Odessa Packet, 'Young' in command, arrived at Shields ex Gothenburg, Sweden. On Mar. 20, 1872 the vessel left Shields for Copenhagen, Denmark. And on Apl. 09, 1872 the vessel was recorded as leaving Elsinore (Helsing�r, Denmark), for the Baltic. What finally happened to Odessa Packet*? On May 09, 1872, per line 2438 here, the 274 ton brig stranded at Lasker (correctly L�gskar a Finish island), while en route from Ystad (S. coast of Sweden), to Soderham (S�derhamn, Sweden, on Gulf of Bothnia), in ballast. Crew of 9 - none lost. Then owned by Robert Bell. The vessel, 'Young' in command, was driven onto a bank near the lighthouse on L�gskar, an island in the Aland archipelago (Finland), on either May 06, 1872 or May 09, 1872 - both dates are referenced. Presumably in adverse weather. Some contemporary newspaper articles - 1 & 2. It is a puzzle why the vessel was still LR listed in 1874/75 & MNL listed as late as 1875. I guess data travelled slowly back then! Can you tell us more? #2831
14		Oithona 710/851 tons 17534	1853	Oithona? A tiny genus of crustacean, abundant worldwide. Can also be a Gaelic name meaning 'virgin of the waves'. *Oithona, a ship which was first registered, at London on May 13, 1853, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1854/55 thru 1869/70. Its initial owner, per LR thru 1856/57, was J. Michael of London, for consistent service from London to Australia with W. Taylor serving as the vessel's captain. Now Lloyd's Register Foundation has kindly made many survey documents available re Oithona. In the first such survey document, dated Mar. 26, 1853, conducted while the vessel was being built, the vessel was owned by J. Smith. The second survey, document, dated May 17/20 1853, was re a change of ownership - to J. Michael or maybe to J. Michael & A. Milne. Not sure about the reference to A. Milne! So J. Michael was not the vessel's initial owner. Some further puzzles. The webmaster happened to spot that Oithona, then lying at West India Dock in London, was offered for sale on Aug. 15, 1854. Per this sale announcement. Which tells us that her then commander was William Taylor & refers to Jacob Michael. Such sale notice states, incorrectly clearly, that the vessel was built by John Smith of Deptford, Sunderland, & not by 'Robinson'. The second puzzle is the date of the advertisement - since LR records new owners only from 1857/58. Maybe it did not sell in 1854? Or it did & LR did not record it. Further research is needed. From 1857/58 per LR, thru 1869/70, Oithona* was owned by Teighe & Co., also of London. With, per LR, W. Holmes her captain in all of those years. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records *Oithona* from 1857 thru 1867, always London registered & with, from 1865 thru 1867, Teighe and Smith, of London as her owners. MNL does not record the vessel in 1868, it would seem as a result of the vessel being sold (scroll to #17534) to foreign owners. In 1867? The 'best-efforts' *Oithona's service to Australia, thanks to 'Trove'. i) On Oct. 02, 1853, the vessel arrived at Portland (coast of Victoria, Australia, 360 km. W. of Melbourne) after a 92 day voyage - it had left from London on Jun. 11, 1853 via Southampton (left Jul. 01, 1853), with 340 emigrants - 'Taylor' in command. On Nov. 01, 1853, the vessel left Portland for Akyab (now Sittwe, Myanmar), in ballast. ii) On Jan. 30, 1855, the vessel again arrived at Portland with 'Taylor' in command, with 342 emigrants, ex Southampton & Falmouth (left Oct. 16 or 20, 1854) it would seem. On Mar. 06, 1855 the vessel left Portland for Madras (now Chennai, India), in ballast. iii) On Dec. 30, 1856, the vessel, now under the command of William Holmes, left Gravesend, London, for Melbourne, with 9 passengers & a general cargo. It arrived at Melbourne on Apl. 13, 1857 & left for Hong Kong ('HK') on Jun. 20, 1857 with gold in its cargo. I have not spotted when it arrived at HK. iv) In roughly the next 3 years the vessel traded back & forth between Sydney or Melbourne & HK - including a voyage from HK on Nov. 10, 1857, with 340 Chinese passengers & tea & sugar in its cargo, arriving at Sydney on Jan. 03, 1858. v) On Feb. 16, 1861, the vessel was reported in the Australian press to be at Whampoa (i.e. Huangpu, an outer port of Guangzhou, China), soon to sail for London. vi) On Dec. 07, 1861 (Holmes), Oithona* arrived at Melbourne ex London & Southampton with 297 immigrants, maybe having departed on Aug. 31, 1861. On Jan. 04, 1862 it left Melbourne for Otago (Dunedin), New Zealand, in ballast but with 300 passengers. To soon return to Melbourne with 230 passengers. To then leave Melbourne on Apl. 01, 1862 for HK yet again. So far as the webmaster can see, the vessel did not later return to Australia. 153.0 ft. long (151.2 ft. per the sale announcement referred to above), signal letters MHBV, a few crew lists are available via this page. The vessel's service, per LR, while Teighe owned? To Australia thru 1863/64, always ex London except for 1861/62 when it sailed ex Southampton. From London to China from 1864/65 thru 1869/70. It would seem that *Oithona* was sold to foreign owners. At a date & to whom are unknown to the webmaster. But likely in 1867. The vessel may well have been renamed by her new owners. Need help! Can you add anything additional. Or correct the above text in any way? #2889

15		Viscount Canning 746/751, later 700/751 tons 26014, later 3106 (American) Bessie Wittich	1855	Viscount Canning (1812/1862), statesman & politician. Always a ship per Lloyd's Register ('LR'), but a barque per the Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') from & after 1871. The vessel was launched on May 17, 1855 & first registered (scroll to #26014), at Liverpool, on Sep. 7, 1855. Viscount Canning is LR listed from 1856/57 thru 1881/82. It was initially owned, thru 1864/65 per LR, by J. Prowse of Liverpool, with, again per LR, W. (William) Murphy serving as her captain thru such period (indeed thru 1866/67). For service from London to Australia in 1856/57 & 1857/58, from Liverpool to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, in 1858/59 & 1859/60 - & thereafter ex London. The vessel's voyages incl. to Australia & New Zealand ('NZ'). 1) On Feb. 28, 1856, the vessel arrived at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Murphy in command, with a general cargo & 31 passengers. Lying at Port Phillip heads, 4 men from 2 whaleboats came aboard the ship soliciting business to supply meat to the ship while in port. All 4 lost their lives when the area was hit by gale force winds & high seas. The vessel left for Madras (now Chennai), India, on Apl. 19, 1856, had to put back into port & again left on Apl. 25, 1856. 2) On Jan. 05, 1858 the vessel arrived at Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) ex Gravesend, London, & went on to Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. 3) On Dec. 16, 1858 the vessel (Murphy) left London for Sydney, New South Wales, where it arrived on Apl. 24, 1858, having encountered heavy weather en route. It left to return to London on Jun. 22, 1859 with a cargo principally of wool & arrived at Gravesend on Oct. 17, 1859. 4) On May 12, 1861 the vessel was en route to Calcutta, India & 5) on Sep. 09, 1862 the vessel was en route from Bombay, India, to Liverpool with a cargo of cotton. It arrived at Liverpool on Oct. 23, 1862 with 3247 bales of cotton. 6) The vessel carried rice from Calcutta to Mauritius where it loaded sugar for London. Reported to be in the China Sea also. Dates & detail uncertain. 7) On Sep. 17, 1864 the vessel (W. Wright) left Gravesend for Auckland, NZ, where it arrived on Jan. 22, 1865. With 168 passengers. See here. On Mar. 07, 1865, the vessel left Auckland for Pointe de Galle, Ceylon, went on to Amherst (now Kyaikkhami, Myanmar) & Moulmain (now Mawlamyine, Burma/Myanmar) where it arrived on Jun. 05, 1865 - & presumably onwards to London. Other events in the vessel's life. On Dec. 22, 1862 the vessel (Murphy) left Cork, Ireland, for Calcutta with a cargo of salt. In Oct. 1863, Fruiterer, a barque, collided with Viscount Canning in the S. China Sea & sank. Viscount Canning, I read, rescued her crew. At an unknown date in Mar. 1871, the vessel was driven ashore at North Foreland, Kent, re-floated & towed to the Downs. On Feb. 12, 1872, the vessel left Cardiff, Wales, for Singapore with a cargo of coal, & left Swansea, Wales, for Callao, Peru, on Dec. 18, 1874, likely with a similar cargo. On Mar. 14, 1877, the vessel arrived at Cardiff with a cargo of pitch pine. LR of 1864/65 records R. Morris, of Bristol, as the vessel's new owner & it would seem that the 'Morris' family owned the vessel thereafter thru 1879/80 - 'R. Morris', of Bristol, thru 1871/72, 'R. W. Morris', of Liverpool, in 1876/77, 'E. D. Morris', also of Liverpool, from 1877/78 thru 1879/80. In fact they clearly owned the vessel for some additional years. MNL records the vessel as being Liverpool registered thru 1879 & records her ownership rather differently. From 1865 thru 1869, MNL lists Chas. A. Bowen, of London, as her then owner or managing owner. From 1870 thru 1876 MNL lists as her owners Richd. William Morris & in 1878/79 & 1879/80 lists Edward D. Morris, both of Bristol. During the 'Morris' ownership period, LR records service - ex London in 1864/65 & 1865/66, from the Clyde to i) Moulmain in 1866/67 & ii) to India in 1867/68 & 1868/69, from Bideford (N. Devon), to India from 1869/70 thru 1873/74 - when LR recording of a vessel's proposed voyages came to an end. With J. Gardener serving as the vessel's captain from 1866/67 thru 1880/81. LRs of 1880/81 & 1881/82 record no owner name but reference the vessel being now registered in America. 152.0 ft. long, signal letters PJKF, later JTNL (American). Crew lists thru 1879 are available here. The webmaster has WWW read snippets of data re what later happened to the vessel. It would seem that on Apl. 09, 1879, when the vessel was at Mobile, Alabama, ex Rio de Janeiro, Murphy in command, the vessel was seized by the U.S. Government for an earlier infraction at another U.S. port. (I have not read the specific reason). The vessel was put up for public auction on Jun. 02, 1879. In 1883 a Government bill was passed to permit the refund of its sale proceeds to Edward D. Morris & C. R. Morris, the vessel's prior owners. I have also read that when 15 days out of Pensacola, Florida, U.S.A., on Dec. 27, 1881, then re-named Bessie Wittich, the vessel was forced to put back on account of the mutiny of a part of her crew. 'Several members of the crew of Bessie Wittich* are reported to have quit their brutal captain'. Upon arrival, the mutineers were imprisoned. 11 of her crew members were later convicted but in Dec. 1882 their sentence was suspended & they were released. It would seem that thru 1893 at least (I think), Bessie Wittich* was registered at Pensacola. Likely owned by J. L. Wittich with J. C. Sutherland serving as her captain. The vessel IS listed in U.S. ship registers incl. American Lloyd's & Record of American Shipping, with Sheehan & Southerland noted to be her captains. The last date for such registry seems to be 1882. That said, the vessel would seem to still be in existence in 1893. The webmaster is not yet aware of what finally happened to the vessel. Nor when. More data is needed about the vessel's life while in the U.S.A. Can you tell us what finally happened to her or otherwise add to or correct this account? One last word. There would seem to be a reference to the vessel in 'Sea Breezes', Vol. 54 in 1980, at page 43. The webmaster would like to see what that reference says. #2296
16		Weardale 188 tons 19798	1857	*Weardale, a snow or brig, was launched on Aug. 12, 1857, first registered at Sunderland on Aug. 27, 1857, & is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1858/59 thru 1878/79. The vessel's initial owner, per LR, was 'Smurthwaite' of Sunderland for service ex Hull with J. Lamb serving as the vessel's captain. Christie's Shipping Register of 1858 tells us that 'Smurthwaite' was one of a long list of owners, and I do mean long! i.e. John Smurthwaite, William P. Crosby, Edward Evans, James Humphrey, James Stephenson, John S. Nicholson, William Brown, Mark Douglas, William Davies, James Allison, William Snowball & Hudsons & Forster, all of Sunderland. I presume that John Smurthwaite would have been the managing owner. In 1860/61, per LR, Weardale* became owned by the 'Leslie' family of Arbroath, Scotland - T. Leslie from 1860/61 thru 1874/75 & E. J. Leslie thereafter. With many captains over that extensive period i.e. Leslie or T. Leslie thru 1862/63, J. Blair (thru 1865/66), R. Law (thru 1868/69), J. Coss (thru 1870/71, J. Key (thru 1872/73), J. Reay (thru 1874/75), C. Menmuir (thru 1876/77 at least), & finally A. Hotopp (in 1878/79). Under 'Leslie' ownership, *Weardale* served the Baltic i) ex Sunderland (in 1860/61), ii) ex Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1861/62, iii) ex Arbroath (in 1865/67, 1870/72), & iv) ex Dundee (in 1868/69 & in 1872/74). It also, per LR, served the Mediterranean, ex Belfast, from 1862/63 thru 1864/65. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') record *Weardale* as registered at Sunderland from 1857 thru 1860, & registered at Arbroath thereafter thru 1879. Owned from 1865 thru 1875 (1870) by Thomas Leslie, of Arbroath, & from 1876 thru 1879 owned by Edwd. Jas. Leslie, also of Arbroath. 92.0 ft. long, signal letters MTKS, Many crew lists are available via here. It would seem that A. Hotopp was the vessel's captain from the spring of 1878. I read that on May 14, 1878, *Weardale, Hotopp in command, arrived at Cronstadt (St. Petersburg, Russia) ex Malaga, Spain. There were a number of later voyages to Cronstadt ex both Montrose & London. On Nov. 13, 1878, however, the vessel arrived at Saffi (surely Safi on Morocco's Atlantic coast), Morocco, with, I now learn, a cargo of 20 tons of iron & 50 tons of coal. What finally happened to Weardale? LR of 1878/79 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. The vessel, I read, was lost on Nov. 26, 1878, on the coast of Morocco, as per this U.K. Government wreck list, ex here. Which tells us that the vessel had been en route from London to Saffi with a general cargo, under the command of A. Hotopp & that the vessel was lost at Saffi. This contemporary news report advises that Weardale* was driven ashore by a SW gale, onto the eastern beach at Saffi, on Nov. 26, 1878. Further that her crew were all saved & her cargo was expected to be saved also. The vessel, after a survey, was condemned & was to be sold at a public auction. Is there anything you can add? Or correct? #2751

Jordan
299, 300 or 301 tons

26190

1859

The vessel, a brig which was launched on Jan. 04, 1859 & registered at Sunderland on Jan. 17, 1859, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1859/60 thru 1869/70 only. Built by James Robinson.
Thru 1867/68 per LR, Jordan was owned by 'Longridge' of Sunderland for service ex Sunderland including to the Mediterranean from 1853/54 thru 1866/67. With, again per LR, 'Hutchnsn' serving as the vessel's captain thru 1861/62, then W. Robson from 1861/62 thru 1867/68.
106.0 ft. long, signal letters PKCW, some crew lists are available via this page.
In 1867/68, per LR, & thru 1869/70, Jordan, still registered at Sunderland, became owned by H. Eggleston for consistent service from Sunderland to Taganrog (Rostov Oblast, Russia, Sea of Azov, Black Sea). With 'Hutchison' (in 1867/68) or 'Hutchinsn' (in 1868/69 & 1869/70), clearly 'Hutchinson', her captain.
The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records Jordan from 1860 thru 1870 - always registered at Sunderland. MNLs of 1865 thru 1870 report the vessel's owner as being W. Eggleston of Monkwearmouth, Sunderland.
What finally happened to Jordan? LR of 1869/70 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. A U.K. Government 1870 wreck listing records, at line 10 here, that on Jan. 09, 1870, the 300 ton brig was abandoned off Arklow (E. coast or Ireland, about 70 km S. of Dublin), while en route from Taganrog to Cork, Ireland, with a cargo of grain. Crew of 12 - 1 lost. Then owned by William Egglestone. The first line 5 on this U.K. Government wreck page (incorrectly) records the vessel as rather lost off the Pembrokeshire coast.
I learn that on Apl. 18, 1869, Jordan, 'Hutchinson' in command, arrived at Falmouth, Devon, ex Salonica (now Thessaloniki, Aegean Sea, NE Greece) for orders. And on Apl. 21, 1869 left Falmouth for Liverpool presumably to land its cargo. On May 17, 1869, the vessel left Liverpool for Cette (or S�ti, Mediterranean coast of southern France), went on to Taganrog (arr. Aug. 30, 1869) via Constantinople (now Instanbul, Turkey) & Kertch. On Sep. 23, 1869, the vessel left Taganrog for the U.K. with a cargo of grain, arriving at Falmouth on Dec. 03, 1869. A few days later, on Dec. 11, 1869, the vessel left Falmouth for Cork but had to put back to Falmouth on Dec. 22, 1869 with loss of fore and main yards, sails etc. Only on Jan. 05, 1870 did it finally leave Falmouth to deliver its cargo of grain to Cork.
Jordan encountered heavy seas on Jan. 09, 1870 (I think rather on Jan. 08, 1870) & at 11 p.m. that day a high sea swept Joseph Rowlands, a young apprentice, off the ship to a watery grave. Several 'fearful' seas followed, seas which splintered the ship's two boats, ripped out her bulwarks & forced her onto her beam ends. Northern Crown (a 197 ton brig built at Newport in 1863 - ON 47023), came alongside & took the remaining crew on board, but being outward bound transferred them to Manza (said to be a Liverpool barque - name may be incorrect since cannot identify) which landed them at Liverpool on Jan. 13, 1870. Jordan itself? Lara, a steamship (built 1863, probably at Waterford, Ireland - ON 45358), with 'Coffey' in command, came upon the derelict Jordan at 4 p.m. on Jan. 09, 1870 when about 15 miles SE of Arklow. Lara lay beside the derelict for about 5 minutes then witnessed Jordan heel over & sink.
Jordan is stated, at the time of its loss, to have been owned by Wm. & John Eggleston & by John Humble. Some contemporary newspaper reports - 1 & 2.
Can anybody tell us anything additional? Or correct the above text in any way? #2924

18	Condor 286 tons 28781	1860	A brig, which was launched in Aug. 1860 & first registered (scroll to #28781), at Sunderland, on Aug. 29, 1860. A vessel that had a very short life. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed in 1861/62 only, owned by W. Dawson of Sunderland, with R. Herbert her captain, for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean. On May 05, 1861, per line 1214 here, the 285 ton brig stranded at Barcelona, Spain, while en route from Sunderland to Barcelona with a cargo of coal. Crew of 10 - none lost. Then owned by Wm. Dawson. No crew lists seem to be available. Can you tell us about the circumstances of the vessel's loss or otherwise add anything? #2097
19	Dinorah 360 later 367 tons 27708	1860	A 3-masted barque, completed in Feb. 1860. Per 1 ('pdf' file, Court of Inquiry re 1876 sinking), 2 (summary of the Court hearing). The vessel is not listed at Miramar. 119.0 ft. long. Signal letters PSKD. The webmaster has many editions of Lloyd's Register available to him from 'Google' books - see left. The vessel was built for J. (James) Dryden of North Shields, the managing owner, intended for the Black Sea trade it would seem. That means, I believe, coal on the outward journey, returning with grain. In the following years the vessel was used as a coaster registered at Sunderland, & then from Bristol to the Mediterranean registered at North Shields. The vessel would seem to have traded into the Mediterranean for a great many years, ex Gloucester or Bristol. D. Wallace served as her captain thru the 1869/70 Lloyd's Register & then J. Wallace (related perhaps?) until 1873/74 when J. Sprott became her captain. The Mercantile Navy List of 1870 states that John Dryden of S. Shields was then her owner. On Jul. 3, 1876, the vessel left the Tyne for Brindisi, SE Italy, with a crew of 13 all told & a cargo of 618 tons of coal. By Jul. 27, 1876, the vessel was about 35 miles to the eastward of Gibraltar. A little before 1 a.m., the vessel, travelling at about 4 knots, encountered fog. A little later, a steamer approached on her starboard quarter. Dinorah's fog horn was sounded & the crew shouted to attract attention. The steamer hit the barque, perhaps 'at full speed', close to the taffrail on her starboard quarter, carrying away much of the vessel's stern. I cannot figure out the exact time of the collision. While the crew tried to launch a longboat, the vessel sank beneath them. Only the Captain (his name?, maybe Sprott), the carpenter, who had been at the wheel, & a seaman survived - all the 10 others were drowned. The steamer was Dorunda, a passenger/cargo ship of 2977 tons, built in 1875 at Dumbarton & owned by British India Steam Navigation Company, ex London with a crew of 77 & about 33 passengers. Dorunda's boats picked up the 3 survivors from the water. J. Rounding, the 2nd officer of Dorunda stated, amongst other matters, that he had slowed his ship when the fog was first seen, which evidence the Court felt was not consistent with the known facts & particularly with the evidence of Mr. Taylor, Dorunda's 3rd Engineer, in charge of the engines at the time. The Court concluded that J. Rounding was responsible for the collision but did not consider his offence great enough to suspend his certificate. He was, however, instructed to 'exercise a greater degree of vigilance', in the future. The WWW record for this vessel, other than re Dorunda, is essentially non-existent. Can you add to and/or correct the above?
20	Leda 499 or 513 tons 28433	1860	The vessel, which was launched in Feb. 1860, was first registered, at Sunderland, on Mar. 5, 1860 (scroll to #28433), apparently as 'Ledas' of 512 tons. Built I read by John Robinson. The vessel is Lloyd's Register listed, as 499 ton Leda, from 1860/61 thru 1862/63 only, the 1862/63 edition noting 'Missing'. Owned, throughout such short period by J. Clay of Sunderland for service from Sunderland to India. With J. Dudley serving as the vessel's captain. On Mar. 10, 1860, per line 976 here, the barque, stated to be of 513 tons, went missing while en route from Sunderland to Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, with a cargo of coals. The entire crew of 18 were, of course, lost. The vessel is stated to have been owned by John Clay. No crew lists seem to be available. Can you tell us anything additional? #2126
21	Statesman 341 tons 28332	1860	A barque, completed in Aug. 1860. The vessel is not listed at Miramar. 116.0 ft. long (later 115.7 ft. only). Signal letters PWBR. Built for Jobling & Co. of South Shields, likely for the Mediterranean trade. The Mercantile Navy List of 1870 states that Jobling & Walker, also of S. Shields was then the vessel's owner. The webmaster has a number of Lloyd's Registers available & 'Jobling' would seem to have owned the vessel for many years, certainly thru 1874/75. The 1878/79 register, however, records J. (John) Carr, of Newcastle as then owning the vessel (but I do not know exactly when ownership changed). The vessel is recorded in the 1883/84 edition, with 'J. Carr & Son' the recorded owner - & the vessel is not recorded at all in the 1887/88 edition. The WWW record for this vessel is essentially non-existent. Can you tell us what happened to it? Or correct or add to the above.
22	Darius 329 later 330 tons 43630	1861	A barque, which was launched on Sep. 23, 1861 & first registered, at South Shields, on Oct. 25, 1861 (I think) (scroll to #43630. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed in 1861/62 & 1862/63 only, owned by Jobling & Co. of South Shields for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean. LR of 1862/63 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. On Nov. 02, 1861, per line 1419 here, the 330 ton barque stranded at Long Sand (Thames Estuary, Essex) during a gale, while en route from Sunderland to Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), with a cargo of coal. Crew of 11 - 2 lost. Then stated to have been owned by James Jobling. Such data is quite different from this newspaper cutting which states that 5 of the 11 member crew were drowned, while the other 6 were saved by a boat's crew from Volunteer, a Harwich smack, after they had clung to the rigging for 18 hours. 2 of the 5 who died fell from the rigging when help was close at hand. Darius' captain was named Smith - per LR, A. Smith. No crew lists seem to be available. Can you add anything? #2153
23	Enos 332 or 333 tons 29866	1861	The vessel was launched on Jul. 10, 1861 & first registered, at Sunderland, on Jul. 15, 1861 (scroll to #29866). Launched as per this newspaper cutting. The vessel is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1861/62 thru 1867/68 only, owned for that entire, if brief, period by Smith & Co. of Sunderland. Was always registered at Sunderland. Initially for service from Sunderland to the Mediterranean, but from 1861/62 thru 1866/67 for service from Ramsgate, Kent, to Lisbon, Portugal, in 1866/67 for service from Hull to Lisbon & in 1867/68 for service ex Hull. With, per LR, Woodruff her initial captain, but A. Cameron from 1861/62 thru 1867/68. The Mercantile Navy Lists ('MNL') of 1865 thru 1867 record Alex Smith of Sunderland as the vessel's then owner. The vessel is not listed in MNL of 1868. LR of 1867/68 notes that the vessel had been 'Lost'. 112.0 ft. long, signal letters QHLB. Some Enos crew lists are available here. I do not know what finally happened to the vessel, likely in 1867 or 1868 without any loss of life. Can you tell us what happened to her or otherwise add anything? #2156
24	Plover 342 tons 44462	1862	A wooden barque. Per 1 (Board of Trade inquiry into 1875 grounding, ex 'Accounts and Papers', published 1876, a 'Google' book). The vessel is not listed at Miramar. 118.5 ft. long, signal letters TVGC. Built for 'Potts, Bros' which was better or became 'R. H. Potts and Brothers' in 1867, of Sunderland. The webmaster has a number of Lloyd's Registers available & 'Potts' would seem to have owned the vessel for many years, certainly thru 1874/75. The vessel would seem to have been then sold - in view of the next data. On Oct. 14, 1875, Plover, then owned by 'John Firth of Sunderland and another', John Wright in command, left Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, Russia (Sea of Azov, Black Sea), with a cargo of wheat, bound for Queenstown, (now Cobh, County Cork, Ireland) with a crew of 10 all told. At midnight on Nov. 1, 1875 the vessel was hove to with Khoraz Light (Sea of Marmora near the village of Khoraz) 4 miles to the NNW, awaiting daylight to approach the Dardanelles. In hazy weather & with a moderate gale, the vessel continued W. by S. & soon after 6 a.m. on Nov. 02, 1875 the vessel ran aground, 10 miles W. of their estimated position. They tried to get the ship off. Thick fog until 6:30 a.m. Two tugs from Gallipoli tried to pull the ship off at 8 a.m., but to no avail. The ship was leaking badly, 3 1/2 ft. of water 'in the well'. The weather worsened & at 4 p.m. the crew took to the boats & landed safely close by. On Nov. 04, 1875, they returned to the ship but found her 'parted amidships' & finally abandoned her. The Court considered that the ship could not possibly have sailed along the northern shore of the Sea of Marmora without Khoraz Light being brilliantly visible - and it wasn't. So the grounding was the result of navigational errors. The Court cautioned the Captain to be more careful in the future but returned to him his certificate. Except for the above, the WWW record for this vessel is essentially non-existent. Can you correct or add to the above.

25		Caravan 330 tons 44533	1863	The vessel, which was first registered in Apl. 1863, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1862/63 thru 1869/70 only. Per LR, it was owned, throughput its brief lifetime by 'Smith & Co.' of Sunderland, which owner name is clarified by the Mercantile Navy Lists of 1865, 1868 & 1870 to mean Alex. Smith of Sunderland, in fact Alexander Smith of Sunnyside. For service ex Sunderland i) to China in 1863/64 & 1864/65 & ii) to the Mediterranean in 1865/66 & 1866/67. From 1867/68, the vessel is LR listed as serving the Mediterranean ex Newport, Wales. The vessel would seem, per LR, to have had three captains, i.e. T. Turner thru 1865/66, H. Cuthbert from 1865/66 thru 1867/68 & A. Cameron thereafter. But read on! LR of 1869/70 notes that the vessel had been 'Wrecked'. 115.0 ft. long, signal letters TVLR. On Sep. 13, 1869, per line 27 on this page, the vessel, stated to be a 313 ton barque, stranded at Walton Bay (between Clevedon & Portishead on the N. coast of Somerset) while en route from Sombrero to Gloucester with a cargo of guano. Sombrero, also known as Hat Island, is an island in the Territory of Anguilla in the Lesser Antilles of the eastern Caribbean, an island then noted for its guano deposits. Crew of 11, one of whom lost his life. Thanks to 'Welsh Newspapers Online' you can read the detailed circumstances of the vessel's loss during violent storms in the Bristol Channel - here in red. The vessel had, I read, sought the shelter of Walton Bay but broke away from her anchors & was driven onto rocks in Walton Bay. It was under the command of Captain Humphries at the time. One crew member lost his life attempting to reach shore. Even more information about the disaster & its aftermath can be accessed here. Is it possible that you can add anything? #2252
26		England 853 later 860 tons 45769	1863	*England, a ship, which was launched on Jan. 05, 1863 & first registered, at London, on Jan. 14, 1863, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1862/63 thru 1875/76. Always listed as a ship except for 1871/72 when it is listed as a barque. It was, per LR, initially owned by W. de Mattos of London, thru 1865/66, with W. Robson her captain, for service from Sunderland to India. The Lloyd's Register Foundation kindly makes available the survey report conducted while England* was being built. Available here. Listing W. N. De Mattos as the vessel's owner & W. Robson her then captain. Other Survey documents are also available via the Foundation. LRs of 1865/66 thru 1874/75 record G. Harrington as *England's new owner. For service i) from London to New Zealand in 1866/67, 1869/70 & 1871/72, ii) ex London in 1867/68 & 1868/69, & iii) to Australia in 1870/71. LR of 1872/73 reports service from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, to China & in 1873/74 from Sydney to Japan. With J. (Jas.) Fox her captain from 1866/67 until part way thru 1871/72 then 'Harrington' thru 1873/74. The Mercantile Navy List ('MNL') records her owners, or maybe her managing owners, very differently. MNL records England* as London registered from 1864 thru 1875, owned in 1865 by George Seymour of London, in 1866 by Henry Barton, also of London, & from 1867 thru 1875 by G. H. Harrington (of London thru 1870 & thereafter of Portsmouth, Hampshire). A Lloyd's Survey document references Seymour, Peacock & Co. as the vessel's owner in early 1865. The 1866 Survey lists G. H. Harrington. LRs of 1874/75 & 1875/76 both record W. Mactaggart, of London, as the vessel's owner. 168.5 ft. long (168.6 ft. per the above referenced Survey document), signal letters VFQG. Of 860 tons from MNL of 1871, some crew lists are available via this page. What finally happened to *England? 'Crewlist.org' notes that the vessel, then registered at Singapore, was wrecked on Sep. 21, 1875 & the U.K. register was closed in 1876. MNL of 1876 tells us that the then owner of the Singapore registered vessel was Ong Boon Keng, of Penang, Malaysia. The loss of England* on Sep. 21, 1875 is confirmed by this U.K. Government 1875 wreck listing (ex here). Which tells us that the vessel was en route from Singapore to Shanghai, China, with a crew of 39 & under the command of T. Pfeiffer. With a cargo of wood & carrying 5 passengers. It was lost at 24.30N/120.35E - i.e off the NW coast of Formosa Island, better known today perhaps as Taiwan. A Naval Court of Inquiry into the vessel's loss was held at Amoy (Xiamen, Fujian Province, China) on Oct. 25/26, 1875. As per this page (same source), the Court concluded that *England* was lost through the gross negligence of its master, whose certificate was accordingly cancelled. Such page specifically tells us that the vessel's captain was Theodore Emil Pfieffer. I understand that there was no loss of life in the disaster. The summary report of the Court can be read here (in red - same source) which tells us why the Court came to their conclusion - do read such summary - it is quite short. While the main issue was the drinking problem of her master, the Court noted that the vessel was ill equipped for such a voyage in typhoon season, having limited qualified officers. And clearly was poorly managed by her master. Further that had the vessel been better commanded & manned, the grounding could have been averted or would have been got off having grounded. The disaster was rather modestly referenced in the U.K. press, which clearly was not aware that the vessel was no longer 'Harrington' owned. I read that *England* had left Singapore for Shanghai on Aug. 29, 1875, went ashore 60 miles S. of Tamsui during a hurricane, & was carrying coal rather than timber. The crew (and I presume the passengers also), were landed at Amoy by *Hailoong, a steamship. The vessel's value at the time of her loss was noted to be of approx. �16,000. Some contemporary news reports - 1, 2 & 3. The vessel's name is 'difficult' for a search at the newspaper archives of Australia & NZ. I have tried but gave up for the present. So far as I can see, John Robinson built only one vessel named England. Some text which puzzles the webmaster. 'Blue Peter', writing in the Sunderland Echo of Mar. 19, 1964 states as follows:- The largest ship to be built by John Robinson ... appears to have been the* England, 853 tons, which was owned by Smurthwaite, later sold to Penang and wrecked at Formosa in 1875'. So far I am unable to fit Blue Peter's 'Smurthwaite' reference into the documentary record as noted above. But ... so far as the webmaster can see, Smurthwaite & Seymour, Peacock & Co. transacted business in 1865 relating to *Davenport, built by Smurthwaite in 1865 & Lord Dalhousie* built by Gales at Sunderland in 1847. Smurthwaite, at the time of legal action re the matter in late 1865 was in bankruptcy. Maybe Smurthwaite was associated with *England* in another way? Can you tell us more. Or correct the above text in any way? #2894

Rushing Water
422 tons

50168

1864

A wooden barque, which had a very short life. Per 1 (data), 2 (the collision on Dec. 19, 1867, ex 'The Nautical Magazine' Vol. 37 re 1868, p#108), 3 (Startled Fawn, some Lloyd's Register listings). The vessel is not listed at Miramar. 128.7 ft. long, signal letters HBDT. Built for C. Newman, I understand of Liverpool, with the ship registered at London. The webmaster has a number of Lloyd's Registers available ex Google books, & 'C. Newman', i.e. Charles Newman, owned the vessel for what appears to be its entire short life, thru to the 1866/67 edition of Lloyd's as at left. Engaged in U.K. waters perhaps but the 1866/67 edition of Lloyd's Register records an anticipated voyage to Singapore. On Dec. 17, 1867, Rushing Water, then said to be owned by 'Newman & Co.', left Sunderland for Madras, India, with a cargo of coke, iron & machinery, including steam engine parts for the East India Railway. 'G. Pearson' was her captain with a crew of 14 all told. The vessel was off the coast at Hastings, East Sussex, on Dec. 19, 1867. Also then off that coast was Startled Fawn, an iron ship said to be of 763 tons, which reported tonnage is surely incorrect. Startled Fawn was a fully rigged iron sailing ship, i.e. a clipper ship, built in 1855 at Warrington, & owned by Fletcher & Co. (George H. Fletcher & Co.) of Liverpool, listed as being of 1164 tons, signal letters HGSF, ON#1144. Startled Fawn was commanded by one Captain King, but an Isle of Wight pilot was aboard & the captain was confined to his cabin having been there for a week with a paralytic fit. 109 days out of Calcutta, India, & bound for London, with a cargo of rice, seed, cotton & jute. 30 were aboard all told. The conditions were bad - thick, impenetrable, fog. At about 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, 1867, Rushing Water came into Startled Fawn's view less than a ship's length away. Were both ships not sounding their bells? Regardless, the two vessels collided - 'so terrible was the force with which they met that both of them immediately foundered' - or so it was written. It would seem, however, that that was not exactly so. Rushing Water sank within 7 minutes & its entire crew transferred to Startled Fawn, which also began sinking despite pumping efforts. By midnight she had 15 feet of water in her holds & was sinking by the bow. Both crews, 44 in total number, took to the 3 boats of Startled Fawn & after rowing for some considerable time, they came upon Little Polly, a Hastings fishing lugger, commanded by Thomas White. Little Polly took all 44 aboard & landed them at Hastings at or about 10 a.m. on Dec. 20, 1867. The Hastings Chronicle of Feb. 21, 1868, (70% down here) recorded that 'For getting shipwrecked men ashore from the Liverpool vessel Startled Fawn, in collision 12 miles off Hastings on December 20, �Tuppy� Stonham and his crew on Little Polly were given a �7 reward.' The wreck of Rushing Water lies today in 90 ft. of water at 50.45.25N/ 00.37.834E, or at 50.45.15N/00.37.50E, maybe 12 miles off the East Sussex coast at Hastings. The wreck was, it would seem, located by Nigel Ingram & his mate Jon, whose fishing gear snagged on the wreck in 1987. It is Nigel who indicates that the vessel was carrying a cargo of steam engine parts, many of them of bronze - which engine parts are long gone from the wreck! The ship was identified by its ship's bell. I am sure that that bell still exists somewhere. An image of it would be most welcome! The WWW record for this vessel is modest. You would have thought that there would have been an Official Inquiry into such a collision, which collision is said to have been mentioned in 'Illustrated London News' (can anybody track that reference down?) David Renno provides a detailed account of the disaster in 'Beachy Head Shipwrecks of the 19th Century', see here. Can you add to or correct the above? Is the location of the wreck of Startled Fawn known, I wonder?

Duesbery
349 tons

56886

1867

A barque. The vessel, which was launched or completed on Aug. 03, 1867, is Lloyd's Register ('LR') listed from 1867/68 thru 1876/77 at least (LR of 1877/78 is not available to the webmaster). Strangely, two master lists of Sunderland built ships both record the vessel as Duesbury, i.e. with 2 u's. Duesbery? I can only note that there is a Duesbery Street in Hull, East Yorkshire.
The vessel was owned, per LR, for that entire period by 'Brightman' of London, initially Brightman & Co., from 1876/77 C. J. Brightman & Co. With W. Levie her initial captain thru 1869/70, J. Gubbs thru 1872/73, A. Reid thru 1876/77 & Wilkie in 1876/77. For service initially from Sunderland to the West Indies, in 1869/70 & 1870/71 for service from London to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, to or from Hamburg, Germany, perhaps, in 1871/72, ex Blyth in 1872/73 & ex Liverpool in 1873/74.
The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1870 thru 1874 list her then owner as being Charles J. Brightman, of London, while the equivalent lists of 1875 & 1876 both advise that Wm. H. Turner, of London, was then her owner. Her managing owner, apparently, with 'Brightman' still a shareholder.
119.7 ft. long, signal letters HSKR.
On Jul. 21, 1877 the vessel left Demerera (British Guyana now Guyana) in ballast for Frontera de Tabasco (Tabasco State, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico) with a crew of 11 all told. On Aug. 18, 1877, at 2 a.m. in the morning, the vessel ran aground on rocks off Arcas Bay (Arcas Cays near the Yucatan coast), in the Gulf of Mexico. No attempt was made to get the vessel off until many hours later, by which time moving her was impossible due to the then water levels. At 6.30 p.m. that day, the crew abandoned the vessel in a long boat & a jolly-boat at a time when the waters inside the ship were level with the outside sea. Both boats made it safely to Frontera de Tabasco on Aug. 21 & 24, 1877 respectively.
A Court of Inquiry was later held into the loss. The Court considered, amongst other things, the charts that the vessel had aboard & also the detailed sailing instructions the captain had been given & concluded that the captain had effectively caused the grounding by his neglectful navigational conduct & further, by his lack of timely action, had made freeing her impossible. The Court held the captain (his name is not mentioned that I can see) guilty of gross & culpable negligence & suspended his certificate for a 1 year period. The then captain as reported in LR of 1876/77 was 'Wilkie'.
At the time of the loss, William Henry Turner was the managing owner, Mr. Brightman owning 28 shares (of 64) & there were other owners too. All as per the Wreck Inquiry Report which is available here. Such report was summary published here. Which summary confirms that 'Wilkie' was indeed the vessel's captain.
Is there anything you can add? #2020

TO END THE PAGE

AN AMERICAN CRATE LABEL FEATURING CALIFORNIA APPLES

I am having some difficulty in explaining exactly what the image that follows is all about. It would appear, however, that an exhibition was held in Sunderland, from April 18 to May 17, 1977, at the Sunderland Arts Centre, to promote a rather unusual subject - American crate labels of five decades & their interesting artwork. Included was a label which featured & promoted California apples. The original label, which would seem to date from the 1920s or 1930s is about 10 or 10 1/2 in. by 9 3/4 in. in size & was apparently overprinted in some way for the occasion.

Such a label was offered for sale via eBay some years ago & two examples of it were available as this section was last amended in Mar. 2019.

It is a truly a splendid label, is it not!

A composite image re Kulula Airlines of South Africa.

May I suggest that you navigate the site via the index on page 001.PRIOR PAGE / NEXT PAGE

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

THE GUEST BOOK - GO HERE

THE DECEMBER 13, 1940 ATTACK ON NEWTON PINE

A message from Sandy Davison, whose father John Davison was aboard Newton Pine, that day in 1940.

Further to our recent exchanges please let me provide you with some information re the Newton Pine particularly regarding the part relating to my father John Davison.

The Newton Pine was sailing in the Atlantic on the 13th December 1940 - position Lat: 2-06 North, 22.02 West and the weather was fine and clear. At 15.50 a torpedo was observed to break surface at about 1500 yards bearing 145 deg on the starboard bow. Avoiding action was taken and the torpedo passed approx 15 feet from the starboard bow while the vessel was still swinging.
At 16.25 a submarine broke surface slightly on the port quarter at a range of about 7/8000 yards. Shots were fired and dropped approx 1500 yards astern of the Newton Pine. Gun crew were sent to action stations and the first salvo fired fell short and to the left. The next salvos fell nearer the submarine. The submarine continued firing and appeared to be becoming more accurate and some damage was done to the Newton Pine. A shot from the Newton Pine appeared to land 'dead on target' and the enemy abruptly stopped firing and submerged. Avoiding action was taken by the Newton Pine by dropping a smoke float astern to conceal movements and a course was set for 315 deg. The action lasted approx 30 mins. The Master's, Chief Officer's and Gunlayer's opinion was that the 20th and 21st salvos had put the submarine out of action. Darkness fell and action stations were maintained till dawn. The submarine was not seen again and was presumed to have been sunk.

From the log of the U65 a number of interesting fact are found. This was the first German U-boat to cross the equator. The U65 spotted the Newton Pine at 20.00 on the 12th December. On the 13th in the log is entered "Steamer in sight. Moved forward. Steamer turns 45 dgs cutting across shortly before torpedo, target missed. Attempted torpedo from shallow angle. Steamer appeared to spot torpedo as it turns suddenly in order to use side guns. Surfaced for artillery engagement as I suppose that steamer was broadcasting. Fired approx 30 times. 2 possibly 3 hits. Steamer moves slowly when hits approach 100m. Turns away, stops firing. Observation of hits too unsafe. Steamer is broadcasting with directional transmitter but we can pick it up. Freetown repeats SOS on all wavelengths then transmits a 4 digit coded F T report of 7 groups. During the night lively bustle. The F Ts were partly repeated on 600m by Ascension. SOS was broadcast was transmitted about ten times. Newton Pine uses smoke screen and despite energetic attempts disappears from sight." The U65 then ran ahead on the general course of the Newton Pine but did not find her.

This expands on the story you already know about. Thus the story is partly correct. The Newton Pine did not sink U65 but clearly thought that it did so. The log of the U65, held by the Admiralty, confirms the engagement. Prize money was paid out and distributed to the crew of the Newton Pine on a 'stripe basis' i.e. the amount received by each crew member was according to rank with the Master receiving most but all getting something. I have a copy of the receipt of that received by my father. It was not based on the value of the cargo but, I think, on the value of the submarine to the Admiralty.

The information regarding the U65 was received from the Ministry of Defence in London and confirmed that U65 was commanded by Korvettenkapitan Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen. After the engagement the U65 returned to Lorient on 10 January 1941. Under a different commander she was sunk with all hands on 28 April 1941 by HMS Douglas whilst attacking convoy HX 121.

Trusting that this information is of interest to you. Sandy Davison, Ancrum, Scotland, Sep. 16, 2010.

Webmaster's Comment. I am advised that the above interesting information comes from Sandy Davison, & also from Iain Davison, Sandy's brother, of Ponteland, Northumberland.