Heighington

The following appeared in an issue of the Tees Packet, Journal of the Teesside Branch of the World Ship Society:

Julius Ernst Guthe was born at Leipzig, Saxony, in 1856. He came to West Hartlepool in 1875 and joined the local shipping and coal exporting firm of Cory, Lohden & Co., where he gained invaluable experience.

In 1889 he formed, with Mr. Murdoch, Guthe, Murdoch & Co., shipowners, agents and coal exporters. They purchased the steamships Brunswick, 1389 gross tons, built by W. Pickersgill in 1881, from C. Furness, and the Sara, 1642 gross tons, built by E. Withy in 1883, from W. Hamilton of Glasgow. However, this venture did not last very long, for the company was disbanded and the ships sold the following year.

At this time Mr. Guthe left the country, rumour has it to South America, but he returned in 1892 and formed J.E. Guthe & Co., purchasing the steamship Belair from Cardiff owners. In 1894 he acquired the May, also from Cardiff owners, the Croesus and Cyrus from owners in Sunderland. Christopher Furness sold him the Inchulva in the same year and also held shares in Mr. Guthe’s ships. By the end of 1895 Mr. Guthe had acquired the Agenoria from local owners Rickinsons, and the Harlyn, from London owners. In 1896 he acquired the Heighington, Ashlands and Kirkstall, all from local owners, and had also acquired shares in the Killingworth, owned by J. Sinclair of Church Street, West Hartlepool. 

From 1897 until the Guthe fleet was amalgamated with the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co. to form the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., a succession of newbuildings were added to the fleet. Miss Barbara Guthe launched the Barbara from Furness Withy’s yard and later Miss Annie Guthe launched the Annie from the same shipyard, both girls being daughters of Mr. Guthe. The Edenhall was built by Irvines Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. in 1898, the first ship to be launched after the yard had been extended and modernised. At this time there were two ships building on the Tyne for owners in Spain. Through the intervention and brokerage of of Christopher Furness they were acquired by Mr. Guthe and named Guildhall and Haddonhall. Again, C. Furness took a number of shares in each ship. The Whitehall had been delivered in 1897 by Craig Taylor as a further unit of the fleet.

In 1899 Mr. Guthe’s fleet was amalgamated with that of the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., with Christopher Furness as Chairman of the new company and Mr. Guthe as Managing Director.

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Dublin Daily Express, Tuesday, October 5^th, 1897:
ALLEGED MURDER AT SEA. Dover. Monday. At Dover to-day a boy named Sullivan, of South Shields, was remanded on a charge of fatally shooting Francois Ravalee, fireman of the West Hartlepool steamer Heighington, which arrived at Dover on Saturday. The only witness was a German fireman named Kunz, who said the prisoner on the voyage asked deceased for some beer and cigarette papers. The Frenchman replied that had no beer, and was producing some cigarette papers when Sullivan drew a revolver and fired at him. The witness expressed the opinion that the affair was accidental, as there was no quarrel. At the inquest this afternoon Kunz repeated his belief that the shooting was accidental, and said that Sullivan had always been quiet and amicably disposed. The accused volunteered the statement that he was going to let Ravalee have look at the pistol when it exploded. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned, the Coroner saying he regarded the case as serious.

A copy of a Testmonial letter written for Horace William Thomson when he served as Third Engineer on the West Hartlepool Steam navigation Company's ship Heighington, in 1912. The letter is signed by the ship's Master and Chief Engineer.

Thomas Hudson purchased his first ship, Hudson, in 1878 and went on to found the Hudson Shipping Co. Ltd. which was registered in May 1884. The company was wound up in 1896.

Family History:

Thomas Sharp Hudson was born in 1847 at Sunderland to parents Joseph and Mary (nee Sharp). Between at least 1851 and 1871 he lived with his family at Seaton Carew. In 1871 his occupation was listed as a commercial clerk. By 1889 he was living at Victoria Terrace, Hartlepool.

He was chairman of the Seaton Carew Local Board from 1879 to 1881 and was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Thomas travelled to the U.S.A. in 1881/82 and returned there in 1889. He died at Runnymede, Harper County, Kansas, U.S.A. on 31 January 1890 leaving a personal estate of £1,146.

The West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company (WHSNC), was founded in 1856 by Ralph Ward Jackson and Robinson Watson and was controlled by the West Hartlepool Harbour & Railway Company. The company was primarily engaged in the North-East coal trade, but also operated a twice weekly service to Hamburg, and a fortnightly service to St. Petersburg.

In 1862, a power struggle between “Railway King” George Hudson and Ralph Ward Jackson, effectively resulted in the company being taken over by local shipbuilders Pile, Spence & Co.

When they went bankrupt in 1866, the WHSNC was taken over by Christopher Maling Webster (of Pallion Hall, Sunderland), with Management of the fleet being given to his son-in-law, Captain W.J. Young, who subsequently became a partner. When Captain Young died in 1886, Thomas Barraclough became the company's Manager. Christopher Webster died in 1893, and was succeeded by his son Ernest Alfred.

In 1899, the Company merged with that of J.E. Guthe under the amended name of West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company Limited, (though still referred to as the WHSNC), with Sir Christopher Furness as Chairman, and J.E. Guthe as Managing Director.
Ernest Webster and Thomas Barraclough now formed their own company as Webster & Barraclough.

Over subsequent years, the WHSNC owned or managed more than a hundred different vessels, and although still in existence today, the Company no longer operates ships.
For a more detailed history of the WHSNC, see 'The West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company Limited', by B.G. Spaldin and H.S. Appleyard, published by the World Ship Society in 1980.

Family Histories:

Captain William Joseph Young was born on 2nd September 1828 at Tynemouth, Northumberland to parents Joseph and Phillis Young. He became an attorney in the firm of Young, Harrison & Young of which his father was head. He eventually became Clerk to the Borough Bench of Justices before steering his interests to shipping. William married Mary Frances Webster (daughter of Christopher Maling Webster) at Bishopwearmouth on 24 May 1864. The couple had five children in their ten years of marriage. Mary died in July 1876.

Amongst other achievements William was one of the earliest commanders of the Fourth Durham Artillery Volunteers, a chairman of the Hartlepool Port and Harbour Commissioners and a director of the North Eastern Railway Company from 1882 until his death in 1885.

William died aged 58 on 3 November 1885 at ‘Roseville’ Wolviston leaving effects of £41,423.

Obituary in the Yorkshire Gazette – Saturday 7 November 1885.

We regret to have to announce the death, on Tuesday, at his residence, Wolviston, near Stockton, of W. J. Young, after a lingering illness. The deceased gentleman, who was born in 1826, was a lawyer profession, and succeeded his father, the late Mr Joseph Young, who retired from legal practice at Sunderland, to live at Hartford House, Northumberland, as a country gentleman. Mr William Joseph Young entered early into the firm of which his father was the head—that of Young, Harrison, and Young—and in due time became clerk to the Sunderland magistrates. He married the daughter of C. M. Webster, of Pallion. On the failure of Pile, 'Spence, and Co., Limited, the fleet of steamer's owned by the firm and engaged in the Hamburg, Gothenburg, and other trades, were sold to Messrs. Webster and Young, and Mr Young left Sunderland for the West Hartlepool district, settling at Wolviston. For nearly twenty years Mr Young has been connected with the commerce of West Hartlepool, and has given largely of his time and ability to promote its interests. He was appointed chairman of the Port and Harbour Commission, a magistrate for the county, and representative of the West Hartlepool section at the board of directors of the North-Eastern Railway and only one honour that the Hartlepools could give was denied to him. On the retirement of Mr Thomas Richardson from the representation of the borough, Mr Young became the Conservative candidate, his opponents being (now Sir) Isaac Lothian Bell aud A. Kenealev ; and after an exciting contest Bell was elected.

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Christopher Maling Webster was born at Bishopwearmouth on 17^th May 1812 to parents Rowland and Mary (nee Maling) Webster. He was married at Bishopwearmouth on 14^th August 1839 to Mary Laing. (Daughter of James Laing, Sunderland shipbuilder)  They had ten children during their 22 years of marriage.

Christopher died aged 82 at Sunderland on 7 August 1894 leaving effects of £258,019.

Obituary in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette  - Wednesday 8 August 1894.

We regret to announce the death of Mr Christopher Maling Webster, J.P., of Pallion Hall, which took place at a quarter seven o'clock last night at the advanced age of 82. Deceased enjoyed remarkably good health up to the last two or three years, and never became seriously ill until about three weeks ago, when the natural decay consequent  on old age manifested itself, and resulted in his death. During his illness was constantly attended by Dr Maling and Dr Robinson, and everything that medical skill could suggest to prolong life was taken advantage of.  The deceased, who was the son of the late Rowland Webster, and, on his mother's side, descended from the same family as the Burdons of Castle Eden, was formerly in business in Sunderland as a wire rope manufacturer at Deptford, when he amassed a considerable fortune.  He retired many years ago and the business is now conducted by his two nephews, Mr Webster, J.P., and Mr Herbert Webster who are the sons of the deceased’s late brother, Mr Henry Robert Webster.  He married a sister of Mr James Laing, J.P., D.L., and had a family of ten children, of whom three sons and four daughters survive him.  His eldest daughter married the late Mr W.J. Young, formerly a solicitor in Sunderland and borough justices' clerk. Both of them died some years ago. The late Mr Webster was one of the oldest J.P.’s for the county of Durham, having been appointed on the 3^rd of February 1855, and we believe that only one other county magistrate now living (Mr Pemberton) was appointed prior to that date. His chief activity in public affairs was centred on the operations of the River Wear 'Commission, to which body he was elected as a representative of the landowners on the 16th November, 1842. He took a conspicuous part in the amalgamation of the docks in 1859, and on the 14^th March1866, was elected chairman of the Commission. This important position he continued to occupy position he continued to occupy till the 11^th March 1868, when he was succeeded by the present chairman, Mr James Laing. Mr Webster still remained a member of that body, and was in periodical attendance at the meetings up till a little over a year ago, when he practically ceased to attend.  For several years he was the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commission, and during an honourable connection with that body he brought to bear upon its deliberations the excellent business ability which had always distinguished him in his own undertakings. Deceased also had not fulfilled any magisterial duties for some years, and, apart from his connection with the River Wear Commission and the magisterial bench, took no active part in public affairs. Though leading the life of a retired gentleman he was much interested in shipping, and was the sole owner of the shipping firm known as the known the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company, All his vessels being registered at Hartlepool. Some years ago he purchased the Pallion estate from the representatives of the late Mr John Goodchild, the well-known Sunderland banker, and has resided there ever since.  He was one of the old-fashioned Whigs, but in the political cleavage of recent years embraced the Unionist creed, though he always called himself a Liberal. However, he at no time took a prominent part in party politics. In religion he was a staunch son of the Church of England. He was well-known throughout the town and district, more especially among the old standards, and was widely respected. His son is Mr C.M. Webster.