Norbiton Technical Specification

Masters: 1873 Watson; 1880-85 C Chitham; 1886 B Dunbar; 1886-87 Thomas Kelso.

The Norbiton set off from Cardiff for Rouen with a cargo of coal, a crew of 16, the master’s wife, the chief officer’s wife & their two children. About 20 miles south of Start Point on 13 August 1887 the Greek steamship Andrea Vagliano struck her on the starboard side. With the Norbiton sinking rapidly the master ordered the jollyboat out & told the crew to save themselves. The small boat had been washed earlier that day & the plug had been left out. One of the crew stuffed the plug-hole as best he could & then began bailing. The small boat was pushed off with the master, his wife & 10 of the crew. Within minutes the Norbiton gave a heavy plunge & as she sank her boilers burst covering the survivors in dust & ashes. Pieces of wreckage floated around but there was no sign of those that had still been aboard. The survivors eventually managed to get aboard the Andrea Vagliano which was severely damaged. They made it to Plymouth where they were towed into port by the tug Vixen. The survivors later made statements to the fact that it was three minutes between their jollyboat pushing off to the Norbiton sinking & if they had waited alongside for the others they would have all drowned. Those aboard the Andrea Vagliano stated they were not able to go to the stricken ship’s assistance because they had been occupied in getting their own lifeboats ready in the fear that their vessel was also going to founder. There were seven lives lost & 13 survivors.

Lives lost August 1887:

Campbell, James, able seaman, Glasgow, left a wife & two children; Lewis, John, donkeyman, Cardigan, left a wife & three children; Ockleford, Henry, chief officer, 30, Southampton; Ockleford, Mrs, Southampton; Ockleford, 3, Southampton; Ockleford, 4 months, Southampton; Viney, Frederick, Southampton, widower, left a son & daughter.

Survivors August 1887:

Anderson, Anders, carpenter; Cross, Alfred, second engineer, Southampton; Jarvis, Richard, fireman; Jones, David, able seaman; Kelso, Mrs, North Shields; Kelso, Thomas, master, North Shields; Laity, Joseph, able seaman; Mallett, Thomas, steward; Mitchell, Phillip, able seaman; Robson, Charles, second mate, North Shields; Saunders, William, fireman; Shopland, George T, chief engineer, Cardiff; Stephens, John, able seaman, St David’s, Pembrokeshire..