Hello,
I wonder if anyone can help me.
I am researching the story of a ship wreck, the wrecking of the Garthpool on Armistice Day in 1929; all the crew survived including my great grandfather, Christopher Bedford Steel, (1907-1943), who was a passenger/apprentice, on board for the experience of the voyage.
I have so far found a lot of articles, references in lots of books, and various documents from ancestry as well as many photos; as well as looking for any more detail about the whole story, from Boa Vista, where they spent a few rough days, to being wined and dined on Sao Vincente, in the town of Mindelo, to being shipped home as distressed British seamen, I am also looking into each of the crew members stories, who they were and what they experienced and what became of them.
I have already got a good idea of several individuals stories (The Captain, passenger Peter Kerr Smiley, Apprentice Tom Oates, Stan Hugill, Shantyman, etc etc) but I'm always discovering and learning more.
Here is a full list of the crew>> you never know, maybe one of your relatives is here;
David Thomson, 1866-1949, of Anstruther, Fife; Captain of the Garthpool 1926-29; AKA 'Old man'
Thomas William Loades, 1860-1933, of Kingsbridge Devon; Chief Mate; an old shellback
Stanley Butcher, 1905-(not sure exactly when he died), of Hull; 2nd Mate; son Anthony
Lester Newman, 1901-1977, not sure where from; 3rd Mate
William Chenoweth, 1884-?, of Aberdeen Scotland; Bo'sun
Emile Louis, 1861-1940, of Mauritius; Cook; Nick named 'Doe'
John Mcpherson, 1884-?, of Aberdeen; Shipwright/carpenter; nick name 'Chips'
Edward James Smith, 1912-?, of Port Adelaide; Sailmaker, nick name Sails; son of Walter Thomas Smith, lighthouse keeper of Point Lowly, Spencer Gulf, Australia circa1890's-1903
Stanley James Hugill, 1906-1993, of Hoylake, Cheshire; A.B. & shantyman; sons Martin and Phillip
Christopher Bedford Steel, 1907-1943, of Farnborough, Hants; Passenger/Apprentice; nick named 'Scuppers' by the crew; I am his great grand daughter
Thomas Herbert Beveridge Oates, 1910-1941, b.South Africa, lived in Dover; Apprentice
Timothy James 'Toddy' O'Sullivan, 1907-after 1970, of Waterville, Co.Kerry, Ireland also lived in Co. Cork; Apprentice; went on to become a successful hotelier, running the Gresham in Dublin from the 1940's through the 1960's
Robert G. B. Harrison, 1911-1942, of Newport, Mon, Wales; Apprentice; wife Enid Y Evans, daughter Pamela, born early 1943
Henry Walsworth Kinney(2), 1910-1989, of Hawaii; Apprentice; son of HW Kinney, writer; His son is the 3rd HW Kinney, lawyer in New Orleans
Felix Rolph Mines, 1912-?, of Chesterton, Cambridge; Apprentice; emigrated to Australia
William Norman Basson, 1912-1980, of Hemel Hempstead, Herts; Apprentice
Edward Ernest Fenwick, 1914-?, of Hull; Apprentice
William Austin Willis, 1914-?, of Bangor, Co Down, Ireland; Apprentice
George Collas Hocart, 1908-?, pf Guernsey, Channel Isles; Seaman
Charles Dowman (possibley Charles Darby Allen Dowman); 1905-1997?; of Cork; Seaman; wife Rosemary
James Alfred McBrearty, 1909-1977, of West Derby, Lanc; Seaman
Edward Vyvyan N Fuller, 1907-?, of Liskeard/lived at Withial Rectory House; Seaman; father Vicar of Withial early 20th century
Charles McLelland, 1904-?, of Belfast; Seaman
Archibald McVeigh, 1907-1982, of Belfast; seaman
Albert McMillan, 1887-?, of Argyle; seaman
William Joss, 1869-?, of Aberdeen; seaman
William Joseph Reeds, 1902-?, lived at Sailors Home Liverpool but I don't know where he was from; seaman
Arthur Edward Pearson, 1908-?, of Hull; seaman; possibley one of the 'Hull Pilots' getting certificate (Also Fenwick/Allman possibley one of them Hull pilot too)
Charles Edward Allman, 1908-1972, of Sculcoates(I think born Hull); seaman
William Taylor, 1910-?, of Liverpool (grew up at 10 Neil Street); seaman
William McPherson Hutton, 1876-?, of Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland; Purser; enginner and later at 'Cape Horner' as he sailed on the Viking in 1934, kept a diary and wrote a book 'Cape Horn Passage' where he mentions runiting with fellow passenger, Pazolt...
Peter Kerr Smiley, 1879-1943, born Paisley, Scotland but family Irish; Major in Boar War; MP for Antrim North circa 1908-1911; purser on Garthpool
Alfred James Pazolt, 1876-1956, of Boston, USA; purser twice on Garthpool; Artist and wrote two articles on his Garthpool experiences
Jean Gloro, 1898-?, French Canadian (not exactly sure); seaman; in Pazolt's account, 'the frenchman' or 'Frenchy' was a thief; Captain Thomson found some money and other things were mising and they caught the frenchman but he got away once and was chased and caught again; he appears seperately from the crew on the return voyage, I reckon he was in the brig or something like that...
Any information would be most appreciated
Thanks
Bye for now
Jessica S. Fox
Moderator Comment: Email address removed in accordance with Rootschat policies to prevent spam and other internet abuses
