PRIMEVÈRE LT345

 

John Stevenson Collection

Official No:  136601    Port Number and Year: Lowestoft, 1915 (LT345)

Description: Steel side drifter / trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged.

Crew:  10 men (1915).

Built: 1914, by John Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co., Aberdeen.  (Yard no. 411)

Tonnage: 100 grt  43.67 net.

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 86.2 / 18.6 / 9.0

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 25 rhp; by Elliot & Garrood, Beccles (in 1911)

Owners:   As PRIMEVÈRE LT345 25 Jan 1915: Thomas E. Thirtle, High St., Lowestoft. Managing owner.   1919:  Thomas Anderson, Whapload Rd., Lowestoft. Managing owner. 1923:  Mason W. Ayers, 'Inglewood', The Avenue, Lowestoft. Managing owner. 1932: Arthur G. Gilbert, 54 Kirkley Park Rd.,  Lowestoft. Managing owner.   1944:  J. C. Llewellin, Docks, Milford.   1946:  Cairo Fishing Co. (Yolland Bros.), Docks, Milford. Manager: John Yolland (jnr).   1948:  James J.  Colby, Lowestoft. [Still listed under J J Colby in 1958-9 register but doesn't appear in 1961-2.]

Landed at Milford: (Seasonal - Jan/Feb 1934; Jan/Jun 1935, 1936; Apr/May 1937, 1939; 28 Jan - 17 Jun 1951; 23 Jan - 19 Apr 1952; Jan 1954.)

Skippers:

Notes:  Primevère is the French word for "primrose", the herbaceous plant of the genus Primula. Oct 1915:  Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a net layer (Admy.No.1925)   1x3pdr. AA. 1920: Returned to owners. Dec 1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty for Harbour Service. 1946:  Returned to owners.

 Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 4th January 1946:

 

    Messrs. Yolland & Llewellin, joint owners of the biggest trawling fleet sailing out of Milford, have dissolved the partnership after ten years of highly successful working, during which time the fleet has increased from one to twenty-two trawlers.  The dissolution took effect from January 1st, and in future Messrs. Yolland will trade under the name Messrs. Yolland Brothers, while Mr. J. C. Llewellin takes a number of trawlers under his own name.

 

    Yolland Bros.:

Castle Class:  Tenedos, Mikasa, Lorraine, William Mannell, Montano and George Adgell.

Strath Class: Craigmillar and Anne Melville.

Drifters: Allochy, Overfall, Poseidon, Invercairn, Primevere, Mint, Furze, Lichen, Calliopsis and Cassiopeia.

    The Montano left Milford on Thursday (yesterday) for Fleetwood, while the George Adgell arrives in Milford within the next fortnight from Aberdeen.  Both Strath boats are at Milford, but the drifters will fish from Lowestoft during the North Sea season, and will come round to Milford for the summer season.

 

John Charles Llewellin:

Castle trawlers: Cotsmuir, Lady Stanley, T.R. Ferens and Harry Melling.

    All the trawlers are away at the moment, the Lady Stanley at Hull and the others at Fleetwood, but they are expected to sail out of Milford in the near future.

 

    The fish merchants' business belonging to the firm in Fleetwood, Swansea and Milford will now be carried on by Yolland Brothers, while the merchants' business at Aberdeen has been taken over by Mr. Llewellin.

    Naturally interested to ascertain why such a profitable partnership should be dissolved, the "Guardian" made enquiries on Thursday.  We learned that Mr. Llewellin has suffered ill health for a number of years and wishes to cut down on his responsibilities.

    The sensational rise of Messrs. Yolland & Llewellin has provided one of the romances of the fishing Industry of Milford, starting as fish exporters in 1935, with Mr. J. C. Llewellin as their representative in Paris.  The firm had to turn their attention in 1937 to building up their fish merchants business in England because of the devaluation of the franc. 

    In 1936 Messrs. Yolland & Llewellin purchased their first trawler and not long afterwards embarked on an experiment which at the time was considered more than daring - "foolhardy", said the old hands.  They fitted out two trawlers to fish as a pair - the pareja - a Spanish method of fishing.  The earliest voyages, doubtless due to the inexperience of the crews in this type of netting, brought thin returns, but by-and-by these pairs began to make news, big news, for they started to smash fishing records.  What was then the youngest firm of owners had scored a big success, and confounded their critics.  Before the war started, the company had five pairs operating on the Irish grounds.  During the war the company worked with two old ships, the Gozo and Cairo, but disposed of these when their fleet of twenty-two trawlers were de-requisitioned in their turn after Government service.

    The partners in the firm of Yolland Brothers are Messrs. John J. Leslie and T. Stuart Yolland.

 

    

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