LOBELIA M147
Official No: 108433 Port Number and Year: 10th in Milford, 1898
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen
Crew: 9 men
Registered at Milford: 29 Nov 1898
Built: J. Duthie & Sons, Aberdeen,1898. (Yard no. 197)
Tonnage: 183.9 gross 36.83 net
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 111 / 20.8 / 11.3
Engine: T-3Cyl. 61 rhp.; made by Whyte & Mair, Dundee
Owners:
29 Nov 1898: Cornelius Cecil Morley, Co. Wexford
William Geoff Davies Goff, Co. Wexford
Manager: C. C. Morley
9 Mar 1903: Southern Steam trawling Co., 127 Quay, Waterford.
Manager: C. C. Morley
Landed at Milford: 7 Jul 1899 - 20 Jan 1915
Skippers: Joseph William Peters cert. no. 3915, age 29, born Hull; signed on 17 Jul 1899; 10 Jan, 5 Jul 1900; 1 Jan 1901
J. Kean 5113, 33, London; 23 Sep 1901; 16 Jan, 5 Jul 1902; 7 Jan, 2 Jul 1903; 1 Jan, 4 Jul 1904
C. Bradnum 5113, 33, Upton; 8 Jan 1902
Edgar Garnham 1571, 37, Sittingbourne; 5 Jan 1905
W. Holder 0964, 50, Dundee; 19 Apr 1905; 3 Jan 1906
William Bevan 6927, 29, Milford; 14 Sep 1905; 3 Jan 1906
Allan Lamswood 4931, 32, Brixham; 2 Jul 1906; 8 Jan 1908; 15 Jun, 18 Oct 1911; 1 Jan 1912;18 Oct 1911; 1 Jan 1912
Walter Dayes 1734, 42, Hull; 21 Jan, 7 Jul 1908; 7 Jan, 13 Aug 1909; 10 Mar, 18 Jul 1910; 3 Jan, 27 Jun, 6 Jul 1911; 12 Jan, 1 Jul 1912
B. Foster 1608, 54, Greenwich; 7 Jul 1910
F. Smith 5288, 37, Tenby; 30 Aug 1912; 1 Jan 1913.
Notes: Apr 1915: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to minesweeper. (Admy.no. 974)
Dec 1915: Renamed LOBELIA II
9 Apr 1917: Mined off Fanad Point, Lough Swilly. [See story below.] Mines laid by U-78 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Dröscher)
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 30 Jan 1919
Accidents and Incidents:
Log book entries:
01. 09.1899.
Milford Docks.
Damage to bulwarks and sail. Run into while laid along side of dock wall.
J. W. Peters. (Skipper)
H. Milford. (Mate)
09.02.1900.
To the Chief Officer of Customs, Milford Haven.
Sir,
On the 29th September last whilst Skipper of the steam trawler "Lobelia" I had the misfortune to break my arm and in consequence stopped ashore until the 21st November. In the meantime my Mate H. Milford
who holds a Skipper's certificate, and Windass who holds the necessary certificate took my vessel to sea. At the time of the accident H. Milford was signed on as Mate and Windass as 5th Hand, but neither of these re-signed on in their new positions. It did not occur to me to examine the log book in time to have the omission put in order.Yours Obediently.
J. W. Peters. (Skipper).
05.05.1900
Milford Haven.
Collision. When going out of dock we saw the steam trawler "Petunia" of Milford coming in. Seeing there was going to be a collision I went full astern striking him on the port quarter.
W. Peters. (Skipper).
04.07.1900.
4 miles NE of the Smalls.
Towed into Milford Haven the steam trawler "Avonmouth". Trawl fixed in propeller and unable to steam.
W. Peters. (Skipper).
04.09.1900.
60 miles off St Ann's Head.
Splice of forestay drawing, causing mast head to break, heavy strain heaving in fish.
W. Peters. (Skipper).
E. Cox. (2nd hand). Mate.
17.04.1901.
40 miles NNW from the Skelliggs.
High pressure piston rod bent and rings broken.
J. W. Peters. (Skipper).
A. Windass.
28.12.1901.
Docks Milford Haven.
Collision with "Ida", could not get engines to go ahead.
C. Bracnum. (Skipper).
F. McDonald. (4th Hand).
01.06.1903.
Milford Docks.
We were berthing in Milford Docks on Sunday midnight. At about 12 o' clock, we were at the wall with our head rope going easy ahead when the "Apollo" of Grimsby, came up and struck us on our stern.
J. Kean. (Skipper).
02.11.08.
Noon, off the Smalls.
W. Pym, age 22, Bos' un; English born, Exeter, residing at Priory Road, Milford.
November 2nd. Whilst fishing with the Smalls bearing SE, 20 miles, the messenger [ was ] on the winch and in slacking it up the bos'un got
four fingers trapped, three on the left hand and one on the right.
Walter Dayes. (Skipper).
A. Lamswood. (Mate).
15.02.1909.
I the Skipper went on the bridge at 5.20 a.m. and found A. Scoble the Bo'sun asleep whilst being on watch. Fined him five shillings.
Walter Dayes. (Skipper).
George Medway. (Witness).
11. 06 .1909.
6 miles SW by N of the Mumbles.
M. Maloney, age 39, Chief Engineer; British, born Cork, Ireland. Residing at Milford.
W. Maloney, age 17, Trimmer. British, born Milford, residing at Milford.
Combustion Chamber of Boiler gave out.
Walter Dayes. (Skipper).
W. F. Reynolds. (Mate).
[ See below ]
07.05.10.
45 miles NW from Blasket Island.
R.Barnes, age 31, Cook; English, born London, residing Milford.
Right foot scalded by kettle boiling over.
W. Dayes. (Skipper).
W. Clarke. (Second Hand).
26.05.10.
The Docks, Milford Haven.
F. Holland, age 24, Fourth Hand; British, born Bideford, Devon,
residing Milford.Second and third fingers of right hand cut while discharging fish.
W. Dayes. (Skipper).
W. Clarke. (Second Hand).
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From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 16th June 1909:
EXPLOSION ON THE 'LOBELIA'
A serious explosion was reported at Swansea in which two Milford men, father and son, received severe injuries. The steam trawler 'Lobelia', of Milford (Sellick, Morley & Price), had landed her trip in Swansea and left on Thursday for the westward fishing grounds. When off the Mumbles, the boiler exploded. The trimmer, Willie Maloney, was badly scalded and burned and his father, Maurice Maloney, the chief engineer, in rushing to his son's aid also received injuries. Both were landed at the Mumbles and conveyed to Swansea Hospital. Meantime the Lobelia was taken in tow by the Pennard Castle and brought back to Swansea. The injured men are well-known in Milford and live in Greville Road. W. Maloney was in the worse condition, his back, arms and nose being badly scalded. His condition was regarded as precarious but when his mother visited him on Saturday he was progressing as favourably as could be expected. The father's injuries were not as severe.
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From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 12th November 1913:
The steam trawler 'Lobelia' (Sellick, Morley & Price) put back into port with the skipper, Frank Smith, seriously injured after a thrilling experience whilst on the fishing grounds. By some means the warp got hold of the skipper's leg, and he was thrown violently over the side of the traw1er. His crew went at once to his rescue and succeeded in effecting his rescue when he came up to the surface for the second time. When they had managed to get him back on board, however, it was found that he had sustained injury to his leg by its contact with the wire warp, and also he was suffering from shock. The vessel at once put back for Milford and on arrival in the Haven skipper Smith was brought ashore. He managed to get to his house in Shakespeare Avenue by means of a pair of crutches.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 27th April 1917:
PATROL BOAT DISASTERS
Milford Losses
Several Milford trawlers who were engaged on patrol work have met with disaster. [ First part of article deals with the loss of a Scottish trawler, the LOCH EYE, which was based with the RNR at Milford, and blown up in a mine explosion. ] ... As far as is known only one local man was amongst the lost, viz., Chief Engineer Thomas Anderson of Pill. ... Anderson leaves a widow and young family.
Other news was received to the effect that the steam trawlers Lobelia and Othonna, both stationed at other bases, had been lost in similar circumstances and that the death roll is a heavy one, and includes a number of Milford men, a full list of which we are unable to give. Some of them, it is feared, are Skipper Joseph Pratt, a well-known Milford trawler skipper, John Marvelly, one of the oldest chief engineers of the port, who was about 60 years of age and leaves a large grown-up family, J. Lynch and Sid Stratford on the Lobelia, Chief Engineer T. Davies (Neyland) and Byers, cook, on the Othonna and there may be others. It is easy to imagine the feelings of anxious relatives and friends in the present period of suspense, and it is hoped that even now better and reassuring news may be forthcoming.
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