Thalia Gallery

Arthur Gladstone and John Cornforth formed their company in 1880.When John died the company continued under Gladstone & Co. They ceased trading after they lost their last two steamers to enemy fire in 1917.

Family History:

Arthur Gladstone was born at Poplar, London on 26^th September 1852 to parents Samuel Palmer and Sarah (nee Richardson) Gladstone. His father worked as a Lloyd’s shipping surveyor. The family came to the North-East in 1853. Arthur’s first employment was for Robert Irvine & Co.  In 1875 he established the successful Vulcan Rivet Works at Stockton-on-Tees and commenced ship owning in 1880. Arthur purchased the iron works in 1881 from Jonathan Backhouse & Co. Matthew Gray joined him as a partner and the works converted from iron to steel making when steel began being used in shipbuilding. The works were eventually taken over by the South Durham Steel & Iron Co. Ltd. In 1906 Arthur moved his offices from West Hartlepool to Middlesbrough when he acquired the Grosmont  Ironstone Mines along with Arthur John Dorman.

Arthur married Ann Nicholson at York on 14^th July 1880. In the 1881 census the couple were living at No. 1 Lorne Terrace, Stockton-on-Tees with Arthur listed as a rivet maker and metal broker. In 1891 the couple and their six children were living at Station Lane, Seaton Carew with Arthur now listed in the census as a shipowner. By 1901 the family were living at Stockton-on-Tees and in 1911 the couple, with three of their children, had moved to ‘The Hollins’ Grosmont, Yorkshire

Two of their sons, Samuel Palmer and Ronald Murray, were in the army. Samuel reached the rank of captain and Ronald reached the rank of major. Another son, Frederick Charles, was a surgeon in the navy.

Arthur died aged 64 at Grosmont, Yorkshire on 14^th February 1916 leaving effects of £104,110.

John Cornforth was born at Hartlepool in 1837. His mother, Dorothy, was a widow before 1841.  John married Mary Ann Hodgson at Hartlepool in 1862. Mary Ann died aged just 35 in January 1880 and by the 1881 census John was listed as a marine engineer living at Catherine Street, Hartlepool with one of his sons, John, and daughter, Dorothy. His other son, George, was at boarding school. By 1891 the family were living at Raglan Place, Stranton and John was listed as a shipowner.

John died aged 58 of blood poisoning at Cambridge Road, West Hartlepool on 27^th December 1895 leaving effects of £20,480.

George Cornforth was born at Hartlepool in 1867 to parents John and Mary Ann (nee Hodgson). He completed his education at Durham College and commenced his career with Murrell & Yeoman then spent two years with Watt, Moon & Co. shipbrokers of London. In 1890 he returned to West Hartlepool and joined Gladstone & Cornforth as managing clerk. On the death of his father in 1895 he became a partner in the company. George married Lillie Bowden Rooke at Hartlepool on 6^th September 1893. For the short time they were married the couple lived at ‘Grange House’, West Hartlepool

George died aged 30 at Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire while on a pleasure trip on 5^th January 1898 leaving effects of £9,365.

Official No. 89451: Code Letters JCGB.

Owners: 1883 A. Gladstone & J. Cornforth, West Hartlepool

Masters: 1883-89 E Fleetham: 1890 George Sealey.

On a voyage from Savannah to Reval with a cargo of cotton and a crew of 22 Thalia was wrecked on Revalstone Rock, near Reval on 15 January 1890.

Thalia set out on 27 December 1889 from Savannah bound for Reval in Finland with a cargo of about 4,900 bales of cotton & a total crew of 22. As they neared Reval on Tuesday 14 January 1890 visibility was poor with rain & flurries of snow. At about 2am on Wednesday the weather cleared a little & the master saw what he thought was a beam from the Reval Stone Lighthouse so he gave orders to steer the vessel in that direction. As they came nearer he realised he was mistaking as this was a single light & the Reval Light had a double beam. Because he was unsure of his position the master decided to lay to & wait for daylight. The engines were stopped & restarted at about 5am but, almost immediately, Thalia struck upon Reval Stone Rocks & quickly began filling with water. Only one of the two ship’s lifeboats was provisioned & this was occupied by the chief officer, engineers & seaman. The second boat contained the master, the 2nd officer, the steward & nine other men. The wind & sea were high & soon one of the boats fell behind & was lost from the sight of the master & his men. All night the sea washed over the boat & the men took turns to bail out the water to keep afloat. At daybreak they headed again for land & although cold, wet & hungry the men succeeded in getting within close reach of an island which was just off the coast of Finland. The lighthouse they had seen proved to be the Kotskar as the Reval Stone Light was only in use from May to November. Two boys & an old man came out in a boat & led them to a harbour with a lighthouse where they landed safely but all had to be assisted to disembark as their legs & feet were swollen due to the extreme cold. They were cared for by the officials of the lighthouse & the following morning, under the guidance of a lighthouse keeper, they reached the mainland. Eventually they made their way to St Petersburg where they were put on a steamer for Hull. 10 lives lost.

Crew January 1890:

Andersen, Sivert, able seaman

Coverdale, Edward, 2^nd engineer

Crawley, Robert, 2^nd officer

Hill, George, able seaman

Peel, Alexander, chief engineer

Sealey, George, master’s son

Stockman, James Smith, chief officer

Taylor, Thomas, able seaman