Rocklands Gallery

Robert Hardy and Joseph Forster Wilson founded Hardy, Wilson & Co., owning 20 ships from 1879 to 1894. The company was dissolved on 30 June 1894 and Robert Hardy continued trading as R. Hardy & Co., owning 11 ships until the company ceased trading in 1913. Joseph Forster Wilson continued trading as J.F. Wilson (Wilson Shipping Co. Ltd.) owning 15 ships between 1894 and 1919.

R. Hardy & Co., also owned the steamer Uplands built by Ropner in 1890. she was sold in 1912 to Stettin owners and renamed Belgravia. In May 1918 she struck a mine and sank.

Family History:

Robert Hardy was born 1853 at Trimdon to parents Robert and Elizabeth (nee Appleby). In 1871 he was boarding at Stranton. By 1881 he was listed on the census as married and boarding at Roath, Glamorgan and by 1901 he was living at St Martin in the Fields. In 1911 he was a widower staying at Earls Court Hotel, Tunbridge Wells.

Robert died aged 81 on 6 September 1934 at Northbrook, West Hartlepool leaving effects of £129,979.

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.

"ROCKLANDS" (S.S.) 

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1887. 
In the matter of a formal Investigation held at the Athenaeum, West Hartlepool, on the 14th and 15th days of August 1891, before ROBERT IRVINE and THOMAS APPLEBY, Esquires, two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Durham, assisted by Captains J. T. BRAGG and J. BAIN, into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British steamship "ROCKLANDS," of West Hartlepool, about 3 miles S. by E. 1/2 E. of Danilov Island, White Sea, on or about the 12th July 1891. 

Report of Court. 
The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances attending the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons stated in the annex hereto, that the cause of the stranding of the vessel was her being steered on a course under the assumption that Cross Island had been passed at a distance of 3 miles, a deceptive mist hanging over the land. 

Dated this fifteenth day of August 1891. (Signed) THOS. APPLEBY, ROBT. IRVINE, Justices. 

We concur in the above report. (Signed) J. THRELFALL BRAGG, JOHN BAIN, Assessors. 

Annex to the Report. 
This was an inquiry into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British steamship "Rocklands," of West Hartlepool, about 3 miles S. by E. 1/2 E. of Danilov Island, White Sea, on or about the 12th July 1891. Mr. Burton, of Newcastle, represented the Board of Trade, Mr. R. H. Young, of West Hartlepool, appeared on behalf of the owners, and Mr. Bell, of Sunderland, appeared for the master. The chief officer was not represented by counsel, and appeared in person. 

The "Rocklands," official number 84,530, was an iron screw steamer, built at West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, in the year 1881, by Messrs. Irvine & Co. She was schooner-rigged, and of the following dimensions:-Length 224.3 ft., breadth 31.55 ft., depth 12.3 ft. Her gross tonnage was 952.83 tons and deductions 350.26 tons, giving her a registered tonnage of 602.57 tons. This tonnage was, however, reduced per Leith surveys on the 16th March 1889 to 914.38 tons and deductions 341.23 tons, giving a registered tonnage of 573.15 tons. She was owned by Mr. Robert Hardy, junr., of West Hartlepool, and others, Mr. Robert Hardy, junr., being appointed managing owner on the 13th October 1881. The "Rocklands" was fitted with two compound surface-condensing direct-acting engines of 99 horse-power combined, the diameter of the cylinders being 27 and 50 inches respectively, and length of stroke 33 inches. She had three compasses, as follows:-A pole, a bridge, and a steering compass aft. They were made by Messrs. Berry & Sons, of West Hartlepool, and were last adjusted by Messrs. Wiggins & Sons, of London, at Greenhithe in November 1890. She appears to have been well found and properly fitted and equipped for the voyage on which she was engaged, and was commanded by Mr. Robert Jackson Buck, who holds a certificate of competency, numbered 07,752, and had a crew of 17 hands all told. 

The "Rocklands" left Archangel, bound for Plymouth, on the 11th of July 1891 with a cargo of deals, drawing 14 ft. aft and 13 ft. 2 in. forward. She passed the Bere Zoff Bar about 9.30 p.m. of that date, and her pilot left when off the light-vessel. From that point various courses were steered, until 2.40 a.m. of the 12th, when it was ascertained by the master, who ran a four-point bearing of the Katness Lighthouse, that the vessel was 3 miles distant from Katness. From this point a N.N.W. magnetic course was steered for 11 1/2 miles, by patent log, and at 4 a.m. the course was altered to N.N.E. magnetic. The weather had been fine, water smooth, and wind light easterly to this time. All went well until about noon of the same day, and although the weather had become hazy, Cross Island was sighted at 11.50 a.m., the officer of the watch estimating the distance from it on passing at 3 miles. The N.N.E. course was continued after passing this island, although the land was obscured by deceptive fog and haze, to seaward being moderately clear.

About 1 p.m. the master stated that he went on deck when he found the land extending ahead, and bearing N. by W., he then hauled the vessel's head more to the eastward, setting a course N.E. by N. magnetic. This course was again altered about 1.25 p.m. to N.E. magnetic. About 1.50 the vessel struck the ground. Efforts were made to get the vessel off by working the engines ahead and astern, but were futile, as the vessel had grounded on the last quarter flood. On the vessel's grounding they commenced to throw the deck cargo overboard from forward and a portion of it from aft. On the succeeding high water, about 3.30 a.m. of the 13th, the vessel, by the use of her own engines, was got off, and proceeded to Plymouth, where she arrived on the 26th July. The master stated that the vessel grounded on a shoal not marked on the chart, about 5 miles S. by W. 1/2 W. of Danilov Island, but the Court is of opinion that the vessel grounded on the shoal shown as projecting off the south side of the Pialka River. On the vessel being dry docked it was found she had sustained considerable damage. 

At the conclusion of the evidence Mr. Burton submitted the following questions to the Court:- 

1. What number of compasses had the vessel on board, where were they placed, and were they in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the ship? 

2. When and by whom were they made, and when and by whom were they last adjusted? 

3. Did the master ascertain the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time; were the errors of the compasses correctly ascertained and the proper corrections to the courses applied? 

4. Whether the vessel was supplied with proper and sufficient charts? 

5. Whether proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel at 4 a.m. on the 12th July and from time to time thereafter? 

6. Whether safe and proper courses were set and steered after passing Katness Light, and whether due and proper allowances were made for tide and currents? 

7. Whether at noon on the 12th July the chief officer was in a fit condition to properly perform his duties, whether the master was justified in leaving the navigation of the vessel in his charge, and whether he gave him proper and sufficient instructions with regard to it? 

8. Whether safe and proper alterations were made in the course by the chief officer at and after 12.30 p.m. on the 12th July, and were those alterations made with the knowledge and consent of the master? 

9. Whether a good and proper look-out was kept? 

10. Whether the rock upon which the vessel struck is marked on the Admiralty Chart? 

11. Whether, having regard to the hazy state of the weather, the vessel was navigated at too great a rate of speed? 

12. What was the cause of the stranding of the vessel? 

13. Whether she was navigated with proper and seamanlike care? 

14. Whether the master and officers are, or either of them is, in default? 

In the opinion of the Board of Trade, the certificate of Robert Jackson Buck, the master, and John Huggitt, the chief officer, should be dealt with. 

Mr. Young did not address the Court on behalf of the owners. Mr. Bell addressed the Court on behalf of the master; and the chief officer, John Huggitt, also addressed the Court. Mr. Burton having replied on behalf of the Board of Trade, the Court replied to the questions as follows:- 

1. The vessel was provided with three compasses, namely, a pole, a bridge, and a steering compass aft. They were in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel. 

2. The compasses were made by Messrs. Berry & Sons, of West Hartlepool, but there was no evidence to show when they were made. They were last adjusted by Messrs. Wiggins & Sons, of London, at Greenhithe, in November 1890. 

3. The master stated he ascertained the deviations of his compasses by observations from time to time, and that the proper corrections were applied to the courses. 

4. The vessel was supplied with proper and sufficient charts. 

5. The position of the vessel at 4 a.m. on the 12th July last was fixed by dead reckoning, the vessel having run from abeam of Katness Lighthouse, 11 miles and a half on a N.N.W. course. After passing Cross Island no proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel beyond a single bearing and the distance off the land estimated by the eye. 

6. The courses set from 2.40 a.m. on the 12th July were safe and proper as far as Cross Island, but not afterwards. Proper allowance was made for tide up to Cross Island, but not afterwards. 

7. The chief officer, according to the evidence of the master, was in a fit condition to properly perform his duties at noon on the 12th July. The master was justified in leaving the navigation of the vessel in charge of the chief officer, and his instructions appear to have been sufficient. 

8. The alterations made in the course by the chief officer at and after 12.30 p.m. on the 12th July, being more off the land, were in the right direction, but there was a conflict of evidence as to whether the master did or did not know that these alterations were being made. 

9. It cannot be said that the look-out was not sufficient while the second officer was in charge on the bridge, but after the chief officer went on duty at noon on the 12th July the matter of a good look-out is somewhat doubtful. 

10. The rock upon which the vessel struck is marked on the Admiralty Chart, and also upon the chart by which she was navigated. 

11. According to the evidence, the speed of the vessel does not appear to have been too great. 

12. The cause of the stranding of the vessel was her being steered on a course under the assumption that Cross Island had been passed at a distance of three miles, a deceptive mist hanging over the land. 

13. It cannot be said that the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care after passing Cross Island. 

14. The Court considers that the master, Robert Jackson Buck, committed a grave error of judgment in not hauling the vessel further off the land after passing Cross Island, but in this matter he was evidently misled by a report given him by the second officer, that the vessel had passed three miles seaward of that island. The Court severely reprimands the master, but does not deal with his certificate. 

The conduct of the chief officer, John Huggitt, on the evening of the 11th July and subsequently, is deserving of the severest censure, but as there is no direct evidence in this case that his conduct conduced to the actual casualty, the Court refrains from dealing with his certificate. 

No blame attaches to the second officer. 

(Signed) ROBT. IRVINE, THOS. APPLEBY, Justices. 
We concur. (Signed) J. THRELFALL BRAGG, JOHN BAIN Assessors. 

Official No. 84530; Code Letters WDBK; Code Letters LMJS.

Owners: 1881 Hardy Wilson & Co, West Hartlepool; 1894 Robert Hardy & Co, West Hartlepool; 1896 Gebr Petersen, Flensburg, Germany; 1913 FW Fischer, Rostock-renamed Franz Fischer; August 1914 seized at Sharpness, Admiralty requisition as CT-18 (managers Everett & Newbiggin), London.

Masters: 1881 Scott; 1882 J Dean; 1885 John Burgess; 1885-88 JJ Carter; 1891-92 Buck; 1894-95 JE Venus; 1897-99 J Seiver; 1900-02 E Funck; 1904-06 C Kahle; 1907-09 H Muller; 1916 John Davies.

Bound from Hartlepool for Cowes with a cargo of coal Franz Fischer was bombed & sunk by a Zeppelin rigid airship two miles south of Kentish Knock Light vessel on 1 February 1916. 13 lives were lost including the master.

The Times 8 February 1916:

‘The captain of the SS Paulin a letter to Messrs. Sutcliffe & Co of Boston, Lincs, referring to his last journey says: On my voyage from Calais to Goole, at 10.45 on the night of February 1 (Tuesday), while at anchor off the Kentish Knock, we met with a terrible experience. The ex-German steamship Franz Fischer, which was lying about half a mile SW of me, was bombed by some aircraft & sank in a couple of minutes, the crew being either killed or thrown into the water. We heard a loud report, followed by cries for help, but it being so dark we really did not know what had happened, & decided to wait events. The cries became more distinct as time passed, & in the meantime we launched a lifeboat. Presently we distinguished clear cries from three men, apparently in the water. The mate, boatswain, an AB & a fireman got into the boat & went to the rescue in the dark night. At that time a strong tide was running, & the boat soon drifted away astern. After a time a signal was made by them which, I understood, was that they were unable to come back to the ship. My windlass, being in a poor condition, finally broke when we were trying to heave the anchor, & I had to steam to them with my anchor still just at the bottom. Finally, after three hours' work, we were able to pick up the boat, which had rescued the three men, who were exhausted. One was in a serious condition, & we had to work on him for over an hour to get him to life again, in which effort we succeeded. Next morning we handed them over to a British vessel.’

The sinking of Franz Fischer, a captured enemy vessel employed as a coasting collier was reported in The Times on Friday last 'the vessel left Hartlepool on Monday afternoon, bound south. According to Charles Hillier, one of three survivors of the crew, about 10.30 on Tuesday night a Zeppelin appeared right over the vessel & dropped a highly explosive bomb, which struck them amidships. The steamer remained afloat only two minutes, the captain & 12 others being drowned. Next morning the wrecked Zeppelin L119was sighted in the North Sea by the skipper of the steam trawler King Stephen.’

Lives lost February 1916:

Charlton, Alfred William Rogers, able seaman, 28, Albany Street West Hartlepool

Davies, John, master, age 59, Rhyddings Road Swansea

Hillier, Albert, able seaman, Point aux Gauls, Newfoundland

Inkster, William, 2nd mate, 56, b. Shetland, resided South Shields

Jenkins, David Bevan, fireman, 27, Pembrokeshire

Kyriakos, John, fireman, 21, b. Cyprus

Lennard, Christopher Charles, 54, b. Woolwich, London

Noble, Abraham, mess room steward, 59 (son of Abraham & Margaret)

Patterson, Henry, able seaman, 42, b. Montrose, resided Westmoreland Street West Hartlepool

Powell, Henry Alexander, 2nd engineer, 36, b. Cambusland

Prior, William, fireman, 40, b. South Shields

Skimin, George, mate, 48, b. Bangor, Co. Down

Vidolich, Emmanuelle, donkeyman, 42, Casal Zabbar, Malta

The Curious Case of the Franz Fischer

Amid the horror and destruction of the First World War there were many acts of humanity, moments of genuine humour and many strange stories and coincidences.

Take for example, the curious case of the FRANZ FISCHER. In 1881, the West Hartlepool shipyard of Irvine & Company launched a small iron well-deck cargo steamer, the ROCKLANDS, for local shipowners Hardy Wilson & Company. Of just 952grt and dimensions 224.3’ x 31.5’ x 12.3’, she was fitted with a T. Richardson & Sons 105nhp 2-cylinder Compound engine, with cylinder diameters of 27” & 50” and a 33” stroke.

In 1894 she was sold to Robert Hardy & Co, West Hartlepool and then to Gebr. Petersen, Flensburg, Germany in 1896. In 1913 she was bought by F.W. Fischer, Rostock, and renamed Franz Fischer. The names of some of her Masters include: 1881 Scott: 1882 J. Dean: 1885 John Burgess: 1885-88 J.J. Carter: 1891-92 Buck: 1894-95 J.E. Venus: 1897-99 J. Seiver: 1900-02 E. Funck: 1904-06 C. Kahle: 1907-09 H. Muller: 1916 John Davies.

Unfortunately for the FRANZ FISCHER, the outbreak of war found her berthed at Sharpness on the River Severn, where she was immediately seized and requisitioned for use by the British Admiralty (managed by Everett & Newbiggin, London). On the afternoon of Monday, 31^st January, 1916, she left Hartlepool bound for Cowes on the Isle of Wight with a cargo of coal.  The following evening she was off the Kentish Knock, a series of shoals and sandbanks east of the Thames Estuary - and here the story becomes a little confused.

At around 10:30pm that evening, the FRANZ FISCHER and a number of others ships at anchor in the same area came under attack from a German Zeppelin, the L-19.

The Times newspaper of February 8^th reported: “The captain of the SS Paul in a letter to Messrs. Sutcliffe & Co of Boston, Lincs, referring to his last journey says: On my voyage from Calais to Goole, at 10.45 on the night of February 1 (Tuesday), while at anchor off the Kentish Knock, we met with a terrible experience. The ex-German steamship FRANZ FISCHER, which was lying about half a mile SW of me, was bombed by some aircraft & sank in a couple of minutes, the crew being either killed or thrown into the water. We heard a loud report, followed by cries for help, but it being so dark we really did not know what had happened, and decided to wait events. The cries became more distinct as time passed, and in the meantime we launched a lifeboat. Presently we distinguished clear cries from three men, apparently in the water. The mate, boatswain, an AB & a fireman got into the boat & went to the rescue in the dark night. At that time a strong tide was running, & the boat soon drifted away astern. After a time a signal was made by them which, I understood, was that they were unable to come back to the ship. My windlass, being in a poor condition, finally broke when we were trying to heave the anchor, and I had to steam to them with my anchor still just at the bottom.

Finally, after three hours' work, we were able to pick up the boat, which had rescued the three men, who were exhausted. One was in a serious condition, and we had to work on him for over an hour to get him to life again, in which effort we succeeded. Next morning we handed them over to a British vessel. One of the three survivors, Charles Hillier, recalled that the Zeppelin appeared right over the vessel at around 10:30pm and dropped a high explosive bomb which struck them amidships. The steamer remained afloat for only two minutes, the captain & 12 others being drowned.”

Two of the lost crew, both Able Seamen, were from West Hartlepool: Alfred William Rogers Charlton, aged 28 and Henry Patterson, aged 42. Alfred Charlton (son of Mary and the late William Charlton), was born in West Hartlepool and lived with his wife Mary Charlton (nee Spalding), at No.3 Albany Street. Henry Patterson, born in Montrose, was residing in Westmoreland Street.

The other men lost were: Davies, John, Master, age 59, Rhyddings Rd. Swansea; Hillier, Albert, Able Seaman, Point aux Gauls, Newfoundland; Inkster, William, 2^nd Mate, 56, b. Shetland, resided South Shields; Jenkins, David Bevan, Fireman, 27, Pembrokeshire; Kyriakos, John, Fireman, 21, b. Cyprus; Lennard, Christopher Charles, 54, b. Woolwich, London; Noble, Abraham, Mess Room Steward, 59 (son of Abraham & Margaret); Powell, Henry Alexander, 2^nd Engineer, 36, b. Cambusland; Prior, William, Fireman, 40, b. South Shields; Skimin, George, Mate, 48, b. Bangor, Co. Down; Vidolich, Emmanuelle, Donkeyman, 42, Casal Zabbar, Malta.

The following article is from a scuba-diving website (www.divernet.com): “L-19 was one of nine Zeppelins despatched just before noon on 1 February, 1916 from Germany to bomb Liverpool. Kapitanleutnant Loewe was in command, with Leutnant Schirlitz as his executive officer. They rode in the foremost gondola under the 536ft long hull, packed with 1.13 million cu ft of hydrogen in 16 separate gasbags. Other cars slung under the ship housed four 240hp petrol engines. Their propellers could push the airship along at 60mph. Altogether 16 men were charged with delivering 5000lb of bombs.

The nine raiders lost sight of each other as darkness fell and seemed unaware that a strong southerly wind was pushing them far from Liverpool. L-19 finally crossed the coast at Sheringham, Norfolk at 7.20pm. Loewe, completely lost, is believed to have bombed Burton-on-Trent and possibly Birmingham. He was heard by British radio stations calling for bearings which put him somewhere near King's Lynn.

At about this time he found the 970 ton British collier Franz Fischer, anchored in the mouth of the Thames estuary. One of the 224ft collier's three survivors saw a bomb fall from the Zeppelin, which was stationary above the ship. It entered the Franz Fischer's funnel, the explosion blew out her bottom and she sank in less than a minute (if you want to dive her she is upright with her coal all around her, 6m proud in 23m, at 51 37.02N; 01 40.28E).

While this is clearly the accepted version of events, a website that specifically records the histories of German U-boats in both World Wars, www.uboat.net, cites an entry in the German submarine UB-17’s war journal (its Kreigstagebucher, or KTB), recording the torpedoing of the Franz Fischer off the Kentish Knock.

This being the case, the U-boat certainly benefitted from the distraction caused by the Zeppelin’s bombing, and with all eyes turned to the skies, UB-17 was able to carry out her successful attack remaining unseen and undetected.

 As for the Zeppelin L-19, she never made it home. The following morning her wreckage was sighted in the North Sea by the skipper of the steam trawler King Stephen. The divernet article continues: “The next we know of L-19 is that her captain reported: 'Radio equipment at times out of order. Three engines out of order. Approximate position Borkum Island.' Sentries in neutral Holland put him further south over Dutch territory and fired at him with everything they had until he disappeared out to sea.

A Grimsby steam-trawler skipper, William Martin, said that before daybreak on 2 February he saw lights flashing in the distance. 'I went towards the lights and discovered a huge mass of wreckage on the water,' he told a Times correspondent. 'I stood by and at daybreak found the wreckage was that of a large German airship bearing the identification mark L-19. The cabins were under water and so was a large part of the envelope, but a large portion was still above’.
'On a raised platform on top of the envelope were seven or eight members of the crew, who hailed us in broken English saying: 'Save us, save us! We will give you plenty of money'. An officer offered gold, but as he did so, 20 crew appeared.'
The skipper of the unarmed trawler felt it would be unwise to take the Zeppelin's men aboard, as they outnumbered his own crew, so he went off and reported the incident to a British naval vessel. As he sailed away the Germans were shouting 'Gott strafe England!' but a gale then got up and the airship probably foundered.

This extraordinary tale gives little idea of the exact position of the Zeppelin, but a further amazing twist does tell us where Kapitan Loewe thought he was sinking. A bottle with a note in it was washed ashore six months later in Sweden. The message read: 'With 15 men on the top platform and backbone girder of the L-19, floating without gondolas in approximately 3? east longitude, I am attempting to send a last report. Engine trouble three times repeated, a light headwind on the return journey delayed our return and, in the mist, carried us over Holland where I was received with heavy rifle fire; the ship became heavy and simultaneously three engines failed. February 2, 1916, towards 1pm will apparently be our last hour. Loewe.'

So there we have it, a very tragic and curious tale. The research for this story has been undertaken by Volunteers as part of our Heritage Lottery-funded ‘Heroism & Heartbreak: True Tales from the Hartlepools at War’ Project.

We would very much like more information about this story, particularly as we still do not have any photographs, either of the two lost Hartlepool crewmen or of the ship herself. If you can help, please get in touch, either in person at Hartlepool Central Library Reference Section, or by e-mail infodesk@hartlepool.gov.uk