Robertsfors Gallery

Images and documents relating to shipwrecks and strandings that have occurred at, or off, the ports of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool.

Three masted, wooden sailing barque Robertsfors at Bristol in the early 1900s.

Robertsfors—Lifeboat Number 1 Ilminster

1916 24 February—At about 8 o’clock this morning during a strong ENE gale & heavy seas the Coxswain who had been keeping watch observed a barque about 6 miles due east of Hartlepool making for the port. At about 9.30 she had approached near enough to the bay to make it apparent that she would have difficulty in getting in. She managed to pass the end of the breakwater & between there & the bell-buoy her rudder was carried away by the heavy seas & she appeared to be water-logged. A tug went out & got hold of the vessel & shortly afterwards she fell to the leeward in the bay & struck the ground. The Coxswain immediately assembled his crew & launched his boat at about 10.15am & proceeded at once to the wreck. On arrival there they found that the vessel was sunk & beating heavily on the ground. Shortly after the arrival of the lifeboat alongside the vessel the crew of 12 got on board the lifeboat, the Captain being the last to leave. As the lifeboat left the grapnel line had to be cut away. The lifeboat then made for the harbour & as she approached the Old Pier the tug took her in tow in order to assist the crew as the lifeboat had so many men on board.

1. Rig, name & port of vessel?—Barque, Robertsfors, Mariehamn

2. Names of Master & Owner?—Master Leino, Owner not known

3. Number of persons on board?—12

4. Tonnage & whether vessel loaded, in ballast, how occupied, whither bound?—717 tons. Loaded with pit-props from Drammen to West Hartlepool

5. Exact position where casualty occurred?—West side of Hartlepool Bar

6. Nature of casualty, collision or stranding. Did vessel become total wreck? If not, state what became of her.—Stranding, total wreck

7. Direction of wind?—ENE

8. Force of wind?—Strong gale

9. Condition of sea?—Very heavy

10. Condition of weather?—Snow showers

11. Time when signal was first seen or warning received?—

12. State of tide?—3/4 ebb

13. Was information received by telephone or telegraph?—No

14. Were the adjacent stations informed of the action being taken by the lifeboat?—No

15. Time of launching lifeboat?—10.15am

16. Time of reaching wreck?—10.35am

17. Time of returning ashore?—11.10am

18. Time of returning lifeboat to boat-house?—5.30pm (kept afloat as other vessels were approaching harbour)

19. Number of lives saved by the lifeboat?—12

20. Number of lives lost?—None

21. Was service done under sail or oars?—Oars

22. How did the boat behave?—Very well

23. By whose authority was she ordered out?—Honorary Secretary

24. State how many hours the Signalman was on duty—One hour

25. Was any damage done to the boat? Extent of repairs required? Are they in hand?—Thole & thole block carried away, New thole block has been put on but without brass top. Will have this done

26. Were any stores lost or broken?—One blue oar broken. One blue oar lost. Fore grapnel & two fathoms of its rope lost. One fender lost.

27. Amount, if any, of reward received locally or from elsewhere?—None

28. Will salvage be claimed? State amount if settled.—No

State here the names of the crew of the lifeboat on this occasion & the number of times they have been off in the lifeboat to a wreck.--

Coxswain James Hastings; Assistant Coxswain Thomas Pounder; Bowman Cuthbert Metcalfe; Matthew Hastings; Thomas Kennedy; George Bennison; John Moore; Richard Coulson; Robert Moore; William Veart; John Maiden; Frank Sotheran junior & Ben Hood.

13 men at 15/- each. Signalman 4/6. Allowance to tugboat man 5/- £10.4.6

Alfred Belk, Honorary Secretary

Shields Daily Gazette –  Monday 28 February 1916

‘THE WRECK OF THE ROBERTSFOR. “Half the Ship Walks Away.” Since the wreck the Russian barque Robertsfor, at Hartlepool, wreckage and large quantities pit props have been floating about in the water and hundreds of people have been engaged in the work of salvage. Others, however, have taken timber away without permission and five of them appeared before local magistrates yesterday. The evidence showed that they were found carrying parts of the hull of the ship away. Mr Hogg, of Smith, Hogg and Company, who are acting as agents, said half the ship had walked away and so far they had only got four lifebelts, four flags, and a fog horn. People were removing copper bolts and argued that they had the right to so. Small fines were imposed, and the Mayor Intimated that further cases would he more severely dealt with.’