NOLTON M184

 

As MARIA R. OMMERING IJM-7

[Thanks to Ships Nostalgia.]

Official No:   137103   Port Number and Year:  7th in Hartlepool, 1914 (HL73)

                                                                                  -    in Grimsby, 1919 (GY580)

                                                                                  -    in Ymuiden, 1926 (IJM-7)

                                                                               12th in Milford, 1951

Description: Steel side trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Pareja (Spanish) method.  Schooner rigged: mizzen

Crew: 9 men (1919); 12 men (1951).

Registered at Milford: 8 Oct 1951

Built: by Smith's Dock Co., Southbank on Tees in 1914.  (Yard no. 615)

Tonnage: 215.92 gross  82.96 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  117.0 / 22.0 / 12.7

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 77.6 ihp. 10kts. Engine by builders and boiler by Richardson, Westgarth & Co., Middlesborough.

Owners:

 

As IRENE WRAY HL73

17 Dec 1914: William Wray, 6 McDonald Place, Hartlepool.

Managing owner.

 

As GY580

31 Oct 1919: Joseph Harris, 32 Freeman St., Grimsby.

Managing owner.

 

Oct 1922: Regent Steam Fishing Co. (1918) Ltd., Fish Docks, Grimsby

Manager: Jack Rosenberg, The Park, Grimsby.

 

As MARIA R. OMMERING IJM-7

c.1926: N.V. Vissch Maats ver. Steekolenhandel, Ymuiden.

 

By 1930: Maats. tot Explotatie van den stoom trawler Maria R. Ommering, Ymuiden.

Manager: S. Koster

 

1933: Algemeene Vissch. Maats.N.V.,  Ymuiden.

Managers: De Vem N.V.

 

1939: N.V. Vissch. Maats. Ver. Steenkolenhandel II, Ymuiden

Managers: De Vem N.V.

 

As NOLTON M184

8 Oct 1951: John Charles Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd., The Docks, Milford.

Managing owner.

 

17 Oct 1951:  North Eastern (Trawlers) Ltd., 6/8 Sackville St., Piccadilly, London W.1

Manager: J. C. Llewellin.

 

19 Sep 1956: John Charles Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd., The Docks, Milford.

Manager owner: J. C. Llewellin.

 

Landed at Milford: 25 Oct 1951 - 4 May 1956

Skippers: J. Gernham (1951); Bert Leahy (1955)

Notes: 

Nolton is a parish on the coast of St. Bride's Bay, in the hundred of Rhos, 6 miles from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

May 1915: Requisitioned for war service and converted for minesweeping duties; Admy. no.1456.

1919: Returned to owners.

11 Jun 1926: Grimsby registry closed.

Oct 1940: Hired from Dutch owners and converted for minesweeping duties (P.No.: FY 1785). Attached to the 64th minesweeper group at Milford; other Dutch ships in this group were the ANDIJK, BLOEMENDAAL, EN BERGEN and ROTTERDAM

7 Apr 1941: During a sweep in Milford Haven the ship was damaged by a mine explosion.

30 Apr 1943: Transferred to the RN.

Jul 1946: Returned to owners. [Lenton: Britain & Empire Warships.]

 

[ Thanks to http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hr._Ms._Maria_R._Ommering and Scott V. (1992): An Experienced Shared 1939-1945.]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 9 Oct 1956.  Vessel broken up.

 Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 28th September 1951:

 

    Messrs. J. C. Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd. have broken new ground in adopting Pembrokeshire names for the two trawlers they recently purchased from Holland, the Nolton and Steynton, which sail next week in charge of Skippers J. Garnham and Tom Smith.

    Pembrokeshire names for trawlers are not unique at Milford, but they become so familiar that vessels like the Caldy and Slebech, and the former Thornton, are not connected immediately with the Premier County.

    Another pair, the Springleigh and the Lordleigh (Messrs. Goodleigh Fisheries) leave on their maiden voyage this weekend, in charge of Skippers George Corney and Jack Byford.

 

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

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 28th December 1951:

 

    Not for many years have the after Christmas sailings been interrupted at Milford as they were on Thursday and today.  Nearly a score of boats left the dock at 3 a.m. on Thursday to lie out in the stream ready for the crews to come aboard at 9 a.m.  Came 9 a.m. and none of the crews could be ferried out to the waiting trawlers sheltering from Chapel Bay up to Burton Reaches from the ravages of one of the worst December gales in memory, with a gust of 92 miles an hour recorded at St. Ann's Head at 11 a.m. on Thursday.  Trawlers were dragging their anchor the length and breadth of the harbour, and several had to keep steaming from the time they left the dock at 3 a.m. until all steamed back in on Thursday's afternoon tide. With spray blotting out the masts of a number of boats, it was impossible for a tender to reach them, and the skeleton crews who had taken the trawlers out and been in action all day described conditions as devilish when they stepped ashore again late in the afternoon.  Last night there were approximately trawlers in dock, ready to leave for the fishing grounds.

    Meanwhile, only six of the port's fleet are still at sea: the Sea Hunter expected this weekend, the Nolton and Steynton (pair), George Hastings and Thomas Booth, due about the 20th, and the Dagon on January 5th.

    Ashore, apart from minor incidents in the way of loosened tiles and broken panes, there was comparatively little damage.  Winds were well below the maximum on record, 113 miles per hour at St. Ann's Head on January 18th, 1945

 

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

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 28th October 1955:

 

    It is a cheerful sight to see another pair of trawlers which have been lying up for some time being prepared for sea.  The Steynton and Nolton (Messrs. J. C. Llewellin Trawlers Ltd.) are expected to crew up next Monday under Skippers George Warren and Bert Leahy.  After a very lean period for "pareja" fishing, only one pair, Queenleigh and Lordleigh, have been kept going.  It is whispered that other trawlers are likely to follow suit, and come away from the wall.

  

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

From The West Wales Guardian of Friday 23rd December 1955:

 

TRAWLERS WILL RUN "SHUTTLE" SERVICE

THREE SHIPS IN FRESHER-FISH SCHEME

 

    Six  Milford Haven "pair" trawlers will commence operating in two groups of three in January to provide a "shuttle" service which will mean that their catches will never be more than nine days old when landed.

    The vessels are "Strath" class boats, owned by Messrs. J. C. Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd., and up till now engaged in the normal "pair" fishing, using the Spanish "pareja" system.

    The "group of three" system has been used very successfully by Spanish fishing vessels, but the Milford Haven scheme will be the first time it has been introduced in Britain.

    ...........

    The ships which will operate in threes are the Queenleigh, Lordleigh, Steynton, Nolton, Lord Northcliffe, and Lord Cecil.

    Mr. J. C. Llewellin explained to the "Guardian" this week how the "groups of three" system will work.  The first two ships will go out to fish as a normal "pair".  A week later a third boat will sail to "relieve" one of the original pair, to which all the fish then caught by the "pair" will be transferred.  The relieved ship will bring the total catch back to port and the other two ships will continue fishing until the second vessel is relieved a week later by the ship that originally returned to port.  By this method catches which up to now have been landed after a 14 to 15 day "pair" trip will now be brought back every week by the third trawler.

....

    In practice, as far as the crews are concerned, the "groups of three" system will mean a minimum of three days ashore every 17 to 18 days.

...........

 

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

From The West Wales Guardian of Friday 11th May 1956:

 

        THE END OF "PAIR" TRAWLING

          MILFORD COMPANY CLOSES DOWN

 

    Already in the "doldrums" following bad news from several quarters the Milford Haven fishing industry suffered another severe blow on Saturday when Mr. J. C. Llewellin announced with regret that he was winding up his business of J. C. Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd. and scrapping his seven remaining "Strath" class vessels.

    This decision, made after twelve months of deterioration in the situation, means that seventy fishermen and about twenty maintenance and office staff will be affected.  It also means the end of the "pair" method of fishing carried out at Milford Haven for 21 years by the firm, which is the only company in Britain to use this system.

    As we reported last week the trawlers Shielburn and Lord Cecil go for scrap this week.

    "There is very little doubt that the others, the Lord Northcliffe, Queenleigh, Lordleigh, Steynton and Nolton will have to follow," stated Mr. Llewellin.

...........

    Mr. J. C. Llewellin told the "Guardian" that it was with regret that the decision to finish had been made.  "During the last 12 months the pair ships have brought in very small quantities of hake, and it is only the high prices that has enabled us to keep going," he said.  "The main reasons are the shortage of hake and the high costs of running the ships."

    Mr. Llewellin had no doubt about the reason for the shortage of hake.  "It is the tremendous number of Spanish ships operating in grounds which are traditionally British," he stressed.  "Years ago Milford trawlers sailed as far south as Morocco into grounds which the Spanish ships have since swept bare.  Now the pendulum has swung the other way and the Spaniards are sweeping clean the British grounds up as far north as Achill Head and Hebrides.

..............  Many Spanish trawlers use net meshes which are considerably smaller than the size laid down by international agreement.  The Spanish also have a demand for undersized hake and they have swept the grounds bare.  There is absolutely no hake there for British ships which are not allowed to land undersized fish and observe the Convention agreements to the letter. ............. ."

   

   

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