.jpg)
COTSWOLD GY77
Courtesy of Milford and West Wales Mercury
(Also see below)
Official No: 143839 Port and Year: London, 1920 (LO?)
Hull, 1921 (H194)
Grimsby, 1945 (GY77)
Description: Mersey Class steel side trawler; single screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged.
Crew: 12
Built: 1917, Cochrane & Sons, Selby. (Yard no. 816)
Tonnage: 312 grt 130 net.
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 138.5 / 23.7 / 12.8
Engine: T 3-Cyl. 600 ihp; 11.0 kts. Engine by Cambell Gas Engineering Co., Halifax.
Owners:
As GEORGE ANDREW LO?
1920: The Admiralty, London.
Manager: The Secretary of the Admiralty, Whitehall, London SW1
As LORD ASTOR H194
13 Sep 1921: Pickering & Haldane's Steam Trawling Co. Ltd., St. Andrew's Dock, Hull.
Managers: John McCann & Edward Cartwright.
7 Feb 1929: W. B. Willey & Sons, St. Andrew's Dock, Hull.
Manager: William B. Willey (Jun.) (1929-1935)
5 Jul 1929: As COTSWOLD H194.
Managers: William B. Willey (Jun.), 'Brentwood', Heads Lane, Hessle; (1935 -
& James Willey, 'Gracefield', Swandland Rd., Hessle. 1936.)
20 May 1936: Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd., 238 Dock St., Fleetwood.
Manager: Basil A. Parkes, 'Clydesdale', Whiteside Way, Cleveleys, Blackpool.
Mar 1938: J. Marr & Son, Fleetwood.
As GY77
30 Jun 1945: Grimsby Motor Trawlers Ltd., Grimsby.
Managers: Grimsby Industries.
6 Jun 1946: A. J. Tilbrook, Docks, Milford.
Oct 1948: Yolland Bros., Docks, Milford
Manager: John Yolland.
Landed at Milford: 3 Jan 1925 - 17 Aug 1934; 2 Jun 1946 - 21 Dec 1949; 12 Feb 1950 - 15 Dec 1953.
Skippers: W. Rossant (1946-47); James Hewitt (1947-48); 'Nobby' Clark (1950s) Notes:
George Andrew; Secretary Clerk, HMS VICTORY, at Trafalgar.
Lord Astor, Major Waldorf Astor M.P., born 1870, who succeeded as Lord Astor on the death of his father on 18th October 1919.
1917: Completed by the Admiralty (No. 3556), as the minesweeper GEORGE ANDREW. 1x12 pdr. HA; W/T.
28 Aug 1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty (P.No. FY.539), renamed CRANEFLY, and converted to a minesweeper.
1940: Based in Dundee with M/S Group 34.
1942: Based in Grimsby with M/S Group 34.
Jan 1945: Returned to owners.
11 Aug 1954: Left Milford to be broken up by B.J. Nijkerk SA, at Antwerp.
[Mayes G. & Thomas M. (2014): Cochrane Shipbuilders Vol.2: 1915 - 1939.]
Accidents and Incidents
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 7th June 1946:
On Wednesday, five local trawlers, the Duchess, Lephreto, Avonstream, Ellesmere and Cotswold (the last named a 140 footer, recently arrived for A. J. Tilbrook) were held up owing to a shortage of deck crew, a state of affairs which has reached alarming proportions. The present dearth is chiefly due to the departure of many East Coast fishermen, who have opted to return to their home ports, chiefly Hull.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 16th January 1948:
If those gallant men who go down to the sea in ships, or others connected with the industry ashore, were asked to name the port's leading skippers last year, there would be much scratching of heads and even more heated argument.
Our records, however, indicate that Skipper-Lieutenant Tom Donovan, North Road, in the Hatano, with crack Milford Skipper Albert Riby, Shakespeare Avenue, Gunner, and Skipper William Rostron, Shakespeare Avenue, Cotswold, finished on level terms.
In the Castle Class, Skipper Bobby Kettle, Vaynor Road, Richard Crofts, topped the list of catches just ahead of Skipper Jimmy Hewitt, North Road, Concertator, though the average of Skipper Albert Seeling, Edward Street, during his nine months in charge of the William Bunce, gave the port's best monthly return.
In the inter-Castle Class, 36 year old Skipper Jack Foster, Picton Road, had the best returns, while Skipper Jack Ryan, Stratford Road, once again earned his title of "Crabber King", which he held before the war.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 15th October 1948:
The United Company's steam trawler Cotswold has been purchased by Messrs. Yolland Bros., and left for sea last weekend on her first voyage for her new owners. She is in charge of Skipper Ross.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
THE BIG SHIPS
1. Milford Duke (A. Saunders), Milford Steam Trawling Co.
2. Maretta (W. Burgoyne), United Trawlers.
3. Westcar (Steve Pembroke), Westward Trawlers.
4. Milford Duchess (J. Jobson); 5, David Ogilvie (T. Donovan, DSC); 6, Maythorne (H. Rich); 7, Cotswold (J. Clarke); 8, George Hastings (H. Ryan); 9, Lady Olwen (George Coe).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 6th August 1954:
The trawler Cotswold, owned by Messrs. Yolland Brothers, is leaving today for the Continent, where we understand that she will be broken up for scrap.
A principal of the firm stated yesterday: " The Cotswold will be taking her last trip from Milford. You can say she is going to the Continent."
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 13th August 1954:
On Wednesday evening, the trawler Cotswold left on her last voyage in charge of Skipper E. Smith and a skeleton crew. She is bound for Belgium, where she is to be scrapped.
Built in 1917 at Selby, the Cotswold is 138 feet long and 312 tons gross. She was one of the dwindling number of Super Castle trawlers locally. .....
It seems ironical that while scrap metal cargoes have been landed at Milford from Belgium in recent weeks, a local trawler is bound for a graveyard of ships in that country.
As H194 (1921-45)
Courtesy of Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and The Bosun's Watch
Back to Other Registrations A - H
