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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: mazeppa on Monday 06 January 20 12:53 GMT (UK)
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Not sure if this is the correct forum ?
On November 30th 1910 off the No re, a sandbank in the Thames estuary, Gratitude, a vessel under sail, not steam, was run down by cargo vessel SS Lord Stewart.
My ancestor was given as - A B James Strand Spratt 27 from Ramsgate, b Whitstable, drowned at sea.
Does anyone have an idea what sort of vessel Gratitude would have been ?
My initial thought was a fishing boat, but A B ( Able Seaman) leaves me wondering.
Was an incident like this likely to have made any headlines or, was it not that uncommon ?
Mazeppa
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The Dundee Evening Telegraph 30 Nov 1910 says "Shortly after two o'clock this morning the barquentine Gratitude, bound from Shields to Queensborough with a cargo of coal, was run down by a collier off Gravesend." There are more details in this report and there will be others, shipping was big news at the time. Maybe a Board of Trade inquiry into the accident too?
Drosybont
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There is a long report in the Whitstable Times 3rd December.
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The Dundee Evening Telegraph 30 Nov 1910 says "Shortly after two o'clock this morning the barquentine Gratitude, bound from Shields to Queensborough with a cargo of coal, was run down by a collier off Gravesend." There are more details in this report and there will be others, shipping was big news at the time. Maybe a Board of Trade inquiry into the accident too?
Drosybont
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barquentine
Stan
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There were nine British vessels with the name GRATITUDE sailing in 1910. The most likely one, is GRATITUDE official number 67094, registered in Rochester, owned by The Whitstable Shipping Company.(See Wreck Report) She was the only vessel described as a Brigantine. in the 1910 edition of the Mercantile Navy List.
Built in 1875 at Whitstable, registered tonnage 292 tons. (Too large for a Fishing Boat?) Her registry was closed in early 1911.
To be doubly certain, (as your ancestor is mentioned in the list of casualties in the Wreck Report) and out of general interest (the Crew Agreement should give you the name of his previous ship, so you could backtrack via Crew Agreements to find all the vessels he sailed on. The Logbook should give some personal records, NOK. Last place of abode etc.) Her last logbook and Crew Agreement are available from
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2480025
Also her registration documents
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10332197
Wreck Report
https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/SOTON_Documents/Plimsoll/19929.pdf
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Whitstable Times report confirms that the barquentine Gratitude, sunk off The Nore, was owned by the Whitstable Shipping Company.
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Thank you so much for all the replies, far more information/leads than I ever anticipated.
Plenty there to keep me busy.
Sadly James Spratt left a 20yr old widow and a young baby.
Mazeppa