Myra Fell

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.

Hessler Shipping Co., was founded in 1901 with the main owner being Jacob Hessler. He had entered into a partnership with Furness, Withy & Co., in that year. The company was later known as the Swift Steam Ship Co. Ltd., then as the Hartlepools Seatonia S.S. Co.

The original Seatonia S.S. Co., directors were J.K.M. Hessler, Victor Nilson, Thomas Fallows Thompson and Wilfred John Atley.

The company managed ships for the M.O.W.T. during WW1.

Family History:

Jacob Kruse Muller Hessler was born on 3 January, 1859 at Skein, Norway to parents Nils Julius Johansen Hessler and Anne Maria Muller. He came to West Hartlepool when he was about twelve years of age and lived with a relative.
He first worked for Groves, Maclean & Co., shipowners then for V. Nilson & Co., timber merchants. In 1881, living at Stranton, Jacob was listed as a shipbroker’s clerk. He married May Bastow in 1883 at Sunderland and they had one daughter born in September 1884.
He remarried at Oslo, Norway in December 1891 to Christiane (Kitty) Johanne Andersen. They had a further five children. By 1891 Jacob had started his own business as a shipbroker and the family were living in Rium Terrace Stranton. He became a naturalised British subject on 10 July, 1899. At that time he was living at Thistlewood, Clifton Avenue, Hartlepool.
By 1901 the family were living at Wooler Avenue, West Hartlepool, with Jacob listed as a shipowner and timber merchant.  In the 1911 census the family were living at Seaton Carew and Jacob was listed as a timber agent.

Jacob was Vice-Consul for Norway for many years and in 1919 was made a Knight of St. Olav in recognition of his services.

Two of their sons were killed during WW1 serving with the Durham Light Infantry. Captain Jacob (Jackie) Kruse Muller Hessler lost his life on 23 March, 1918, aged 21. Captain Jacob Andrew Norman Hessler lost his life on 27 May, 1918, aged 25.

Jacob died at his home, Esk House, Elm Grove, West Hartlepool, on March 22nd, 1938, aged 79.

Official No. 124325: Code Letters HKBJ.

Owners: 1907 Hessler Shipping Co (J Hessler & Co) Sydney,NSW: 1907 Hessler Shipping Co (J Hessler & Co) West Hartlepool: 1917 Globe Shipping Co (Humphries (Cardiff) Ltd ) Cardiff-renamed Glodale: Globe Shipping Co-Alexandrovsk, Russia.

Masters: 1907 RA Seabrook: 1909 Tom Darley: 1915 GT Tornquist: 1917 HA Sperring.

Voyages: sailed regularly from Port Pirie for Sydney in 1909.

Bound from Murmansk, Russia for Bergen with a cargo of munitions Glodale was wrecked off Point Pogan on 1 January 1918.

Crew June 1909:

Darley, Tom, master

Craig, John, fireman, 38, Leith

Craven, James, fireman, 40, Glasgow

Furlong, W, fireman, 30, Ireland

Gourlay, JB, boatswain, 35, Scotland

Farnell, William A, 3^rd mate, 35, England

Hind, JH, steward, 40, Sutton

Jacobs, AJ, 2^nd mate, 35, England

Johanson, C, able seaman, 29, Denmark

Jones, HM, able seaman, 46, New Zealand

Kirk, F, fireman, 35, Sydney

Lonie, H, able seaman, 23, Glasgow

MacAskill, K, able seaman, 19, Scotland

Mallon, T, trimmer, 26, Middlesbrough

Martin, H, cook, 26, Port Adelaide

Nossiter, TW, 1^st engineer, 42, West Hartlepool

O’Brien, J, able seaman, 40, Cleveland

Olsen, H, able seaman, 23, Sweden

Oughtred, A, trimmer, 20, West Hartlepool

Oughtred, T, donkeyman, 53, Stockholm

Raillei, W, able seaman, 45, London

Shore, F, fireman, 18, Sydney

Stenhouse, WJ, 1^st mate, 38, Rangoon

Stock, H, trimmer, 27, Gosford

Thompson, John, fireman, 34, Durham

Wrren, C, 2^nd engineer, 26, Turkey

Wild, TA, 3^rd engineer, 27, Melbourne

Williams, E, assistant steward, 21, Sydney

Crew October 1909:

Blackwell, V, fireman, 21, NSW 

Craven, James, fireman, 40, Glasgow 

Darley, Tom, master

Fitzgibbon, TS, 3rd engineer, 27, Cork 

Furlong, W, fireman, 30, Ireland 

Galleghan, W, ordinary seaman, 18, Newcastle 

Hawkins, WH, 1st mate, 50, Hull 

Hoyle, T, fireman, 38, Liverpool 

Jacob, AG, 2nd mate, 35, Yorkshire 

Johanson, C, able seaman, 29, Denmark 

Jones, HM, able seaman, 46, New Zealand 

Jones, William, fireman, 25, NSW 

Langford, JW, trimmer, 22, Port Augusta 

Lonie, H, able seaman, 23, Glasgow 

MacAskill, K, able seaman, 19, Sscotland 

Macleod, D, 3rd mate, 40, Isle of Skye 

Newman, B, cook, 39, London 

Nossiter, TW, 1st engineer, 42, West Hartlepool 

O'Brien, J, able seaman, 40, Cleveland

Oughtred, A, trimmer, 20, West Hartlepool

Oughtred, F, donkeyman, 53, Stockton-on-Tees

Sexton, J, able seaman, 35, Ireland

Sheriff, D, ordinary seaman, 20, Newcastle

Stock, H, fireman, 27, Gosford

Sturge, G, able seaman, 32, London

Thompson, John, fireman, 34, Durham

Welch, H, 4th engineer, 22, Sydney

Wild, TA, 2nd engineer, 27, Melbourne

Clark, A, passage worker

Crew November 1909:

Blackwell, V, trimmer, 21, NSW

Craven, James, fireman, 42, Glasgow

Cronin, J, able seaman, 38, Queenstown

Darley, Tom, master

Fitzgibbon, T, 3rd engineer, 22, Cork

Furlong, W, fireman, 30, Wexford

Galleghen, W, able seaman, 18, Newcastle

Hawkins, W, 1st mate, 50, Hull

Hoyle, T, fireman, 38, Liverpool

Jacob, A G, 2nd mate, 38, Yorkshire

Johanson, C, able seaman, 27, Denmark

Jones, HM, able seaman/lamp trimmer, 45, London

Jones, W, fireman, 26, NSW

Langford, J, trimmer, 21, South Australia

MacAskill, K, able seaman, 20, Shetland

McMillan, J, able seaman, 30, Glasgow

Oughtred, A, trimmer, 19, West Hartlepool

Oughtred, J, donkeyman, 54, Stockton-on-Tees

Sheriff, C, able seaman, 20, Newcastle

Sinclair, R, 3rd mate, 27, Shetland

Stock, H, fireman, 27, Gosford

Strader, Alfred, able seaman, 37, Rotterdam

Thompson, J, fireman, 35, Durham

Walsh, R, steward, 45, Hale

Warren, C, 1st engineer, 25, Turkey

Welch, H, 4th engineer, 22, Sydney

Wells, B, assistant steward, 19, Sydney

Wild, TA, 2nd engineer, 28, Melbourne

Witherwick, J, cook, 49, London

Crew January 1913:

Adams, C, 3^rd mate, 28, Sydney

Adams, G, greaser, 28, Brisbane

Anderson, T, assistant cook, 19, New Zealand

Beavers, A, 3^rd engineer, 29, Gilford

Brooks, J, chief steward, 23, London

Browning, G, boatswain, 33, Glasgow

Bruin, J, fireman, 25, Dublin

Bukeland, H, ableseaman, 24, Norway

Buxton, W, fireman, 24, London

Camels, R, 4^th engineer, 24, Glasgow

Cornber, W, fireman, 25, Waterford

Eorno, G, fireman, 18, Bootle

Forsyth, J, able seaman, 30, Glasgow

Hawkins, HW, master

Huooy, F, able seaman, 21, New Zealand

Lee, T, able seaman, 35, North Convent Gardens

Lewis, R, able seaman, 29, Dumfries

Lowton, MY, greaser, 26, England

Maclean, A, able seaman, 27, Scotland

Maclean, W, fireman, 20, Ayr

Malon, D, fireman, 34, Limbuck

Miller, A, mess room steward, 16, N.C.

Nolan, J, fireman, 36, North Shields

Parker, F, 1^st mate, 40, Grimsby

Pennell, E, assistant cook, 34, Cornwall

Riding, W, chief engineer, 42, Brisbane

Robertson, J, 2^nd mate, 30, Syke

Shiell, J, greaser, 55, Scotland

St Clair, J, able seaman, 42, Essex

Wild, TA, 2^nd engineer, 31, Victoria

Crew March 1913:

Church, Alfred Thomas, 1^st officer