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Verax - a general history

Launched on 7th November, 1889, by Miss Liddell of London, and completed in January 1890. Official No. 97382: Code Letters LMWB.

Owners: 1890 G. Horsley & Son, West Hartlepool: 1900 Horsley Line Ltd. (M.H. Horsley) West Hartlepool: 1905 Joseph Hoult, Liverpool-renamed Bengar: 1907 Steam Transport Co. (Joseph Hoult) Liverpool.

Masters: 1890-92 W. Louttit: 1893-98 R.G. McDowall: 1899-1904 W. Robson: 1904 C.H. Stevens: 1906-09 S.H. Hill.

On 12th July, 1904, the Verax was involved in a collision in the St. Lawrence River with the Donaldson line ship Athenia whilst on a voyage from Three Rivers to Miramichi New Brunswick in water ballast. The Verax was found at fault & the St. Lawrence Pilot, David Arthur Bouffard was fined $300. The Verax was badly damaged aft of the wheelhouse & was sold ”as she lies in graving dock, together with coals, stores and outfit”. 

Bound from Huelva for Garston, Liverpool, with a cargo of bar copper & ore worth £43,000, the Bengar was wrecked at the entrance to Garston Dock on January 20th, 1909. A large proportion of the cargo was salvaged by divers. No lives were lost.

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