MACAW M18

At Scarborough, c. 1950

© George Scales - George Westwood Collection.

Official No:    128745     Port Number and Year: 2nd in Milford, 1909

                                                                                     -   in Aberdeen, 1935 (A388)

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

Crew: 9 men (1909)

Registered at Milford: 27 Jan 1909 

Built: Smith Docks Co. North Shields 1909.  (Yard no. 393)

Tonnage: 187.40 gross 69.01 net 

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  110.8 / 21.05 / 11.75 

Engine: T.3-cyl. 64 nhp. 10 kts. 1909. W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge, Glasgow.

              Boiler 1909. R. Stephenson & Co. Ltd., Hebburn

Owners:

 

27 Jan 1909: Frederick Robert Greenish, 'The Grove', Haverfordwest. (Doctor of Music (Until 6 Jul 1909).

Edward Gerrish, Stoke Bishop, Glos. (Solicitor)  (Until 6 Jul 1909)

Cornelius Cecil Morley, 'St. Ann's', Cunjic, Hakin. )   Managing

Sidney Morgan Price, Murray Cres., Milford.         )      owners.

 

6 Jul 1909: David Waters, 'Bank House', Muswell Hill, London.

Frederick Robert Greenish, 15 Queen's Ave., Muswell Hill. London

Managers: Messrs Sellick, Morley & Price, Docks, Milford.

 

6 Sep 1919:  Swansea Steam Trawler Co., South Dock, Swansea.

Manager: Harry Eastoe Rees, 14 Mirador Cres., Swansea.

 

28 Aug 1933: Harry Eastoe Rees, 'Mirador', The Rath, Milford

Managing owner.

 

11 Dec 1935: William Gove, 127 Balnagask Rd., Aberdeen.

13 Dec 1935: As A388

 

1942: J.C. Johnson, Scarborough.

 

1945: General Discount Trust, Scarborough.

Manager: James Johnson.

 

Landed at Milford: 3 Feb 1909 - 9 May 1913; 16 Mar 1919 - 30 Nov 35

Skippers:

Matthew Kingston cert 4536, age 40, born Hull; signed on 20 Jan 1909; 28 Jul 1909; 8 Jan, 1 Jul 1910; 1 Jan 1912

R. S. L. Oliver 6849, 28, Plymouth; 1 Jul 1909; 18 Jun, 11 Jul 1912

W. Murgakay 4925, 39, Bradford; 9 Nov 1912

Arthur Suker 10431, 28, London; 28 Dec 1912; 10 Jan 1913

P. Peterson 8226, 34, - ; 28 Jan 1913

W. Rayworth 3868, 41, Leeds; 21 Apr 1913.

Notes: 

Macaw is a long-tailed, often colourful New World parrot.  [Wikipedia.]

Aug 1914: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper (Admy.no. 145). 1x6 pdr., AA M/S.

12 Feb 1919: Returned to her owners. 

Mar 1932: Stranded in Ballycotton Bay.  [See story below.]

25 Oct 1937: Ashore at Thieves Holm, Kirkwall, Orkney, but expected to be salved. [The Times, Tuesday 26th Oct 1937.]

Jan 1952: Broken up by J.J. King & Co., Gateshead.

[ Additional information thanks to the Bosun's Watch website.  ]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 11 Dec 1935.  Transferred to the port of Aberdeen.

 Accidents and Incidents:

From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of 10th February 1909:

 

NEW TRAWLERS

    Last week we saw two new steam trawlers arrive with their maiden cargoes of fish.  Both have been built at the well-known yard of the Smith Docks Trust, South Shields, to the order of Messrs. Sellick, Morley and Price:  the "Abelard" is commanded by Captain J. T. Clarke, and the "Macaw" by Captain Matt Kingston, both successful skippers.  The vessels are of the class of the "Weymouth" and others, and not of the the larger size trawlers, but thoroughly up-to-date as regards equipment.

 

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From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 13th November 1912:

 

    We regret to hear that more trawlers belonging to the firm of Messrs. Sellick, Morley and Price are destined for the port of Fleetwood.  The steam trawler "Macaw" was to have left on Monday, and only the weather detained her.  The steam trawler "Rosa" is also under orders, and will be sent round after landing her trip of fish this week.  Rumours are afloat as two more removals of the same fleet go.  The loss of these two vessels will be keenly felt on the Market, and merchants are being hard hit.  It appears as if the worse is yet to follow.  It is the continues suspense and uncertainty which are crippling business.  With the advent of the New Year, it is hoped that the prospects will brighten.

 

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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 18th June 1919:

 

    Some excitement was manifested on the Milford Docks during last week when it became known that Messrs. Sellick, Morley and Price were disposing of their fleet of steam trawlers.  For a considerable time negotiations had been proceeding with the Consolidation Company of Grimsby, but these recently fell through.  It is gratifying to know that the greater portion of the fleet has been retained for the port, as will be seen from the following list.  Several local gentlemen having come forward, the competition was very keen.

    The Alnmouth, Weigelia, and Exmouth have been sold to Fleetwood firms, while the Charmouth, Macaw, Tacsonia, Rosa, Xylopia, Essex, Uhdea, Petunia, Lynmouth, Kalmia, Portsmouth, Weymouth, Syringa, Yarmouth and Magnolia have all found local buyers.

    This opens out the question of the need for local trades people and others to invest in the staple industry of this fishing port, as has been done in competing fishing centres.

 

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The Times, Friday, Dec 23, 1921; pg. 5; Issue 42911; col G


     News in Brief

The boatswain of a Milford Haven steam trawler was superintending the lifting of the anchor yesterday when the anchor fell on his head and killed him.

 

 

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 30th December 1921:

 

ANOTHER MILFORD TRAGEDY

Fisherman Killed

    Close upon the heels of the recent high seas murder charge, has fallen another tragedy connecting with shipping at Milford, and this time the victim of fate is a local man - Joseph Shervin, a native of Haverfordwest.  Quite a gloom has been cast over the many friends of the deceased, and the sympathy of everyone goes out to the widow and child, who at the time of the fatal accident were in Portland.  It appears that the unfortunate man was boatswain of the crew of the fishing trawler 'Macaw', which belongs to the Swansea Steam Trawling Company, and on Thursday afternoon the little vessel made her way to the fishing grounds.  Rough weather was encountered, and for some time she lay up.  When the vessel was about to weigh anchor and make another attempt to gain the seat of operations, the fatal accident happened.  Deceased, according to the other members of the crew, was superintending the taking up of the anchor, and had shouted to the man in charge of the steam winch.  Apparently the warning came too late, and the engine swept the anchor on deck.  Deceased was struck heavily on the head as the massive piece of iron came on to the deck.  He fell unconscious, but died before the trawler could regain port.  Dr. Rice was quickly in attendance, after the vessel's hurried retreat to port, and discovered that deceased had died from a fractured skull.

    Deceased's parents, who are dead, lived at Haverfordwest for some time.  During the war he served on a minesweeper, and was married to Miss Mary Coombs, a Portland girl, in that period.  For 13 years he had lived at Milford, and had stayed with Mrs. King, 8, Brook Avenue, practically the whole time.  He was 31 years of age.  A pathetic side light to the tragedy is the fact that only the day previous to the occurrence deceased's wife and child had left for Portland to spend Yuletide.

 

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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 1st January 1932:

 

    As a result of dragging her anchor near Capel Island, in a thick mist, the steam trawler Macaw, owned by the Swansea Steam Trawling Company, went of the Black Rocks between Ballycotton and Garryvoe, County Cork, last Saturday.  Signals of distress were sent up, which were answered by the Ballycotton lifeboat, which stood by until the weather calmed down.

    On Sunday the Dutch Roode Zee, from Queenstown, arrived on the scene, but her efforts to float the "Macaw" were unavailing.  At low tide, on Saturday, she was well up on the rocks, and members of the lifeboat crew walked around.  An inspection showed that beyond a buckled plate, the trawler was undamaged. 

    Mr. Jack Bean (junior) is the skipper of the Macaw, and four of the crew have arrived home. 

    The Macaw was built for the former firm of Sellick, Morley and Price, and her first skipper was Matt Kingston.  She is one of the fleet of trawlers managed by Messrs. H. E. Rees and Company, Milford Haven.  Mr. Rees left for Ireland on hearing of the trawler's position.  Hopes are entertained of getting her off on the next high tide.

 

From The Irish Times, of 28th March 1932; p.5:

Trawler on Rocks

Unsuccessful Attempt to Refloat Vessel

                                                        From our own correspondent.

                                                            CORK, Sunday

    Unsuccessful efforts were made again today by the Dutch tug, Roodenee [sic, for ROODE ZEE], from Queenstown, to refloat the stranded Milford Haven steam trawler, Macaw, which went ashore at Ballycotton on Friday night.  The vessel is lying on the rocks in an exposed position, and members of the crew of the Ballycotton lifeboat walked around and inspected her at low tide last evening.  She is undamaged, beyond her bottom plate being buckled.  The crew remain on board.

    It is learned that the Macaw had been engaged fishing off Minehead throughout last week, and, together with six other trawlers and one collier, put into Ballycotton Bay on Friday night to seek shelter from a heavy south-easterly gale.  During the night she and two other trawlers and a collier dragged their anchors, and while the other three touched ground and eventually managed to get to sea again, the Macaw, snapping her cable, was driven inshore on one of two reefs of rocks in the vicinity.

    Further efforts at refloating will be made with the next tide.

 

From The Irish Times, of 8th April 1932; p.5:

IRISH NEWS IN BRIEF

Trawler refloated:― The Dutch tug, Roodezee, returned to Cork harbour last night, having successfully refloated on Wednesday's tide the Milford steam trawler, Macaw (187 tons gross), which stranded during a gale on Good Friday night on a reef of rocks in Ballycotton Bay.  The Macaw, beyond a buckled bottom plating and broken propeller blade, was undamaged, and proceeded yesterday to Milford Haven.

 

 

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