Petunia Voyage History

The crew of the Petunia posing on deck at West Hartlepool.

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 March 1889; Official No. 95886: Code Letters LBKM.
Owners: 1889 Petunia S.S. Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool; 1891 J Lilly, Wilson & Co, West Hartlepool; 1907 Lilly Shipping Co. Ltd. West Hartlepool; 1909 James Cormack & Co, Leith.
Masters: 1892 T Sawyer; 1893 T Owen; 1895 FH Watson; 1899 J Owen; 1909 G Hadden; 1903-06 E Robert Frankland (b. 1874 Whitby).

Northern Daily Mail on January 19th, 1906:
"Grave anxiety is now felt for the safety of the West Hartlepool steamer Petunia, which sailed from Norfolk (Virginia), for Bordeaux with timber. Since she left - 35 days ago - nothing is reported to have been seen of the vessel. In view of the stormy weather in the Atlantic, the uneasiness is intensified.

The Petunia is commanded by Captain Frankland, of West Hartlepool, where the Chief Officer, Mr. Hill, also resides. Mr. K. Barkeas, the Chief Engineer, belongs to Seaham; the Second Engineer, Mr. Towers, hails from Pembrokeshire; and Mr. Frederick Tout, Third Engineer, from Exeter. Nine of the seamen and firemen belong to South Shields.

The vessel stands on the overdue list at 92 guineas. She is owned by Messrs. J. Lilly and Co., of West Hartlepool, is of 1,691 tons burden, and was built in 1889."

Dundee Courier, January 23rd, 1906:
SHIPS GIVEN UP FOR LOST ARRIVE IN PORT. The West Hartlepool steamer Petunia, which sailed from Darien for Bordeaux on 13th December, had been given up as end was not insurable. Yesterday she towed into Falmouth. The Petunia lost her propeller on 3rd January, and was not picked until twelve days later.

Belfast News-Letter, January 21^st, 1909:
The steel screw steamer Petunia, owned Messrs. J. Lilly & Co. West Hartlepool, and presently lying in the Tyne, has been sold to Messrs. James Cormack Co., for £7,000. She is boat of 1,691 tons gross register, and carries 2,600 tons d.w. on 18 and a half feet. Built at Blyth in 1889, and fitted with triple-expansion engines, 20in., 33in. and 64in., x 36in. stroke. This steamer had £6,300 spent upon her last year in damage repairs.