UHDEA M200

CORNELIA M200

Official No:  121613    Port Number and Year: 10th in Milford, 1906

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

Crew:  9 men (1906); 10 men (16 Jun 1919).

Registered at Milford: 21 Dec 1906. 

Built: 1906 by Dundee Shipbuilding, Dundee. (Yard no. 170)

Tonnage: 190.94 grt  53.59 net (1 Jan 1914: amended by Board of Trade to 74.54 net.)

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 115.0 / 21.4 / 11.47

Engine: T 3-cyl. 65 hp.;  by W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge, Glasgow.

Owners:

 

As UHDEA

21 Dec 1906: Southern Steam Trawling Co., 127 Quay, Waterford.

(Messrs. Sellick , Morley and Price, The Docks, Milford.)

Manager: Cornelius Cecil Morley, Milford.  

 

9 Jun 1919: William Edgar Kelway, 'Craiglands', Hakin.

George Stuart Kelway, 'Rathgate', The Rath, Milford.

Manager: David Pettit.

 

26 Apr 1923: D. Pettit, Ltd., Docks, Milford.

Manager: David Pettit, 'Westcliff', Wellington Rd., Hakin.

26 May 1923:  As CORNELIA.

 

7 Nov 1934: Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Factory, 232 Dock St., Fleetwood.

Manager: Basil A. Parkes, 'Clydesdale', Whiteside Way, Cleveleys, Lancs.

 

Landed at Milford:

As UHDEA: 30 Dec 1906 - 26 Nov 1912; 12 Jan - 2 Mar 1914; 13 Jul 1919 -  20 Nov 1921.

As CORNELIA: 31 May 1922 - 15 Oct 1932

Skippers:

B. Foster cert. 1608, age 50, born Greenwich; signed on 18 Mar 1906; 1 Jan 1907

Alfred Lednor 3968, 25, Ramsgate; 9 Apr 1907

Robert Samuel Longthorpe 2536, 40, Hull; 12 Jun, 14 Jul 1907

Thomas Salter 5349, 30, Exeter; 22 Nov 1907

W. F. Reynolds 7337, 26, Scarborough; 17 Jan 1908

George Medway 6777, 27, Brixham; 14 Feb 1908

Alfred James Lednor 7961, 37, Eppleton [?]; 10 Jul 1908

W. Brett 6783, 36, London; 5 Sep 1908

Thomas Roach 7077, 28, Milford; 26 Sep 1908

W. Blewett 3137, 40, Hull; 6 Jan 1909

F. Hardisty 1891, 39, Barton; 19 Jan, 2 Jul 1909

C. H. Brown - ; 42, Milford; 6 Oct 1909

H. Clarke 6177, 29, Hull; 28 Dec 1909; 10 Jan 1910

W. Corbett 7156, 26, Cardiff; 26 Jan 1910

George Owston 7364, 39, Scarborough; 2 Jul 1910

Alfred James Kersey 7748, 28, Stockton; 5 Oct 1910; 5 Jan 1911

W. Kay 3058, 41, Hull; 17 Jan 1911

G. Mills 6165, 27, Oxford; (residing 14 Vicary St., Milford) 10 Mar, 7 Jul 1911

G. H. Thomas 7680, 34, Rutland; 13 Aug 1911; 13 Jan, 28 Apr, 1 Jul 1912

William Jones 6707,39,Peterborough; 7 Feb, 1 Jul 1912

George Masters 5545, 42, London; 10 Jan 1913

Notes: 

Uhdea is an unknown word.  Cornelia is a feminine form of the masculine name Cornelius.

Aug 1914: Requisitioned for war service and converted for minesweeping duties (Ad.No.124). 

Sep 1915: Converted for boom defence duties.

1919: Returned to owners.

14 Mar 1935: Broken up by Darwen and Mostyn Iron Co., Mostyn, Flints.

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 25 Mar 1935. Vessel broken up.

 Accidents and Incidents

Log book entries:

 

06.10.1908

Milford Docks

Collision with the steam trawler "Life Brigade" going out of dock, which we were also doing, for Lock Pits.  We were going astern and way stopped when we touched "Life Brigade" with our stem

    T. Roach (Skipper)

    J. M. Ammett (Witness)

 

08.04.1909

12 miles W from St Ann's Head

W. Thomas, age 28, First Engineer; British, born Milford, residing Milford.

Feeling round engine, smashed his finger.

    F. Hardisty (Skipper)

    G. Foster (Second Hand 5561)

 

16.12.1910

160 miles W 1 S of St Ann's Head

Blowing gale from west.  Whilst steaming dead slow we shipped a sea over the port quarter, knocking boat down on deck, and before we could lash it she took another sea which took boat over the side.

    Alfred James Kersey (Skipper)

 

 

______________________

 

From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 22nd November 1907:

 

Reckless Skippers

SAFETY AND TRADE OF PORT IMPERILLED.

HEAVY PENALTIES AT MILFORD HAVEN

        Alfred Taylor, skipper of the Gloxinia; Richard Hooper, skipper of the Uhdea; James Golden, skipper of the Dowlais, and Hans Tirrell, of the Avonmouth, were summoned for a breach of the Dock bye-laws by entering abreast, or attempting to pass another vessel in entering the Dock gates.  The skipper of the Dowlais was charged with attempting to pass another vessel and the others with entering the gates abreast.  Mr. Harold J. Evans, solicitor, Milford Haven, appeared for Taylor, Hooper, and Golden.

Captain James, who prosecuted, said there were four summonses taken out against [all four] skippers. Three skippers were charged with going into the dock abreast, and the Dowlais with overtaking another vessel in the dock entrance. That happened on Sunday night, October 10th.  Just before the gates were opened there were fifteen trawlers outside. They all lay out by the two buoys. By the time the gates were opened they were all in a heap. After the opening of the gates four trawlers came in one after another. Then the Reliance got across the entrance. After that seven or eight trawlers were lying just outside. Three of them started off, and came for the entrance to the Docks together. They would not separate. When they got a little closer he hailed them to know what they were going to do. They took no notice, and came two abreast, and the third in the middle just a little astern. The Avonmouth was on the Hakin side, the Uhdea in the middle, and the Gloxinia. As soon as the skipper of the Uhdea heard him shout she backed out. Whilst those trawlers were in that position the Dowlais came along. He hailed the skipper to stop his engines, and go astern, but he did not do so until he got right up. He had to close the Dock. While his back was turned the Dowlais entered the Dock against the light. Those cases were very similar to those which had been heard by the magistrates before, only the vessels came in then two abreast. Now the skippers were trying to improve even on that, and to come in three abreast. If the gates were damaged incalculable injury would ensue. He had only taken out summonses against four skippers, but there were a number who were equally to blame and their conduct that night was disagreeable in the extreme.

Cross-examined: He could not say which of the trawlers was ahead before they entered the Dock.  All he was concerned about was that they came in three abreast. The Dowlais was further astern.

Do you say the three vessels were abreast at the time of entering the channel? For all practical purposes.  The Gloxinia was on the starboard side.  I hailed the Dowlais to stop her engines. The Uhdea went astern.

You moored the Gloxinia and kept her there until all the other vessels had passed into the Dock? Yes. I kept her there for three-quarters of an hour.

The Chairman enquired as to whether there were any special rules as to which of two or three vessels together should enter the lock first? No, sir, not beyond the fact that I will not allow more than a one trawler to enter at a time. When they like they can form up in line outside just as if they were going into a booking office. When two are coming in together they should hail each other and arrange which should go first. It does not matter very much because one will enter just after the other. On the night in question, however, they were obstinate, at least one or two. They could not deal with what the vessels did previous to entering the dock, and which was right and which was wrong, especially when as had happened, they had a hundred craft in.

Tom Westonbury also gave evidence as to the three vessels coming in abreast, and the Dowlais passing another trawler in the entrance.

Alfred Taylor, skipper of the Gloxinia, said he was first before entering the dock. He could not help what the other vessels did, he came directly into mid-channel. The Dowlais was just behind, and his mate hailed her to go astern when he gave the signal.

Mr. Birt: Were you abreast when you entered the Dock gates? Nearly so.

 Have you ever thought what would happen if you damaged the dock gates?— No, but I know by all the Board of Trade regulations I was in the position to have gone in first.

The Chairman thought that one of the vessels must have been in the position to have gone in first. Was there no rule saying that the one on the starboard side for instance, should be allowed to enter first.

James Golden, skipper of the Dowlais, said he obeyed all Captain James’ instructions, and did not pass any other vessel in the dock. As soon as he was hailed he went astern.

Captain James: Didn't you come in again against the light.

Hans Tirrell, of the Avonmouth, said his trawler was a long way ahead of the others, and they endeavoured to pass him.

Captain James pointed out that it was contrary to the dock bye-laws for two or more vessels abreast to enter at the dock gates. It was not for them to determine which trawler had been leading previously.

Mr. Birt said the skipper of the Gloxinia had stated that he was ahead, and the skipper of the Avonmouth said that his vessel was ahead. The statements were directly contradictory, and did away with the question as to which trawler had the right to go in first.

Mr. Evans explained that Hooper who was merely acting as skipper of the Uhdea on that occasion, had gone to sea on another trawler. He would have missed his job if he had attempted to have been present in Court that day.

The magistrates retired to consider their decision.

The Chairman on their return said, as his brother magistrate Mr. Birt had already stated, if any damage were to be caused to the gates it might cripple the trade of the town for months and months. The replacing of those gates would cost £60,000, and therefore the skippers of those boats ought to recognize how very careful it behoved them to be in entering the dock gates. The magistrates were determined to put an end to those offences so far as lay in their power. Each defendant would be fined £5 and costs. Two months was granted in which to pay the money.

 

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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 11th September 1912:

 

    The crisis in the Milford fish trade is the one topic of conversation in the town and port.  The exodus has already commenced, and grave concern is being expressed as to what will be the end of it all.  Of the intentions of Messrs. Sellick, Morley and Price, our readers are fully cognisant, yet there is hope that developments may take place which will be the means of preventing the loss of the entire fleet to Milford.  Much of course depends upon the results of the trading to Fleetwood by the six trawlers which have been transferred.

    The boats which have left for sea during the last few days, and which will run for the next three months to Fleetwood, are the steam trawlers "Teesmouth", "Tacsonia", "Sidmouth", "Uhdea", "Essex" and "Syringa".  Messrs. F. B. Rees and A. Rainbow, manager and salesman, have also left, together with Mr. W. Lewis as shoreman.  The firm have taken offices at Fleetwood, and all arrangements have been completed for the transfer of the business.

 

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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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