Albatross Gallery

Built at Sunderland; Official No. 2793: Code Letters HQPD.

Owners: 1837 Hartlepool Union Shipping Co, Hartlepool; 1844 purchased for £1,035 by Charles Taylor, Sunderland; 1853 George Brown and Richard Humble, Sunderland.

Masters: 1839-41 Fleming; 1841-44 Williamson; 1853-64 George Brown junior.

Voyages: November 1841 stranded between Seaton Carew & Hartlepool during a fierce gale but was eventually re-floated; 1843 Hartlepool for London.

Bound from Sunderland for London with a cargo of coal Albatross struck on the upper part of the Newcombe Sands at Lowestoft & filled with water during an ESE storm on 3 October 1864. The crew of six took to their boat & were picked up in the Stanford Channel by the tug Powerful. The following morning not a vestige of Albatross could be seen.

Although formed in 1838 with a capital of £46,770 some of her vessels were purchased in 1837. This would probably have been at the latter end of the year. The Company went into liquidation in 1845.

The Hartlepool Union Shipping Company "was established for the purpose of purchasing or building ships or vessels, to be employed in the coal or other trades, from Hartlepool or other ports and places, as the committee may order and direct." 

The vessels were registered in the names of six of the co-partners as trustees. They were: George Blakelock; Cuthbert Sharp (historian & shipowner, Hartlepool); Thomas Rowell (bank agent, Hartlepool); William Lisle (miller of Middleton-mills, Hartlepool); George Peacock (farmer Stockton-on-Tees); Ralph Walker (farmer, Stranton) & Stephen Horner.

The committee for the first year was formed of the following: John Burrell; John Wood; Robert Henry Allan (solicitor); George Blakelock; Percival Forster; Cuthbert Sharp; John Wells; William Lisle; William Walden; Stephen Horner; George Sheraton; James Findlay; William Sotheran; Thomas Rowell & John Sharp.

Fleet list (giving life and cost of vessel):

Agility 1834-1871 £1800

Albatross 1837-1864 £2285

Ann Emma 1838-1859 £2800

Anne Maria 1829-1850 £1850

City of Durham 1838-1843 £2900

Commodore 1838-1875

Eliza Liddle 1834-1847 £2500

Friendship 1837-1871 £2360

Gipsy 1837-1863 £2500

Harmonious 1837-1858 £2560

Hart 1838-1870 £2450

Hope 1834-1879

Isabella Wood 1840-1853

John Burrell 1838-1852 £2700

Margarets 1837-1875 £2950

Queen 1837-1865 £2650

Rosa 1837-1866 £2400

Saladin 1838-1845

Thomas Wood 1838-1852

Union 1838-1840 £3050

William Broderick 1836-1868 £2500