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Sunbeam - a general history

Official No. 29291; Code Letters QFBR.

Owners: 1860 Smithson & Co, Hartlepool; 1862 Smithson & Co, Portsmouth; 17 August 1866 Elizabeth Bedwell (died July 1875 intestate) & Thomas Mortley (died March 1884) Faversham; February 1876 Thomas Bedwell, Faversham; 1894 Thomas Bedwell & William Wood (coal merchant) Faversham; May 1895 William Wood (died October 1897) Faversham; December 1897 James William Wood (engineer), Faversham.

Masters: 1860-66 Smithson; 1870-91 Thomas Mortley.

Miscellaneous: Martin Harvey of Gosport, a young lad, had left his previous vessel to sail on the brand new Sunbeam. At 6pm on 4 October 1860 as she was being launched into the outer harbour she dashed through the water with great speed sending chains & ropes flying out. One of the ropes caught the lad by the foot & dragged him along the deck & into the water. Boats were put off & managed to pick him up but his foot was almost completely severed.

Voyages: 1860-62 Hartlepool coaster; 6 October 1864 put into Portsmouth with damage having been run into while at anchor in Dungeness Bay by the Ann of Shields; January 1877 encountered a heavy gale of the Humber & was badly damaged. She was towed into Grimsby for the sum of £12.10s; 13 September 1902 for Faversham from Seaham with coal struck ground off East Spaniard Buoy causing her rudder to unship & to leak. After temporary repairs she was towed to Sunderland.

Her British register closed on 6 November 1902 when Sunbeam was converted into a hulk.

Crew June 1881:

Attway, Henry, apprentice, 20, Faversham

Cornelius, Stephen, mate, 43, Faversham

Mortley, Henry, ordinary seaman, 20, Faversham

Mortley, John, master mariner, 48, Faversham

Smith, Edward, able seaman, 40, Faversham

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