Wilster Technical Specification

Peter Otto Eduard Trechmann (Otto) as well as owning a successful cement manufacturing company had shares in sailing vessels from 1859. He purchased his first two steamships, the Emma Trechmann and the Wilster, in 1871. Two of his sons, Otto and Albert, became involved in the shipping business and in 1895 the company became Trechmann Bros. In 1897 the company name changed to Trechmann S.S. Co. Ltd., with the Trechmann brothers as managers. There were other partnerships as can be seen below.

'Notice is hereby given that the partnership heretofore subsisting between us, the undersigned, Robert Hayes Carrick, of Bute Docks, Cardiff, in the county of Glamorgan; Otto Kramer Trechmann, of West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham; Albert Frederick Trechmann, of West Hartlepool aforesaid; and Robert Morton Middleton (the younger), formerly of West Hartlepool aforesaid, but now of Ealing, in the county of Middlesex, carrying on business as Ship and Steamship Owners, Ship and Steamship Managers, Ship and Insurance Brokers, Coal Exporters, and Commission Agents, at Cardiff and Barry Dock, in the county of Glamorgan, and Newport, in the county of Monmouth, under the style of "Trechmann, Carrick & Company," has by mutual consent been dissolved by the retirement of the said Robert Morton Middleton from the said Partnership, as from the 12th day of November, 1897. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said Robert Hayes Carrick, Otto Kramer Trechmann, and Albert Frederick Trechmann, who will continue to carry on the said partnership business of Trechmann, Carrick, and Company" at Cardiff, Barry Dock, and Newport aforesaid. 12th November, 1897.'

'Notice is hereby given that the partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, Otto Kramer Trechmann, Albert Frederick Trechmann, Robert Hayes Carrick and John Edward Moorhead, carrying on business as Ship Brokers and Coal Exporters at Cardiff Barry Dock and Newport under the style or firm of Trechmann, Carrick and Co., has been dissolved by mutual consent as and from 31^st December 1898. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said Otto Kramer Trechmann, Albert Frederick Trechmann and Robert Hayes Carrick who will continue to carry on the said business as heretofore. 14^th January 1899.'

At the beginning of the First World War the company had four steamers. They lost the Hartdale in 1915, the Hudworth in 1916 and the Numina in January 1918. The Kingfield was sold and the company ceased trading in May 1918.

Family History:

Peter Otto Eduard Trechmann (known as Otto) was born at Wilster, Holstein, Germany in 1819. He married Emma Dorothea Wilhelmine (nee Kramer) who was born in Hamburg. They arrived in England between 1841 and 1850 and became British Nationals. Otto never forgot his roots as three of the Trechmann steamers were named Wilster. The couple had eight sons, Charles, Henry, Otto, Albert, Emil, John, Adolphus and Maximillian and two daughters, Amanda and Emma. By 1851 Otto was living with his family at Cliff Terrace, Hartlepool and was listed in the census as a merchant and ship broker. In the 1861 census he was listed as a coal exporter, steam ship owner, cement manufacturer employer of 90 men and in 1871 his profession was listed as a coal exporter, steam ship owner, cement manufacturer employer of 100 men and German Consul for Hartlepool. By 1891 the couple had moved from Cliff Terrace and were living at Norton Lodge, Norton-on-Tees with one of their sons, John, a marine engineer.

Otto died aged 72 at Norton on 17 May 1892 leaving effects of £95,583.

Otto Kramer Trechmann was born at Stockton-on-Tees in July 1854 to parents Peter Otto Eduard and Emma Dorothea Wilhelmine (nee Kramer).  He was married at Kendal on 14 June 1881 to Dora Webster and they had a son and two daughters during their marriage. Otto was appointed German Consul for Hartlepool in 1894 and his brother, Albert, appointed German Vice-Consul.

Otto died aged 63 at Hartlepool on 14 January 1917 leaving effects of £151,078.

Albert Frederick Trechmann was born at on 17th September 1857 to parents Peter Otto Eduard and Emma Dorothea Wilhelmine (nee Kramer). He married Maria Anna Jachmann in Wurtzberg, Germany in 1882. The couple had six sons and four daughters.  In 1891 they were living in Station Lane, Seaton Carew. Albert was the director of five companies, a Justice of the Peace and he was a member of four provincial Philatelic Societies.

Albert died aged 80 at Stockton-on-Tees on 11 December 1937 leaving effects of £104,243. Maria, his widow, died in May 1857 aged 90.

The steamship Wilster approaching Bristol Docks.

The following has been compiled from a number of different sources, in particular www.swiss-ships.ch

On 9 September 1903 the cargo steamer "WILSTER" was launched at the Irvine’s Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Ltd. in West Hartlepool (yard number 133), for  the Trechmann Steam Ship Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool (Trechmann Brothers, managers).

In 1919 the ship was sold to A. M. Sutherland, Newcastle who renamed her Scarpa. On November 18^th, 1920, on a voyage from Barry (Wales) to Sligo (Eire), she stranded on the North Rock, Cloughey Bay, County Down, Northern Ireland, the crew of thrity being rescued by the Cloughey Lifeboat. The ship was abandoned as a total loss, however in April 1921 she was refloated and sold to M.M. Pithis & Co. at Chios, Greece, being renamed Amazon. In 1927 the owning Company became M.M. Pithis & Co. & M.G. Chrussachi.

In 1930 she was sold to another Greek owner, M. Kulukundis, Syra (Atlanticos Steamship Co., London as managers), and renamed Neraida, and sold on again to Petros M. Nomikos Ltd., Praeus, in 1933. In 1938 J. Stephanoupoulos & M.G. Andronicos from Piraeus bought the ship renaming her Anna S (Balkans and Near East Shipping Agency S.A., Piraeus as managers), but was quickly sold on P.S. Antipas, Panama, who renamed her Takis.

The ship was sold in 1940 to the Belgian Société Anonyme de Pont Brulé, Vilvoorde, and renamed Frederic, and was used to carry phosphate from Morocco to Belgium. When Belgium was invaded by the Germans, the ship was in Casablanca, where she remained until the spring 1942.

On 5 May 1942 the foundation for the organisation of transports for the Red Cross at Basle bought the ship and registered her under Swiss flag as Caritas I, being managed by the Swiss Shipping Co. Ltd. at Basle. The Belgian crew sailed the ship from Casablanca to Lisbon for overhaul, however on the way the major part of the crew, including the master, left the ship at Gibraltar to join the British. On 6 June 1942, the Caritas I arrived in Lisbon with only six crew members. It is interesting to note that according to the contract the purchase price was not due to be paid until six months after the end of the war.

The ship sailed on December 24^th, 1942 for Marseilles, but on the way back she suffered an engine breakdown and had to be towed to Almeria for repairs. Altogether the Caritas I undertook twelve voyages in the service of the Red Cross between Philadelphia, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Toulon and Marseilles. On her first voyage to Philadelphia she saved twelve shipwrecked Americans near the Azores.

In Lisbon on August 8^th, 1945, the ship was handed back to her previous Belgian owners, the Société Anonyme de Pont Brulé. On January 1^st, 1947, in the Scheldt, she was in collision with the Dutch steamer Jan Steen, and had to be run aground to prevent her from sinking, one mile East of Vlissingen near the Schoone Waardin. She was under the command of Marcel Henrotin, on a voyage from Ghent to Lisbon with a cargo of phosphate. The following day the ship broke in two and sank. The wreck is still lying at 51°26'32" N 03°37'54" E.