Commodore

Official No. 26447: Code Letters PLFC.

Owners: 1838 Hartlepool Union Shipping Co, Stockton-on-Tees; March 1853 Thomas Cookson (North Shields) Hartlepool; December 1853 Henry Mayors, South Shields; April 1864 Henry, John, Jane and Mary Mayors, South Shields; March 1868 John Mayors, South Shields; October 1872 Charles Weatherburn, Arthur Bilbrough (London) and William Tose, South Shields; May 1873 Arthur Bilbrough, William Tose and Thomas Armstrong (Newcastle-on-Tyne) South Shields; 1875 Charles Weatherburn, Thomas Goldfinch (Whitstable) & Co.   

Masters: October 1838 William Curry; 1848-52 J Low; May 1853 Charles Edward Brown; December 1853 Joseph Worthington; March 1854-66 George Vallack (b. 1818 Devon); 1875 Richard Sanpher (C.N. 91714).

Insured with Hartlepool Mutual Marine Association in 1854-55.

Commodore sailed from the Tyne on 23 February 1875 bound for London with a cargo of 400 tons of coal & a crew of seven. She went ashore at Blacktail Spit at the mouth of the River Thames on 8 March 1875 & was refloated on 16 March and towed to Gravesend to be broken up at Faversham the same year. The master was reprimanded for his error in judgement.

Although formed in 1838 with a capital of £46,770 some of her vessels were purchased in 1837. This would probably have been at the latter end of the year. The Company went into liquidation in 1845.

The Hartlepool Union Shipping Company "was established for the purpose of purchasing or building ships or vessels, to be employed in the coal or other trades, from Hartlepool or other ports and places, as the committee may order and direct." 

The vessels were registered in the names of six of the co-partners as trustees. They were: George Blakelock; Cuthbert Sharp (historian & shipowner, Hartlepool); Thomas Rowell (bank agent, Hartlepool); William Lisle (miller of Middleton-mills, Hartlepool); George Peacock (farmer Stockton-on-Tees); Ralph Walker (farmer, Stranton) & Stephen Horner.

The committee for the first year was formed of the following: John Burrell; John Wood; Robert Henry Allan (solicitor); George Blakelock; Percival Forster; Cuthbert Sharp; John Wells; William Lisle; William Walden; Stephen Horner; George Sheraton; James Findlay; William Sotheran; Thomas Rowell & John Sharp.

Fleet list (giving life and cost of vessel):

Agility 1834-1871 £1800

Albatross 1837-1864 £2285

Ann Emma 1838-1859 £2800

Anne Maria 1829-1850 £1850

City of Durham 1838-1843 £2900

Commodore 1838-1875

Eliza Liddle 1834-1847 £2500

Friendship 1837-1871 £2360

Gipsy 1837-1863 £2500

Harmonious 1837-1858 £2560

Hart 1838-1870 £2450

Hope 1834-1879

Isabella Wood 1840-1853

John Burrell 1838-1852 £2700

Margarets 1837-1875 £2950

Queen 1837-1865 £2650

Rosa 1837-1866 £2400

Saladin 1838-1845

Thomas Wood 1838-1852

Union 1838-1840 £3050

William Broderick 1836-1868 £2500