Mary Coverdale - a general history

The following is an abstract from a 'Letter to the Editor' which appeared in the prestigious scientific publication Nature, Volume 19, Issue 490, pp. 460 (1879), sent by R. Morton Middleton, of West Hartlepool:
"I believe that instances of rats gnawing through water-pipes are frequent.  Two have come to my Knowledge during the past fortnight.  The one instance occurred at the house of a gentleman near West Hartlepool; in the other case a large hole, 3¼ inches long, and varying from ths {tenths} of an inch to 1⅛th inch in breadth, was gnawed in the fresh-water pipe of the screw steamer Mary Coverdale.  A portion of this pipe, containing the hole, was cut off, and is preserved by me; it is a stout leaden pipe, a quarter of an inch thick, and with a diameter, of 2⅜ inches.  It is very doubtful whether there was any flaw, before, the hole was begun."

The 1881 Census records the Mary Coverdale as being docked at Bigbury on the south Devon coast, with the following crew list: (m = married; u = unmarried; w = widower

BEKETT, Robert; m; 47; Aldeburgh, Suffolk; Master

BAKER, Benjamin; m; 30; Hastings; Mate

FELL, John; m;   47; Orfart; 2nd Mate

DUNN, Joseph; m; 41; Ellington; Boatswain

BULLY, Christopher; m; 22; Yarmouth; Steward

SHEERWOOD, Charles; m ; 31; Rye; Cook

MAUK, Christopher; u; 23; Denmark; AB

DUNN, John E.; m; 27; Liverpool; AB

RUSSELL, John; m; 27; London; AB

DALE, George; u; 20; Whitby; AB

JACKSON, Christopher; u; 28; Hartlepool; 1st Engineer

BELT, Robert; m; 24; Hartlepool; 2nd Engineer

JASS, Robert; u; 27; Aberdeen; 3rd Engineer

GRAHAM, Joseph; u; 23; England; Fireman

DUNKING, Robert; m; 25; England; Fireman

BOOTH, John W.; w; 24; Hartlepool; Fireman

OLSAN, Joseph; u; 20; Sweden; Fireman

BACCA, Amero; m; 23;     Leghorn; Fireman

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