Official No. 72661: Code Letters QRCK.

Owners: 1877 James Groves, William Maclean & Co, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1877 William Howell; 1878-80 HJ Little; 1880-84 William Jefferson.

Bound for Malta with a cargo of grain & a crew of 21 on 16 October 1883 Littlebeck was stranded near Bielosarai Point in the Sea of Azov. She was re-floated with little damage.

Bound from the Danube for Rotterdam with a cargo of grain & a crew of 18 all told, the master’s wife & child, the mate’s wife & a sea pilot Littlebeck was wrecked at the entrance to the River Maas, Holland on 26 October 1884. 14 lives lost.

South Durham Herald 8 November 1884:

‘The boatswain of the SS Littlebeck, who has arrived in West Hartlepool, gives the following account of the disaster; they left Sulina for Rotterdam on 1 October with a cargo of rye & called at Dartmouth & took the master’s wife & child & the mate’s wife on board. All went well until the 26th ult, when about 4am, the tide being nearly high, the weather squally & rain & a whole gale blowing with heavy sea from SWS the ship stranded two miles S of the new waterway approaching Rotterdam. Lights could not then be seen but at 5am a light was seen on the port beam. He also noticed steamers going into the new waterway. It was the mate’s watch & he (the boatswain) had gone below. He did not know the course at 4am when he came on deck. He went to the wheelhouse to put on his oilskins & he immediately heard the order given by the pilot ‘hard a starboard’ He went to the wheel & helped the helmsman. They got the wheel over & he then felt she was ashore. She did not bump heavily & he did not notice how her head lay. All the men in his watch were lost. So far as he knew the compasses were in good order. They had a pole & binnacle. The wheel was hand turned & was on the lower bridge. They had a patent log which worked well. He could not say what it showed at any time. The pilot, a Dutchman, was saved. He (pilot) said he had a cast of the lead at 3.50 & the mate reported nine fathoms to him. The mate confirmed that. After the stranding the engines were reversed full speed. Finding they could not get her off they got the boats ready. The engines were going up to 7am. They could not move her except that she swung a little. They got out the two port boats at 5am & lowered them to the rail. At 5.30 the steamer swung & made the port-side the weather side & the sea breaking aboard carried the boats away & they were lost. They then swung out the starboard lifeboat. The vessel swung that side to the weather & that boat was also carried away. They then passed the only remaining boat, the jolly boat, from the starboard to the port-side ready for launching. About 3pm they lowered the jolly boat which was manned by five hands who were to go ashore for assistance. They watched her as far as they could & then she disappeared. When he got ashore he learned she had been capsized & only one man (Skinner) saved by clinging to the boat. None of the men had lifebelts. All those remaining on board then went into the galley, which, being of iron was the most secure part, & remained there till 6pm at which time he found the vessel had sunk level with the water, the fore & after decks being full. He then made for the rigging & was followed by Knight, Bruce, Nelson, Howell, Wray & the pilot, all of whom were saved. The rest, ten in number, remained in the galley. About nine o’clock he noticed the top of the galley had gone. He could not say when the rest of it went, but it did go, & all the occupants were lost. They clung to the rigging until noon on Monday when they were rescued by the lifeboat from Brielle. Another lifeboat had come on Sunday in tow of a tug & had approached to within ½ mile & then returned. That was about noon; all hands were then aboard. The lifeboat might easily have come & saved them all. This one was from the harbour. There was more sea on Monday, yet the Brielle boat got to them & saved them. The sea & wind both increased after stranding. Those in the rigging had no food or drink whilst there. He (the boatswain) had nothing from 6pm on Saturday night until he was rescued at noon on Monday. He thought the misty rain obscuring the landmarks was the cause of the stranding.’