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Aymestry - a general history

Completed May 1891: Official No. 98508: Code Letters MDGR.

Owners: 1891 Sivewright, Bacon & Co, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1891-98 Edward Wright Crisp (b. 1838 Great Yarmouth C.N. 20397 London 1864).

Crew 1898:

Kendall, Charles; Morgan, James, West Hartlepool (died of dysentery on the outward voyage).

Middlesbrough Daily Gazette, Thursday, July 7th, 1898:
A HARTLEPOOL CREW CAST AWAY. Several of the crew of the Hartlepool steamer Aymestry reached Shields yesterday, after having been wrecked in the Indian Ocean and undergone a remarkable experience. The Aymestry was on a passage from Beira to Rangoon when she was caught in a hurricane and eventually stranded near the island of Juan de Nova. After remaining on board eleven days, with the hope of floating the steamer when there were better tides, Captain Crisp and his men decided to abandon the vessel, and all hands - with the exception of the Second Mate, who remained on the wreck for three days— left the vessel in the boats.

The island of Juan de Nova was reached in safety, and the natives were very hospitable to the shipwrecked people. After the expiration of three days the Second Mate left the wreck after all the available provisions and stores had been saved. On this island the crew of the Aymestry were obliged to stay for 31 days, during which they made many interesting explorations. They were finally shipped on board a schooner, which conveyed them to Port Louis, Mauritius, and they ware afterwards forwarded to their homes in England. The Aymestry was a vessel of 3,002 gross tons register, and was built at Stockton-on-Tees in 1891.

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