LIFE BRIGADE M185

Official No:  99469   Port Number and Year:  -   in South Shields, 1894 (SSS ?)

                                                                          3rd in Milford, in 1903

Description: Wooden side liner; steam screw; coal burner.  Ketch rigged: two masts, mainsail and mizzen.

Crew: 8 men

Registered at Milford: 7 Aug 1903

Built: A. Marr, Leith, in 1894

Tonnage: 99.82 grt  15.72 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 87.5 / 18.6 / 9.4

Engine: C 2-Cyl.   Engine: J. P. Rennoldson & Sons, South Shields

Owners:

 

As SSS ?

1894: J. Murray, South Shields

 

As M185

7 Aug1903: George Henry Hartway, 57 High St., Mountain Ash, Glamorgan

 

16 Apr 1904:  William Jenkins, 'Denmark House', Priory Rd., Milford.

 

Landed at Milford:  28 Apr 1902 - 26 Jan 1909

Skippers:

F. Self cert -, age 36, born Westhall, residing 9 Harmond Rd., Grimsby; signed on 13 Jul 1905

William Summers -, 49, Exeter; 16 Aug 1905

H. Pook 5219, 28, Grimsby, 40 St.Anne's Rd., Hakin; 10 Nov 1905; 13 Jan 1906

William Nicholas -, 44, Cornwall, 19 Gwili Rd., Hakin; 14 Apr, 4 Jul 1906; 4 Jan 1907; 1 Jan, 18 Mar, 10 Sep 1908; 5 Jan 1909

H. Tyvold -, 37, Norway; 13 Apr 1907

J. W. Pook -, 31, Ipswich; 18 Mar 1908

Notes: 7 Mar - 14 Apr 1907: Laid up for repairs.

8 Feb 1909: Foundered 10 miles NW of Pendeen Lighthouse. [See below.]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 15 Feb 1909

 Accidents and Incidents 

Log book entries:

 

14.09.1905.

St.Ann's Head ENE, 15 miles.

Carried away taffrail and  bulwarks, damage estimated at fifteen pounds. Shipping a sea.

    W.Bevan. (Skipper)

 

 

 

18.02.1907.

Lost anchor and 31 shackles and chain, damaged compass, port bow, boom and rudder. In Lundy Roads, struck by wind and sea.

    William Nicholas. (Skipper).

 

______________________________

 

From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of 19th May 1909:

 

Milford Fishing Custom

IMPORTANT DECISION BY JUDGE BISHOP

    Yesterday His Honour Judge Bishop gave an important decision at the Haverfordwest County Court in a case affecting the custom on steam liners at Milford.

    At a previous court Alfred Farrow, baker and grocer, Charles Street, Milford Haven, claimed £18 11s from William Jenkins, owner of the "Life Brigade", MIlford Haven, for bread and groceries supplied to the crew of his liner.  Mr. W. J. Jones was for the plaintiff, and Mr. Gilbertson, Pembroke, for the defendant.

    His Honour now gave judgement.  He said the goods were ordered by the skipper, and the skipper being the owner's agent in the management of the ship, the question was whether the owner was liable for his action in matters connected with the sailing of the ship.  The skipper had to select the crew and make other arrangements, and it seemed to him that under these circumstances the skipper was the agent and the owner ought to be responsible for his orders and acts.  A skipper was like a butler in that the owner paid for all goods ordered.  The only peculiarity was that the wages were paid by another agent, Mr. Bishop, who had to divide the proceeds of the fish caught in certain proportions.  But defendant's liability was not by any means upset in consequence of that.  It would be ridiculous to suppose that tradespeople were supplying each individual member of the crew.  The reasonable view was that the grocer supplied the ship, and he held that the liability of the owner of the ship had been established.  He gave a verdict for the plaintiff for the amount claimed.

    Mr. Gilbertson said that His Honour had not taken notice of Mr. Bishop's evidence that on liners, as distinct from steam trawlers, the custom was for the crew to supply themselves.

    His Honour:  This is a steam trawler.

    Mr Gilbertson said it was not, and at the port of Milford the custom on liners was different from that on steam trawlers.

    His Honour replied that that did not affect his decision.

    Mr Gilbertson: I need not ask your Honour for a new trial today.

    His Honour:  If you did you would not get it it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Times, Wednesday, Feb 10, 1909; pg. 16; Issue 38879; col F
     News in Brief

shipping accidents.-  ..............  The steam fishing boat Life Brigade, of Milford, struck some sunken wreckage off Pendeen on Monday night and foundered an hour later.  Captain William Nicholas and his crew of seven hands took to their boat and landed at St.Ives yesterday morning with a ground sea running and a strong southerly wind blowing.  The crew had a trying experience for eight hours in an open boat.  During the night they signalled to two passing steamers, but one took no notice and the other gave a blast on the whistle and passed on.

______________________

From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph, of Wednesday 10th February 1909:

    On Tuesday morning a wire was received by the owners, Mr. W. Jenkins & Sons, Engineering Company, Docks, Milford, that their steam liner "Life Brigade" had sunk off the coast of Cornwall.  The crew were rescued but lost everything, not a vestige being saved.  This is all the information to hand, and the story remains to be told by the men on their return to their home port.  Monday night was exceedingly rough.

    The skipper of the "Life Brigade" is Mr. William Nicholas, Greville Road.

 

 

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