At the time of his retirement in 1935 Captain George Frederick Wilson had been a sailor for over fifty years. Born in 1869 in Lowfield Heath, Surrey, he was the son of grocer and wine merchant Sanderson Wilson and his wife Louisa. George’s older brother was following in their father’s footsteps, but it seems the family business didn’t appeal to George, as did the adventure of a career at sea. Living in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, it was perhaps the sight of passing tall ships which fired his imagination so that, at the age of 15 in 1884, he signed up with his father’s approval as an indentured apprentice onboard the “Oneida”. A three masted iron hulled ex-steamer, she was commanded by sixty-two year old Captain Samuel Clyma, a feisty veteran of numerous voyages to the Far East with the “Caldera”, “Cape City”, “Queen of the Age” and “Caroline”.
Carrying a fork a spoon and a bible, George boarded the “Oneida” at Royal Victoria Dock, London in October of that year. Clearing London ‘in ballast’ she took on cargo in Cardiff before setting out for the Far East making her way to Singapore then on to Calcutta via Elephant Point on the coast of Burma. They spent five long months in Calcutta’s bustling steamy port, then one of the largest of the British Empire. As they waited for suitable cargo, the apprentices no doubt spent many scorching days in painting masts and decks and polishing fittings before cargo was loaded and they were towed down the Hugli river to set sail once more in the Bay of Bengal. Another three months at sea followed before George sighted London again in March of 1886. He returned, no doubt wiser, having been taught, according to his indenture, “the business of a seaman” and provided with “meat, drink, lodging” and, it was noted, “no wages”.
But life at sea must have been to his liking. With a letter of recommendation that noted: “he has conducted himself with sobriety & entirely to the satisfaction of his Captain”, he left the “Oneida” in April 1886. By July he had signed on as apprentice on the “Dharwar”, an iron full-rigged sailing ship owned by John Willis & Sons whose fleet also included the tea clipper “Cutty Sark”.
A regular visitor to Australian waters since 1870, the “Dharwar” brought out general cargo beneath her teakwood decks, from pickles and prunes to plate glass and pianos. Travelling “via the Cape”, she returned to England laden with wool from Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane and Townsville and it was during three journeys, of over two hundred days, that George learned his trade under Captains Charles Hutchins and Walter Hipgrave.
There were lessons of life and death and of the power of the sea.Caught in an Indian Ocean storm on May 29th, 1888 she was running under topsails and reefed foresail at 3am when with Captain Hutchins and two crew at the wheel, waves crashed over the stern and swamped her. Hutchins was swept along the deck and then back again. He clung on, his leg broken as one crewman lay tangled in the mizzen rigging while the other disappeared into the darkness of the ocean never to be seen again. The Melbourne "Argus" newspaper of 25 June 1888 reported:
"The whole of the after part of the vessel appears to have been swept..bursting in the doors and the front of the cabin...The sea reduced settees, tables, berths to matchwood. The two boats on the forward skids...were smashed...poop rails,ladders and binnacles were utterly destroyed "
With Captain Hutchins injured, chief officer Hipgrave took the helm and steadied the ship. Limping on towards Australia the “Dharwar” spent five months in Melbourne before she was repaired and loaded for the return to London. For Captain Hutchins, who had made many voyages to Australia with the “Dharwar” and “Zenobia”, the voyage was the last of his career.
By his third voyage aboard the “Dharwar” , to Brisbane and Townsville in 1889, George Wilson had risen to the rank of 3rd mate and was lauded by John Willis as a “steady determined active young seaman”. Determined to have a command of his own, he moved between shipping lines over the next few years. Obtaining his 2nd mate’s ticket he went as 3rd officer on the steamship “Bothwell Castle”, under the banner of the Milburn Line, travelling twice more to Australia in 1890-1891. Outward bound with livestock and general cargo , she was to return, like the “Dharwar” with a load of Australian wool as well as tons of copper ore. But before the wool clip was done, there was Newcastle coal and mail bound for Jakarta and Indonesian sugar to be brought back to Melbourne.
There were extremes of weather, from icy winds and squalls of snow as they departed the Thames to the steamy tropics of Jakarta and Surabaya.
Beyond ‘the Cape’, Captain Rob Tod used all his experience to steer the “Bothwell Castle” clear of Indian Ocean storms as the barometer plunged. But mountainous “roaring forties” seas hit her amidships as she turned into the wind on one occasion. They hit, reported the “Sydney Morning Herald” of March 30, 1891, “like a catapult” swamping her decks, battering hatches and life rafts and sweeping cargo into the ocean. Captain Tod and his officers barely avoided that fate as the bridge was flooded. Stormy weather continued to trouble them in Indonesian waters where yellow fever laid low many of the crew.It was a tough school for young George Wilson and the weekly losses of dozens of ships published in the “Times” testified to the danger of a career at sea.
In 1892-93, after five voyages to Australia, George went as 2nd and 3rd officer with British and African Steam Navigation’s “Lualaba” and the African Steamship Company’s “Nubia” on their regular voyages to the southwest coast of Africa under the banner of Elder Dempster. From the Mersey, from Rotterdam from Cuxhaven, Hamburg, Vlissingen and Antwerp they carried mail and general cargo as they journeyed to the Congo, Lagos, Sierra Leone and Accra where they gathered produce such as palm oil, palm nuts, coffee and ivory. Amongst the cargo may also have been guns on their way to King Leopold's nightmarish Congo Free State. A survivor of the Major Hodister expedition into the heart of the Congo told a tale of massacre, cannibals and beheadings. And not far from the port of Matadi where the Lualaba lay at anchor in 1893 a runaway train crashed setting off a massive dynamite and gunpowder explosion which killed dozens. The crew were amongst the first on the scene of shocking carnage. It would be several years before the full extent of the Congo nightmare was revealed by journalist and politician Edmund Dene Morel.
It was an era of colonialism, of British Industrial might, of domination in trade and merchant shipping. There was no shortage of opportunity for a young ambitious seaman. George moved on again, this time to the Prince Line as 2nd mate, making one voyage on the “Sailor Prince” before transferring to the “Danish Prince” in October 1894. Sailing from Antwerp she called at the Mediterranean ports of Turkey, Greece, the Greek Islands, Crete, Lebanon, Egypt and Sicily then took to the open waters of the Atlantic on her way to New York and Jamaica with the fruit of the Middle East.
In July of 1895, after obtaining his master’s ticket, George joined the Houlder Line, the company he would serve for the rest of his career. On their 2,400-ton steamer "Ovingdean Grange” he served initially as 2nd officer and later, 1st officer making nineteen voyages to South America, the mainstay route of that company, over the next six years. It was on one of those voyages that he met young Harriet Postel who was returning from a stint in Argentina's Parana river port of Rosario. A shipboard romance apparently ensued and in 1897 they married in West Derby. But it must have been a lonely life much of the year for Harriet as her husband travelled for months at a time in those days before electronics made the world seem so much smaller. And in December 1901 with one baby and another “on the way”, she kissed him goodbye again.
As 1st officer he sailed with the recently launched seven-thousand ton “Drayton Grange”, which was serving as a troop and supply carrier for British forces engaged in the Imperial wars against South Africa’s Boers and the Dervishes of Somalia. Under Captain Joseph Bennett she first called at Greece’s port of Thessalonica before crossing the Atlantic to New Orleans. She then went on to Cape Town, Durban and East London.
Over the next eighteen months the “Drayton Grange” shuttled between South Africa, Somalia, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand carrying supplies and ferrying troops to and from the wars. She took on horses, mules and wagons, tons of frozen beef, sheepskins and tallow as well as bales of wool in thousands for the mills of England. In August 1902, with returning Australian soldiers on board, she sailed into Sydney as a band played “Home sweet home”. But many on board were seriously ill with measles and influenza, some fatally so and conditions had been appalling with medicine, beds for the sick and discipline all in short supply. A subsequent Royal Commission-notably Australia's first- vindicated the crew but damaged relations between Australia and London. Finally returning to England in late December 1903 the “Drayton Grange” had covered over eighty thousand nautical miles.
George’s second daughter was over a year old when he returned, but even though he had just completed a marathon voyage of two years, it was only a matter of weeks before he went to sea again in January 1904.
Were there words of complaint or did the wives of Edwardian England stoically accept their lot?
Whatever may have been the case, there was career and duty, and this time, at the age of thirty-five and with eight years experience as first officer, he was promoted to Master of the “Ovingdean Grange” on a first brief voyage to the European coast.
Later that month he took command of Houlder’s 2,700 ton steamer “Thorpe Grange” plying the South American trade route departing from Liverpool, Newport and Gravesend. She travelled the seven thousand-mile journey via Madeira, Las Palmas and Fernando Noronha to the busy Argentine ports of Buenos Aires, Rosario, Bahia Blanca and La Plata as well as Uruguay’s Montevideo. Brazil's Rio Janeiro and Santos and Chile’s Punta Arenas were also Houlder ports of call. Equipped for refrigerated cargo, she brought frozen meat back to the United Kingdom in addition to carrying passengers, mail and livestock.
Though the company’s principal focus was on the growing trade with Argentina, they had since 1902 carried migrants and freight to Australia and in 1907/08 Captain Wilson took the "Thorpe Grange" to Melbourne's Port Philip Bay. With a load of general cargo she arrived in "a creditable time of 45 days", reported the Melbourne "Argus", helped perhaps, as Captain Wilson remarked by "...the voyage being dull to the verge of monotony" with "hardly an incident worthy of remark...". After a brief sojourn in Melbourne it was on to Sydney and Waitara, New Zealand before a return to England.
There followed another three years of trans-Atlantic crossings before he returned to the "Antipodes" as Captain of the “Everton Grange” an 8,000 ton twin screw steamship. Capable of a speed of 12 knots and carrying up to 204 third class passengers, she had been engaged since 1905 in migration from the United Kingdom to Australia and New Zealand as part of the Federal-Houlder-Shire Line partnership. During 1911 and 1912 he was commander on two voyages to Australia via the Cape of Good Hope, taking English, Scottish and Irish migrants to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. After visiting the northern Queensland ports of Bowen and Townsville gathering cargo such as frozen beef, hardwood and hides, the “Everton” turned south again picking up passengers for the return trip via Egypt’s Port Said and Malta. The voyage to Liverpool, according to the Melbourne ‘Argus’ of 7th October 1911, featured;
“excellent accommodation for third class passengers.... electric light throughout” for a fare of between thirteen and seventeen pounds.
Shortly after though, the Houlder Line withdrew from the partnership, the “Everton Grange” was sold to New Zealand and Captain Wilson returned to the familiar trans-Atlantic route. The journeys to Australia had taken over five months, a long time away from his wife and three young daughters in Merseyside Liscard. When he was at home, there were trips to Port Erin, walks on the West Kerby Promenade and rowing on the river Dee where the girls were ordered to ‘ship oars’ as they approached the shore. But with voyages to South America lasting around two months, Captain Wilson was still away from home for the greater part of each year.
With the outbreak of World War One he was in command of the steamer “Sutherland Grange” in which he made 9 voyages during the hostilities. These were generally of longer duration than in peacetime, and while Argentina was the principle destination, ports in Senegal, Spain, France, South Africa, Italy and Brazil were called on in jouneys of up to 10 months in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Suez canal and the Red Sea.
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In the following years between 1919-1935 he made near eighty journeys to South America in command of various Houlder Line vessels. These included the steamers “El Paraguayo” (1919-1921), and “Hardwicke Grange”(1921-1925).
In 1923, the Wilson’s moved to the London suburb of Upminster, a short trip from Gravesend, from which the Captain’s ships usually departed in those years. Shortly after he assumed command of the “Upwey Grange”(1925-1928) one of the first of the motor vessels which began to replace the Line’s fleet of coal-fired steamships. There were consequent benefits of cleaner vessels and greater cargo space. At the time, she was the largest refrigerated motor ship and the highest powered motor cargo vessel afloat at 9130 tons gross and 6,400 horsepower.*
In February 1928 he was appointed Captain of the Houlder Line’s newest motor vessel ”Dunster Grange” on its maiden trans-Atlantic voyage. More than twenty voyages were to follow under his command calling at Rio and Santos of Brazil and the Falklands as well as the usual ports of Uruguay and Argentina. Featured in the “Times” of October 12th 1929, the “Dunster Grange” was the last of Captain Wilson’s commands. At the age of sixty-six, after seven years at her helm he retired in December 1935, at which time he was senior Master of the Houlder Line.
It was no doubt with regret that he learned in later times of the demise of the “Hardwicke Grange” and “Upwey Grange” amongst the heavy losses of Allied shipping during World War Two. But in the following years of retirement he could reflect on a career of over fifty years. There were stories told. Of Krakatoa’s ash settling on the Oneida’s deck, of pickpockets dealt harshly with in foreign ports, of River Plate Pilots losing their cool. How much more was there to tell? His was a career that spanned the eras of sail, steam and motor vessels and included over one hundred voyages in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans during which he spent near twenty years of his life at sea.
*The Times February 1st, 1927.
“The Log” March 1936.
“On Hundred Years of Houlders” Stevens, Edward.F. London, Mendip Press 1950.
Lloyds Captains Register 1851-1947.
“Australasian Shipping” 1886-1900.
Ubootwaffe.net Kriegsmarine & U-boat history.
The “Times” Shipping Intelligence.
The “Argus” Shipping Intelligence.
The “Sydney Morning Herald” Shipping Intelligence.
The “Brisbane Courier Mail” Shipping Intelligence.
Sources
The State Library of Victoria.
The Vaughan Evans Library, National Maritime Museum of Australia.
The Public Records Office Victoria.
The State Records Office of NSW.
The Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
The Manuscripts Department, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
In beginning to research this story I was fortunate enough to have a copy of an article on George Wilson from the Houlder Brothers Company magazine the “Log”. Published on his retirement, the article gave a basic summary of his career and most of the ships on which he had served. As he had reached the rank of Captain, I was able to obtain a copy of his entry in the Lloyds Captains register which was kindly supplied to me by the Vaughan Evans Library, National Maritime Museum of Australia It provided details of his appointment to each ship from the rank of 1st mate and above, the date of appointment and the general area of each voyage. A Web search provided details on virtually all of the ships, most of them being available on the theshipslist (http://www.theshipslist.com/).
From Lloyds list of shipping (available up to 1891 on microfilm at NMMA ) I was also able to obtain a summary of his maiden voyage including dates and ports visited.
Much of the early part of his career was spent in voyages to Australia and the State Library of Victoria was a source of much information. By searching microfilm of local newspapers such as the “Argus” and the “Sydney Morning Herald”, it was possible to find information relating to the voyages within the “Shipping Intelligence” section of the paper. This detailed arrival and departure times and scanning the shipping ‘classifieds’ revealed advertisements for some of the voyages with details of fares, facilities, departure dates and locations. In addition, for voyages during the 1880’s and 1890’s to Australian ports, I was able to find specifics of cargos carried, of incidents and breakdowns which occurred and even dramatic accounts of some of the voyages. “Australasian Shipping News” also provided valuable information on shipping movements up to 1900. Also available at the SLV was microfilm of the “Times” which provided many details of ports travelled to and from though the process of scanning the “Shipping Intelligence” columns was necessarily time consuming.
The Public Records Office of Victoria holds passenger lists for unassisted migration during the period 1852-1923 though they do not hold crew lists. I was able to obtain crew lists for visits to Sydney from the State Records Office of NSW. For crew agreements, two valuable sources are the Manuscripts Department of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London and the Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada which holds most of the available crew agreements and log books for the period 1863-1938 and 1951-1976.
Oneida One voyage 1884-1886 from London to Singapore and Calcutta.
Iron hulled ex-steamer. Built 1855. 1858 Bought by Royal Mail Steam Packet Company from European And Australian Mail . 1874 bought by Ellis & Sons as a sailing ship. 2,293 tons.
31/12/1885 arr St Helena
Crew makeup in Sydney November 1888:
Captain S.Clyma
1st mate, 2nd mate, 3rd mate
carpenter 1
boatswain 1
sail maker 1
donkey engine driver 1
able bodied seamen 23
apprentices 2
Total 33
Dharwar Three voyages. Signal PRNG, 1300 tons, 3 mast iron hull, teakwood deck.
Crew makeup Sydney 15/10/1886 Capt Charles Hutchins.
1,2,3 mate
boatswain 1
carpenter 1
sail maker 1
cook steward 1
2nd steward 1
able bodied seamen 14
o.s 2
apprentices 3 (GFW not on board)
total 28
6/7/1887 dep London, Captain Hutchins
14/7/1887 spoken 47N 16W
25/9/1887 arr Melbourne. Passengers A.E.H.Weightman & Henry Cooper
23/11/87 dep Melbourne
5/3/88 arr London
*****
14/4/88 dep London
24/6/88 arr Melbourne
1/12/88 dep Melbourne
4/3/89 arr Falmouth with loss of sails and main mast broken
7/3/89 arr London
*****
17/4/89 dep London for Brisbane
10/5/1889 spoken 17N 26W (Cape Verde Islands)
25/7/89 arr Brisbane. “Towed across the bay by the tug “Beaver” anchoring at the bar at 12.05pm”
28/7/89 Towed up the river to the Eagle St Wharf for unloading.
13/8/89 Still unloading.
25/8/89 In harbour.
11/9/89 dep Brisbane. Left pilot station at Moreton Island 9am13/9 cleared cape Moreton 11.15am. “Bulimba” reported Dharwar off Anchor Island 10/9 “All well”.
21/9/89 arr Townsville in ballast. Will load wool cargo.
3/10/89 “Now loading wool” 1/11/89 “Will leave shortly for London”
3/12/89 dep Townsville 9am for London with load of wool. Captain Hipgrave
3/1890 arr London. (Details “Brisbane Courier Mail”)
********
Bothwell Castle, 1653 tons, two voyages. :
11/5/1890 dep London, Tilbury Dock,Captain Rob Tod
10/7/1890 arr Sydney. “The steamer SS Bothwell Castle passed Green Cape at 5.20pm yesterday and may be expected in the forenoon. She brings a general cargo from London....after discharge of her cargo the Bothwell Castle will be loaded up with coal for Java...and will return from Java with sugar for Melbourne.” “Sydney Morning Herald” Shipping intelligence. 10/7/1890
17/7/1890 dep Sydney for Batavia via Newcastle
3/8/1890 arr Sourabaya
9/8/1890 loading in Batavia
24/8/1890 dep Batavia for Sydney
16/9/1890 arr Newcastle
21/9/1890 dep Newcastle for London
24/9/1890 arr Melbourne. loaded 5,875 bales of wool. 43 bales of basils.
4/10/1890 dep Melbourne. Proceeded to west of Cape Otway where the high pressure cylinder was found to be cracked. returned to Melbourne for repairs. “will greatly peril the steamers prospect of overtaking the November sales for which she had a fair show”. “The Argus. 6/10 returned to Melbourne.
12/10/1890 dep Melbourne with repairs.
25/10/1890 dep Adelaide
15/12/1890 arr London Millwall Dock.
Bothwell Castle :. Crew list Sydney 10/7/1890 Captain R.J.Tod
Name Rank Age From .
W. Tozer 1st mate 45 Devon
E.R.Evans 2nd mate 46 Bristol
G.F.Wilson 3rd mate 21 Surrey
H.Selby Carpenter 48 Poplar
? Chief Steward 43 Bavaria
S.Richards 2nd Steward 19 London
John Gingillio Room steward 25 London
E.F.Fernandez 1st cook 42 Goa
Guidano Almado 2nd cook 35 Goa
P.Jordan AB 30 Bergen
Amundsen AB 27 Bergen
R.Jansen AB 26 Finland
Christofferson AB 28 Sweden
C.Davis AB 33 Haalisand
J.Wangshom AB 29 Sweden
J.A.? AB 35 Oscarshaven
G.Johanson AB 33 Gothenburg
A.Sjorhand AB 29 Gothenburg
Peter Avery Lamps AB 53 Cape de Verde
Edward.P.Porter 1st eng 34 Liverpool
James Ferguson 2nd eng 30 Wiglon
Charles Day 3rd eng 42 Somerset
G.Johnson 4th eng 35 Poplar
A.Oslasburg fireman 25 ?
W.Rilbeson fireman 21 Gothenburg
G.F.Ekman fireman 31 Stockholm
Knud Sonnsen fireman 22 Bergen
Andars Linson fireman 22 Christiana
H.Wahlberg donkey engine 35 Gothenburg
C.Slinshom greaser 25 Stockholm
F.Borman greaser 48 Christiana
Adolf Pederson greaser 21 Norway
E.Dahl trimmer 21 Gothenburg
P.Strober trimmer 25 Bavaria
H.Scharpenberg trimmer 25 Holstein
C.Johannson trimmer 32 Gothenburg
Hugh Carabine ? 40 Hartlepool
T.T.Webb AB 40 Dublin
Henry.L.? fireman 26 Cows
Guiseppe Aquilina trimmer 30 Malta
Total crew 40
Passengers: N.E.Bissel, G.Houlder, P.Welsch
Bothwell Castle 1891 voyage:
17/1/1891 dep London, Captain Rob Tod
23/1/1891 Las Palmas
16/2/1891 Cape town
18/3/1891 Adelaide
27/3/1891 arr Melbourne Passenger: Saloon Mrs Tod, Mr James Abrams, Mr Robert Abrams, Mr E.Liblelund, Mr T.Rayner, Mr A.Richards, Mr W.Windsor.
30/3/1891 arr Sydney
8/4/1891 dep Sydney for Java via Newcastle
24/5/1891 dep Probolinggo (Sourabaya, Indonesia)for Sydney
Brisbane Courier Mail 17th June 1891 "The steamship Bothwell Castle, now at Melbourne from Java with sugar, narrowly escaped furnishing a number of victims to "yellow jack." The voyage was a most unpleasantone, the bad weather experienced on the Java coast so severely trying the crew that many of them were down with siokness the whole voyage. There are four engineers on the vessel, and three of them were attacked by the fever. The firemen, seamen, and stewards were no more fortunate, and from the time the steamer sailed almost up to her arrival some of the men were on the sick list. The labour available for working the steamer was consequently insufficient, and as the weather was bad the crew had a hard time. The Bothwell Castle left Probolingo on the 21th May, and had moderate east-north-east breezes and fine weather as far as Bonjoewangie. The wind then veered to east-south-east and south-south-east, and blew hard until 29th May. Cope Leeuwin was passed on 31st May, and strong east-south east breezes, with high and dangerous seas, were experienced. The waves broke right on board the ship, and carried away stanchions and other deck fittings. The vessel will probably go to Sydney"
26/6/1891 dep Sydney
1/7/1891 dep Newcastle for Batavia Surabaya
3/7/1891 Brisbane
20/8/1891 dep Tjilatjap,Java,Indonesia for Adelaide.
30/9/1891 arr Sydney from Surabaya
7/10/1891 Newcastle
29/10/1891 dep N’castle for London via Sydney, Geelong and Melbourne
3/11/1891 dep Sydney 5.30am. “Light NE wind to Montague Island. Westerly winds with heavy seas to Gabo Island. passed at 6.44am 4/11/1891 rounded Wilsons Prom 5.10am and entered heads 6pm 5/11/1891.
6/11/1891 arr Geelong. Yarra st Wharf with 1000 bales of wool and copper ore.
10/11/1891 Took on 2200 bales in Geelong and departed for Melbourne in charge of harbour master Captain Parsons. Ran aground in “New cut” off Point Henry. Had to take off 1300 bales of wool to the steamer “Muriel”. The tug “Racer” hauled her off. Channel was only 18ft 4in deep should have been 20ft 6 in. Went to Breakwater pier Williamstown and was loaded with 2000 more bales of wool.
13/11/1891 Departed Melbourne
4/1/1892 arr London
Bothwell Castle :1653 tons. Crew list Sydney 29/3/1891. Captain R.J.Tod
Name Station Birth Year From
W. Tozer 1st mate 1843 Devon
E.R.Evans 2nd mate 1844 Bristol
G.F.Wilson 3rd mate 1869 Surrey
H.A.Selby Carpenter 1841 Poplar
C.Bishop Bosun 1856 B’khead
Peter Avery Lamps 1837 Cape de Verde
C.Davis AB 1857 Haalisand?
A.Sjorhand? AB 1861 Sweden
H.Bandar AB 1847 Hamburg
H.Sharley AB 1854 Bulin?
C.Luisson AB 1862 Gothenburg
C.Smaumahl? AB 1866 Finland
? AB 1858 Ponsberry
A.B.Tyell AB 1859 Calmar
E.P.Porter 1st Engineer 1856 Liverpool
James Ferguson 2nd Engineer 1860 Wiglon
Charles Day 3rd Engineer 1846 Somerset
Alex Nicholl 4th Engineer 1859 Dundee
A.Piggott Fireman 1867 London
J.Roads Fireman 1866 York
H.Cott Fireman 1867 London
H.Dean Fireman 1863 London
N.Barter Fireman 1867 London
R.Burke Greaser 1862 London
Flannigan Greaser 1849 London
J.Cochrane Greaser 1865 London
J.Hopwood Dkyman 1864 London
R.Hopwood Trimmer 1871 London
Barter Trimmer 1870 London
J.Griffins Chief steward 1858 London
Curd 2nd Steward 1869 Kent
James Reid Ass’t Steward 1870 Brighton
Albert Smith 1st Cook 1854 Nassau
Fred Clark Coal trimmer 1870 Poplar
Charles Wilkins 2nd Cook 1867 Devon
Total crew 35
Lualaba: Captain J.W.Murray. Five voyages. Gaboon class iron screw steamer. 2 decks. length 299.8’ width 34.5’ draft 23.7’, 1170tons net,
Completed 1878, 1888 first Elder Dempster ship to sail from Antwerp, 1889 first vessel to negotiate passage up the
Congo to Matadi, 1893 cylinders rebored, 1895 sold renamed “Tordera”.12/3/1892 dep Hamburg for Liverpool
16/3/1892 arr Portland from Rotterdam
19/3/1892 arr Liverpool
23/3/1892 dep Liverpool for Africa
23/5/1892 dep Sierra Leone for the continent
30/5/1892 arr Grand Canary
8/6/1892 arr Havre from Africa
10/6/1892 arr Hamburg
6/7/1892 dep Antwerp for the Congo, passed Vlissingen Holland
22/8/1892 at Lagos for the Continent
29/8/1892 at Sierra Leone. Captain J.W.Murray.
16/9/1892 arr Cuxhaven
21/9/1892 dep Cuxhaven for Antwerp
22/9/1892 arr Vlissingen with survivor of the Hodister expedition.
6/10/1892 dep Antwerp
7/10/1892 Passed Dover from Antwerp for the Congo
17/10/1892 arr Grand Canary for the Congo
15/12/1892 dep GRand Canary for Liverpool
21/12/1892 Beachy Head. Congo for Antwerp
22/12/1892 Vlissingen.
24/12/1892 arr Hamburg
31/12/1892 dep Hamburg for Antwerp
9/1/1893 arr Portland
15/1/1893 arr Grand Canary for the Congo
31/1/1893 dep for Africa via Antwerp
4/1/1893 arr Antwerp from Hamburg
9/1/1893 dep Portland for the Congo
15/1/1893 arr Grand Canary
12/3/1893 dep Sierra Leone for continent
19/3/1893 arr Grand Canary
29/3/1893 arr Cuxhaven
1/4/1893 Captain Smith dep Hamburg for Antwerp
15/4/1893 arr Grand Canary from Antwerp
31/5/1893 dep Lagos for Antwerp
10/6/1893 dep Sierra Leone
16/6/1893 dep Grand Canary for Antwerp
23/6/1893 arr Hamburg
5/7/1893 arr Antwerp
6/7/1893 dep Antwerp for Congo
8/7/1893 passed Ushant, Hamburg for Africa
24/9/1893 arr Belgium with Belgian explorer Captain Tobback
2/10/1893 dep Hamburg
8/10/1893 arr Mersey from Africa
Nubia: Two voyages. Iron screw steamer, 2 decks. Length 321’, width 34.7’,draft 22.8’, 1236 tons net , 1958 tons
gross, 2 cylinder- 36”, 66”-48”.First Elder Dempster ship with passenger accommodation amidships. Launched 1888, 1896 new engines and boilers, 1899 sold to Mersey Steamship Co renamed “Morocco”. Scrapped 1908. 2/1/1894 arr Grand Canary from Liverpool for South West Coast of Africa7/1/1894 arr Cape Palmos for Africa
26/2/1894 left Lagos for Liverpool
9/3/1894 left Sierra Leone for Liverpool
16/3/1894 dep Grand Canary for Liverpool
11/4/1894 dep Mersey for South West African ports
21/4/1894 arr Grand Canary for Africa
3/7/1894 arr Grand Canary for Liverpool
11/7/1894 arr Mersey from Lagos
Sailor Prince: One brief voyage. 1303 tons. Built 1882 length 242ft, beam 33ft, speed 9 knots. Initially commanded by
James Knott. Sold 1895 to A.Mckay renamed “Aberfoyle”.26/9/1894 dep Antwerp
28/9/1894 arr Antwerp
Danish Prince: Two voyages. 1571 tons. Built 1884, length 259 ft, beam 36ft, 9 knots, Sunk January 1897 Cani Rocks,
Mediterranean.
3/10/1894 dep Antwerp
15/10/1894 passed Ushant for Mersyna
24/10/1894 arr Malta for Mersyna
5/11/1894 dep Beirut
7/11/1894 Alexandria
14/11/1894 dep Candia (Crete)
17/11/1894 dep Smyrna (Izmir Turkey) for New York
13/12/1894 Palermo Italy
18/12/1894 Tarifa Straits of Gibralter
5/1/1895 arr New York with fruit (Broadhead) to J.C.Seager arr at the bar at Midnight
27/3/1895 arr Havre from West Indies
29/3/1895 arr Gravesend from Jamaica for WID
21/4/1895 dep Gravesend for Alexandria
23/4/1895 at Deal for Malta
6/5/1895 dep Malta for Alexandria
9/5/1895 arr Port Said
18/5/1895 arr Alexandria from Cyprus
29/5/1895 arr Malta from Alexandria
29/5/1895 dep Malta for Manchester
9/6/1895 arr Liverpool from Alexandria
arr Manchester shipping channel
11/6/1895 arr London.
Ovingdean Grange: 2,413 tons, 19 voyages, some included below.
29/8/1895 dep Newport for BA
20/9/1895 arr Montevideo
25/9/1895 arr Boca
15/10/1895 dep BA for UK
6/11/1895 dep Las Palmas
13/11/1895 arr Gravesend for LD
*****
21/12/1895 arr Havre, France
3/12/1895 dep Newport for BA
21/12/1895 arr Las Palmas for Rosario
12/1/1896 arr Montevideo
14/1/1896 arr BA, reported coal bunker fire during voyage
5/2/1896 dep BA for Rosario
24/2/1896 dep St Vincent for London
17/3/1896 arr Gravesend for LD
28/3/1896 arr Liverpool
30/3/1896 dep Liverpool for Newport
***********
3/5/1896 dep Newport for Buenos Aires
18/12/1896 dep Newport
24/4/1897 dep London Captain Phipps
10/5/1897 passed St Vincent from Newport for Buenos Aires
19/6/1897 dep Buenos Aires for London
31/7/1897 dep Liverpool for Penarth Wales.
6/11/1897 dep Las Palmas from BA for Liverpool
27/11/1897 dep Liverpool for Buenos Aires
20/12/1897 arr Las Palmas
16/8/1898 passed Fernando Noronha
5/8/1899 dep Newport for BA
8/11/1899 Collided with “Irene” in Thames heavy fog
9/3/1901 dep Hull for BA
27/3/1901 arr Gravesend from Antwerp.
31/3/1901 ashore London West India Dck ref 1901 census
31/10/1901 dep Gravesend for Hull
2/11/1901 dep Hull for BA
The Times Jan 1895 : advertisement for the Ovingdean Grange:
“Splendid accomodation for saloon and 2nd class
passengers. fares from 12 pounds 10s”
(to Montevideo and Buenos Aires)
Drayton Grange: One voyage
10/12/01 G.F.Wilson appointed 1st officer.
1/1/02 Thessalonica, Greece
21/1/02 dep New Orleans for Cape Town
10/2/02 Ascension
21/2/02 dep Table Bay South Africa
20/3/02 arr Sydney
14/4/02 dep Auckland for Natal Carrying the Tenth Contingent, North Island regiment. 45 officers 961 men and the NZ PM the Hon Richard John Seddon.
19/4/02 arr Sydney
28/4/02 dep Albany
Brisbane Courier Mail 23rd May 1902 "The steamer Drayton Grange has picked up the missing boat of the abandoned Dutch barque Gurtrudea containing the captain, his wife, the three mates, and thirteen of the crew, who had endured great sufferings."
29/5/02 dep Natal for East London (South Africa)
9/6/02 arr Table Bay
2/7/02 dep Table Bay
11/7/02 dep Durban with 40 officers 7 warrant officers 1934 men. 12 cases of drugs and instruments on board. Ship was overcrowded. Troops became ill. Ship was high in the water and rolling and the weather was bad.
31/7/02 Arrived Albany 100 cases of measles and pneumonia. 50 serious. (L.Times 1/8/1902 p8e)
7/8/02 arrived Melbourne anchored at Queenscliff and the ill were quarantined at Fort Franklin. “The vessel was very much overcrowded, illness was widespread on board and sanitary provisions were deficient. Five deaths occurred and there were ninety men in hospital.” 17 soldiers died during or after the voyage.
9/8/1902 Arrived Sydney anchored at Quarantine Station went on to Woolloomooloo Bay. (The Argus 12/8/1902) On arrival a band played “Home sweet home”. They were greeted by the Governor of NSW Sir Henry Rawson.
RoyalCommission: 12/8/1902-9 26/8/1902. Called before Commission: Captain Bennett, 3rd officer Frederick Dillon Bluett, 2nd Officer Joseph Edgar Blay Chief steward John Lloyd.
Departed late August to northern ports
29/10/02 arr Natal
15/11/02 dep Natal
22/11/02 arr Table Bay
24/12/02 dep Table Bay
10/1/03 arr Buenos Aires
6/2/03 dep Buenos Aires
9/3/03 dep Table Bay for East London
30/3/03 arr Buenos Aires from East London
14/5/03 dep Buenos Aires for Table Bay
30/5/03 arr Table Bay.
23/6/03 arr Natal
18/7/03 dep Natal for Berbera (Somalia).
12/8/03 dep Aden for Albany.
6/9/03 passed Breaksea Island for Sydney.
14/9/03 arr Sydney.
19/9/03 dep Sydney for Townsville.
24/9/03 arr Townsville.
4/10/03 arr Gladstone
9/10/03 arr Broadmount near Rockhampton.
13/10/03 dep Broadmount for Brisbane.
15/10/03 arr Brisbane.
20/10/03 arr Sydney.
24/10/03 dep Sydney for Natal.
19/11/03 arr Natal.
28/11/03 dep Natal for Table Bay.
1/12/03 arr Table Bay.
4/12/03 dep Table Bay.
28/12/03 arr Gravesend from Table Bay.
estimated distance 100,000 miles.
The crew of the Drayton Grange, Sydney 20th of March 1902
Captain Joseph Bennett
Name Station Age From .
G.F.Wilson 1st mate 33 Surrey
J.E.Blay 2nd mate 38 ?
F.D.Bluett 3rd mate 35 Belfast
J.McBride Carpenter 24 Bangor
G.E.Johanson AB 21 Sweden
O.Rull AB 28 Stockholm
N.Hoglund AB 28 Gothenburg
H.Parkson AB 24 Sweden
H.Knaut AB 26 Leipzig
B.V.Numan AB 22 Finland
J.Nelson AB 29 Sweden
G.Johansson AB 23 Sweden
C.Rasmussen AB 29 Sweden
C.O.Farlund AB 29 Sweden
A.Nesilh AB 29 Norway
C.Rice AB 25 Belfast
R.Rhodes Deck boy 15 London
J.Start Deck boy 16 London
F.Porter Carpenter’s mate 24 Belfast
J.Palmer 1st Engineer 47 Waterford
J.Allison 2nd Engineer 37 Glasgow
J.Russell 3rd Engineer 23 Belfast
G.A.Graves 4th Engineer 24 N?wold
R.Park 5th Engineer 28 Belfast
J.Mc?aul 6th Engineer 21 Whitehouse
Radford 1st Ref Engineer 34 Dublin
H.J.Tucker 2nd Ref Engineer 31 Dover
P.Harkins Donkeyman 37 Liverpool
Samuel Patterson ’’ 42 Belfast
A.Anderson Fireman,trimmer 30 Stockholm
C.A.Bjoppel ’’ 36 Stockholm
O.N.Eriksson ’’ 33 Sweden
C.Holmberg ’’ 23 Sweden
C.J.Jansson ’’ 41 Sweden
C.Kohl ’’ 29 Sweden
C.Osterberg ’’ 20 Sweden
A.Holmstrom ’’ 20 Malmo
E.Carlson ’’ 28 Gothenburg
M.Mursur ’’ 22 Christinia
G.Antonio ’’ 25 Austria
J.Norling ’’ 28 Sweden
V.Clannoert ’’ 21 Antwerp
N.Sterling ’’ 21 Gothenburg
N.Abrahmsson ’’ 21 Austria
C.Jansson ’’ 24 Sweden
P.N.Agren ’’ 26 Sweden
J.Lloyd Chief Steward 48 Manchester
H. ? 2nd Steward 26 Glasgow
N.Summer 2nd Cabin boy 27 Liverpool
M.Campbell Asst Steward 21 Belfast
J.Duffey Asst Steward 23 Newry
J.M.McKeown Asst Steward 18 Belfast
William Pearson Asst Steward 16 Forest Gate
R.Mann Chief cook, butcher 24 Gloucester
R.Watkins 2nd cook,butcher 26 Wrescham
N.J.Burns Asst cook 15 Belfast
E.Laage Ship cook 26 Hamburg
B.Ward Boatswain 39 London
E.G.Albury Asst Fireman 42 Kent
J.Olalson AB 23 Sweden
N.McDonnah Fireman,trimmer 34 Liverpool
C.Hillebrand ’’ 28 Sweden
F.Leinbaark ’’ 32 German
A.Marguan ’’ 24 German
B.Benjamin Deck hand 26 American
H.Shaney Deck hand 22 American
F.Brown Deck hand 33 Germany
N.S.? Deck hand 22 American
F.Storms? Deck hand 22 American
J.F.Viemillion Deck hand 23 American
L.Jackson Deck hand 22 American
J.F.Hopkins Deck hand 28 Newcastle
R.Synders Deck hand 25 America
Fitzpatick Deckhand 21 America
E.J ?ley Deck hand 26 America
O.Bact Deck hand 26 Germany
O.W.Haskell Deck hand 22 Canada
J.Middleton Asst Steward 23 Belfast
E.Charles Cattleman,Cook 18 St Lucia
Total crew 81
Thorpe Grange: 22 voyages including the following:
5/9/1904 Dep Newport for River Plate.
20/5/1905 Dep Newport for Buenos Aries.
20/5/1906 Dep Gravesend for Rosario.
26/7/1906 Ran aground at Bahia Blanca. “Ran aground in leaving port and remains. She will probably float next tide” London Times 27/7/1906. Mail and shipping intelligence.
11/5/1907 G.F.Wilson in Buenos Aires .
28/10/07 Dep Gravesend for Sydney
30/10/07 passed Las Palmas from London for Sydney & Melbourne
Cargo 137 pkgs naval stores, 138 pkgs composition, 114 drums varnish, 155 cs 25 brls oils, 250 pkgs paper, 440 rls wire netting, 23 cs coriander seeds, 50 cs vestas, 30 cs glue, 105 bndls steel, 70 pkgs lead, 430 bgs canary seed, 321 kegs of paint, 160 kegs white lead, 121 bls pulp boards, 72 crts arms & boxes, 117 steel slabs, 60 pkgs stationery.
11/12/1907 arr Melbourne . Argus 12/12/1907 "The Thorpe Grange will berth up the river this morning..having accomplished a creditable voyage of 45 days."
16/12/1907 Arrived Sydney
"Thorpe Grange from London arrives yesterday(16/12/1907) from London and berthed at the FHS wharf Darling Island....The Houlder Line Thorpe Grange left Melbourne on Saturday in continuation of her voyage from London...and will be delivering Sydney consignments in 50 days from London. Captain G.F.Wilson reports that the voyage was dull to the point of monotony. Hardly an incident worthy of remark occured throughout the long voyage."
1/2/1908 dep Sydney for Avonmouth via Waitara NZ & Ports.
9/2/1908 dep Waitara 6am for Picton
10/2/1908 arr Picton 4am
10/2/1908 arr Wellington Glasgow wharf 9.30pm
13/2/1908 dep Wellington
15/2/1908 arr Port Chalmers(Dunedin) 12.20pm
18/2/1908 dep Dunedin "loaded 1500 carcasses of lamb, 4728 boxes of boned beef, 585 cases of cheese, 49 bales of wool and a quantity of sundries"
20/2/1908 dep Lyttelton for Avonmouth
11/4/1908 dep Las Palmas s from Lyttelton for UK
23/8/1908 dep Gravesend for Punta Arenas, Chile.
26/8/1908 passed Prowle Point Antwerp for Rosario
31/8/1908 dep Las Palmas for BA
9/9/1908 Passed Fernando Noronha for Punta.Arenas
19/9/1908 Montevideo
22/9/1908 Buenos Aires
15/10/1908 dep BA for Bahia Blanca
18/10/1908 Bahia Blanca
17/11/1908 Las Palmas.
12/12/1909 At Madeira from Buenos Aires(L.Times 14/12) left for UK. Collision on 13/12/1909.
Everton Grange: Two voyages. 8,096 tons, 475ft lg, 56ftw, one funnel, four masts, 12 knots, 240 miles per day, 204 3rd class passengers. Launched 15/2/1903 by Furness for Empire Transport.
Australian voyages 1905,1906 1907 Captain Maxwell Brown, 1908,1910 Captain R.D.Taylor. 1911,1912 Captain G F Wilson.
1911 Voyage of the Everton Grange
12/6/1911 G.F.Wilson appointed Captain
20/6/1911 Dep Manchester
23/6/1911 Dep Liverpool
14/8/1911 Arr Melbourne via Adelaide
18/8/1911 Dep Melbourne from Breakwater Dock Williamstown.
20/8/1911 Arr Sydney
29/8/1911 Dep Sydney
31/8/1911 Arr Brisbane
2/9/1911 Dep Brisbane
5/9/1911 Arr Bowen
8/9/1911 Arr Townsville
14/9/1911 Dep Townsville
17/9/1911 Arr Brisbane
23/9/1911 Dep Brisbane
25/9/1911 Arr Sydney.
3/10/1911 Arr Melbourne Breakwater Pier
10/10/1911 Dep Melbourne
12/10/1911 Arr Adelaide
18/10/1911 Dep Adelaide
17/11/1911 Arr Suez
18/11/1911 Arr Port Said
22/11/1911 Arr Malta
23/11/1911 Dep Malta
1/12/1911 Arr Gravesend for Royal Albert Dock.
The crew of the Everton Grange Sydney 21st August 1911
Captain G.F.Wilson
Name Station Age From
S.W.Warren 1st Mate 37 Essex
G.Dixon 2nd Mate 26 London
Ernest.E.King 3rd Mate 19 London
T.P.Ryan 4th Mate 21 London
R.Jones Carpenter 35 Anglesea
G.Zwingmann Boatswain 31 German
W.Camison AB 31 Southampton
William.M.Gill AB 47 Drogheda
John Eustace AB 31 Waterford
Una Lindgian Seaman 22 Russian
Karl Kusik AB 27 Russian
F.Gibson Seaman 22 Russian
H.F.Parker Seaman 20 London
C.Gordon OS 18 Liverpool
John Jones Surgeon 47 Bedford
J.W.Dawson Seaman 29 Rockdale
R.Sedgwick AB 38 W.Hartlepool
R.Riley OS 18 Liverpool
W.G.Evans OS 18 ?
P.Dawdall AB 22 Wooford
O.Nurmista Seaman 19 Finland
J.Simpson OS 17 Invercargill
S.G.Robertson 1st Engineer 47 Sunderland?
H.Groundwater 2nd Engineer 28 Manchester
B.Monaghan 3rd Engineer 26 Liverpool
G.D.Jones 6th Engineer 22 Penbroke
A.G.Hawkesford 2nd Ref Engineer 34 Chifoton
James Murphy Donkeyman 31 Rosti?
Joseph Price Fireman,Greaser,trimmer 33 Chish?
E.Gastrum ’’ 28 Swedish
M.Heimes ’’ 24 Russian
H.Doran ’’ 34 Rostrevor
John Spencer ’’ 23 Liverpool
John Yates ’’ 25 Bootle
P.Cleary ’’ 28 Liverpool
Patrick Stafford ’’ 46 Liverpool
John Ryder ’’ 36 Liverpool
M.Donnelly ’’ 26 Liverpool
Max Gunther ’’ 31 German
George Ewing ’’ 26 Forfarshire?
W.B.Liddell Chief Ref Engineer 26 Greenock
R.Westcott Fireman,Greaser, trimmer 25 Bristol
R.Dowell ’’ 47 Newcastle on Tyne
S.Hepburn 4th Ref Engineer 24 Liverpool
Alex Campbell 5th Ref Engineer 22 Leith
B.Lamb Fireman 47 Monaghan
D.Haff Fireman 22 Norway
Alfred ? Fireman 29 London
John Norman Trimmer 34 London
John Wright Fireman 36 London
John Williams Fireman 38 Sisansca
George Smith Chief Steward 32 Hull
Albert Thomas 2nd Chief Steward 29 Liverpool
Thomas Edwards Asst Steward 37 Cheltenham
G.Bent Ships Cook 33 London
W.J.Hicks 2nd Ships Cook 25 Ramsgate
G.E.Nicklin Asst Cook 40 Stoke
Z.Healy Scullion 33 London
A.Bent Baker 33 London
J.Kirridge Butcher 31 Liverpool
H.T.Long Asst Steward 20 Liverpool
Jennie Namland Stewardess 43 Liverpool
Arthur Knight Asst Steward 20 Bristol
Arthur.S.Cooling Asst Steward 20 Redhill
G.Ruger Asst Steward 25 Manchester
R.Broughton Asst Steward 26 Fulham
W.Hayes Asst Steward 21 Bristol
R.Brown Asst Steward 24 Bristol
J.R.Dickson Asst Steward 19 Essex
A.W.Gribble Asst Steward 30 Devon
L.DeLancey Asst Steward 20 Bristol
C.Webb Asst Steward 47 London
W.G.Wright Asst Steward 19 Manchester
J.Brown Asst Steward 25 Bristol
A.C.Cotterill Asst Steward 27 Wolverhampton
E.Abbott Asst Steward 18 Waterloo
A.Hunter Asst Steward 24 Liverpool
D.J.Robertson 2nd Steward 29 Shoalhaven
G.Crone Steerage Cook 28 Liverpool
Edwin Albert Engley Carpenter’s Mate 34 Sunbridge Wells
W.J.Green Apprentice 23 Gillingham
Peter Nolan Fireman,Greaser, trimmer 32 Dublin
Total 84 Crew
1912 Voyage of the Everton Grange
23/12/1911 G.F.Wilson appointed Captain
21/3/1912 Everton Grange arrived at Albany Western Australia
29/3/1912 Arr Adelaide
30/3/1912 Arr Melbourne Victoria Dock No 5
3/4/1912 Moved to North Wharf no 26
13/4/1912 Dep Melbourne
15/4/1912 Dep Sydney
15/4/1912 Arr Brisbane
18/4/1912 Dep Brisbane for Waipara
30/4/1912 arr Wellington from Wanganui
4/5/1912 arr Waitara from Wellington
20/5/1912 dep Lyttelton for Avonmouth via Las Palmas
30/6/1912 passed St Vincent C.V from Lyttelton, New Zealand.
The crew of the Everton Grange 6th April 1912, Sydney Australia
Captain G.F.Wilson
Name Station Age From
S.W.Warren Chief Officer 38 EssexThomas.C.Nerrall 2nd Officer 29 London
Charles.C.Gill 3rd Officer 26 Bristol
W.H.Grisnam 4th Officer 49 Melbourne
N.Jones Carpenter 35 Anglesea
G.Zwingmann Boatswain 31 German
J. McBride AB 42 Rathmullen
G.Lewis AB 21 Bootle
J.Reynolds AB 23 Drogheda
J.Flaherty AB 23 Bootle
Thomas.Hughes AB 39 Carnarvon
F.Arvis Seaman 21 Finn
H.F.Parker Seaman 20 London
Oskar Freeman Seaman 19 Germany
F.D.Wymer 2nd Engineer 47 Kirch
B.Monaghan 3rd Engineer 27 Liverpool
S.V.Hepburn 4th Engineer 25 Liverpool
Alexander Campbell 5th Engineer 23 Leith
Harold.C.Booth 6th Engineer 22 Sydney
A.G.Harkesford Chf Ref Eng 30 Chepstow
E.J.Curry Seedhouse 2nd ” ” 23 Glasgow
Thomas Culshaw Donkeyman 28 Liverpool
Simon Lynch Greaser,Fireman 35 Liverpool
and Trimmer
W.Booth ’’ 27 Liverpool
N.Grant ’’ 29 Liverpool
Peter Parry ’’ 48 Liverpool
George O’Connell ’’ 34 Liverpool
S.McMeakin ’’ 35 Liverpool
Daniel Fearns ’’ 36 Liverpool
Joseph Elder ’’ 34 Ayr
J.Spencer ’’ 23 Liverpool
John Cummings ’’ 35 Liverpool
J.Hyland ’’ 38 Liverpool
Francis Gallagher ’’ 37 Liverpool
James King ’’ 20 Philadelphia
George Smith Chief Steward 31 Hull
C.Webb Asst ’’ 48 London
A.S.Cooling Asst ’’ 21 Surrey
B.Brown Asst ’’ 25 Bristol
P.Browne Scullion 26 Bristol
J.Rowlands Stewardess 43 Wales
J.W.S.Powell Surgeon 27 Sydney
H.Walters Baker 43 Liverpool
Robert Morris Asst Steward 23 Bootle
Benjamin Burroughs Asst Steward 50 Middlesborough
E.Fenton ’’ 29 Egremont
A.Marsden ’’ 21 Manchester
H.Hibbit ’’ 17 London
E.Carter ’’ 25 London
F.Fordham Steerage Steward 34 Richmond Qld
Fred Watts Greaser, trimmer and fireman 38 Leeds
and fireman
John Coleman ’’ 22 Bootle
S.G.Robertson Chief Engineer 48 Sunderland
G.Crone Steerage cook 29 Liverpool
W.O’Donnell Butcher 33 Liverpool
A.Parkinson 2nd Cook 25 Banowin
R.Riley OS 19 Liverpool
W.McGill AB 47 Drogheda
W.Neathercoat AB 21 London
C.Gordon OS 19 Liverpool
G.Fairhurst OS 17 Bootle
J.E.Flaherty OS 21 Bootle
James Murphy Donkeyman 32 Rostrevor
J.Ellis Fireman,trimmer, trimmer 37 Liverpool
N.Chambers ’’ 38 Liverpool
James Timmidus Chief Cook 55 Dublin
G.A.Davies Asst Steward 22 Liverpool
J.Gove ’’ 23 Liverpool
Sydney Smith ’’ 24 Liverpool
Duke Barnby ’’ 19 Liverpool
M.Middlebrook ’’ 39 Bradford
Hedley Hammond ’’ 18 Faversham
Peter Reynolds AB 30 Drogheda
Tom Edwards 2nd Steward 37 Dublin
John Evans Asst Steward 38 Liverpool
R.C.Long Joiner 24 Liverpool
T.Berry Deck hand 31 Armagh
P.McCann Trimmer 21 Liverpool
A.E.Martin Asst Steward 26 Bristol
R.Stephens ’’ 23 Sydney
J.Birchley AB 21 Portsmouth
T.Berntsen AB 21 Norway
J.Disby OS 17 Liverpool
W.H.Worthington Fireman 28 Manchester
B.Greaves Trimmer 33 Liverpool
D.Ryan AB 25 London
F.C.Smith Fireman 30 London
T.Kull Fireman 28 Copenhagen
Clifford Piggott Ship’s Cook 29 Gurnsey
Total 90 crew
15/8/1912 Appointed Captain again but the Everton Grange departed Avonmouth on 28/8 (London Times Mail and shipping intelligence) renamed “Westmeath” for New Zealand via Liverpool having been sold to NZ.
From an account of the Everton Grange 1909/1910 voyage to Australia by Donald Bowie.
11/11/1909 Boarded ship
15/11 Coast of Spain
17/11 Madeira Portugal (coaling)
20/11 Canary Islands volcanic eruption
22/11 Cape Verde islands
27/11 Crossed the equator
1/12 St Helena
8/12 Cape Town (coaling)
10/12 Port Elizabeth
12/12 Durban
21/12 Indian Ocean 32s 64e
4/1 Kangaroo Island
5/1 Port Adelaide
6/1 Adelaide (some crew deserted here)
10/1 Melbourne
Onboard occurrences/activities:
Dinner Bugle
Crossing the line
Cockfighting?
Sailors inspected by the Captain
Deck billiards
Obstacle race.
Sack race
Washing day
Closed foot jump
quoits
concerts
‘horse racing’
diving for pennies
boxing / farewell concert
Account of Adeline Taylor voyage to Australia/New Zealand 1906:
http://www.teara.govt.nz
Sutherland Grange: 15 voyages including nine during World War One
Voyages during World War One:
25/1/1915 Liverpool 18/2 Buenos Aires 27/2 Zarati Argentina 1/3 Campana 7/3 Buenos Aires 29/3 Tenerife 5/4 Gravesend
30/7/1915 Hull, Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Tenerife, Hull 29/10/1915 Newport
The crew of the Sutherland Grange, Hull, UK, 28/7/1915.
Captain G.F.Wilson
1st mate, R.Egerton Tuppin, 29, Eastbourne
2nd mate, H.Leslie Vogt, 28, London
3rd mate, T.Painting, 20, Lower Sydenham
Carpenter, W.H.Buse,48, Cardiff
Bosun, M.Kavanagh,35,Waterford
AB,F.Gavey,35,Jersey?
AB,George Walter,28,Reval
AB,D.H.Hughes,19,Liverpool
AB,D.Lydon,43,Galway
AB,William Brett,63,Southampton
AB,C.Wrangham,32,Hull
AB,John Nicholson,27,Inverness
AB,N.Smith,38,Stonnard?
Sailor,Orlando Lord,19,Goole
Sailor,R.Wilson,20,Goole
Sailor,A.Northcott,17,Hull
Sailor,W.Gibbins,17,Barton on Humber
Chef,M.Lewis,38,Monmouth
2nd Chef,O.S.Squire,31,London
3rd Chef,J.W.Harper,25,Liverpool
Chief refrigeration engineer,James Scobie,34,Glasgow
2nd refrigeration engineer,F.Lopez,26
Donkeyman,M.Moran,42
Donkeyman,Alf Rhodes,35,London
Storekeeper,A.Moore,33,Hull
Refrigeration engineer,A.Walker,37,Leeds
Fireman trimmer,G.H.Parker,35,Hull
ditto,S.Parker,28,Hull
ditto,W.Spencer,37,Hull
ditto,G.Ranard,26,Copenhagen
ditto,George Johnson,36,Hartlepool
ditto,G.Stanley,24,Hull
ditto,W.Clark,46,Hull
ditto,C.Smith,21,Barrow on Humber
greaser,J.Ingleson,45,Hull
fireman trimmer,J.Richmond,28,Hull
ditto,C.Peck,20,Hull
ditto,S.Hughes,25,Hull
ditto,J.Kilgar,24,Hull
ditto,H.Duncan,48,Hull
ditto,J.Wright,25,Hull
chief steward,C.H.Tholen,33,London
2nd steward, A.Newman,30,Birmingham
Steward,S.Greaves,18,Hull
Steward, S.Genn,26,Blackburn
Assistant steward,R.A.Murray,17,Liverpool
Ships cook,A.A.Gungberg,36,Sweden
2nd cook and baker,G.Mitsakopoulos
assistant cook, S.Murphy,20, Hull
Marconi operator,James.P.Kelly, Ireland
Donkeyman, John Goodfellow, 59, London
Joseph Catterall, 28, Preston
Socrates Gregorellis, 30, Greece
Johannis Lambrinos, 31, Greece
John Nilson,35 Glasgow
Sailor,Policrome Mustakos,19,Greece
Sailor,F.Lawrence,21,Hull
Surgeon, Jose ?,39,Spain
Cook,C.Bron..?,Spain
Steward,C.Ureta,27,Spain
Steward,Loli Travla,41,Spain
refrigeration greaser,Falgini Vincenzo,26,Italy
2nd cook and baker,E.Hansin,21,Denmark
Total 68 crew
6/11/1915 Newport 8/11 Bilbao Spain 20/11 Dakar, Senegal 6/12 Buenos Aires 15/12 La Plata 5/1/1916 Dakar 17/1 London 22/1 Boulogne 5/2 Hull
13/2/1916 Hull 17/2 Falmouth 16/3 Zarati 18/3 Las Palmas 24/3 Buenos Aires 14/4 St Vincent 14/5 Port Said 7/6 Durban South Africa 9/7 Buenos Aires 12/7 Campana 19/7 Buenos Aires 15/8 Dakar 20/8 Tenerife 28/8 Marseilles 16/9 Gibralter 28/9 Dakar 17/10 Zarati 30/10 Buenos Aires 20/11 Dakar 5/12 Southampton
16/12/1916 Southampton 19/12 Newport 16/2/1917 Barr y, Wales 27/2 Cadiz Spain 30/3 Montevideo 4/4 Zarati 13/4 Campana 19/4 Zarati 24/4 Buenos Aires 26/4 Montevideo 14/5 St Vincent Portugal 29/5 Falmouth 31/5 Southampton
1/7/1917 Barry 2/8 Montevideo 13/8 La Plata 15/8 Montevideo 8/9 Durban 15/10 Port Said 15/11 Cape Town 4/12 Montevideo 15/12 Las Palmas 18/12 Zarati 23/12 La Plata 25/12 Montevideo 16/1/1918 Dakar 16/2 Havre 20/2 Liverpool
21/3/1918 Liverpool 22/4 Montevideo 28/4 Buenos Aires 4/5 Zarati 7/5 Las Palmas 12/5 La Plata 13/5 Montevideo 24/5 Rio De Janeiro 17/6 Dakar 4/7 Gibralter 23/7 Genoa 4/8 Gibralter 31/8 Montevideo 5/9 Buenos Aires 8/9 Zarati 14/9 Las Palmas 20/9 La Plata 22/9 Montevideo 16/10 Dakar 2/11 Boulogne 22/11 Newport
El Paraguayo: 10 voyages including:
15/9/1920Left Liverpool for Buenos Aires
7/10/1920 arrived Montevideo
22/10/1920Left La Plata . Transit time 22 days.
Hardwicke Grange: 18 voyages including:
18/2/1922 dep Gravesend for Rosario,
20/6/1922 dep London for La Plata,
27/7/1922 dep Gravesend for La Plata.
6/4/1923 Left Gravesend for Rosario
18/5/1923 Left La Plata for London
Upwey Grange: 12 voyages
Dunster Grange: 29 voyages including:
4/2/28 Left Gravesend for River Plate
23/2/1928 arr Buenos Aires
17/3/1928 Left Montevideo
5/4/1928 arrived London . 19 days to BA, 18 days return, time in SA 23 days. .
28/10/1931 Arrived Montevideo from London
30/10/1931 Buenos Aires
27/11/1931 left Montevideo.
17/12/1931 arrived London from Rosario transit time twenty days. Trip time 67 days.
16/1/32 dep Gravesend for Buenos Aires. 7.30 am
23/4/32 ditto
10/10/31 ditto
13/1/34 ditto
21/4/34 dep Gravesend for Uruguay
29/7/34 Gravesend for Buenos Aires
6/10/35 dep Gravesend for Montevideo
24/10/35 In Montevideo
25/10/35 in BA.
After Captain Wilson’s retirement the last three vessels which he commanded, the “Hardwicke”, “Upwey” and “Dunster Granges” all served in the Atlantic convoys of World War Two. The “Hardwicke Grange” of 9000 tons was sunk on the 10th of June 1942 on its way to the River Plate by U-Boat 129 north of Puerto Rico (24.15n 65.45w) . Three crew were lost of 81.
The “Upwey Grange” (9130tons) returning from Buenos Aires with a cargo of frozen meat was sunk by U-Boat 37 off Donegal, Ireland on 8th of August 1940 with a loss of 36 of its crew of 86. The “Dunster Grange” was the most ‘fortunate’ of the three vessels escaping with damage after an attack by U-Boat 37 off the coast of Portugal(49.20n 8.40w) on 22nd of May 1940. U37, on that occasion under Captain Victor Oehm, was the second most successful U-boat of WW2 and had sunk several other vessels on its mission in the Atlantic.
Copyright Philip Eagles © July 2006