CUCKOO  M208

George Westwood Collection

Official No: 104169  Port Number and Year:  16th in 1894, Grimsby (GY604)                                                                                7th in Milford, 1907                                                                                 -    in Lowestoft, 1916 (LT689)                                                                                 -    in Grimsby, 1917 (GY1075)                                                                                 -    in Lowestoft, 1919 (LT385)

Description: Iron side trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Lines and nets. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail, mizzen.

Crew:  9 men (1894); 8 men (1907); 9 men (1919).

Registered at Milford: 31 May 1907.

Built: 1894, by Earle's Co., Hull.  (Yard no. 386)

Tonnage: 135.29 grt  61.98 net.

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 94.0 / 20.6 / 11.0

Engine: T 3-cyl. 30 rhp.   Engine by builders.

Owners:   As GY604 14 Jun 1894: Pioneer Steam Fishing Co. Ltd.,  Grimsby. Manager: Charles A. Marshall.   As M208 31 May 1907: Emma Grand, 20 Hamilton Tce., Milford (32/64)  (Managing owner.) Ole Simonsen, 15 St Peter's Rd., Milford (32/64)  (Died 6 Sep 1895; his widow Sarah took over his shares.)   As LT689 01 Feb 1916: Arthur Goulby, Beach Rd., Lowestoft. Managing owner.   As GY 1075 03 Jun 1917:  Rowland Hill, John Thompson, John Green, Henry Croft Baker, Grimsby. Manager: Henry C. Baker.   As LT385 12 Mar 1919: Frank W. Hutchings,  9 The Gables, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft. (Managing owner.)                        Lancelot Harvey, Fritton, Great Yarmouth.   [Thanks to Barry Banham for the corrected dates and sequence of owners.]

Landed at Milford:  3 Jan 1908 - 20 Nov 1911; 18 Jan 1912 - 5 Nov 1912; 21 Jan 1913 - 8 Nov 1915.

Skipper: Ole Simonsen cert. 8974, age 45, born Norway, residing St. Peters Rd., Milford; signed on 3 Jan 1908 until 7 Jul 1913 (but see below). George Ernest Sturley 11395

Notes: 1916-18: Fishery trawler. 11 Dec 1923: Broken up.

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 31 Jan 1916. Vessel transferred to the port of Lowestoft.

 

Accidents and Incidents

 

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 8th April 1910:

A NARROW ESCAPE.

    John Owen, a fisherman, hailing from Fishguard, narrowly escaped with his life about midnight on Wednesday. He is the third hand of the liner "Cuckoo," which was in dock on that date. Owen was endeavouring to get on the vessel, but when stepping from the quay on to the rigging he missed his footing and fell into the dock between the side of the vessel and the wall. His cries for help were heard and dock police constables Johns and Davies went to his assistance. He held on to a life belt until a ladder was procured, and he was soon extricated from his perilous position. He was severely bruised and shaken, but was able to follow his usual employment the following day. A somewhat similar accident befell a trimmer off the steam trawler "Gilligate." He was going aboard over a ladder when his foot slipped, and he fell a considerable distance on to the deck. Luckily no bones were broken, and he escaped lightly with a few bruises and cuts.

 

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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 29th July 1910:

 

TRAWLERS IN A STORM

TWO MEN INJURED OFF MILFORD.

    The trawlers which arrived at Milford Docks on Sunday and Monday morning reported having encountered fearful weather on their way home from the western fishing grounds. Wind and sea were terrific in their violence, and often the vessels were tossed about so violently that disaster was feared. As it was they were fortunate in escaping the gale with only two casualties.

    On the steam trawler Bournemouth a trimmer, named Charles Perry, an elderly man, was badly hurt. He had stepped on to a casing in order to adjust a ventilator, when the lurching of the vessel, there being a heavy sea running at the time, caused him to lose his foothold. He rolled off the casing on to the deck, where he collapsed with a dislocated ankle. On the arrival of the ship at Milford Perry was attended to and conveyed to his home at Neyland in the ambulance car. William Smith, mate of the steam liner Cuckoo, had a narrow escape. When some distance out at sea, one of those gigantic waves for which the Atlantic is noted, broke over the vessel. For the crew it was a case of hanging on to the nearest available support. Smith made an attempt to grasp one of the wire stays, but was unable to do so in time, and he was dashed to the deck, striking his head with considerable force. He was rendered unconscious, and for a time was in imminent danger.  On being picked up he was found to have to have sustained severe injury. Fortunately it was not very long before the Cuckoo arrived home, and Smith was attended to. On Monday he was reported to be making satisfactory progress.

 

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