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Shotton - a general history

Completed November 1870;  Official No. 65034: Code Letters WQKG.

Owners: 1870 Thomas Appleby, Ropner & Co, West Hartlepool: 1875 R Ropner & Co, West Hartlepool: 1877 Thomas Appleby & Co, West Hartlepool: 1887 JA Waller, Gothenburg–renamed Apollo.

Masters: 1871-73 C. Bowden (C.N. 16757): 1875-76 T Morris: 1877 G Palmer: 1878-82 Spink: 1882-85 George Walton.

27 November 1870 Chief Engineer W.J. Southwell.

On 18 July 1885 Shotton left Hartlepool bound for Flemsburg with a cargo of 1,100 tons of coal & a crew of 17 all told.  On 21 July she arrived off Scioro Island & the master altered the course informing the mate, Frederick Wells, this would take them direct to Reefness. He added that the next point was a reef with a beacon. The master then went below & fell asleep. He was awoken about 2 hours later & informed they had grounded. The cargo was jettisoned & local tugs managed to pull Shotton off. She was patched up by divers at Conenburg Bay & then sailed to Copenhagen to be properly repaired before returning to Hartlepool. The inquiry found the mate guilty of careless navigation & suspended his certificate for 3 months. The master was reprimanded.

Sailed on a voyage from Glasgow on 8 November 1888 for Gothenburg & disappeared.

Crew 1885:

Wells, Frederick-, mate

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