SAXON M211

Official No:    127401     Port Number and Year: 10th in Milford,1907                                                                                     -   in Cardiff, 1910 (CF31)                                                                                     -   in Fleetwood, 1922 (FD159)

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

Crew: 9 men (1907); 12 men (1930).

Registered at Milford: 29 Oct 1907

Built: Smith's Docks Co., North Shields; 1907.  (Yard no. 358)

Tonnage: 239.34 gross 73.96 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  120.3 / 21.6 / 11.65

Engine: T.3-cyl. 57 nhp. 10 kts.  Engine and boiler by McColl & Pollack, Sunderland

Owners:   As M211 29 Oct 1907: Wilfred Neale, 4 Boverton St., Cardiff.     )                       Howard Kingsley Neale, 'Lynwood', Park Rd., Penarth  ) Morley Havelock Neale, 'Lynwood', Park Rd., Penarth  ) (Joint owners) Joshua Symonds Neale, 'Lynwood', Park Rd., Penarth    ) Douglas Emery Neale, 'Lynwood', Park Rd., Penarth      ) Managing owner: Morley H. Neale.    As CF31 15 Dec 1910:  Neale & West, Hope St., Cardiff Manager: Morley H. Neale  (Managing owner)                 Wilfred Neale, Morley H. Neale & Joshua S. Neale (1919)   As FD159 29 Apr 1919: The New Docks Steam Trawl Co. (Fleetwood), 158 Dock St., Fleetwood Managers: Taylor & Tomlinson 17 Jun 1919: The Saxon Steam Trawlers, Orient Buildings, Station Rd., Fleetwood Manager: Joseph A. Taylor.                 William W. Brierley (1924)

Landed at Milford: 19 Dec 1907 - 24 May 1915

Skippers: H. Hewer cert. 6526, age 31, born Gorleston; residing 27 Gwili Rd., Hakin; signed on 14 Jan, 21 Jul 1908 Albert Walter King 7776, 28, Gorleston; 9 Warwick Rd., Milford; 9 Jul 1908 E. Gibbs 7164, 29, Yarmouth; 188 Robert St., Milford; 10 Jan, 3 May, 11 Jul 1910 Thomas Roach 7077, 30, Milford; 29 Mar 1910 George Bird 4628, 43, Ingham; 1 Oct 1910 H. Hewitt 6106, 32, London; 11 Dec 1910 G. Mace 5010, 39, Lowestoft; 20 Dec 1910

Notes:  Sep 1914: Requisitioned and converted to a minesweeper (Admy.no. 627). 1x12 pdr; 1x7.5" bomb thrower. 1919: Returned to owners. 21 Jul 1930: Wrecked on the Hough Skerries to the west of Tiree. The crew of 12 made it to the Tiree coast where they raised the alarm. The following day she was almost submerged and three days after that the heavy swell had broken her up. [Information courtesy of Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and The Bosun's Watch.  See also "Shipwreck Index" below.]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 15 Dec 1912. Transferred to the port of Cardiff.

 Accidents and Incidents:

From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 6th November 1907:

 

    On Monday another another fine trawler made her bow to the port, viz., the steam trawler "Saxon", which has just been turned out of the well-known yard of the Smith's Dock Company, South Shields, to the order of the brothers Neale, of Cardiff.  She is one of the latest design, both as regards build and equipment.  She is registered at Milford, and will make this her home port.  Her maiden voyage realised a satisfactory sum.  She is managed by Messrs. Neale and West.

 

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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 1st May 1908:

 

    The possibilities of the Milford fishing industry as a profit bearing investment is apparently being realised by Cardiff investors. Not long ago the "Saxon" was built for Mr. Neale of Cardiff, and has since been running at Milford. On Saturday the new trawler "Gwyneth" made her maiden voyage. She was built for the Gwyneth Steam Trawling Co., Cardiff, by the Dundee Shipbuilding Co., and is fitted with the newest facilities.  She measures 125 feet in length. Both vessels are registered as belonging to Milford, and are therefore permanent additions to the fleet. It is rumoured that more Cardiff owned vessels may soon be expected. On Friday the Smart Trawling Co. of that port was registered.

 

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From the Pembroke County Guardian of Friday 1st April 1910:

 

    It is understood at Milford Haven that the steam trawler Saxon has been purchased by the Admiralty for use in recovering mines. The Saxon was built about three years ago.

 

[This does not seem to have come about until 1914.]

 

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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 16th December 1910:

 

MILFORD HAVEN

A LOSS TO THE PORT.

        We hear that Messrs. Neale and West, of Cardiff, have decided upon taking their three vessels, Norman, Roman, and Saxon, from this port in order to trade out of Cardiff. This is a great loss to the trade as it means a decrease in the supply of fish and as each ship is manned by a crew of nine, it means that these men will either have to leave the town or lose their employment, whilst those landsmen who receive casual employment when the vessels come in will also experience a loss.

 

 

 

From Larn B.T. & Larn R. (1998): Shipwreck Index of the British Isles - Scotland.

 

SAXON                                                                21/08/1931

 

Inner Hebrides, Tiree, Hough Skerries.             56.31.20N 07.01W

 

...........

This Fleetwood trawler drove ashore on the Skerries west of Tiree, causing her 12 man crew to abandon ship in their own boat, landing at Kilkenneth after a long row across the tide.  The following day the skipper and 1st mate visited the site, and found the trawler with a heavy list to port, with only her forecastle and funnel showing above the surface.  She eventually  broke up and became a total loss.

   

     

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