Hildawell Gallery

The company of G.B. Harland & Co. was formed in 1883 with their first steamer Duchess. As well as owning eleven ships throughout the time the company traded they also managed ships.

Family History:

George Blenkhorn Harland was born in 1848 at Sandsend, Yorkshire to parents Thomas and Mary (nee Blenkhorn). He married Isabella Marshall at Hinderwell in 1874. On the 1881 census he was listed as a commercial clerk and the family were living at Milton Road, Stranton. By 1891, still living at the same address, he was listed as being a shipowner. At the time of his death on 6 August 1924 aged 76 George was living at ‘Brooklyn’ Grange Road, West Hartlepool. The family also owned a house at Glaisdale where they spent much of their time. He was survived by his widow and five children. On his death he did not leave a will but his effects amounted to £171,577.

In this section you will find information, photographs and stories relating to more than 260 Hartlepool seamen who lost their lives during during the First World War, and of the ships they served on.
To find a particular crewman, simply type his Surname in the Search Box at the top of the page.

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough – August 23^rd, 1892
Launch at West Hartlepool — Messrs. Wm. Gray and Co., Limited, launched yesterday a fine steel screw-steamer, built to the order of Messrs. H. Erichson, G. B. Harland, and T. W. Willis, of West Hartlepool. The vessel will take Lloyd's highest class. Her dimensions are : — Length over all, 300 ft .; breadth, 38ft. 10in. ; depth, 22ft. 10in. The Central Marine Engine Works of Messrs. Wm. Cray and Co., Limited, supply fine triple-expansion engines, having cylinders 22ins, 35ins, and 59ins diameter, with a 39ins piston stroke, and two large steel boilers to work at 1601bs. pressure per square inch. The christening ceremony was gracefully performed by Miss Hannah Willis, of West Hartlepool, who named the steamer Hildawell. The arrangements and building of the ship have been superintended by Captain T. W. Willis.

South Wales Daily News – November 28^th, 1893
QUICK DESPATCH AT CARDIFF. The steamer Hildawell, Captain Wilkes, 1,879 tons gross—Messrs. Hardy, Wilson and Co., brokers; -docked at Roath, midnight, Friday, finished loading 3,500 tons cargo, and 500 bunkers, at 6.30 p.m. Saturday, the actual working hours being 18½, and sailed on Sunday morning's tide. The steamer Hildawell is owned by Messrs. G. B. Harland and Co., West Hartlepool, and the Cardiff charterers, Messrs. Arduser and Co., have beaten the record for despatch.

Western Times – November 24^th, 1896
On Friday at Dartmouth Sessions two seamen were brought up in custody, Thos. McPhillips was charged with being drunk and disorderly Jas. McPherson with simple drunkenness. The cases proved by P.S. Stentiford and P.C. Berry, and the magistrates imposed fines of 11s 5d on McPhillips and 9s 10d on the other man. Both belonged to the ss. Hildawell, steamer lying in Dartmouth Harbour.

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail – February 22^nd, 1897
LAST NIGHT'S SHIPPING. DAMAGE TO A WEST HARTLEPOOL STEAMER. The steamer Hildawell (Capt. Witten), from Copenhagen, light, grounded in the Old Harbour, Hartlepool, whilst entering. The propeller was broken, but otherwise no damage was sustained. The steamer has been docked for repairs. She belongs to Messrs G. B. Harland and Co., West Hartlepool.

South Wales Daily News – March 10^th, 1900
A Liverpool telegram states that the steamer Hildawell, from Charleston, reports that she lost about 300 or 400 barrels of resin and received considerable damage to her deck fittings during heavy weather.

Shields Daily Gazette – March 2^nd, 1901
Hildawell, steamer, arrived at Philadelphia leaking badly; thought will have dock to for repairs.

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette – November 1^st, 1901
COLLISION IN THE TYNE. South Shields telegraphs :—The steamer Hildawell, Hartlepool, inward bound, light, has been collision with the steamer Bjorn, of Lyngor, outward laden. The latter received much damage to stem and port bow. Former proceeded. Damage, if any, slight.

Dundee Courier – July 7^th, 1902
Dover, July 6.—The steamer Hildawell passed west this afternoon, and signalled having been oollision with a steamer (name unknown) off Cross Sand Light Vessel, damage is trluing[?]. 

Aberdeen Journal – May 30^th, 1910
FRENCH VESSEL FOUNDERED. CREW SAFE Lloyd's Penzance agent  telegraphed Saturday that the steamer Fort Louis, of La Rochelle, Cardiff for Tunis, foundered after collision with the steamer Hildawell, Selina for Glasgow, six miles west of Longship6 on Saturday morning. The captain and crew of the Fort Louis were landed at Falmouth.

Nottingham Evening Post – May 30^th, 1910
A Land's End Mystery. Messages which have been received from Lloyd's agents at Falmouth and Penzance report two collisions which occurred in the early hours of Saturday off small island 1¼ miles west of Land's End, on which stands a lighthouse visible for 16 miles. In each case an unknown steamer was concerned, of which nothing has since been heard. The two messages run: "Falmouth, Saturday.—The British steamer Hildawell, Sulina for Glasgow, with maize, arrived here with stem and bow-plates stove in and fore-peak full of water, having bean collision early this morning, during a dense fog, off Longships, with steamer name unknown. Hildawell cruised round the spot for several hours, but could not see anything of the other steamer.
Penzance, Saturday.—The steamer Fort Louis, Rochelle, Cardiff for Tunis, with patent fuel, foundered after collision with name unknown, six miles west, off Longships, at two o'clock this morning. Captain and crew of 24 landed here."

Newcastle Journal – January 21^st, 1915
LOST WEAR STEAMER. SEEN FROM A TYNE-BOUND VESSEL. The steamer Hildawell, of West Hartlepool, which has arrived in the Tyne from St. Nazaire, experienced very tempestuous weather on the passage. She lay in Yarmouth roads for shelter, and resumed her voyage Monday morning. Passing Sheringham on the Norfolk coast, the crew of the Hildawell observed the wrecked steamer George Royle, of Sunderland. The aftermast and funnel were gone, and only the framework of the bridge could be seen, the rest of the structure having disappeared. The foremast was still standing. Heavy seas were battering the wreck, which was evidently breaking up rapidly. There was no sign of any members of the crew. The Cromer lifeboat was also seen by the Hildawell. She had apparently gone to the assistance of the George Royle, and was returning in tow a fishing smack, both craft being under sail. The lifeboat's crew was discerned. but there did not appear to be anyone else on board.

Dundee Evening Telegraph – January 21^st, 1915
NO SIGN OF LIFE ON WRECK Members the crew of the West Hartlepool steamer Hildawell, who have arrived at Shields, state that when passing the Sheringham Sands they saw the ill-fated Sunderland steamer George Royle lying there wreck. The foremast of the George Royle was still standing, but the after mast and funnel had disappeared, while only the frame-work of the bridge was visible, the rest of the structure having been carried away. Huge waves were breaking over the ship, which appeared to be going pieces rapidly, and no sign of life could be seen on board."

Western Mail – 18^th January, 1917
The… following… are very much overdue:—Steamer Hildawell, of West Hartlepool, left Bilbao on December 12 for Middlesbrough, and dropped the Downs pilot off Yarmouth on December 19.

Completed September 1892; Official No. 98530: Code Letters MSRF.

Owners: 1892 G.B. Harland & Co, West Hartlepool: 1903 T.W. Willis & Co, West Hartlepool

Masters: 1893 TW Wilson: 1894-97 WR Willis: 1897 E Whitton: 1898-1911 WR Willis: 1915-16 Henry Ingram.

Hildawell sailed from Bilbao on 12 December 1916 bound for Middlesbrough with a cargo of iron-ore & dropped her Downs pilot off at Yarmouth on 19 December 1916. It is thought that she struck a mine in the North Sea laid by German submarine (U-32 Herbert Brever) & sank off Sunderland on 20 December 1916 (There is a discrepancy in where the vessel was lost as she was also reported as being seen off Yarmouth on 19 December) 22 lives lost including master.

Lives lost December 1916:

Capsey J, able seaman, 46, b. Portsmouth

Clarke, John Stephen Lloyd, donkeyman, 26, Garrick Street, South Shields

Hansell, Robert Ernest, 1^st mate, 26, b. West Hartlepool

Helland, M, able seaman, 30, b. Norway

Henderson, Benjamin, fireman, 32, South Shields

Ingram, Henry, master, 56, Vespasian Street, South Shields

Kaju, Joseph, sailor, 23, Isle of Dago, Esthonia

Kohn, Ole, fireman/trimmer, 24, b. Norway

Lee, Thomas Wallis, steward, 27, b. West Hartlepool, resided South Shields

Parkin, Richard Jefferson, fireman, 45, b. Monkwearmouth

Patterson, Robert Masters, ship’s cook, 26, Williamson St. South Shields

Petersen, Alexander, able seaman, 33, Vidlin, Shetlands

Prentice, Robert, 2^nd engineer, 33, West Hartlepool

Pulli, Jacob, sailor, 22, b. Russia

Rowlands, Harold, boatswain, 33, b. Yarmouth, resided West Hartlepool

Screeton, George Robert, 2^nd mate, 21, b. Hull

Small, F, fireman, 39, b. Greenock

Stubbernd, HC, sailor, 21, b. Norway

Warren, David Stewart, mess room steward, 17, West Hartlepool

Wheeler, George William, fireman, 42, b. Portsmouth

Wilmhurst, Walter, 3^rd engineer, 20, Middlesbrough

Witten, Richard Arthur, 1^st engineer, 44, b. Ipswich, resided West Hartlepool

Hildawell Yardbook pages.

T.W. Willis, Yorkshire Bank Chambers, Church Street, West Hartlepool.

When the Willis family moved from Whitby to West Hartlepool, they became acquainted with the local shipowner G.B. Harland, and eventually took shares in his company's ships. T.W. Willis was appointed Master of Harland's steamship Duchess when she was delivered from Withy's shipyard in 1883. His brother James was appointed Master of another of Harland's ships, the Dauntless, when she was delivered from the William Gray shipyard the following year.

In 1902, T.W. Willis bought two of Harland's ships, the Duchess, which he kept until 1906 when he sold her to Swedish owners, and the Hildawell, a ship in which he had been appointed Master when she was delivered from the William Gray shipyard in 1892.
Under his ownership the Hildawell was involved in an unfortunate collision on May 28th, 1910, when on passage from Cardiff to Tunis with a cargo of Patent Fuel. Six miles off the Longships she collided with and sank the French steamer Port Louis, ex-Baron Elibank, built by Murdoch & Murray at Port Glasgow in 1889.

In 1903, Willis took delivery of the steamship Longscar from the Wiliiam Gray shipyard. She was a typical tramp steamer of 4670 tons deadweight and was capable of a speed of 9 knots. James Willis was appointed her Master, while another family member, W.R. Willis, was Master of the Hildawell.

The Hildawell was mined and sunk off Seaham Harbour with the loss of all 22 crew in 1916. The Longscar was captured and sunk by a German submarine in the Bay of Biscay in 1917, fortunately without loss of life. Facing the very high cost of ship replacement T.W. Willis, like many other shipowners at this time, decided to call it a day, and ceased shipowning.

At South Shields in 1915, as Chairman of the local Pilotage Authority, he officiated at the launch of the port's first power-driven Pilot boat.

Family History:

Thomas William Willis was born in 1847 at Whitby to parents George Sinclair Willis and Hannah (nee Rayment). He gained a mate’s certificate at Whitby in 1868 and then a master’s certificate at South Shields in 1871. Thomas married Mary Margaret Stangoe at York on 28 December 1872. They had two daughters and a son. Mary died on 29 December 1882 at Whitby, possibly during or just after childbirth as their son, Robert, was also born in December 1882. Thomas married Ann Stango on 18 June 1891. Ann died in 1898. In 1911 Thomas was living at 93 Clifton Avenue with his son and two daughters. In December 1917 Thomas was married to Edith Onston Cox at Hartlepool. By the time of his death the couple were living at Stranton Fens, Park Road, West Hartlepool.

Thomas died aged 78 on 3 September 1926 leaving effects of £51,763.

James Willis was born at Whitby on 12 March 1853 to parents George Sinclair Willis and Hannah (nee Rayment). He was granted a mate’s certificate in 1872 and a master’s certificate in 1876.  James married Sarah Harland in 1878 at Whitby. Sarah died in 1917.

James died aged 75 at Whitby on 21 August 1828 leaving effects of £1850.