HER MAJESTY A43
LINNET M61
Official No: 93115 Port Number and Year: 26th in Hull, 1887 (H24)
12th in Aberdeen,1899 (A43)
3rd in Milford, 1930
Description: Iron side trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: mizzen sail.
Crew: 8 men (1899); 10 men (1919); 9 men (1929)
Registered in Milford: 20 Jan 1930
Built: 1887 by Head & Riley, Hull (Yard no. 22)
Tonnage: 142.21 grt 55 net. (1914: 59 net.)
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 100.2 / 20.1 / 10.9
Engine: C 2-Cyl. 45 nhp. Engine by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen.
Owners:
As HER MAJESTY H24
29 Aug 1887: William Wolfe, St. Andrew's Dock, Hull.
Managing owner.
As HER MAJESTY A43
13 May 1899: John Lewis, 20 Walker Rd., Aberdeen.
Managing owner. (1899-c.1906.)
29 Jun 1901: As LINNET A43
c.1909: John Lewis Ltd., 186 Point Law, Aberdeen.
Manager: Andrew Lewis, 288 Broomhill Rd., Aberdeen.
1917: Wm. Masson, 13 Murray Tce., Aberdeen.
Managing owner.
1918: John Lewis Ltd., 186 Albert Quay, Aberdeen.
Manager: Andrew Lewis. (Same address.)
1929: Edward J. Hellings, Docks, Milford.
Managing owner.
As LINNET M61
31 Jan 1930: Edward James Hellings, 5 Hamilton Tce., Milford.
Managing owner.
9 Jan 1932: Miss Freda Hellings, 3 Oakland Rd., Redland, Bristol.
Manager: Edward J. Hellings, Docks, Milford.
Landed at Milford: HER MAJESTY: 20 Aug - 23 Dec 1889; 1 Jan 1891 - 3 Mar 1899
LINNET: 10 Jan 1930 - 13 Apr 1938
Skippers:
1889: Pettit, Ebbesen, Thomas, Ebbesen
1891: Garnham, Saunders, Moody, Galvin, Turner, Abbey, Turner, Romilly
1892: Galvin, Pettit, Hairsine, Belton, Hairsine, Belton, Hairsine, Days
1893: Days
1894: Days, Pettit, Gray,
1895: Gray, Watson
1894: Watson, Nightingale
1897: Nightingale, Days, Wolfe, Woodgate, Nightingale, Woodgate
1898: Gray, Smart, Bryant
1899: Bryant.
Notes:
Her Majesty was Queen Victoria (1819-1901).
Linnet is a small bird of the finch family. (The name was changed after the death of the Queen.)
19 Apr 1899: Hull registry closed.
Jun 1918: As LINNET A43, requisitioned into the Fishery Reserve.
18 Jan 1930: Aberdeen registry closed.
Jul 1919: Returned to owner.
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 9 Aug 1938. Broken up at Llanelly.
Accidents and Incidents
From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 26 September 1890:
MILFORD HAVEN
A DERELICT.- On Monday morning the three masted Swedish schooner Atalanta, of Helsingborg bound (according to the papers) from Bristol to Copenhagen with a cargo of coke, was towed into Milford Haven by the steam trawler Her Majesty. The Atalanta, which had lost her bowsprit, foremast, and gear, was found on Sunday last some six mile, south-west of the Smalls. A boat, without names but supposed to belong to the derelict, was also picked up. The fate of the crew is at present unknown but it is feared they are drowned. With the morning tide the Atalanta was taken into dock.
From an unknown local newspaper of c. 4th October 1890:
We hear that the crew of the derelict "Atlanta" were picked up by a vessel bound for a French port, and the news has now been received of their safety.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 15th June 1892:
Local Salvage Claim
His Honour Judge Bishop, assisted by Captain Dodds, R.N., and Captain Lecky, marine superintendent, Neyland, as nautical assessors, sat at the Shire Hall, Haverfordwest on Saturday, for the purpose of hearing a salvage action, in which the plaintiffs, the owners and crew of the steam trawler "Commodore", sought to recover £300 from Messrs Wolfe & Company, fish trawl owners, Milford Haven, for salvage services rendered to the trawler "Her Majesty", on the 23rd of January last, off the Saltees Lightship on the south coast of Ireland.
Mr. Arthur Lewis, barrister, instructed by Mr W. J. Jones, appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr Andrew M. Jackson, solicitor, Hull, for the defendants.
According to the evidence for the plaintiffs, the steam trawlers "'Commodore" and "Her Majesty"' were fishing about five miles off the Saltees on the afternoon of the 23rd of January, when the skipper of the "Commodore" was hailed by the captain of "Her Majesty", who exhibited what was called "flare lights" for the purpose of showing that he required assistance. The "Commodore" having come within speaking distance, the skipper of "Her Majesty" told him that the packing of the blow-off cock of the latter's engine had gone wrong, and asked the "Commodore" to take her in tow, and if the defect to the blow-off cock could not be put right, then the "Commodore" was to tow her to Milford. The "Commodore" was accordingly made fast to "Her Majesty", but the engines of the latter being put right after an interval of four or five hours, the "Commodore" cast off and each vessel resumed fishing. The plaintiffs also contended that at the time "Her Majesty" was taken in tow by the "Commodore" she was dragging her anchor and driving before a stiff wind which would eventually have driven her ashore.
The defendants on their part denied this, and alleged the existence of a bargain. They said that when the "Commodore" came within distance, the captain of "Her Majesty" shouted "The packing of our blow-off cock is gone wrong, and I will give you £20 to stand by me until I get right". The captain of the "Commodore" said, "All right", and immediately made a rope fast to "Her Majesty". The defendants were [uncertain] as to the time the plaintiff's steamer stood by them, the only disputed point being whether or not there was an agreement to do the work for £20.
After a protracted hearing, the judge said the first thing for the court to decide was whether "Her Majesty" was in danger at the time the "Commodore" came up to her. The learned assessors with him were of opinion that the captain of "Her Majesty" thought himself in danger when he signalled the "Commodore". The second question was, was there any agreement for £20? Both sides appeared equally sure in giving their evidence on this point, and the court, while prepared to think they had spoken truthfully, were not satisfied that the agreement had been proved to have been offered on the one side and accepted on the other, therefore it came to this: that no agreement could be come to without mutual assent, and in this case there was not sufficient evidence to satisfy the court that an agreement did exist. That being so the next matter was, what was a sufficient sum to award the plaintiff. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, the court was of opinion that £50 was sufficient remuneration for the service rendered by the "Commodore". Judgment, with costs on the lower scale, accordingly.
Judgement, with costs on the lower scale, accordingly.
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From the Western Mail of Monday 11th December 1893:
WRECK ON GRASSHOLM ISLAND
ONE MAN DROWNED
THE CAPTAIN LEFT UNCONSCIOUS ON THE ISLAND
During Friday's storm, the schooner Ellen, of Carnarvon, from Norway with timber for Cardigan, stuck on Grassholm on Friday and was totally wrecked. Assistance was being sent from Milford Haven to the captain, who is still on the island.
Our Milford Haven correspondent states that the schooner was owned and commanded by Captain John P. Owen. Four of the crew and the pilot were brought into Milford Haven on Saturday afternoon, and in the course of an interview the men stated that the Ellen was bound from Frederickstadt, in Norway, to Cardigan with a cargo of flooring boards. The captain, owing to the heavy weather put into Milford, and on Wednesday, the weather having moderated, proceeded for Cardigan. All went well until Thursday night, when a heavy gale came on, the vessel then being eight miles from the Bishops, and the captain again bore back to Milford for safety. The vessel shipped some big seas, and the crew were kept at the pumps all night, until Friday morning, when all her canvas was carried away by the violence of the wind, the vessel at this time passing Grassholm. At half past six the vessel became unmanageable, and ran on the rocks, the sea, which was running mountains high, dashing her against the rocks with great violence. The crew, numbering five ......... climbed the rigging and got on to the rocks by way of the fore-yard. One of the crew, John Rowlands, was drowned in the attempt. ....... In this predicament the whole day and following night were passed, the men starving with hunger and almost dying with thirst, until Saturday at noon, when the steam trawler Birda fortunately hove into sight. Discerning the men on the island the skipper of the Birda got as near land as the dangerous rocks would allow and launched a boat in which were three of the crew, named Longthorpe (who commanded it), Balt and Reece, taking with them a long line and a buoy. The boat neared the rocks and threw out her line and buoy, the shipwrecked men, one at a time, leaping from the rocks into the surf and seizing the buoy, by which means they were hauled into the boat in an exhausted state, ansd taken with safety to the Birda. The captain, however, being helpless, could not possibly be got into the boat, and was, there being no alternative, left on the island. The Birda at once steamed for Milford, landing the men at half past three, the shipwrecked men in the meantime being kindly supplied with food and the necessary changes. The crew of the Birda, the men declared, treated them like gentlemen. Hearing that the captain was left on the island in an unconscious condition, the trawler Her Majesty went out to Grassholm at four o'clock, towing the Angle lifeboat out with her but the heavy rolling of the sea would not permit them to get ashore, and, after making fruitless attempts during the night, they returned to Milford on Sunday morning, intending, it is said, to again go out this (Monday) morning, when, it is feared, if they can land, the captain will have succumbed to hunger and exposure.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph, Wednesday 1st April 1896:
COLLISION. ― A collision off the dock head early on Thursday morning between the steam trawlers "Camellia" and "Her Majesty". The latter had a plate or two in her bow badly damaged.
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