Constance Gallery

Greenock Advertiser, Thursday, February 12^th, 1880:
HARTLEPOOL STEAMER FOUNDERED WITH LOSS LIFE. A telegram from Salcombe, of yesterday’s date, says that Captain Forbes, of the Persian, of Salcombe, from Catacola for Rouen, reports that on Monday at noon, whilst running before a heavy south-west gale and tremendous sea, he sighted a steamer on the starboard bow on her beam ends. He at once altered his course towards her, and found she was the Constance, of Hartlepool, with her ensign down and the men in the rigging waving to them. At 12.30 P.M. the Persian rounded to about a hundred yards to the leeward of her, set double-reefed mainsail, and kept windward of the vessel. He could see all the crew aft on the weather quarter with lifebuoys on, and many other things in their hands. Her lee rail and hatches were under water. At 1.30 a steamer with a black funnel two red bands bore down on the Constance, and hove-to about a mile to windward of her. At 2 P.M. the Constance foundered, and at that time they saw most of the crew on the weather quarter. The steamer then bore down on the wreckage, and picked up two men. The Persian also stood among the wreckage, and sailed about the spot for one hour, but saw nobody in the water.

Northern Echo, Thursday, February 12^th, 1880:
FOUNDERING OF A HARTLEPOOL STEAMER. LOSS OF NEARLY ALL HANDS. Messrs George Pyman and Co., of West Hartlepool, have received a telegram from Mr Cooke, ship agent, Salcombe, in which he says that Captain Forbes, of the screw-steamer Persian, reports seeing the screw-steamer Constance, of West Hartlepool, founder on Monday. Only two of the crew were saved. The Constance was bound from Cardiff to Malta, and left Cardiff on Sunday morning. She was built in 1874 by Messrs Turnbull and Co., of Whitby, and was 1,400 tons dead weight. Hopes are entertained that the remainder of the crew have been picked up. A Press Association telegram from Salcombe, of yesterday's date, says:-" Captain Forbes, of the Persian, of Salcombe, from Catucola for Rouen, reports that on Monday at noon, whilst running before a heavy south-west gale, with a tremendous sea, sighted a steamer on the starboard bow on her beam ends. At once altered my course towards her, and found she was the Constance, of West Hartlepool, with the ensign down, men in the rigging waving to us. At 12.30 p.m. rounded to about 100 yards to leeward of her, set double-reefed mainsail, and kept to wind, the vessel lying very close under the steamer. All the crew were aft on the weather quarter, with lifebuoys on, and many other things in their hands. Her lee rail and hatches were under water. At 1.30 a steamer with black funnel and two red bands bore down on the Constance, and hove to about a mile to windward of her. At 2 p.m. the Constance foundered. Saw most of the crew on the weather quarter. She listed over with her mast in the water and sank. The steamer then bore down on the wreckage, and picked up two men. I also stood among the wreckage, and sailed about the spot for one hour, but saw nobody in the water."

Shields Daily Advertiser, Saturday February 14^th, 1880:
THE FOUNDERING OF THE STEAMER CONSTANCE, OF HARTLEPOOL. SEVEN OF THE CREW SAVED. Yesterday afternoon, Messrs G. Pyman and Co., of West Hartlepool, received a telegram from Bilbao, from Capt. H. Waller, of the ill-fated steamer Constance, which was lost on Monday in the chops of the Channel, under circumstances already reported, containing the welcome news that the captain and six of his crew had been rescued, and landed at Bilbao on Thursday, thus making a total of nine saved out of a crew of 19. The following is a list of the seven above alluded to :—Saved.—H. Waller, London, master; Bernard Noble, West Hartlepool, second officer; J. Smith, boatswain; Geo. Watts, A.B.; Walter Britton, fireman; H. Crozier, do. J. Brett (boy), engineers' steward.
Missing.—W. G. Brennan, Sunderland, first officer; Michael Connor, steward; John Harland, West Hartlepool, A.B.; John Collins, West Hartlepool, seaman; Christian Allhusen, do.; Benjamin Jones, do.; J. A. Denton, Sunderland, chief engineer; Albert Lohbel, second engineer; Richard Jowsey, West Hartlepool, third engineer; John Mackenzie, donkeyman; Richard Dickenson, fireman ; Jacob Olsen, do. Two of these latter were seen to be picked by another vessel.

George Pyman was born in May 1822 in Sandsend, North Yorkshire. He went to sea as an apprentice and by 1843 he was Master of the vessel Nameless.

He married Elizabeth English in 1843 and they had two daughters and seven sons.

In 1850 he left the sea and the family settled in West Hartlepool where he went into partnership with his brother-in-law Francis English, as grocers and ship chandlers. In about 1854 he changed direction and went into partnership with Thomas Scurr as shipbrokers for the local collieries. They owned shares in a number of sailing vessels. Other shareholders included Francis English, John Smurthwaite, Thomas Wood & Ralph Ward Jackson.

Thomas Scurr died in 1861 and George then formed his own company as George Pyman & Co. In 1865 he purchased his first steamship, the George Pyman, and gradually shares in the brigs were sold off. Eventually the company became the largest owners of steamships in the north of the U.K.

In 1873 Thomas Bell of Newcastle joined as a partner in the firm. From 1879 the company opened branches in Hull, Grimsby, Immingham and Glasgow. When George retired in 1882 the Bell family took over the running of the company.

Pyman, Watson & Co. was set up in Cardiff in 1874 by John, one of George’s sons along with Thomas Edward Watson and Francis and Frederick, another two of his sons, set up Pyman Bros. in London in 1903. Some of these companies ships were registered in West Hartlepool.

George was elected a Poor Law Guardian in 1861, an Improvement Commissioner in 1868, and was sitting on the Durham County Bench from 1872. In 1879 he was appointed Vice Consul for Belgium and in 1888 was elected the second Mayor of West Hartlepool. In 1895 he received the honour of being made a Freeman of the Borough. George died in November 1900 at his home, Raithwaite Hall.

There is a wealth of further information in Peter Hogg’s book ‘The Pyman Story’.