Palma

Fritz Herskind owned ships from the early 1870's. Herksind & Woods was formed in 1884 between Fritz and Peter Herskind and James Jabez Woods. The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent on the 20th August 1892. On 31st August 1892 the Company became known as Herskind & Co. with the main shareholders Fritz and his father Peter.

Five of Fritz's early ships were built by Matthew Pearse and two by Ropner. All of his subsequent ships were built in West Hartlepool and all appear to have been purchased new.

Official No. 67560: Code Letters NPVC.

Owners: 1874 Herskind & Co (Fritz Herkind & Woods, Dock Office Buildings) West Hartlepool: 1891 Black, Cowen & Co, West Hartlepool: 1893 Blacowen SS Co (Black, Cowen & Co) West Hartlepool: 1898 Palma SS Co (JH Pearson) West Hartlepool

Masters: 1874-77 P Murrell: 1877 Edward Clarke: 1880 P Murrell: 1881 J McLean: 1882 R Screech: 1883 Johnson: 1885 J Manson: 1886-90 Cranston: 1891 EE Lillienskjold: 1892 W Gardiner: 1892 W Phillips: 1894 A Sinclair: 1895 W Stewart: 1897 C Robson: 1898 WR Stuart-Forsyth.

The Palma left West Hartlepool on 10 August 1877 bound for Genoa with a cargo of coal & a crew of 22. On 11 August she came into collision with the Newark lightship. The cause of the accident was that the vessel had been dragging her chains had become entangled so that she would not answer her helm. Edward Clarke had been chief mate on the Palma since 1874 & when the collision took place had been master for 3 voyages.

Bound from Troon for Bayonne & Boucau with a cargo of coal the Palma was wrecked on Roches Casquets, River Adour on 18 December 1898. No lives lost.