As well as being a shipbuilder John Punshon Denton kept ownership of some of the ships he built and also owned and had shares in ships that were registered but not built in Hartlepool. Records that survive show vessels he at least partly owned from 1839. Some would have been for repair which he would then have sold on.

Other shareholders included: George Denton (John’s brother) Robert Elstob Hutton (master mariner & shipowner); John Elstob Hutton (insurance agent); George Wilkinson; Robert Wilson; Edward Lowden; James Winks; William Gray; Robert Gray; Thomas Rowell (bank agent); Thomas Sanderson (grocer); William Garrick (shipowner); Henry and James Proctor (master mariners); John Meldrum; (sailmaker); Jane Eden; Thomas Appleby; Robert Ropner; George Moon (shipowner, Sunderland); Thomas Belk; Robert Lawson Watson; William Huntingdon & Thomas Bell (Sunderland); Robert & William Ord (Sunderland); Elizabeth Hutton Wilkinson &  John Wilkinson (Craythorne); William Marsingdale Wilkinson (Manchester)

Brief Family Histories of some of the above mentioned shipowners:

George Denton was born on 6th September 1804 at Bishopwearmouth to parents Barbara (nee Punshon) and Richard Copeland Denton. He married Susanna Robinson (daughter of John Robinson) at Great Driffield, Yorkshire on 16^th October 1849 and they had five children:  George Robinson born 16^th August 1852; Arthur Copeland born c1853; Alfred born c1855; Ida Preston born c1857; Ernest born c1859. By 1861 the family were living at St Hilda Street, Hartlepool and by 1871 Victoria Place, Hartlepool.

George died aged 73 at Hartlepool on 30^th December 1877 leaving effects of under £300. His widow, Susanna, died in 1908.

++

James Winks was born on 19^th April 1800 at North Shields to parents Margaret (nee Fenwick) and John Winks.  He married Alice Allen at Tynemouth in 1824 and they had one daughter. James was a shipwright and the family lived at Middleton.

James died aged 66 at Hartlepool on 28^th July 1866 leaving effects of under £300. His widow, Alice, died in 1888.

++

Edward Lowden (also spelt Lowdon) was born in 1810 at Gosforth, Northumberland to parents Elizabeth (nee Nicholson) and Edward Lowden. He became a butcher and was also a lay-preacher.  By 1851 he was recorded as being a widower and in that year and 1861 he was boarding with James Winks and his wife at Middleton. In 1881 he was retired and living at Hanover Street, Stranton. Alice, James Winks widow, was living with him as a servant.

Edward died aged 78 on 28^th August 1888 at Farndale Terrace, Hartlepool.

++

George Moon was born 21^st January 1812 at Sunderland to parents Elizabeth (nee Yule) and Henry Moon. He married Mary Ann Ord at Sunderland in 1842 and they had three daughters. In 1849 the family were living at Marine Terrace, Hartlepool. By 1861 they had moved to Hampstead.

George died age 81 at Windsor on 4^th November 1893 leaving effects of £19,676.

++

Thomas Rowell was born c1808 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.

++

John Meldrum was born on 10^th April 1794 at Sunderland to parents Mary (nee Pearson) and John Meldrum. He became a master sailmaker. John married Margaret White in 1842 at Sunderland and by 1851 the couple were living at Hartlepool.

John died aged 65 on 22^nd November 1859 at Hartlepool leaving effects of under £2,000.

++

William Garrick was born on 17^th November 1798 at Orkney, Scotland to parents Margaret (nee Matteson) and John Garrick. He married Elizabeth Porteous on 14^th October 1828 at Sunderland. William became a shipping agent and shipowner.

William died on 1^st December 1847 at Hartlepool.

++

Henry Proctor was born on 22^nd July 1822 at Lynn, Norfolk to parents Mary (nee Rudland) and James Proctor. He married Bell Watson on 31^st March 1846 at Bishopwearmouth. Henry first went to sea in 1836 and worked his way up to become a master mariner. He was mate of the Margaret of Hartlepool from 1843 to 1845 and was then master of several Sunderland registered ships.

Henry died aged 49 at Sunderland in 1871.

++

Thomas Sanderson was born 21 January 1812 at Sunderland to parents Ann (nee Sandal) and Joseph Sanderson. He went to sea in 1823 as an apprentice and worked his way up to become a master mariner.  Thomas married Margaret Mary Sanderson in 1840 at Sunderland. Margaret died in 1847 and he married for the second time to Mary Wayman in 1854 at South Shields. When Thomas retired he became a grocer and provision Dealer.

Thomas died aged 66 on 24^th December 1878 at Sunderland.

++

Joseph Nixon Eden was born 30^th April 1806 at South Shields to parents Jane Nixon and John Eden. He went to sea in 1819 as an apprentice and worked his way up to become a master mariner. Joseph married Jane Rennoldson on 1^st September 1831 at Devon.

Joseph died in 1855 at Stockton leaving his shares in the Voyager of Hartlepool to his widow, Jane Eden.

George Younghusband owned and had shares in ships from 1850. His partners included William Watson (died 1863); Mary Ann Watson; William Bird Gray; Andrew Smith (Sunderland); Thomas Wilson; John Cockburn; M.A. Watson; Joseph Edward Murrell

Family Histories:

George Younghusband was born on 22 November 1817 and baptised in January 1818 at Newcastle-on-Tyne to parents (married 30 November 1816) Mary (nee Ratcliff) and George Younghusband. He became a grocer and baker and in 1841 was living and working at Bishopwearmouth. George married Jane Wilson in 1842 at Stockton-on-Tees and by 1849 they had moved to Hartlepool with premises at Northgate Street, Hartlepool. His wife, Jane, died aged 63 on 31 May 1883.

George died aged 70 at South Crescent, Hartlepool on 1st June 1888 leaving effects of £891.

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail  -  Monday 11 June 1888:

‘We regret to have to record the demise of one of the few remaining “old standards” of Hartlepool. Mr George Younghusband died this morning at the residence of his son-in-law Captain J.E. Murrell. Deceased had for some time past been suffering from chronic rheumatism, and it was to this complaint his death is attributed. He was born in 1818, and for many years carried on a successful grocery business in Northgate, from which he retired about ten years ago. He was an active member of the Congregational Church, but took no part in municipal affairs, confining himself to work of a religious and philanthropic nature. He leaves two daughters and one son, viz : Mrs J.E. Murrell, Mrs F. Yeoman and Mr G.T. Younghusband, chief engineer of one of our local steamers.’

++

Joseph Edward Murrell was born 1837 at Wivenhoe, Essex to parents William and Eliza. He received his mate’s certificate No. 18784 in 1858.  He married Mary Younghusband at Hartlepool in 1863 and by 1881 the couple were living at South Crescent with their two sons and two daughters. By the 1891 census they had two sons and six daughters. By the time of the 1901 census the family were living at Clifton Avenue.

Joseph Edward Murrell died aged 80 at Hartlepool on 21 February 1919 leaving effects of £81,550.

++

Mary Ann (possibly nee Wilson) was born at South Shields in 1826. She married William Watson who was born in 1824 at Newcastle-on-Tyne. In 1851 the couple were living at North Terrace, Hartlepool with their daughter and son. By 1861 the couple were living at 13 Albion Terrace with their daughter Mary Ann and five sons, William, Thomas, George, Alfred and Frederick. Mary married Joseph Murreel, William and Thomas both became mariners and George an engine fitter. Frederick Arthur Watson was drowned at sea on 23 July 1875 aged 15. William died on 16 July 1863 leaving effects of under £6,000. He also left his shares in ships to his widow.

Mary died aged 50 on 27 May 1876 at Albion Terrace, Hartlepool leaving effects of under £200. William and Mary were interred at Spion Kop cemetery.

++

William Bird Gray was born in 1832 at Scarborough to parents Elizabeth Kennedy (nee Findley) and James Gray (shipowner). William married Esther at Sunderland in 1860 and the couple had six children throughout their marriage.  In 1861 the couple were living at Prissick Street, Hartlepool with William’s father and mother. In the early 1880s the family moved to Whitby where he had worked for Barnard & Foxton, the secretaries of the Whitby Mutual Marine Iron Steamship Association. On the death of Mr Foxton he was appointed to co-secretary along with Mr Jefferson Suggit. The firm became Barnard, Gray & Suggit. Due to ill-health William retired and had moved to Manchester by 1901. He had also been the secretary of a sailing club in Hartlepool.

William died aged 73 at Fallowfield, Manchester on 10 July 1905.

++

John Cockburn was born in November 1818 at Sunderland to parents Margaret (nee Boudge) and James Cockburn. He became a shipwright. John married Alice Foster in 1851 and in 1853 the couple had a daughter, Ann who died 1862.  In the 1871 census the couple were living at Greatham with John listed as a master shipwright and shipowner. By 1881 John had retired.

John died aged 89 at Hartlepool on 5 February 1907 leaving effects of £1,468. His wife, Alice, predeceased him in the same year.