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Flavio Gioia - a general history

Flavio Gioia 1853-1865

Built by Thomas Young, Bill Quay, Newcastle-on-Tyne: Official No. 12361: Code Letters LBNC: one deck; three masts; wood barque felt sheathed in yellow metal; 393g; 105.0 x 24.4 x 18.9; male bust figurehead; some repairs 1862.

Owners: May 1853 Edward Oliver, North Shields; June 1853 Edward Oliver & James Jamson, North Shields; December 1856 Edward Oliver, North Shields; April 1858 Edward Oliver & William Briggs (Sunderland) North Shields; September 1858 William Briggs, George Harford (Newcastle-on-Tyne) Thomas Gibson, George Cleugh & John Ferrison (all South Shields) North Shields; December 1858 John Robinson & Charles Barras, North Shields; January 1865 Adam Watt (builder), Andrew Smith (master mariner), Robert Christopher Black (grocer) & Mary Alice Towers, Hartlepool.

Masters: 1853-56 John Fulthorp; 1856 Esson; 1857 C. Todd; 1858 Charles Barrass (C.N.12866 Sunderland 1855); 1863 Leek; 1863 Armstrong; 1865 C. Brewis.

Voyages: On her maiden voyage she sailed from the Tyne on June 19th, 1853  bound for Carthegena with a cargo of cinders. On July 1st she was caught in a heavy gale losing her fore-top-mast and an apprentice, Henry Buchanan, fell from aloft and was drowned.
September 1857 - off Cromer she collided with the Helena of Dundee which sank.
December 19th, 1863 - at Genoa she ran down and sank the French steamer Malartier.
On December 1st, 1864, she was advertised for auction at South Shields.

Shields Daily Gazette, April 18th, 1866:
LOSS OF A HARTLEPOOL BRIG AND ALL HANDS. From information received at Hartlepool there little doubt of the fate of the brig Flavie Geanie, Capt. Brewis, of Hartlepool, and the unfortunate crew. This vessel, which is the property of Mr C. R. Black, grocer, Hartlepool, left Quebec, America, in September last, timber laden, for West Hartlepool, and about Christmas her owner and clubs gave her up as lost. Nothing more was heard of the vessel until a day or two ago, when the nameboard of the vessel washed up on the Shetland coast near Whiteness. The crew consisted ten hands, including the captain, most of whom belong to the Hartlepools. The captain is married man, and his only child was killed about the time of his sailing, and his widow has been great suspense ever since. The vessel is insured in the Hartlepool clubs.

Yorkshire Gazette, April 21st, 1866:
Loss of a Hartlepool Ship and all Hands. In September last year, the brig Flavie Geaina, Captain Bruce, of Hartlepool, sailed from Quebec, with timber, for Hartlepool, and nothing more was heard of her until a day or two ago. Before Christmas the only child of the captain was killed in Northgate, Hartlepool, and every day his wife was expecting her husband's return, the vessel being then considerably beyond her time. At last the underwriters, who are in the Hartlepool clubs, and the vessel's owner Mr R.C. Black, gave the ship up for lost, and their suppositions are feared to be too true, for a day or two ago, the nameboard of the vessel washed ashore on the Shetland coast at a place called Whiteness. There is no doubt that all hands have perished. There was a crew of ten hands aboard, most of whom belonged to Hartlepool.

Flavio Gioia sailed from Quebec on September 1st, 1865, bound for the Tyne with a crew of 11 and disappeared. Her fate remained unkown until her name board was washed up at Shetland in April 1866. Not deleted from Lloyds register until after 1869/70.

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