GWYNETH M224

Official No:    127415     Port Number and Year: 4th in Milford, 1908

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

Crew: 9 men (1908)

Registered at Milford: 27 Apr 1908

Built: Dundee Shipbuilding Co., Dundee; 1908.  (Yard no. 198) 

Tonnage: 251.53 gross 95.95 net 

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  125.2 / 22.15 / 12.0

Engine: T.3-cyl. 73 nhp. 10 kts.  Engine by W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge, Glasgow; boiler by David Rowan & Co., Glasgow.

Owners:

 

As M224

27 Apr 1908: The Gwyneth Steam Trawling Co., 2 Stuart St., Cardiff

Manager: Stanley Percy Christie, 'The Bungalow', Neyland.

 

As ERLA

24 Apr 1914: Trillo, Gallianay del Valles, Barcelona. 

 

As T.27

7 Jul 1916: Russian Navy.

 

As GRUMANT

2 Aug 1918: Nationalised by Soviet government.

 

As OKUN

1 Sep 1921: Nationalised by Soviet government.

 

Landed at Milford: 25 Apr 1908 - 13 Apr 1914

Skippers:

William Henry Fransham cert. 4913, age 35, born Halversgate, residing 4 Gwili Rd., Hakin;  signed on 6 Apr, 9 Jul 1908

Walter Smith 7510, 36, Nottingham; 24 Jul 1908

C. Reed 1504, 35, Stratford, Hill St., Hakin; 5 Jul 1909

H. Hills 3190, 35, Ramsgate; 20 Aug 1909

T. Hargrave 6945, 30, Darlington; 20 Sep 1909

D. G.Harrison 6797, 37, Hull, 24 Sebastopol St., St.Thomas, Swansea; 19 Nov 1909; 14 Feb, 7 Jul, 25 Oct 1910

T. Duffy 7836, 28, Douglas IoM; 10 Oct 1910

John Robert Samuel King 8265, 29, Gorleston; 6 Jan 1911

William Jones 6707, 30, Plymouth; 21 Jun 1911

R. J. B. Sheldon 6238, 33, Plymouth; 6 Jul 1912; 13 Jan, 5 Jul 1913.

Notes: 

Okun ('Окунь') is translated as "Perch".

10 Nov 1941 - 9 May 1945: In Soviet reserve fleet. Returned to fishing fleet; broken up by 1949. 

[ http://www.armada.mde.es/ ]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 24 Apr 1914.  Vessel bought by Spanish subjects.

 Accidents and Incidents:

Log book entries:

 

20.09.1908.

Irish Coast.

A. Jenkins, age 20, Second Engineer; British, born Swansea, residing at Milford.

Little finger of right hand crushed, afterwards amputated, caught in engine while oiling.

    W. E. J. Smith. (Skipper). 25.2.09.

 

18.12.1909.

December 18th to December 25th,Oporto.

Bulwarks and bottom plates damaged - heavy floods.

    D. Harrison. (Skipper).

    C. Leary. (Second Hand 3379)

[ See newspaper article below. ]

 

10.01.1910.

Lisbon.

Touched bar - Touching bar leaving for Dundee.

    D. Harrison. (Skipper).

    C. Leary. (Second Hand 3379).

 

06.05.1910.

Struck dock wall a sliding blow. - cause - engines failing to go astern .

    D. Harrison. (Skipper).

    T. Duffy. (Second Hand).

 

18.10.1910.

In Lat. 52-42 N. Long 11-48 W.

P. Murphy, Cook, age 39; born Navin, Ireland, residing in Pembroke Dock.

Left leg badly torn below knee through fore warp taking leg round the middle bollard.

    Thomas Duffy. (Skipper).

    H.Crowder. (4th Hand) .

P. Murphy subsequently died. 11.11.1910.

 

16.1.11.

Off Morocco Coast.

H. Hollowell, age 21, 5th Hand; British, born London, residing Milford Haven.

Slipped down in fish pound, injured jaw.  Put ashore in Gibraltar hospital on the 17th  of January.

H. Hollowell ,deckhand, has this day been discharged on the grounds of injuries in the service of the ship.  Balance of wages £0-10-3d, paid

and delivered 17.1.11. Fee £0-2-0d. '

    J. R. S. King. (Skipper).

 

25.1.11.

While steaming from St.Vincent to Cape Roca on the 25.1.11 at 7 a.m. just before daylight, we came into collision with an unknown small sailing craft exhibiting no lights, 11 miles SSW off Cape Roca.

We stopped an hour to render assistance, while launching our small boat to the rescue. Two small boats came to the rescue, but could not understand them to know if their was any loss of life, it being very dark at the time of collision.

    J. R. S. King. (Skipper).

[ See local newspaper article below. ]

______________________________

 

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 1st May 1908:

MILFORD HAVEN

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

 FISH NOTES.

         Good supplies of hake this week, but mixed fish very scarce. Fair supplies of mackerel landing daily. The "Gwyneth" landed a maiden voyage of 200 kits of hake. This latest addition to the local fleet of steam trawlers is a fine vessel of 125 feet with insulated fish rooms and all the latest improvements. She was built by the Dundee Shipbuilding Co., and is owned at Cardiff, but will make Milford Haven her port of landing. Another company has been formed at Cardiff called the Smart Steam Trawling Co., Ltd. What with new buyers and new boats, there is no doubt that the trade at Milford Haven is in for a steady increase. 

 

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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 9th October 1908:

 

INFRINGING DOCK BYE-LAWS.

        William Fransham, skipper of the steam trawler "Gwyneth," was summoned at the instance of Mr. James C. Ward, manager of the Milford Dock Company, for infringing the Docks bye-laws.    

        The defendant did not put in an appearance, and was represented by Mr. Rust, of the Seamen's Institute, Milford, who, on the defendant's behalf, admitted the offence.

        Captain James, in his evidence said, that the offence took place on the 16th of September, about nine o'clock at night. The defendant, it was alleged, did not allow three smacks which were running abreast of his vessel, to come in. When he was asked to stop the vessel he actually increased his speed. He managed to get the trawler into the lock abreast. No damage was done, although the vessel was coming in at about four or five knots an hour. The ship was hailed because there were about five or six vessels ahead of the defendant's trawler.

        Questioned by Mr. Rust, Captain James said that he knew the defendant as a very careful man. The Bench, after a brief deliberation, mulcted the defendant in a fine of £5 and costs.

 

[In the original article, there were two important spelling errors: 'William Frenchman', skipper of the steam trawler 'Groynach'. No vessel of that name was listed in the MNL of 1910, and neither was there a Milford skipper of that name.  The records of Milford landings shows that GWYNETH did land on 16th September 1908, and Fransham was her skipper.]

 

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

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 26th March 1908:

MILFORD

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

ANOTHER SPLENDID CATCH

        The steam trawler Gwynneth [sic], belonging the Gwyneth Steam Trawling Company (a firm of Cardiff owners, located at Milford), landed an excellent catch on Wednesday last which realised £361. The vessel had been away a little over the fortnight. It will be remembered the Salome, a sister ship, landed on Wednesday week a catch which included about 200 kits of hake from the Moroccan grounds, when a £369 was realised. Mr. Christie is the manager of the firm. 

 

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

From The Cambrian of Friday 31st December 1909:

 

SWANSEA TRAWLERS' JEOPARDY.

EXCITING TIMES IN PORTUGUESE FLOODS.

ONE SINKS; OTHERS BUMPING ON ROCKS.

ALL THE CREWS SAFE.

    By the rising of the river Douro, in Portugal, great devastation has been caused to British shipping, and Swansea has suffered considerably, the Castle Trawler, Picton Castle, having been capsized and sunk, while two other steam trawlers, named the Salome and Gwyneth, belonging to Mr. Christie, of Swansea and Milford, have broken from their moorings in the river, and the last heard of them is that they were on the rocks. The crews in each case are safe.

    Each trawler carried some 11 hands, the Picton Castle being in charge of Capt. Kingston; the Salome under Capt. Sheldon, and the Gwyneth under Capt. D. Harrison, each belonging to Swansea. A reassuring message has been received from Capt. Kingston, which is posted up at the Castle Trawlers' Office, Fish Wharf Swansea "Ship lost; crew all safe."

    The river is a favourite one for the landing of fish, and the three trawlers, which left Swansea about November 27th, proceeded there with catches, when the floods came on and the fresh water came down at the rate of ten miles an hour. The river banks ware flooded for miles and the ships located there began to break from their moorings. Information received at Swansea shows that a big steamboat and a Portuguese man-of-war crashed into the Picton Castle, which was driven down and capsized.

    Little hope is entertained locally that either the Gwyneth or Salome will be refloated. One gentleman in the town has heard the Gwyneth is lost and the Salome is in difficult straites.

    Messages from Oporto have been greatly delayed during the last two days, and reports go to show that apart from the enormous damage to shipping the floods have caused terrible havoc in Spain, and it is feared that the death roll will be a very heavy one. So far as the Douro is concerned a message two days ago stated the river had risen from 30 to 40 feet.

    Enquiries made at the Swansea fishing offices go to show that the crews of the three local trawlers are safe. Mr. Heron, the manager of the Castle Steam Trawling Co., went to Oporto on Sunday. The Picton Castle is one of the best boats of the Swansea fleet, she having cost some £7,500 18 months ago. The Salome and the Gwyneth came to Swansea about a month ago from Milford, and belong to Mr. Christie, who has opened an office near the Swansea Fish Wharf.

    The three vessels are roughly valued at £21,000, and it is stated the loss is mostly covered by insurance.

REASSURING NEWS FROM PORTUGAL.

    Nothing further has been heard from Oporto to lead to the belief other than that the crews of the Swansea trawlers Picton Castle, Salome and Gwyneth are safe, although, as reported on Monday, the craft were lost in the great storm in Portugal.

    The owner of the Salome and Gwyneth — Mr. S. P. Christie — left Swansea, on Tuesday for Oporto, and Mr. Crawford Heron, manager of the Castle Co., who own the Picton Castle, arrived at the Portuguese port on Tuesday afternoon. Some anxiety was felt locally for the crews of three other Swansea trawlers, who were in the same locality at the time of the storm, but news has been received to the effect that the Langland Castle, Oxwich Castle, and the Vinca are safe at Leixoes, five miles from Oporto, but a much safer and more sheltered spot than the latter. The Vinca is a new Swansea acquisition, having been purchased from Milford by Capt. Garnham, and being on her first voyage under her new owner.

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

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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 13th May 1910:

 

 A COLLISION.

    While steaming through the Dock Head last Friday night the steam trawler "Gwyneth" went astern and collided with the steam trawler "Blue Jacket." The "Gwyneth" received the most damage herself, chiefly on the port bow, where a hole was pierced.

 

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From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 1st February 1911:

 

    The steam trawler "Gwyneth" arrived in Milford for Monday's market from the foreign fishing grounds.  Skipper King reported that whilst off the coast of Portugal last week, in the darkness they collided with a Portuguese open fishing boat, which foundered.  The crew members, unknown, were taken aboard another similar vessel, and it is not thought that any were drowned.  The cries of some of them in the water was said to have been pitiful.  The trawler steamed about in the vicinity for some time, giving assistance.

 

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