Originally formed in 1838 with a capital of £50,171 the Company was also known as the Durham and Hartlepool Commercial Shipping Co., and the Commercial Shipping Co. The trustees and main shareholders were Thomas Rowell (bank agent), Abraham Scotson (grocer)and William Lisle (miller of Middleton). Other shareholders included William George Jackson, Robert Henry Jackson, William Thompson and William Kilvington.

The company was dissolved with their twelve vessels going under the hammer at the Wheat Sheaf Inn in Hartlepool on 15 April 1851.

 Family History of Hartlepool Shareholders:

William George Jackson was born at Yarm on 10^th April 1811 to parents Hannah (nee Sollett) and William Jackson. He was married to Mary and had a grocer and druggist business at Hartlepool.

William died aged 78 at Crofter House, Hartlepool on 1^st December 1889 leaving effects of £6,027.

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Robert Henry Jackson was born at Yarm in 1817 to parents Hannah (nee Sollett) and William Jackson. He married Elizabeth Kilvington in 1840. Robert had a grocer and druggist business at Yarm.

Robert died aged 48 at Yarm on 27 December 1865 leaving effects of under £6,000. He was interred at St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Yarm.

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William Thompson was born about 1815 at Dyke House, Hartlepool. He became a farmer of 350 acres at Dyke House and married Frances Jane Dobson at Stockton in 1847. The couple had a son and a daughter. On the 1871 census William had retired and was listed as a gentleman with his son taking over the farm. By 1881 the couple had moved to High Street, Yarm. Jane died aged 68 in 1896.

William died at Yarm aged 66 on 19^th June 1881 leaving effects of £8,628.

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William Kilvington was born in Yarm c1822. He married Charlotte Eleanor Cornforth at Stockton-on-Tees in 1851. By 1861 the couple were living at the Town Wall, Hartlepool with their five children. Charlotte died in 1880. In 1881 William his son, George, and daughter, Elizabeth, were living at No. 6 Thornton Street, West Hartlepool. He was Supt Registrar & Clerk to the Hartlepool Board of Guardians for about 25 years.

William died aged 63 on 16^th March 1885 at 5 Catherine Street, Hartlepool leaving effects of £4,847.

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Abraham Scotson was born about 1801 at Hartburn, Durham. He became a grocer and, while living at Sheraton Grange, was married to Ann Robinson at Hartlepool on 20^th April 1825. In 1851 the couple were living at Southgate Street, Hartlepool with five of their children.

Abraham died at Hartlepool on 19^th May 1859 leaving effects of under £3,000.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle – Saturday 21 May 1859.

An inquest was held at Mr. Jacob Taylor’s, Black Bull Inn, Hartlepool, on Friday afternoon, on the body of Abraham Scotson, grocer, who committed suicide by hanging himself the previous day. The reason for deceased going into a desponding state of mind, as appeared from the evidence, was through an accident that occurred to his brother some months ago. Deceased was ill at the time the news came, but he went notwithstanding to visit him, and seeing nothing but death for him, it took such an effect upon him that he never recovered. A few months ago it was thought that he would commit some rash act, but this fear died away, and at the time the act was committed there was nothing observable to excite suspicion as to such a melancholy event. There were no financial matters oppressing his mind. He had retired from business but a few months previously, and was in very good circumstances. The jury came to the conclusion that the act was committed when deceased was labouring under temporary insanity, and gave their verdict accordingly.

Robert E. Hutton owned and had shares in Hartlepool registered ships and in one Hartlepool built ship, the Acacia.

Other shareholders were: John Elstob Hutton; George Denton; George Wilkinson; John Wilkinson; John Punshon Denton; William and John Watson; William Wilson; William Lisle; John and Robert Lawn; William, Thomas Bell, Errington Bell and Robert Ord (Sunderland); Thomas Wilson Elstob (Camberwell); William Hodgson Elstob Cmberwell); Eli Kay (South Shields); Bostock Toller Whinney (South Shields); John Wilkinson (Craythorne, York); Elizabeth Hutton Wilkinson (Craythorne, York); William Marsingale Wikinson (Manchester); James Saville (Sunderland); John Halliday (butcher, Shields); Mary Ward (Wolviston.

Family History:

Robert Elstob Hutton was born on 29th November 1804 at Bishopwearmouth to parents Ann Donkin (nee Elstob) and Robert Hutton. He married Catherine Elstob on 27^th December 1828 at Bishopwearmouth. The couple had eleven children. By 1851 the couple were living at Cliff Terrace, Hartlepool with their two daughters and five sons.

Robert went to sea as an apprentice in January 1820 and from 1827 sailed on four Sunderland ships as master (C.N. 42414). He retired from the sea in December 1840 and in 1841 joined the General Shipping Company as a shareholder. When the company folded in 1844 Robert continued to own shares in ships.

 Robert died at Hartlepool aged 53 on 30^th April 1858 leaving effects of under £3,000. He was interred at Spion Kop Cemetery.

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John Elstob Hutton was born in November 1834 at Bishopwearmouth to parents Catherine (nee Elstob) and Robert Elstob Hutton.  He became an insurance agent and was in partnership with Robinson Thomas as shipbrokers and commission agents in West Hartlepool. The partnership became bankrupt and was dissolved on 6^th March 1857.

Shields Daily Gazette – Friday 30 November 1866:

ALLEGED DEFALCATIONS BY A HARTLEPOOL MARINE INSURANCE SECRETARY. Some excitement has been created at Hartlepool during the past few days in consequence of the disappearance of Mr. John Elstob Hutton, secretary to the North Star and Mutual Marine Insurance Clubs, whose offices are on the Town Wall, Hartlepool. Mr. Hutton is a young man, about thirty years of age, and has been secretary to these clubs for about seven years, having succeeded his deceased father, Mr. Robert E. Hutton. The family are highly respectable, and with good connections, and were formerly resident at Sunderland. Besides being secretary to the clubs, Mr. Hutton held the office of pilot-master to the port, at a salary of £30 per annum, and was also Vice-Consul for Portugal. For some time past some irregularities in the cash account have been suspected; and on Saturday last the chairman of the committee received a note from Mr. Hutton, stating that for certain reasons explained, he had been obliged to abscond. Whither he has betaken himself is not known, but it is presumed he has gone abroad. The accounts of the companies are undergoing investigation, and various sums of money ore alleged to have been misappropriated; but the loose and irregular manner in which Mr. Hutton is stated to have kept the books and accounts, precludes the possibility of the committee ascertaining the extent of the deficiency. From what has already transpired there is no doubt that the deficiency is serious. Previous to his absconding he had got some cheques cashed to the amount of between £100 and £200. One cheque given by Mr. Denton was for £120, which was cashed at Messrs. Backhouse's bank, and another cheque received from Shields was cashed by Mr. S. Armstrong the day on which Hutton absconded, all of which money he had, it is alleged, appropriated to himself, and not accounted for.  Independent of the clubs, Mr. Hutton has also borrowed sums of money from different parties in the town.

John married Jane Susannah Evans on 27^th January 1869 at Clifton, Gloucestershire.  The couple had two daughters, Caroline Vaughan born 1869 and Catherine Elizabeth born 1874.

John died aged 55 at Barton Regis in 1889.

William Lisle acquired shares in the early Hartlepool shipping companies. These included the Original Shipping Co.; Union Shipping Co.; General Shipping Co.; Commercial Shipping Co.; Phoenix Shipping Co. and West Hartlepool Shipping Co. As one company folded William and other Hartlepool and Stockton men purchased some of the ships as they were sold and, in many instances, set up another company.  William also had shares in ships along with William Kilvington, William George and Robert Henry Jackson, Robert Elstob Hutton, Thomas Rowell, Ninian Sheraton Tate, Gustavus Adolphus Tate, Peter Watt, Robert Hutchison (butcher), Mary Sheraton (Newton Bewley) and the Ord family of Sunderland.

Family Histories of the above mentioned Hartlepool shipowners:

William Kilvington was born in Yarm c1822. He married Charlotte Eleanor Cornforth at Stockton-on-Tees in 1851. By 1861 the couple were living at the Town Wall, Hartlepool with their five children. Charlotte died in 1880. In 1881 William his son, George, and daughter, Elizabeth, were living at No. 6 Thornton Street, West Hartlepool. He was Supt Registrar & Clerk to the Hartlepool Board of Guardians for about 25 years.

William died aged 63 on 16^th March 1885 at 5 Catherine Street, Hartlepool leaving effects of £4,847.

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Robert Elstob Hutton was born on 29th November 1804 at Bishopwearmouth to parents Ann Duncan/Donkin (nee Elstob) and Robert Hutton. He married Catherine Elstob on 27^th December 1828 at Bishopwearmouth. By 1851 the couple were living at Cliff Terrace, Hartlepool with their two daughters and five sons.

Robert went to sea as an apprentice in January 1820 and from 1827 sailed on four Sunderland ships as master (C.N. 42414). He retired from the sea in December 1840 and in 1841 joined the General Shipping Company as a shareholder. When the company folded in 1844 Robert continued to own shares in ships.

 Robert died at Hartlepool aged 53 on 30^th April 1858 leaving effects of under £3,000. He was interred at Spion Kop Cemetery.

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Thomas Rowell was born about 1808 at Weetslade, Northumberland to parents William and Catherine Rowell. He married Elizabeth Rowley and they had one daughter, Catherine, born in 1837. Thomas was a bank agent and was mayor of Hartlepool from 1842 to 1843. In 1851 the couple and their daughter were living at Southgate, Hartlepool with Thomas listed as a landed proprietor.

Thomas died aged 48 on 27^th March 1859 at Sedgewick House, Hartlepool leaving effects of under £100.

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Ninian Sheraton Tate was born at Stranton, Hartlepool on 18^th August 1800 to parents Lucy (nee Sheraton) and William Tate. He married Sarah Gibson in 1837 at Stranton, Hartlepool and they had two children, William and Dorothy. On ships from the year 1813 as an apprentice Ninian worked his way up to a seaman, mate then master. After 38 years at sea, he gained his master’s certificate No. 47880 at Llanelly in 1851. His widow, Sarah, died aged 96 in 1898.

Ninian died aged 93 at Hartlepool on 31^st January 1894 leaving effects of £1,222.

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Gustavus Adolphus Tate was born at Hartlepool on 10^th July 1808 to parents Lucy (nee Sheraton) and William Tate. He became a ship agent and married Marianne Sotheran at Greatham in 1839. The couple had five children.

Gustavus died aged 41 at Hartlepool on 7^th August 1849.