Roll of Honour

Hartlepool seafarers lost at sea

Booth, Edward

Rank(s) : Stoker

Address : 10, Dover Street, West Hartlepool

Town/Country of birth : West Hartlepool

Date of birth : 24/4/1893

Date of death : 15/1/1915

Lost on the steam tug HMS Char.

The following information has been compiled by 'Heroism & Heartbreak' Project Volunteer Susan Scott:
Edward Booth was born on April 24th, 1893, at West Hartlepool and was baptised at Burbank Street Methodist Church May 16th, 1893. His parents, William and Margaret Booth (nee Wilson), were living in Dover Street, West Hartlepool at this time.

The 1911 Census shows Edward (now aged 18 and listed as a Tug Boatman), living at No.10, Dover Street, with his parents and five siblings; Margaret Anne (aged 26), Gertrude (24), Mary Jane (21, a Domestic Servant), William (14), and Janette (9). In 1913 William joined the National Union of Railwaymen as a Boatman.

Edward and his father, William Booth, were both lost in the sinking of HMS Char on January 15th, 1915.

Voyages

Stranton - voyage details

Exciting scenes were witnessed at West Hartlepool on the night of May 8^th, when the Swedish barquentine Meda, bound from Vastervik with a cargo of pit-props, broke her tow rope and, drifting towards the south pier, grounded to become a total wreck. The vessel has since been dismantled and her cargo sold.

The tug-boat engaged was the Stranton, belonging to the N.E.R. Company, the crew of which made a gallant effort to throw another rope to the helpless sailing ship. Ere this could be done however, another mishap occurred. The Stranton’s twin propellors coming into contact with some obstacle were almost stripped and rendered useless. It was now the Stranton’s turn to drift and it also stranded, about 600 yards from the Middleton beach. The crews of both vessels were taken off by lifeboat, but a second visit had to be paid to the Stranton before the men could be induced to leave and then they only did so on the advice of Captain Standing, Assistant Dockmaster, who accompanied the lifeboat.

Captain J. Whales of the Stranton elected to remain on board and did so despite the danger. The Hartlepool Life-Saving Brigade took up a position on the Middleton pier and fired a rocket across the ttug-boat but happily their services were not required. The Stranton drifted further on to the beach and when the tide receded next day was left “high and dry”. It has since been refloated and at the time of writing is undergoing repairs at Newcastle.

Journey details and crew

Sailed	Port	Ship name
8/5/1913	Hartlepool	Stranton

16/1/1915	Deal	Stranton

Related items :

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Edward Booth

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