Official No. 67317: Code Letters KWRP.
Owners: 1872 Joseph Heald, Newcastle-on-Tyne; 1880 William Swanston, Newcastle-on-Tyne; 1882 Mrs A. Swanston, Newcastle-on-Tyne; 1885 Henry Eeles & Dryden, Newcastle-on-Tyne; 1893 H. Genestal & Delzons, Havre, France–renamed Chesme; 1897 E. Hulin, Rouen, France; 1899 William H. Wise, West Hartlepool–renamed Bewick.
Masters: 1873 G Ward; 1880-83 J Corrigall; 1887-93 Christian Juius Klitgaaard (b. 1835 Denmark C.N. 34834 Cork 1865); 1893 J Fowler; 1893-96 Griffon; 1898-99 Le Paumier; 1900-02 George Walton.
Bewick left Burntisland on 11 September 1902 bound for Stockholm with a cargo of coal & a crew of 19. A gale sprang up & the cargo shifted, the bulwarks were washed away & other damage was done causing the vessel to keel over almost onto her beam ends. The crew tried to launch the boats but three of them were dashed against the ship’s side. Eight of the crew managed to launch & leave in the fourth boat. At one time their small boat capsized & they were all thrown into the sea. It was with great difficulty they managed to right her. They were eventually picked up by the steam trawler Shark which went back to where Bewick had last been seen on 13 September but there was no sign of her or the remaining crew & it was believed she had foundered 130 miles E by S of May Island, Firth of Forth in 56.16N/1.29E. The 1st & 2nd mates, five seamen & one fireman were landed at Boston, Lincolnshire. 11 lives were lost.
Survivors 1902;
Holut, William, able seaman, Denmark
Kelly, Patrick, able seaman, Drogheda, Ireland
Lour, Andreas, able seaman, Denmark
Manson, Thomas, seaman, Lerwick
Nilson, Albert, able seaman, Norway
Ohman, Carl, fireman, Sweden
Siversten, Einar, 2nd mate, Norway
Walker, Albert, 1st mate, Newcastle
Crew lost 1902:
Acton, WH, chief engineer, 7 Eamont Gardens, West Hartlepool
Cook, J, 2nd engineer, 45 Roker Avenue, Sunderland
Gough, Henry, 60, fireman, Stockton
Heavisides, George W, 19, mess room steward, Millbank St. Stockton
Hewitt, John, cook, Manchester
Hollyfield, William, fireman, William St. Stockton
Olsen, seaman, Sweden
Sgostod, Bernard, fireman, Sweden
Shepherd, Henry, donkeyman, 10 Woodbine St. Sunderland
Walton, George, master, 162 Durham St. Hartlepool
? steward, (Chinese) resided Ipswich
More detail »W.H. Wise & Co. was formed with the purchase of their first steamer Woodlark in 1871. The Nellie Wise followed in 1872. The company continued trading until 1902 when their last ship, Bewick, foundered in September of that year.
Family History:
William Henry Wise (senior) was born in London in 1822 and became a banker in Backhouse Bank. He married Dorothy Shevill in 1847. By 1861 the family had moved to Hartlepool and were living at Stranton, West Hartlepool. William (senior) died at Fern Villas, Stranton on 3 February 1881 aged 59. He left effects of £6,307.
William Henry Wise (junior) was born in 1850 at Darlington to parents William Henry Wise and Dorothy (nee Shevill). He married Alice Clarkson in 1884 at Dewsbury. On the 1891 census the couple were listed as staying at Yewtree Cottage, St Briavel, Gloucestershire with their son and daughter. By 1901 William and Alice were living in Grange Road, West Hartlepool with their three sons and three daughters and by 1911 the family had moved to Seabank, Falmouth.
William died aged 84 at Mount Hawke near Truro on 27 April 1935 leaving effects of £4,775.
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