Lobelia Gallery

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.

Jesse Lilly & James Wilson operated eight ships from 1883 under Lilly, Wilson & Co., until their partnership was dissolved by mutual consent on 31 July 1891. Jesse Lilly continued operating ships under J. Lilly & Co., which then became Lilly Shipping Co. Ltd. In 1907 the London Gazette of January 18th, 1907, ran the following article:
LOBELIA STEAM SHIP CO. Limited. At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company, duly convened, and held at the registered office of the Company, No. 61, Church-street, West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, on the 24th day of December, 1906, the following Special Resolutions were duly passed; and at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the said Company, also duly convened, and held at the same place, on the 9th day of January, 1907, the following Special Resolutions were duly confirmed :— (1.) That the Lobelia Steam Ship Company Limited be voluntarily wound up with a view to its amalgamation with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, and that Mr. Jesse Lilly, of West Hartlepool aforesaid, Shipowner, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company for the purposes of such winding up. (2.) That the said Liquidator be and he is hereby authorized, pursuant to section 161 of the Companies Act, 1862, to enter into an arrangement with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited for the sale to it of the whole of the business assets and liabilities of the Company in consideration of the allotment of shares in the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, upon the terms' of the scheme which has been submitted to the Meeting, and is, for the purpose of identification, signed by the Chairman of this Meeting. 093 J. LILLY, Chairman.

PETUNIA STEAM SHIP CO. Limited. At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company, duly convened, and held at the registered office of the Company, No. 61, Church-street, West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, on the 24th day of December, 1906, the following; Special Resolutions was duly passed; and at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the said Company, also duly convened, and held at the same place, on the 9th day of January, 1907, the following Special Resolutions was duly confirmed :— (J.) That the Petunia Steam Ship Company Limited be voluntarily wound up with a view to its amalgamation with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, and that Mr. Jesse Lilly, of West Hartlepool aforesaid, Shipowner, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company for the purposes of such winding up. (2.) That the said Liquidator be and he is hereby authorized, pursuant to section 161 of the Companies Act, 1862, to enter into an arrangement with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited for the sale to it of the whole of the business assets and liabilities of this Company in consideration of the allotment of shares in the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, upon the terms of the scheme which has been submitted to the Meeting, and is, for the purpose of identification, signed by the Chairman of this Meeting. J. LILLY, Chairman.

POCKLINGTON STEAM SHIP CO. Limited. At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company, duly convened, and held at the registered office of the Company, No. 61, Church-street, West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, on the 24th day of December, 1906, the following Special Resolutions were duly passed; and at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the said Company, also duly convened, and held at the same place, on the 9th day of January, 1907, the following Special Resolutions were duly confirmed : (1.) That the Pocklington Steam Ship Company Limited be voluntarily wound up with a view to its amalgamation with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, and that Mr. Jesse Lilly, of West Hartlepool aforesaid, Shipowner, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company for the purposes of such winding up. (2.) That the said Liquidator be and be is hereby authorized, pursuant to section 1GI of the Companies Act, 1862, to enter into an arrangement with the Lilly No. 27987. D Shipping Company Limited for the sale to it of the whole of the business assets and liabilities of this Company in consideration of the allotment of shares in the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, upon the terms of the scheme which has been submitted to the Meeting, and is, for the purpose of identification, signed by the Chairman of this Meeting. J. LILLY, Chairman.

VERBENA STEAM SHIP CO. Limited. At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company, duly convened, and held at the registered office of the Company, No. 61, Church-street, West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, on the 24th day of December, 1906, the following Special Resolutions were duly passed; and at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting of the Members of the said Company, also duly convened, and held at the same place, on the 9th day of January, 1907, the following Special Resolutions were duly confirmed:— (1.) That the Verbena Steam Ship Company Limited be voluntarily wound up with a view to its amalgamation with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, and that Mr. Jesse Lilly, of West Hartlepool aforesaid, Shipowner, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator of the Company for the purposes of such winding up. (2.) That the said Liquidator be and he is hereby authorised, pursuant to section 161 of the Companies Act, 1862, to enter into an arrangement with the Lilly Shipping Company Limited for the sale to it of the whole of the business assets and liabilities of this Company in consideration of the allotment of shares in the Lilly Shipping Company Limited, upon the terms of the scheme which has been submitted to the Meeting, and is, for the purpose of identification, signed by the Chairman of this Meeting. 096 J. LILLY, Chairman.

Family History:
Jesse Lilly was born in April 1847 at Croft, Lincolnshire. He was married at Hartlepool to Elizabeth Ann Fleetham in October 1872 and, by 1873 were living at Musgrave Street, West Hartlepool. By 1901 the family were living at Billingham Hall.

In 1871 he was awarded his second mate's certificate and in 1873 his master's certificate having sailed firstly on the Agenoria of Boston aged 15 as a boy. He then went on to sail on the Florist, Levant and numerous other vessels.

Jesse died aged 60 at Billingham on 25th July 1907 at Stockton-on-Tees leaving effects of £30,678.

Completed November 1892;  Official No. 98533: Code Letters MVJL.

Owners: 1892 Lobelia SS Co Ltd (J. Lilly & Co) West Hartlepool: 1908 Lilly Shipping Co Ltd, West Hartlepool: 1908 Lilly Shipping Co Ltd (EH Bell ) West Hartlepool: 1910 T Pangalos, Syra-renamed Sotirios: 1915 D/S Sjalland A/S (Brix-Hansen & Co) Copenhagen-renamed Hillerod: 1916 requisitioned by The Admiralty, London: 1916 A/S Modum (Finn Friis & C O Lund), Drammen, Norway-renamed Modum

Masters: 1893-97 J Owen: 1899-1909 FH Watson.

On 4 November 1915 she was intercepted by HMS Teutonic and taken to Kirkwall as a War prize.

Bound from Sunderland for Bordeaux with a cargo of coal Modum was sunk by explosives from German submarine (UC-21 Reinhold Saltzwedel) 30 miles west of Ile de Groix on 8 December 1916. No lives lost.