Troqueer Gallery

Robert Livingston and George Steel traded as managers and shipbrokers under the title of G. Steel & Co. The partnership was dissolved in April 1889 with George continuing to trade under G. Steel & Co. In the same year Robert went into partnership with Leonard Richard Conner under the title of Livingston, Conner & Co. Both partners set up their own companies in 1899 and the partnership of Livingston, Conner & Co. was officially dissolved in July 1900.

R. Livingston & Co. ceased trading in 1916 when Robert retired.

Family History:

Robert Livingston was born in 1858 at West Hartlepool. He married Bessie Robinson in 1890. By 1891 to at least 1901 he lived at Glencairn Villa, Hutton Avenue.  By 1911 the family had moved to The Gables, Eaglescliffe, Preston-on-Tees.

Robert died aged 81 at Eaglescliffe in January 1939 leaving effects of £120,120. He was interred at Eaglescliffe.

Robert Livingston and George Steel traded as managers and shipbrokers under the title of G. Steel & Co. The partnership was dissolved in April 1889 with George continuing to trade under G. Steel & Co.

In 1873 he formed a partnership with William Young establishing Steel, Young & Co. They eventually moved the company to London. Almost all the ships they owned were built in Hartlepool. George purchased the Para built by Withy in 1875. This was the first steel steamer to be built at Hartlepool.

Included in their fleet at different times were two ships named Para, two named Kennett and three named Blenheim.

Family History:

George Steel was born at Annan, Dumfriesshire in April 1828. In 1856 he set up business in West Hartlepool as an ironmonger. By the 1881 census he was an ironmonger, shipowner and farmer of 366 acres at Owton Manor. He lived at Owton Manor House with his wife Margaret, two of their sons George Carlyle and Henry Foster and their daughter Jesse.

George died on 11 October 1899 at the age of 71 leaving assets of £83,842.

William Young was born in April 1827 at Chatton, Northumberland. By 1861 he was living at Stranton, West Hartlepool with his wife Mary. By 1891 he was living at Foxgrove Road, Beckenham, Kent and managing the ships from offices at Fenchurch Street, London.

William died on 25 November 1916 leaving effects of £208,376.

Completed August 1883; Official No. 86962: Code Letters HVWP.

Owners: 1883 George Steel (Robert Livingstone, manager), West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1883-85 Watson: 1885 George Marchant: 1886 George Heslop.

Voyages: 19 May 1885 struck on a rock at Finnesgrunde near Gefle & was abandoned by the crew. The following day she was got off by tugs & towed to Gefle; January 1886 the master, George Marchant, was fined for overloading his vessel.

Troqueer left Alexandria on 9 February 1886 in water ballast bound for Jaffa. On 11 February from Jaffa she received orders to sail to Gaza arriving on 12 February. She took on a cargo of 700 tons of wheat but her leaving was delayed because of heavy weather & eventually she sailed on 4 March with a crew of 21. Not far distant from the port she had left on the coast of Syria she struck on a bank the same day & became a total wreck by 12 March 1886. No lives lost.

At the Board of Trade inquiry held at Middlesbrough the master, George Heslop,  was found to blame for the casualty& his certificate was suspended for three months.

Crew May 1885:

Angells, John, fireman

Burnie, S, able seaman

Campbell, W, fireman

Carrick, 1^st engineer

Edwards, F, donkeyman

Ericksen, JF, able seaman

Gallagher, P, fireman

Hall, W, 2^nd engineer

Hard, William, fireman

Hoffman, J, able seaman

Lock, W, steward

Nyburg, mate

Potter, W, fireman

Powell, S, cook

Riley, Edward, fireman

Russell, able seaman

Turner, D, able seaman

Watson, master, Seaham Harbour

Wellings, Thomas, boatswain

Wilson, Thomas, fireman

Wisk, able seaman

Crew February 1886:

Anderson, Thomas, able seaman

Nyberg, Eric, mate