Zanzibar Technical Specification

W.H. Wise & Co. was formed with the purchase of their first steamer Woodlark in 1871. The Nellie Wise followed in 1872. The company continued trading until 1902 when their last ship, Bewick, foundered in September of that year.

Family History:

William Henry Wise (senior) was born in London in 1822 and became a banker in Backhouse Bank.  He married Dorothy Shevill in 1847. By 1861 the family had moved to Hartlepool and were living at Stranton, West Hartlepool. William (senior) died at Fern Villas, Stranton on 3 February 1881 aged 59. He left effects of £6,307.

William Henry Wise (junior) was born in 1850 at Darlington to parents William Henry Wise and Dorothy (nee Shevill). He married Alice Clarkson in 1884 at Dewsbury.  On the 1891 census the couple were listed as staying at Yewtree Cottage, St Briavel, Gloucestershire with their son and daughter. By 1901 William and Alice were living in Grange Road, West Hartlepool with their three sons and three daughters and by 1911 the family had moved to Seabank, Falmouth.

William died aged 84 at Mount Hawke near Truro on 27 April 1935 leaving effects of £4,775.

Official No. 72664; Code Letters RBKL

Zanzibar left New York on 11th January 1879 on a voyage for Glasgow and Liverpool with a general cargo & a crew of 30 and was not seen again.

South Durham & Cleveland Mercury, 15th February 1879:
Bound from New York for Glasgow & Liverpool with a general cargo & a crew of 30 all told on 11 January 1879 she disappeared. There are at lengths hopes that this valuable vessel which, with her cargo is worth fully £75,000 may after all be safe. Thursday’s Shipping Gazette contains the telegraphic information that a vessel called the Wanderer had arrived at New York & reports that on 23 January, when in latitude 36N & longitude 55W they passed a vessel, apparently iron, of about 2000 tons burden, under canvas proceeding slowly.

She was flying a flag which bore the letter W in a circle; the same flag as was used by Messrs Wise, her former owners, & like the ZANZIBAR was schooner-rigged-hence the hope that the ship in question was the latter. The ZANZIBAR’S gross tonnage was 2244 tons; her engine power 180 horses (nominal). Her crew were shipped at Liverpool, but two of the engineers resided at West Hartlepool where the steamer was built in 1877 by Messrs Gray & Co.

White, Chief Engineer; Campbell, 2nd Engineer.

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, Friday, March 7^th, 1879:
THE MISSING WEST HARTLEPOOL STEAMER. All hopes are now given up of the arrival of the fine Atlantic steamer Zanzibar, of West Hartlepool, 2,245 tons, which sailed from Boston for Liverpool in the beginning of January, and has not since been heard of. She had on board a full cargo of grain, bacon, and other produce, valued at £30,000. It is supposed that she has foundered during one of the heavy storms which swept the Atlantic in January last, taking down with her the whole of the crew, 30 in number.

ZANZIBAR was posted as missing by Lloyds on 25 March 1879. 

Lives lost January 1879:
Brock, William, 2nd officer
Campbell, George, 2nd engineer, West Hartlepool
Carl, Edward R, 1st officer
James, Charles, 3rd officer
Mackay, Robert, 2nd officer
Page, RO, master
Roberts, Daniel, third engineer
White, chief engineer, West Hartlepool
Winstanley, Elias Joseph, boatswain, 45, Liverpool