Launched 13 September 1855 as Elegant; Official No. 26131; Code Letters PJVB.
Owners: Ebenezer S Jobson, West Hartlepool-renamed Dorothy Jobson; August 1857 Edward, John Church & Alfred Backhouse (bankers) Hartlepool; 1863 William Winship & Co, Blyth.
Masters: 1856-58 Jackson; 1859-62 M Young; 1863-74 William Robinson; 1874 J Rigden; 1875 William Trematic.
Voyages: October 1855 bound from Hartlepool for Malta; April 1856 bound from Alexandria for London; 31 March 1857 anchored at Deal bound from Shields for Carthegena; 10 April 1859 anchored at Deal bound from Hartlepool for Mauritius; February 1861 at Hobson’s Bay, Victoria for repairs to damage after a gale; May 1863 Blyth to Swinemunde & Grangemouth; 11 February 1864 anchored at Deal bound from Swansea for London; 30 January 1867 anchored at Deal bound from N for W.
Bound from Blyth for Riga with a cargo of coal Dorothy Jobson foundered during force 9 ESE storm on 21 October 1875 off Stonehaven in 56.16.30N/02.35W.
On 23 October a bottle tied up in a piece of canvas was found on the rocks at Stonehaven. Inside was a message that read:
‘Dorothy Jobson Oct. 21, 1875
Dear Father,
At four pm, midway between Fifeness & Buchaness, trying to keep her off the shore, a heavy sea struck the vessel carrying away mainmast & wheel & washing the master & mate overboard. The remainder of us got the boat out in the forenoon, but she swamped. We made a raft but the painter was carried away. About two pm a schooner hove in sight & answered our signals for assistance but offered us no assistance. It is half past 4 pm now & we expect to go down in another hour. John Ross, Robert Hope, William Kingston, join me in bidding farewell to our parents & friends. So, therefore, good bye dear father & may God prosper you. Charles Charlton, Felix Symon, send their farewell to all friends. Anyone who picks this up will do our friends a great favor if he sends it to Mr W C Bergen, 5 Eldon St, Blyth, Northumberland
I am your loving son WC Bergen’.
WC Bergen (his father) was the author of the book ‘Bergen on Navigation’.
Felix Simon also added a note of farewell mentioning the names of Alice Simon (his sister) & Annie Rowan.
On 26 October 1875 part of the ship’s stern & a medicine chest washed ashore at Stonehaven.
Crew May-November 1863:
Robinson, William, master, 39
Trematic, William, mate, 43
McKenzie, John, carpenter, 22
Batley, Matthew, boatswain, 47
Sherzen, John R, cook, 33
Hope, Robert, able seaman, 27
Cameron, John, able seaman, 20
Soulsby, John, apprentice, 13
Kay, William, apprentice, 14
Adams, John William, apprentice, 14
Mann, David, able seaman, 20
Baird, John, able seaman, 21
Scott, Samuel, ordinary seaman, 18
Laurison, High, able seaman, 26
Kell, George, mate, 34
Archbold, Lancelot, able seaman, 20
Wilson, Alfred, cook, 22
Brown, John, ableseaman, 26
Gilroy, William, able seaman, 20
Lives lost October 1875:
Bergen, William, able seaman, 21, Blyth
Charlton, Charles, apprentice, 17, Blyth
Hope, Robert, able seaman, 20, Blyth
McNaughton, James, mate, 39, Blyth
Ross, John, cook/steward, 19, Blyth
Simon, Felix, ordinary seaman, 20, Mauritius, resided North Shields
Thompson (or Kingston) William, able seaman, 20, Lowestoft
Trematic, William, master, Blyth
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Hartlepool Sports & Leisure
Elegant - a general history
