Stephen Furness - a History

The Stephen Furness of 1910: an extract from an article of the same name by James Layton, which appeared in the May 2001 issue of the ‘Tees Packet’

In the summer of 1909, the Tyne-Tess Shipping Co. announced that it was considering ordering a new ship for the Newcastle to London passenger service. Tenders for the new ship were invited from shipyards in the North-East early in October and an order was placed with Irvines Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool, in November 1909. The Irvine tender of £43,500 was considerably lower than the four other tenders received, as was the final cost of £44,158, with delivery at the end of June 1910. The ship was named Stephen Furness after the Vice-Chairman of the Tyne-Tees Company and was launched by his wife on May 10^th, 1910.

As a shlter deck ship she was quite different from her predecessors which were built with a topgallant forecastle, a well-deck forward and a long poop deck. Her registered length was 290.3ft, breadth 37.3ft and depth to the main deck 16.4ft. Her bridge deck was 130ft long. Gross and Net tonnages were 1,712 and 745 tons. The hull was divided by four transverse watertight bulkheads providing two cargo holds, one forward and one aft of the engineroom which was placed amidships, the forward hold having two hatchways and the aft hold one. Derricks and steam cranes were provided at each hatchway for cargo work.

When she was completed, her hull was painted grey, which had been the colour for most of the fleet since 1906 and was retained until late 1912/13 when the ships reverted to the black hull colour of pre-1906. Richardsons Westgarth Co. Ltd., Hartlepool, provided her triple-expansion steam engine which had cylinder diameters of 26, 42 and 72 inches, and a stroke of 48 inches. Steam was provided by three single-ended coal-fired boilers that were fitted with Howden’s system of forced draught and had a maximum operating pressure of 180 pounds per square inch. On trials she achieved an average speed of 15.5 knots.

She had luxurious accommodation for 250 first-class and 120 second-class passengers in cabins on the shelter deck and main deck. The Dining Saloon was at the forward end of the bridge deck, with seating arranged in bays all round the Saloon, each bay having a table for four people. A Smoke Room and Bar was situated towards the aft end of the bridge deck. Electric lighting was installed throughout the ship and electric fans and natural draught provided ventilation throughout the accommodation. A piano was provided for the entertainment of passengers.

The 1^st-class single fare from Newcastle to London was 12 shillings and 2^nd-class 8 shillings. A return ticket, which was valid for three months, cost 18 shillings and 12 shillings respectively. Food was not included in the fare but meals were provided throughout the voyage for 6 shillings or 3 shillings, if arrangements were made with the Steward before sailing. Food and drink could also be bought as and when required during the voyage from a general refreshment tariff.

The Stephen Furness left the Hartlepool shipyard on July 11^th, 1910 and proceeded to the Tyne-Tees Wharf, Middlesbrough, where she loaded 506 tons of steel rails. She sailed later that day for London via the Tyne, running trials over the measured mile off Northumberland before berthing at Newcastle Quay. She was open to the public on July 13^th and many Tynesiders took the opportunity to look over the new ship. An admittance charge of three pence was made with the proceeds going to the Newcastle Infirmary.

She sailed on her maiden voyage to London during the evening of July 14^th, 1910, with her cargo of steel rails, some general cargo that had been loaded at Newcastle, 46 First-class and 32 Second-class passengers. The voyage itself was made in hazy weather with a slight sea at an average speed of 15 knots. On the return voyage the sea and weather conditions were les favourable as a strong easterly wind was blowing and the sea was rough. However, she maintained her 15 knots speed throughout the voyage without any sign of vibration. On this leg she had over 200 passengers aboard. Her Master on her maiden voyage, and for most of the next four years, was Captain John Bruce, the Commodore of the Tyne-Tees fleet.

An interesting fact regarding the lifesaving facilities aboard the Stephen Furness emerged following the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. It was noted that the Stephen Furness was licensed for 550 people but had lifeboats for only 196. To meet the shortfall two additional lifeboats were acquired for occasional use aboard, as it was seldom that the number of people on board exceeded the lifeboat places that were available.

She continued to sail between Newcastle and London until early November 1914 when she was chartered by the Admiralty. However, her passenger carrying days ended on August 5^th, 1914, for on this day she sailed from the Tyne with about 200 passengers on board, bound for London. Soon after leaving the Tyne she was stopped by a Royal Navy warship and ordered to return to Newcastle Quay, where her passengers disembarked. The Stephen Furness was then allowed to resume her voyage to London. She was delivered to the Admiralty on December 1^st, 1914, and served as a depot ship under the Blue Ensign before becoming a stor ship in May 1915. In March 1916 she was converted to an Armed Boarding Vessel under the White Ensign, with an armament of two 4.7inch guns. She was still serving in this capacity, under the command of Lieutenant T.M. Winslow, RNR, when she was torpedoed and sunk off Belfast Lough on December 13^th, 1917, by the German submarine UB-64. Six officers and 95 Ratings lost their lives when she sank.

Lives lost December 1917:

Atkinson, John Ernest, boy 1^st class, 17, b. Scarborough, resided Leeds  
Bach, Thomas, trimmer   
Barker, Arthur, engineers store keeper, 38, Hull

Barlow, Thomas Walter, signalman, 19, Birmingham 

Bell, Andrew, greaser, 39, Lochee, Dundee

Blore, George William, ship’s steward, 35, Dovercourt, Harwich
Bond, Charles, fireman, 41, Canning Town, London

Brown, John, engineer/lieutenant, 45, Heaton, Newcastle-on-Tyne
Brown, John David, greaser, Tidal Basin, London 
Buckett, Richard Henry, ass steward, 51, b.  Isle of Wight, resided Stockbridge  

Buckroyd, John Edwin, able seaman
Bunting, John, greaser, 33, Custom House, London 
Burke, Joseph, greaser, 42, South Shields

Burns, Thomas, chief cook, 29, Liverpool

Camp, George Robert, ship’s cook, 39, Canning Town, London

Cattermole, Christopher Stanley Boyle

Churchouse, Arthur F
Clayton, Fred, able seaman, 19, Cleckheaton, Yorks.

Crang, Walter, able seaman, 30, Ilfracombe

Daley, J, able seaman, 26

Davies, Sidney Lewis, trimmer, 16, Glamorganshire  

Deeley, Walter, able seaman
Duprey, Alfred Frank, signalman
Dyott, Kenelm Mitchill, surgeon, 29, Elford Hall, Tamworth

Etchells, William, able seaman
Evans, Vernon Arthur Martin, trimmer, 25, London

Frank, Alfred, 33
Gahan, Thomas, trimmer, 17, Canning Town, London   
Galvin, Joseph, trimmer, 23, Condolkin, Dublin

George, Alastair Farquhar, able seaman, 21, Thurso
Gould, William Henry Felix, 24, Tavistock, Devon
Groves, Walter William, fireman   
Hammond, Harry George, greaser, 34, South Ockendon, Essex   

Haworth, William, wireman 2^nd class   

Heseletine, Willie, armourer’s crew, 22, Leeds  
Hodgkinson, Francis George, petty officer 1^st class  
Hopkins, James, assistant steward, 44, Cheshire  
Howse, Thomas John Albert, fireman, 21, Canning Town, London  
Hunter, William Thomas, messman  
Kelly, William Joseph, cook steward, 20, Liverpool  

Lawes, HB, able seaman
Macrae, Alexander, able seaman, 27, Isle of Barra, Invernesshire

Mansell, Herbert, greaser, 44, Poplar, London  
McCallum, David Crawford, ordinary seaman, 33, Kilfinan, Argyll    

McDonald, James, fireman  
McDonald, L, fireman 

McGregor, Alexander Thomson, temp/engine  
McKenzie, John, fireman
McKenzie, John McDonald, greaser   
Meehan, Henry Leo, able seaman
Merideth, Arthur Reginald Boyle
Morrison, John, seaman, 35, resided Lewis, Ross, shire
Mullaney, John, able seaman, Clyde 
Oakes, Albert
Palmer, George Walter
Patience, John William,
Rainford, Thomas Henry, fireman

Redford, Ralph, trimmer

Reed, Cuthbert Reveley

Rhodes, Arthur Leslie, steward’s asst
Ritchbe, Henry  
Robinson, John, able seaman, Bristol 
Robinson, John, fireman 
Rogers, Henry Richard, fireman  

Romans, William Franklyn, able seaman
Shirley, William, fireman 

Skinner, John  

Smith, Alfred A
Smith, Francis, trimmer

Cameron, Herbert Augustus Sorel, 39,

Southall, Sidney, assistant cook

 Southwell, Alfred, steward 
Stevens, George Philip Lancelot, donkey, man 

Stevens, Sidney James

Talmey, WF, able seaman
Taylor, Francis Thomas, trimmer, 30, Shirley, Southampton

Taylor, James Henry, private,
Thorpe, James, trimmer  
Wallia, John Edwin, ass steward

Watt, ED, able seaman
Wenborne, William, fireman, 25, East Ham, London 

White, William John, able seaman   
Wigmore, AE, able seaman
Williams, Frank David, able seaman
Williamson, Edward Thomas, sergeant, 33, South Lambeth, London
Wingate, JW, ordinary seaman, 18, Portsmouth
Winslow, Thomas Maitland, Lieutenant Commander 
Woodhouse, James, leading seaman, 35, Annan, Dumfrieshire
Wybrow, Thomas James, private, 36, Upper Clapton, London

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