CALYPSO M168

Official No:  112460    Port Number and Year: 5th in Milford, 1901

                                                                                 -   in Scarborough, 1916 (SH251)

                                                                                 -   in Grimsby, 1917 (GY1083)

                                                                                 -   in Granton, 1920 (GN38)

                                                                                 -   in Aberdeen, 1922 (A934)

                                                                                 -   in Hartlepool, 1932 (HL53)

Description: Steel side/beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen.

Crew:  9 men (1901).

Registered at Milford: 3 Dec 1901

Built: 1901 by J. Duthie & Sons, Aberdeen.  (Yard no. 230)

Tonnage: 187.44 grt  43.33 net.  1 Jan 1914: Amended by Board of Trade to 74.14 net.

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 110.5 / 20.7 / 10.8

Engine: T 3-cyl. 50 hp. 10 kts.; by W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Glasgow.

Owners:

 

CALYPSO M168

3 Dec 1901: David Pettit, 47 Priory Rd., Milford.

Managing owner / Skipper.

 

4 Sep 1915: Burnett Staveley Massey, Quay St., Kingston upon Hull.

 

2 Nov 1915: Thomas C. Hudson, 18 Hamlyn Ave., Kingston upon Hull.

 

As SH251

24 Oct 1916: Richard Wardell Crawford, 54 Sandside, Scarborough.

Managing owner.

 

As GY1083

23 Jul 1917: William Hill, Victoria Hotel, Cleethorpes.

Managing owner. 

 

Apr 1918: The Victorian Steam Fishing Co., Fish Docks, Grimsby.

Manager: William Hill. (Same address.)

 

As GN38

9 Mar 1920: James Johnston, Fish Market, Newhaven, Edinburgh.

Managing owner.

 

As A934

16 Nov 1922: John Walker, 232 Victoria Rd., Aberdeen.

Managing owner.

 

1926: Croft Steam Fishing Co., 23 Sunniside, Hartlepool. (1930: L & NE Railway Buildings, High St. )

Manager: William F. Croft, 39 Broughton St., Hartlepool. 

                 Cecil Croft, 2 Acclom St., Hartlepool (1929).

                 Robert H. Davison, 7 Albion Tce., Hartlepool (1930).

 

As HL53

25 Jul 1932: James B. Graham, 15 Cliff Tce., Hartlepool.

Managing owner.

 

 

Landed at Milford:  4 Jan 1902 - 1 Sep 1915

Skippers:

David Pettit, Cert. 6943; age 37, born Essex, residing 47 Priory Rd., Milford. Signed on 4 Jan, 17 Jul 1902; 5 Jan, 10 Jul 1903

C. Reed 1540, 31, Stratford, St.Ann's Rd., Hakin; 26 Sep 1903

George T. Cobley 2021, 36, Hull, 11 Warwick Rd., Milford; 3 Jun, 7 Jul 1904; 7 Jan, 26 Aug 1905; 5 Jan, 9 Jul 1906.

W. Blockwell 4565, 32, Yarmouth, Priory Rd., Milford; 8 Jul 1905.

John James Stevenson 7434, 27, Hull, Upper Hill St., Hakin; 2 Jan 1908.

Harry Rich 4197, 38, Hull, - ; 1 Feb 1908.

P. A. Whisby 5842, 36, London, 28 Gwilli Rd., Hakin; 13 Jun, 11 Jul 1908

C. Masterson 5740, 31, Salisbury, Warwick Rd., (then 4 Vicary St.,) Milford; 5 Dec 1908; 7 Jan, 7 Jul 1909.

Arthur Gibbs -, -, -, - ; 1911

John Blake 2145, 42, Brixham, 34 Dartmouth St., Milford; 5 Jan, 7 Jul 1911; 9 Jan 1912.

T. V. Taylor 8824, 25, Aberdeen, 33 Starbuck Rd., Milford; 25 May, 5 Jul 1912.

William Kent 7835, 30, Lowestoft, - ; 25 Nov 1912

William Fransham 4943, 41, Halvergate, - ; 6 Dec 1912; 7 Jan 1913

J. W. Bland 1915

Notes: 

Insured by David Pettit in 1906 for £5,500

1917: Requisitioned into Fishery Reserve.

1919. Returned to owners.

1951: Broken up.

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 24 Oct 1916. Vessel transferred to the port of Scarborough.

 Accidents and Incidents

Log book entries:

 

05.05.1902

About three miles from St. Ann's Head.

Alfred Tyrrel, age 21, Third Hand; British, born Yarmouth; residing Milford.

Tyrrel was assisting in lowering fishboards on deck when same came down on his leg.  Result was his leg was broken.

    David Pettit (Skipper)

 

14.11.1902

10 am, about 5 miles SE from the Hook, Waterford.

H. Clarke, age 22, 2nd Hand; British, born London, residing  Milford.

Stumbled over a net and his foot coming into contact with a knife which was lying on deck, it penetrated through his boot, severely cutting the third toe on right foot.

    David Pettit (Skipper)

[See newspaper report below.]

 

31.12.1903

40 miles WSW Belle Isle, Bay of Biscay.

Air pump, foot valve, grating guard,  bucket and valve all broken. Guard coming off foot valve.

    C. Reed (Skipper)

 

29.06.1904

Bantry Bay, Ireland.

W. Blockwell, age 32, Mate; English, born Yarmouth.

Lost the top of his thumb, jammed between shearboard and ship's rail while getting board out for trawling.

    G.T. Cobley  (Skipper)

    W. Hawkins (Trimmer - witness)

 

03.05.1909

At sea.

J. Watkinson, age 54, Deck Hand; British, born Filey, residing Milford.

Knocked down by sea and hurt ankle whilst steaming from fishing ground for Market.

    Christopher Masterson (Skipper)

    J. Watkinson (Second Hand)  [?]

 

16.09.1909

4 o' clock, morning, Bantry Bay, Ireland.

Damaged port side rail and bulwarks amidships, run into by the ST 'Saxon' while towing our trawl.

    Christopher Masterson (Skipper)

    J. Watkinson (Second Hand)

 

22.07.1911

On Sunday 22nd July 1911, whilst fishing about 12 miles from Hook we saw the smack 'Smelt' and thought she seemed in distress, so we went and spoke to her.  The captain of the 'Smelt' said they were leaking and had no provisions aboard having shipped a sea two nights before which had spoilt same.  Requested us to tow them to Waterford, which we did, arriving the same day.  Moderate breeze from WNW.

    John Blake (Skipper)

 

11.07.1912

On Sunday night, 11th July 1912, about 11.45 pm, whilst fishing off Coningbeg Lightship off Saltee Island about 4 miles, lightship bearing NE by N, we saw a steam boat going to westward coming straight for us, we blew our whistle then went hard a starboard, striking us on port bow doing considerable damage.  At the time of collision we had our gear down fishing.  We kept blowing our whistle and he stopped.  We hove our gear up and steamed to him, and he asked what damage he had done and we said he had damaged our bows.  He replied that he did not think he had done so and that we were trying to bluff him, so I said I would report him.  We could not make out his name.  We asked him it, he did not reply but steamed away.  He had white bands on his funnel and had two masts.

    John Blake (Skipper)

    A.J. Laycock (Witness)

_________________

 

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 10th January 1902:

 

MILFORD HAVEN

...................

ARRIVAL OF A NEW TRAWLER.—The steam trawler Calypso, which has been built Aberdeen to the order of Mr John Pettit, landed her first catch of fish last week.

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

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 21st November 1902:

 

MILFORD HAVEN

...................

ACCIDENT TO A MATE.— Harry Clarke, mate of the trawler Calypso, was landed from the vessel on Friday night, suffering from a rather painful injury. While at sea, he was in the act of stepping over the trawl, which was being mended on deck, when he slipped and trod on a knife, the blade of which pierced his right boot, and severed his third toe. Dr. Matchett having dressed the wound, Clarke was conveyed home.

 

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

 

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 23rd December 1910:

 

THE STORM.

HAVOC ON PEMBROKESHIRE COAST.

MANY WRECKS LIVES LOST.

THE PERILS OF THE SEA.

TRAWLERS TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

Friday's gale exacted a heavy toll in loss of life and damage to property. The number of victims claimed by the sea may not be known for some time, but on Monday five deaths were recorded in South Wales. In addition to these five fatalities for which the hurricane was more or less responsible, four occurred on shore, making a death-roll of nine.

From Milford Haven came the most serious reports of disasters at sea, and several fishermen are missing besides those given as downed.  A Cardiff pilot's assistant was washed overboard while a similar fate befell a seaman on a Newport-laden vessel, which put back to Barry.

DESTRUCTION AT MILFORD.

The terrible gale played havoc with shipping, and on Sunday news of casualties was constantly being brought to Milford Haven. .................

..............

The steam trawler Calypso towed in the smack Lynx, of Brixham, which had lost her lifeboat and also had all her sails blown away. Several other vessels had their lifeboats carried away besides sustaining minor damage. This was the worst gale experienced in Milford Haven since 1886. In that year no fewer than 11 sailing ships went ashore near St. Anne's Head, whilst several others foundered in the harbour.

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

 

From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 15th November 1911:

 

    The bad weather at sea around the coast shows no sign of abatement, and the trawlers coming into Milford Docks from sea report tremendous seas to the westward.  On Wednesday morning, sad tidings were brought in by the steam trawler 'Calypso', Captain Arthur Gibbs, reporting the loss of the boatswain, George Whittaker.

    The sad affair occurred on Sunday morning week, off the Porcupine Bank in the Atlantic off the north-west of Ireland.  Three of the crew were standing in front of the wheelhouse when a mountainous wave swept over the trawler, and the men were entirely at its mercy.  Two of them managed to clutch to some piping, but Mr. Whittaker was carried away over the ship's side and drowned.  The Mate, Mr. Wood, had previously been injured in the storm.

    The deceased fisherman was a native of Yarmouth, 27 years of age, and only married six months ago to Miss Florence Phillips, daughter of the late Mr. Lewis Phillips, Hakin Point.  He was a steady fellow, and much respected.

 

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