SS Lilly and the Mermaid

[marysma]

Hi all,
          searching Master and Mate records on Ancestry I found this relating to my G,Grandfather Charles Horne.(sorry cant do a link).

by the foundering of the scho Mermaid of Banff,being ran down by SS Lilly Dale? of S,S, on the 28th Inst? by which I lost all my effects.The said certificate was issued at Cardiff in 92 0r 93,but I cannot remember the number as all my papers are lost.

Charles was applying for his Masters Competency Cerificate.The date was  30th November 1903 and it was re-issued  Jan 1904.
Would this accident been reported anywhere?. He served as a Mate on the Mermaid from 15/11/03--28/11/03.
Also looking at his records I am puzzled why he would have gone from being a Master in 1902 then Steward in 1903.

Thanks in advance.
marysma

[seaweed]

Identifying these vessels is problematic. The only MERMAID I can find which comes near is one registered in Aberdeen, built 1871 in Peterhead. Her registry was closed in 1903. Official number 65348.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_aq=65348&_ep=&_or1=&_or2=&_or3=&_nq1=&_nq2=&_nq3=&_sd=&_ed=&_col=0&_sw=ref&_cr1=BT+110&_cr2=&_cr3=&_ps=15&_ro=any&_rd=&_rsd=&_red=&_fr=&_st=adv


The only LILLY DALE's I can find are all sailing vessels registered in Eastern Canada.


 I cannot find anything about the collision. Is there any chance you could attach the relevent part of the page from ancestry? If we can find out the name of the other vessel involved, then there may be a chance of finding some details. It would not have been that unusual for Master to take a job as a Steward.

Have you got a certificate number for Charles?

[marysma]

Hi Seaweed,

                    thanks for your reply. Charles's certificate number is 019693.
Here is the attachment(I hope).

Regards.
marysma

[marysma]

Oops--hope you can read that Seaweed. Did not turn out that but dont know any other way of attaching it

marysma

[seaweed]

OK thanks for posting the attachment.
As suspected the MERMAID o/n 65348 seems to be the vessel. She  changed  Port Registry to Banff some time between 1900 and 1903. Owned by Robert Reid, Low St. Buckie, Banff.
Her logbooks and crew agreements for 1903 are stored in MUN and these may give some clues as to what happened.
http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcombinedcrews.php?Official_No=65348
It may also be worthwhile contacting Banffshire Maritime and Heritage Association
http://www.banffshiremaritime.org.uk/index.php/contact-us.
Also local newspapers may be a source.
The vessels registration documents are available from here
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C10134591
Unless you have this already.
If he was Master,Lloyds Captains Register, available from London Metropolitan Archives and I understand MUN, may have details of his sea going career.

A LITTLE MORE

The Aberdeen Journal 17/Feb/1903 reported that the Schooner MERMAID  67 registered tons had been sold privately by the harbormaster at Macduff Captain Wilson to Robert Reid of Buckie for £240 pounds. The vessel was formally owned by Aberdeen Lime Company.

The same publication of 31/Nov/1903 reported
"Schooner MERMAID, belonging Banff, was lost in the North Sea Friday at midnight after a collision ,with the trawler LILYDALE . The MERMAID was coal laden and bound for the Moray Firth, when the trawler collided with her, damaging her bow and she sank almost immediately. The crew launched a boat and were picked up by the LILYDALE"

The LILYDALE o/n 109907 128 tons built in 1899 by Clealands Wallsend on Tyne and owned by J Reed and sons  Port number SN38 (Shields North) she was sunk by the German Submarine U-10 on 28/Apr/1915 37 miles east of St. Abbs Head.

[marysma]

Thanks seaweed--great information as usual  . Charles and crew were very lucky to have got away with their lives from that!!

Regards.
marysma