CALDY M228 / M198
John Stevenson Collection
Official No: 127420 Port Number and Year: 9th in Milford, 1908 (M228)
13th in Fleetwood, 1919 (FD66)
2nd in Milford, 1921 (M198)
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen.
Crew: 10 men (1908); 12 men (24 Oct 1945); 11 men (22 Sep 1953).
Registered in Milford: 20 Oct 1908; 10 May 1921.
Built: 1908; by Smiths Docks Co., North Shields. (Yard no. 385)
Tonnage: 221.93 grt 85.16 net.
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 120.5 / 21.55 / 13.0
Engine: T 3-cyl. 68 hp. Engine: 1908 by W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge; boiler (1908) by David Rowan & Co., Glasgow
Owners:
As CALDY M22820 Oct 1908: Neyland Steam Trawling & Fishing Co. Ltd, Neyland.
Manager: Alexander Scott, Hazelbeach, Neyland.
14 Feb 1919: Jonathan Uttley, Orient Buildings, Station Rd., Fleetwood
Manager: Joseph Allan Taylor
7 Mar 1919: As FD66.
1920: Mrs A. A. Uttley & F. A. Wadsworth.
Manager: Joseph A. Taylor
As M19810 May 1921: Frederick Steer, St. Peter's Rd., Milford.
Joseph Baron Bardsley Huddlestone, Wellington Rd., Hakin.
Walter Edward Wales, Brooke Ave., Milford.
Charles Harold Bird, Priory Rd, Milford.
Managing owner: Joseph Samuel Pettit, 'Blakely House', Priory Rd., Milford.
(31 Dec 1923: 'Waynflete', The Rath, Milford.)
23 Sep 1927: Joseph Baron Bardsley Huddlestone, 'Dania House', Wellington Rd., Hakin. )
Frederick Steer, St. Peter's Rd., Milford. ) Joint
Horace Samuel Fiddy, Shakespeare Ave., Milford (Clerk). ) owners.
Managing owner: Joseph Samuel Pettit, Blakely House, Priory Rd., Milford. )
16 Apr 1937: Westward Trawlers Ltd., Docks, Milford.
(Edgar E. Carter & Richard S. Bowen, Port Talbot)
Managing owner: Edgar Erel Carter.
Landed at Milford: 1, 12 Nov 1908; [Remainder at Neyland, to 1915.]
4 May 1921 - 10 Sep 1939
9 Jan 1940 - 10 Sep 1961
Skippers:
Henry James cert. 5909, age 41, born Brixham, residing - ; 12 Oct 1908
W. Blewett, 3137, 42, Hull, - ; 28 Nov 1908
R.W. Gullett 6391, 29, Plymouth, 11 Charles St., Neyland; 8 Dec 1908; 7 Jul 1909; 41 High St., Neyland; 8 Jan 1910; 29 Charles St., Neyland; 5 Jul 1910.
James Henry Sheldon 7006, 29 Plymouth, 7 Margaret St., St. Thomas, Swansea; 8 Dec 1910; 6 Jan 1911; 6 May 1913.
A. Symons 5417, 42, Plymouth, - ; 26 Apr 1913
Fredk. Robert Baker 8448; 29 Nov 1921.
Hubert Morgan; 1953-54
Notes:
Apr 1915: Requisitioned for war service and converted to a minesweeper (Admy.No.1372). 1x12 pdr.
Based at Stornoway.
6-8 Aug 1916: See extract from "The Times", below.
1919: Returned to owners.
27 Nov 1939: Requisitioned for war service and converted to minesweeper (FY.730).
22 Jan 1940: Returned to owners.
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 7 Mar 1919; transferred to the port of Fleetwood.
21 Oct 1961. Milford registry closed. Vessel broken up at Briton Ferry.
[Thanks to the Bosun's Watch and Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust.]
Accidents and Incidents
Log book entries:
15.08.1908
Put into Dover with shoe on high pressure engine broke, was repaired and surveyed, and left for sea 21.08.1908
Henry James (Skipper)
05.08.1909
F. Evans, age 45, fireman, Welsh, born Milford, residing Neyland.
Slipped, fell, hand went in low pressure engine, crushed fingers.
Robert William Gullett (Skipper)
T.H. Dagwell (Chief Engineer)
02.07.1910
6 p.m. 120 miles ENE from St. Ann's Head.
S.A. Jones, age 20, deck hand, British, born Liverpool, residing Milford.
Warp slipped off fairlead and struck Jones, jamming him against the cylinder of the winch, badly bruising the knee cap of his left leg.
Robert W. Gullett (Skipper)
Walter E. D. Langnon (Second Hand 5232)
07.06.1911
Pontoon, Neyland.
Collided with steam trawler 'Bush'. Miscalculation of distance and strong eddy round pontoon.
J.S. Sheldon (Skipper)
Thomas Allen Goodridge (Mate 7648)
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 3rd September 1909:
NEYLAND.
Fishing Industry.- Since Monday, August 23rd, the following boats have come into Neyland and disposed of their catches at the market — the Bush £190, Urania £159, Siluria £117, Slebech £149, Caldy £106, Apley £150, Hero £163, Angle £126, and the Neyland £122. The catches have included several kits of herring, and it is expected that the trawlers will at any time run across the shoal.
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 15th July 1910:
Accident.— On Saturday news was received of a serious accident sustained by Mr. Albert Williams, of Hazelbeach, engineer of the Neyland Company's trawler "Caldy". Though details of the accident are at present unknown it is understood that he sustained injuries to the head during the performance of his duties in the engine room. He was landed at Penzance, where he was placed in hospital. It is reported that he is progressing favourably.
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The Times, Saturday, Aug 25, 1917; pg. 3; Issue 41566; col C
News in BriefSalvage money awarded to HM Trawler Caldy for the salvage of the steamship Aranda (after-part), Aug 6-8, 1916.
ARANDA had been mined 5 Aug 1916 between Hebrides and North Channel and was towed into Lough Foyle where she settled on bottom. Mines laid by U.boat (U78).
Back to Trawlers 1888-1914
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From the Pembrokeshire Telegraph of Wednesday 4th October 1922:
Just after noon yesterday, the body of a man was found in the Milford Haven docks, near the Milford Ice Factory. It was identified as that of E. Luke, fireman on the steam trawler Caldy, and a native of Penzance, Cornwall. He was a man of about 46 years of age.
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From The Irish Times of 14th November 1925, p.7:
THREE SKIPPERS FINED AT GALWAY
Fines totalling £350 were imposed by District Justice Sean Ford at Aran District Court on Wednesday on the skippers of three steam trawlers which had been found within the prohibited area. The trawlers were the s.s. Keyes, the s.s. Phineas Beard, and the s.s. Caldy.
The skipper of the Keyes - Captain Setterfield - was also prosecuted for having been found within the prohibited area at night without lights, and for this offence he was fined an additional £50.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 19th March 1937:
A private company, Westward Trawlers Ltd., was registered on March 15th, with a capital of £10,000. Directors - Edgar E. Carter, 16, Great North Road; Richard S. Bowen, Grove House, Port Talbot.
Our Milford correspondent was informed on Thursday that the Company was formed to take over the Hakin Steam Trawling Company's fleet of five trawlers: the Kuroki, Kyoto, Slebech, Caldy and Gordon Richards. This is understood to mean that the services of the present managing directeor of the Company, Capt. J. H. B. Huddlestone, are to be retained.
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Summary of local newspaper article dated 7th April 1938 ?:
Towed back to Milford the s.t. 'Aracari', Skipper W. Parry. Had broken down on the Western fishing grounds. J. Binham, skipper of 'Caldy'.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 3rd January 1947:
Apart from the 409 kits landed from the steam trawler Tenedos last Saturday, there have been no local trawlers in the week, the thinnest in the year as far as the market is concerned. Today (Friday), the only ships in dock were the Caldy, 52 kits, and the Braes O' Mar, 82 kits, and the port this week had to fall back on frozen fillets of cod from Newfoundland and Iceland.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 18th January 1952:
FISHING "LEAGUE"
"DUKE" AT THE TOP AGAIN
After two years as "runners-up", Skipper Albert Saunders and the "Milford Duke" are once again in top place in the Milford fishing "league". In 1951 Skipper Saunders caught a greater value of fish than any other individual trawler captain in the port.
Second in the league on last year's results is Skipper W. Burgoyne, who has moved up a place, closely followed by Skipper Steve Pembroke, who was sixth in the list of 1949 catches. "Crack" Skipper for 1948 and 1949, Skipper Tom Donovan, D.S.C., is a close fifth in results while consistent Skipper James Jobson again occupies fourth position.
Here are the leading positions, the ships being classed according to size.
.....
BIG CRABBERS
This class has provided a real family struggle, with Skipper Tom Salter pipping his brother-in-law on the post and his brother finishing in third place!
The first three boats are owned by the Westward Company (Mr. E. E. Carter).
1. Cleopatra II. (Tom Salter), Westward.
2. Caldy (Hubert Morgans), Westward.
3. Slebech (Harry Salter), Westward.
4. Avonstar (Jack Ryan); 5, Ocean Brine (Frank Gambold); 6, Milford Knight (Harry Thompson); 7, Hero (Lenny Brown); 8, Montano (George Kersey); 9, Milford Countess (Teddy Funge).
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 30th January 1953:
In a thrilling close finish, Skipper Tom Salter, Stratford Road, headed the list of big crabber skippers at Milford in 1952, beating Skipper Hubert Morgan by a short head in the fishing league. Only £94 divided their respective grossings for the 12 months. Byan oversight, the big crabbers section was inadvertently omitted from our fishing league reported last week.
1. Cleopatra II (Tom Salter), Westward Trawling Co.
2. Caldy (Hubert Morgan), Westward Trawling Co.
3. Iser (R. Hannaford), Don Trawling Co.
4. Milford Knight (H. Thompson); 5. Milford Countess (Ted Funge); 6. P&Y (Jack Garnham).
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L to R, back row: Fireman Albert Page, 3rd Hand George Kerrison, Ch.Eng. Phil Gammer, Deckhand Bernard Jenkins, Deckhand George Vincent
Front row: Fireman Sidney Underwood, Bosun James Owen, Skipper Hubert Morgan, Mate Bob Lincoln, 2nd Eng. Tim Thomas, Cook Joseph Cody
Taken for the West Wales Guardian of Friday 22nd October 1954
John Stevenson Collection
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 10th February 1956:
Two days before he was due to return to sea on the s.t. Caldy after a spell ashore, top crabber skipper Hubert Morgan, Waterloo Road, injured his ankle in an accident with a ladder at his home. The Caldy returned to sea in charge of a temporary master, Skipper Jack Clarke.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 15th September 1961:
The last of the old Milford crabber class trawlers, the Caldy, is to be sold for scrap. Owned by Westward Trawlers Ltd., the Caldy was built in 1908 and has been fishing out of the port ever since. She is the last but one of the port's coal burners, and in charge of Skipper Bruno Linke. She completed her last fishing voyage and landed on Monday's market, grossing £1,007 for eleven days.
"Since the subsidy reduction, the Caldy has become uneconomical," said a spokesman for the Company.
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