Abbots Reading Technical Specification

Abbots Reading 1838-1873

Kendall & Co, Liverpool: Official No. 1500: Code Letters HKFW.

Owners: 1838 James & William Tryer, Liverpool; 1854 Kendall & Co, Liverpool; 1864 Fox & Satterfield, Liverpool; 1870 Robert Hutchinson (West Hartlepool) Liverpool; 1871 Robert Hutchinson, West Hartlepool; 1873 Messrs Fawcus & Co., West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1838-39 T White; 1840 Renner; 1841-43 Crawford; 1844-1848 Atkinson; 1848-55 James Johnstone; 1855-57 John Walsh; 1857-62 Thomas Power; 1862-63 Olivie Prout (C.N. 2915 London 1850); 1864 Charles Lima; 1865-70 Dumaresq; 1870-71 Robert Chastney (b. Norfolk 1841 C.N. 34962 Dundee 1868); 1871-73 Joseph Charlton (C.N. 85548).

Voyages: 1838 from Liverpool for Arica, Islay & Lima; 1840 Liverpool for Valparaiso; 1844 Liverpool for Calcutta; June 1853 at Valparaiso with an assorted cargo; 1 June 1857 from Gravesend for Rio de Janeiro; 1858 Liverpool for South America.

Miscellaneous: 13 September 1855 a letter to Lloyds from the master, Alexander MP Mackey of HMS Nereus, concerning Abbots Reading.  In the correspondence he states that the vessel was offloading at Valparais on 12 September & had 1,315 kegs of gunpowder aboard, each keg containing 25lbs. He assumed these were stored on deck & amongst the general cargo which consisted of iron, paint, pitch pine & hardware. Some 20 of the kegs had been landed & many were open or had hoops missing which he believed was caused by friction on the iron bars causing the waste powder to explode. The entire upper deck was blown up & two of the crew died with four others seriously injured; 8/9 March 1863 while on a voyage on Abbots Reading, the master, Olivie Prout aged 33 of St Agnes, Cornwall, & an apprentice, John Parker Hay, aged 15 of Ramsey, Isle of Man, drowned at Outer Roads, Buenos Aires; 1867 a case was heard at Thames Police Court concerning two of the crew of Abbots Reading. On 7 January 1867 the prosecutor, Donald Cameron & the prisoner, John Crane, 29, were at the pumps with others when a quarrel took place between them. Crane struck Cameron with his fist & both armed tbemselves with belaying pins. The 2nd mate came between them & sent them back to the pumps. Crane said he would ‘mark’ Cameron before he went to sleep. Five minutes later Crane was observed to put his hand to a sheath knife at his back. Cameron was seated on a spar & Crane was watching him attentively. As Cameron had another spell at the pump Crane drew his knife & slit his nose with it. The lower part of the nose was severed & the master dressed the wound but Cameron was left disfigured for life. Crane threw the knife overboard directly afterwards. The official log book was produced & the entry confirmed the events. His evidence was also corroborated in every particular by other witnesses & Crane was committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court.

21 July 1873 Abbots Reading sailed from Stockholm bound for Jacobstadt, Finland with about 95 tons of pig iron as ballast & a crew of 10. She was stranded & wrecked near Wasa, Finland on 28 July 1873.

‘Inquiry held at Newcastle-on-Tyne;

At midnight on 21 July 1873, she brought up the entrance of the river & discharged her pilot & at 4pm proceeded on her voyage. At noon on the 27th observations were obtained for latitude which gave 61.16N & the vessel, having no chronometer, the longitude was estimated by dead reckoning to be 19.32E. At 4am of the 28th the master relieved the watch, & finding land on the starboard beam nearer than he expected, marked the vessel’s position on his chart as being 10E of the longitude given by dead reckoning, & altered the course to the north; but a few minutes before 8am the she suddenly grounded on a sunken reef. The crew, after an unsuccessful endeavour to make the vessel float, took to their boats at about 3am of the 29th, & eventually landed at Wasa.

The Court considered, from the evidence before them that Abbots Reading was lost either on the outer edge of the line of broken water marked on the chart as extending from latitude 62.32N to latitude 63N, on a longitude of 20.40E or on an outlying reef some miles further to the westward, but owing to the vessel having been worked by dead reckoning, they felt it impossible to settle the question. The position given by the master at 4am on the 28th was only an assumed one; but it might have been correctly ascertained had a chronometer been on board, & under these circumstances the Court did not feel justified in suspending the master’s certificate.

The Court could not overlook the fact that the owners had neglected to supply their vessel with a chronometer, & they consider that the disaster must, in a great measure be attributed to this omission. If the vessel had carried a chronometer her exact position could have been astronomically fixed at noon on the 27th & thus the casualty would in all probability been avoided. The Court, therefore, directed that the managing owners, Messrs Fawcus, Fawcus & Co, put the sum of 10s towards the cost of the inquiry.’

Robert Fawcus and his son, also Robert, owned and had shares in Hartlepool registered ships from 1845.

Other shareholders included: Ralph Ward Jackson; William Ramsey (master mariner, Hartlepool); Edward Turnbull (solicitor); James Stephenson (timber merchant, Bishopwearmouth); Thomas Wilkinson; Henry Fawcus (Stockton-on-Tees).

Family Histories:

Robert Fawcus was born on 13^th July 1816 at Stepney, Middlesex to parents Ann (nee Evans) and Robert Fawcus.  He married Anna Maria Speciall in April 1841 at Stockton-on-Tees and the couple had 14 children throughout their marriage. By 1845 the family were living at Seaton Carew. Robert became a coal merchant and shipbroker and was Swedish, Norwegian and Russian Vice-Consul for the Hartlepools.  Anna died in May 1871 at Over Dinsdale Hall near Darlington. By 1881 Robert had retired and moved to South Eaton Place, London and by 1891 was living at Norbiton, Surrey.

Robert died aged 78 at Norbiton, Surrey on 2^nd June 1894 leaving effects of £1,484.

Robert Speciall Fawcus and his twin Thomas Powell were born in 1845 at Hartlepool to parents Anna Maria (nee Speciall) and Robert Fawcus. He married Emily Best on 7^th October 1869 at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Stockton-on-Tees. In 1871 the couple were living at North Road, Seaton Carew and by 1881 had moved to Front Street, Seaton Carew. Emily died in September 1889 at Norbiton, Surrey.  On the probate in 1890 Robert was listed as a merchant at 23 Rood Street, London.  By 1891 Robert was living at Norbiton, Surrey with his daughter Emily and sons Robert and Charles (coal merchant shipbrokers) and John (barrister).

Robert died aged 58 at Over Dinsdale, Norbiton, Surrey in March 1903 leaving effects of £2,234.

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Henry Fawcus was born in 1842 at Stockton-on-Tees to parents Anna Maria (nee Speciall) and Robert Fawcus. Henry became a solicitor and married Anne Share Lockwood on 7th January 1869 at the Parish Church, Stockton-on-Tees. The couple had four children. In 1868 he took over from his father as Swedish, Norwegian and Russian Vice-Consul for the Hartlepools. At this time the family were living at Seaton Carew. By 1881 the couple were living at Boldon, Durham and Henry was listed on the census as a coal-exporter. In 1891 the couple were living at Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle-on-Tyne with his business premises at Queen Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne,

Henry died aged 60 on 28 January 1903 at Harley Street Infirmary, Middlesex He was crossing a busy road in London when he was knocked down by a cab and died of his injuries a short time later. Another account gives his death as suicide by shooting himself. He left effects of £3,122.

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Edward Turnbull was born in 1821 at Newcastle-on-Tyne to father Edward Turnbull. He married Ann (Annie) Galloway at Tynemouth on 26^th January 1846.  Edward began his career as a solicitor with Richard Wilson of Darlington. The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent in January 1847 and Edward took T.H. Tilly as a partner at his premises at 13 Church Street, West Hartlepool. The firm became Turnbull & Tilly. Edward had studied ships and seafaring men and mastered the legal side of those and other matters. He was elected mayor of Hartlepool in 1849 and again in 1853. He lived most of his adult life at West Hartlepool.

Edward died on 27^th July 1888 at 9 Belsize Park, Hampstead leaving effects of £16,076. His widow, Annie, died the following year.

Ships Robert Hutchinson owned or had shares in from approximate dates were: 1851 Glory; 1853 Ivanhoe; 1855 Atlantic; 1857 Newport; 1864 Earl Bathurst; 1864 Argo; 1864 Ravensworth; 1867 Fanny; 1867 Penelope; 1867 Solon; 1867 Zior; 1868 Astley; 1870 Markwell; 1871 Abbotts Reading; 1873 Catherine Roberts; 1873 Ipswich; 1874 Williams; 1874 Malvina.

Other shareholders were: John Dennis; Thomas Hogarth; Joseph Peacock; Joseph Pearson; Nesswell Lowther; Matthew Boyes; John Furness; William Young; Michael Pennock Lund.

Family Histories of Shareholders:

John Dennis was born at Thorne, Yorkshire on 1^st October 1815 to parents John (chaise driver) and Mary (nee Threader) Dennis. John started out as an apprentice aboard ship in May of 1829 in the coasting trade working his way up to a seaman, mate and gaining his master’s certificate in 1851 (C.N. 38528). He was master of the Ivanhoe on voyages between 1853 and 1855 and the Glory between May 1850 and 1859. Already a widower himself he married a widow, Ellen Russell, at Whitby on 1^st June 1843. In 1851 the couple were living at Scarborough Street, West Hartlepool with John listed as a shipbroker. Ellen died aged 44 on 23 January 1862. John was then married at Hull on 4 February 1864 to Mrs Anne Remmington. By 1881 John had retired from shipbroking and the couple were living at Eskdaleside.

John died at Sleights, Eskdaleside on 12^th April 1883 leaving effects of £515 17s. 6d. His widow, Ann, died aged 69 at Sleights on 25th June 1886.

Ships John had shares in from approximate dates were: 1851 Glory; 1853 Ivanhoe; 1855 Atlantic; 1862 Ava; 1864 Argo; 1865 M. Racer.

Other shareholders were: Robert Hutchinson; Thomas Hogarth; Joseph Peacock; William Young

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Joseph Peacock was born on 22 November 1818 at Whitby. On the1841 census he is living with Jane Peacock who may be his grandmother as she is aged 70. Joseph married Dorothy Featherstone on 9^th April 1846 at Stockton-on-Tees. In 1851 the couple were living at York Place, Hartlepool and by 1861 at Exeter Street, Stranton. In 1871 the family was living at Alma Place, West Hartlepool with Joseph away at sea. The couple had five children during their marriage. Joseph went to sea as an apprentice in December 1840 and worked his way up to master (C.N. 8472). On 3 April 1881 he was master on the brig Lucy (Official No. 11855) moored at Woolwich.

In the National Probate Register of October 1890 Joseph is described as living at Seaton Carew and working as a grocer so he must have retired from the sea sometime after 1881. He died aged 72 on 31 July 1890 leaving effects of £212.

Headstone inscription in Holy Trinity Churchyard at Seaton Carew.

'Dorothy wife of Joseph Peacock Master Mariner born 15 April 1820 died 15 July 1888 & above Joseph of Seaton Carew born 22 November 1818 died 31 July 1890 also Aina Emma their daughter born 15 October 1855 died 17 March 1923 also Emma their daughter died at Middlesbrough 24 August 1854 aged 5 also Susannah their daughter died at West Hartlepool 16 December 1934 aged 75 years.'

Joseph was master and had part shares in the following Hartlepool registered ships from approximate dates: 1858 Atlantic (master from 1858 to 1865); 1867 Solon (master from 1870 to 1873); 1873 Ipswich (master from 1873 to 1876); 1878 Earl of Sunderland (master in 1880).

Other shareholders were: John Dennis; Robert Hutchinson; William Young.

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Matthew Boyes was born in May 1821 at Whitby to Ann (nee Dawson) and Matthew Boyes. He went to sea as an apprentice in about 1838 and worked his way up to ship master. Matthew married Elizabeth Farndale on 11^th November 1844 at Stockton-on-Tees and in 1851 the couple were living at Yarm. In 1861 Matthew was master of the Ellen of Whitby and his wife was living with their daughter at Milton Road, West Hartlepool. In 1871 the couple were living with their daughter, Dinah (now Hough), at 6 Milton Street/Road, West Hartlepool. By 1891 Matthew was retired and living with his daughter and her family at 1 Milton Street, West Hartlepool.

Matthew died on 23^rd May 1893 leaving effects of £30. His widow, Elizabeth, died aged 65 in January 1889.

Ships Matthew had shares in from approximate dates were: 1857 Tweed of Whitby (master 1857 to 1859); 1858 Newport (master 1858 to 1860); 1880 Primrose.

Other shareholders were: John Ripley (Whitby); Robert Hutchinson.

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Nesswell Lowther was born on 24^th February 1829 at Loftus to parents Elizabeth (nee Pennock) and George Lowther. He married Tamar Clark in 1855 at Stockton-on-Tees and the couple lived at 9 York Street, West Hartlepool until their deaths. Nesswell was a master mariner certificate no. 82250. He had sailed on Whitby ships and then Hartlepool ships. He was master of the Biferous when she was wrecked in April 1861 and was then master of the Ivanhoe from 1862 until 1870.

Nesswell died aged 64 at West Hartlepool on 23^rd March 1893 leaving effects of £411. His widow, Tamar, died aged 78 in August 1908.

Ships Nesswell had shares in from approximate dates were: 1860 Biferous; 1864 Ivanhoe;

Other shareholders were: Henry, John and Thomas Braine (Greenwich); Robert Hutchinson.

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Thomas Hogarth was born on 25^th October 1825 at Whitby. He married Ann Jefferson in 1851 at Whitby. Thomas began his working life as an apprentice on the Alpha of Whitby in 1838. He received his mate’s certificate no. 61576 in 1854. By 1861 Thomas was living at York Street, Hartlepool with his wife and four children. In 1873 the family were living at 19 Frederick Street, Hartlepool.

Thomas was master of the Glory in 1859 and master and part owner of the Argo when he died on 18th November 1873 at Rouen, France leaving effects of under £200.

Robert Hutchinson was also part owner of the Argo.

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John Furness was born in 1837 at West Hartlepool to parents Averill Easter (nee Wilson) and John Furness. He married Anne Peacock on 22^nd May 1859 at Lynn Street, West Hartlepool and the couple resided at The Laurels, Rift House Farm, West Hartlepool. In the 1881 census John was described as a cattle dealer. He was one of the first importers of cattle from the Continent and U.S.A and was the brother of Sir Christopher Furness M.P. of Hartlepool.

John died aged 65 on 4th June 1902 leaving effects of £5,470.

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Michael Pennock Lund was born in July 1836 at Whitby to parents Dorothy Pennock (Elliott) and John Lund. Michael married Georgina Metcalf in 1860 at Hartlepool. He was mate on the Hartlepool vessels John Buddle in 1856 and the Endeavour in 1857. He was also mate on various Whitby vessels before obtaining his master’s certificate no. 14794 in 1861. At that time he and his wife were living at No. 1. near the gas works at West Hartlepool. By 1881 the couple were living at Reed Street Hartlepool with their six children.

Michael died aged 63 at London on 17 April 1900. His widow, Georgina died at West Hartlepool in 1940.

Robert Hutchinson, West Hartlepool shipowner