LORD SUFFOLK LT44
Before conversion to diesel (see below)
John Stevenson Collection
Official No: 149219 Port and Year: Lowestoft, 1929 (LT44)
Description: Steel side drifter trawler, steam, coal fired, single screw. Ketch rigged.
Crew: 10 men (1929).
Built: 1929, by J. Chambers & Co., Lowestoft. (Yard no. 577.)
Tonnage: 115 grt 48 net. (1959: 120 grt.)
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 92.0 / 20.1 / 8.0
Engine: T.3-Cyl., 51 nhp, 300 ihp; by William Burrell, Great Yarmouth.
Mar 1959: Oil; 4 SA 5 Cyl; 335 bhp; by Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day, Stockport.
Owners:
As LT44
21 Jun 1929: Lowestoft Steam Herring Drifters Co. Ltd., 26 Herring Market, Lowestoft.
Manager: Harold B. Jackson, 11 Corton Rd., Lowestoft.
1943: St. Andrew's Steam Fishing Co. Ltd., Hull
Manager: Basil A. Parkes, Cleveleys.
Maj. A. W. Suddaby MBE, Gorleston. (25 Jan 1946)
1946: J. C. Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd., Docks, Milford.
1947: Norrard Trawlers Ltd., Docks, Milford.
Manager: Frederick W. Ingram, Pill.
1970: Kilvey Trawling Co., Swansea..
Managers: Norrard Trawlers, Docks, Milford.
1976: Sold for breaking up.
Landed at Milford: 15 Mar 1948 - 22 Aug 1949; 7 Feb - 27 Nov 1950; 2 Mar 1951 - 5 Mar 1959 (conversion to diesel); 7 Nov 1959 - 19 Feb 1967 (refit); 13 Apr 1967 - 21 Dec 1969.
(No further dates available for Milford landings of any vessels.)
Skippers: Jack Chenery (1949-52); Tom Long (1952); J. Read (1953); Noel Delf (1956); Arthur James (1963-64); John Donovan (1967); Ken Jenkins (1971); Jack Clark (1972)
Notes:
9 Aug 1938: Towed LORD ST.VINCENT LT79 disabled off Milford Haven to Milford.
18 Nov 1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper.
1940: As BANSHEE (P.No. FY.1600) [Lenton H.T. (1998): British and Empire Warships of the Second World War.]
25 Jan 1946: Returned to owners.
1976: Sold for breaking up.
[Information kindly supplied by the Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and the Bosun's Watch website.]
Accidents and Incidents
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 14th January 1949:
Two names must be added to the list of Milford's crack skippers for 1948. One of them is veteran James Gale, D.S.C., who grossed £34,275 in the Our Bairns (Messrs. Jenkerson) and thus achieves second place among the Castle Class skippers, beating the Peter Carey for the distinction. Errors in the figures denied him the honour in our last issue, and we hasten to make this correction.
Last week too we mentioned Crabber trawler returns and omitted reference to the drifters. Top drifter-trawler Skipper is Jack Chenery, of the Lord Suffolk (Mr. F. Ingram), who returned £20,000 for the twelve months - really fine fishing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 19th August 1949:
A deckhand trimmer on the Lord Suffolk, George Plummer, was rescues unhurt from Milford Docks on Wednesday evening after falling into the water. His cries were heard by a watchman, Mr. Donnelly, at 10.15 p.m., and a life belt was thrown. Plummer was pulled out with the help of Docks PC Palmer, none the worse for his adventure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
.....
DRIFTER TRAWLERS
Skipper Jack Chenery has again left all rivals tossing in his wake and has truly earned the title of drifter "King" for the second year running. Another feature is that trawler owner Mr. Fred Ingram takes first and second place in fishing. For years he has been collecting other prize cards for chrysanthemums.
1. Latania (Jack Chenery), Mr. Fred Ingram.
2. Lord Suffolk (Tom Long), Mr. Fred Ingram.
3. Sea Monarch (late Skipper Frank Rowlands), Tilbrook.
4. Furze (C. Wilson); 5, Mill O' Buckie (Gordon Ashby); 6, Lord Anson (?); 7, Paramount (?); 8, Jacklyn (?); 9, Allochy (?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 15th May 1953:
FISHING FIGURES.— This has been another week of fluctuating prices, but best quality has remained steady in demand and value. .....
One of the youngest skippers, Mr. Noel Delph, grossed £630 for 10 days in the crabber Latania (he had 44 of ray and eight of plaice, while Skipper J. Read in the Lord Suffolk grossed £643 for the same time, his landing including 87 of ray, three plaice and 24 soles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 6th January 1956:
So fresh was the catch landed on Thursday morning by the drifter trawler Lord Suffolk that some of the fish were alive and wriggling as they were sold. The drifter, one of Mr. Ingram's and in charge of Skipper Noel Delf, which had fished for only three days and brought in 72 kits, made £941.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 20th February 1959:
The 93ft. motor trawler Heather George of Swansea has arrived at Milford to fish out of the port. The Heather George is being managed by Norrard Trawlers Ltd., and is due to sail on Saturday. Mr. Fred Ingram, D.C.M., Managing Director of Norrard Trawlers Ltd., stated that she will be in charge of Skipper A. Beamish, and she will be manned by the crew of the Norrard's trawler Lord Suffolk, which is due to leave soon to be converted from coal to diesel power.
Skipper A. Springer, who commands the Lord Suffolk, is taking the Norrard Star this trip, while "King Jack" Chenery has spell ashore.
The conversion of the Lord Suffolk means that Norrard Trawlers will have an all-diesel fleet operating from Milford when she rejoins the fleet. This will be the second local firm to be completely modernised, the other being Messrs. W. H. Kerr and Co., who are also drifter trawler specialists.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 25th October 1963:
When a Dutch merchant seaman lost his wallet overboard on a voyage to Northern Ireland he gave up all hope of recovering the documents and papers it contained. On returning to Holland, to his utter astonishment he found his wallet waiting for him at his home. It had been brought up from the deep sea bed in the nets of the Milford trawler Lord Suffolk, and sent back to the owner by post with the contents intact. The Lord Suffolk, owned by Norrard Trawlers, found the wallet in the cod-end whilst they were fishing on the Chicken grounds off the Isle of Man. Skipper James handed it in to the company office on the docks.
The contents, which were remarkably well preserved, were found to include the the merchant navy identity documents of the Dutch seaman, Mr. A. A. Verdonk. With the assistance of the mate of a Dutch dredger then working out of Milford Harbour, the wallet was returned back to the owner in Holland. ................
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 29th May 1964:
The drifter-trawler Lord Collingwood returned on Thursday from Appledore, following a major refit, and she sails tomorrow under Skipper Ted Bowles. Her sister ship, Lord Suffolk (St. Ann's Fishing Company), returned on Thursday after an interrupted trip with a broken mast, but repairs will not delay sailing. She is in charge of Skipper A. James.
After conversion
John Stevenson Collection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 29th April 1966:
RESCUED BY MILFORD TRAWLER
MOTOR YACHT FOUNDERS
In a strong north westerly wind and heavy seas, the Milford trawler Lord Suffolk (Skipper Arthur James) rescued the crew of three of a 50ft. motor yacht in the Irish Sea last Thursday afternoon.
It happened near the Tuscar Rock, and some twelve miles off the coast from Rosslare.
The trawler was fishing at the time, but when the yacht, the "Reindeer", of the M.F.V. type, wallowed slowly towards them, it could be seen she was in trouble.
Mr Peter Hayward, of Havant, Southampton, who was ferrying the yacht from the South Coast to the Clyde, reported that they were filling with water from a leak aft.
He and his two companions, a man and woman, were taken on board the trawler and the bosun (Mr Harold Smith) went on to the yacht to fix a towline.
After two hours towing, however, the yacht foundered.
The Lord Suffolk, which belongs to Norrard Trawlers, landed the crew at Rosslare, and then resumed her fishing trip.
Mr Hayward has visited Milford a number of times during his "ferrying" operations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 20th January 1967:
Lowestoft-born Mr. John Day has set up a post-war record at Milford Haven by serving in the same trawler continuously for 18 years. Unassuming, industrious Mr. Day, who lives with his wife and family at 52 Woodbine Way, Hakin, joined the crew of the drifter-trawler Lord Suffolk when she was purchased by Norrard Trawlers. He was then a deckie-trimmer, but when the vessel was converted to oil fuel he carried on as a deckhand,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 27th January 1967:
The Norrard Company's drifter trawler Lord Collingwood, slightly damaged by fire last Friday, returns to sea tomorrow in charge of Skipper John Donovan.
Another of the firm's fleet, the Lord Suffolk, which has been undergoing a refit, is now ready for sea in command of Skipper Mason.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the Pembrokeshire Telegraph of Wednesday 31st March 1971:
The Lord Suffolk, which formerly belonged to Norrard Trawlers, and was sold to Swansea interests over 6 months ago, is to fish out of Milford again. Skipper Ken Jenkins will be in charge of the drifter, which will fish a trip round.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 2nd April 1971:
The Milford trawler Lord Suffolk was towed into harbour at Wicklow, Ireland, on Tuesday afternoon after wire rope had become entangled with the propeller while the trawler was fishing 25 miles off Wicklow Head. The Suffolk, skippered by K. Jenkins, is owned by Kilvey Trawlers, Swansea, who bought her from Norrard Trawlers 6 months ago. She returned to the port recently after having a refit in Swansea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 17th March 1972:
Thick fog in the harbour was the cause of the Milford trawler Lord Suffolk running into the partially constructed Amoco jetty off Gelliswick. She got jammed and was lucky to escape sinking.
The trawler, in charge of skipper Jack Clarke, Shakespeare Avenue, was on her way in to land her catch on the morning tide. The harbour was blanketed by very thick fog when the Lord Suffolk ran into the eastern end of the massive jetty and got jammed there. A spokesman for Norrard Trawlers, the vessel's owners, said on Thursday, "It was a very serious situation. The tide was rising fast and the ship could have sunk. Her skipper told me that he was blowing the siren for a long time to attract attention to their plight, but because of the fog there were a lot of other ships' sirens being sounded, and I suppose the Lord Suffolk's calls went un-noticed."
The skipper eventually sent up distress rockets and the Conservancy Board launches and a Wimpey tug went to the trawler's assistance and got her off the jetty.
The Norrard director added, "The Lord Suffolk's foremast is down, her deck and deck rails on the bow section are badly damaged, and her mizzen mast is also damaged. She will be out of operation for some time, undergoing repairs." The ship landed her catch the same day and made £1,070.
The harbourmaster, Captain Guilford Dudley, stated, "At about 4 a.m. on Thursday, the Signal Station duty staff heard a ship's siren sounding the 'V' call, which means 'I require assistance'. The launch Skomer (Coxswain Harold Price), went to investigate, joined by the pilot cutter Grassholm. They found the trawler Lord Suffolk jammed underneath the Amoco jetty on a rising tide. With the help of a Wimpey tug, the Skomer got the trawler off the jetty and escorted her into Milford Docks."
Back to Other Registrations I - P
