Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, Monday, November 4th, 1878:
COLLISION AT SEA. A WEST HARTLEPOOL BARQUE ABANDONED. Late Saturday or early yesterday morning, a collision occurred about 14 miles south-east of Tynemouth Castle, between the screw steamer Celeste and the barque Penelope, both of West Hartlepool. It appears that the Celeste left the Tyne on Saturday night bound for Genoa, and while proceeding on her course came into collision with the barque Penelope, bound from the Baltic with cargo of timber to Hartlepool. The barque appears to have been so seriously damaged that the master considered it advisable to leave her and get his crew on board the steamer. The Celeste afterwards bore ashore, and about 2 o’clock yesterday morning the crew, nine in number, were taken off by a pilot coble belonging to Robert Chambers, which contained, besides the owner, Daird Young and Jacob Wells, all pilots residing at South Shields. The crew were afterwards landed at Sunderland by the coble. The barque being still afloat when she was abandoned, steamtugs were sent out in quest of her, but whether she sank or has been recovered is not yet known. The Penelope is a vessel of 303 tons register, was built at Sunderland in the year 1849, and was owned by Mr Michael Pennock Lund, West Hartlepool. The Celeste is the property of Mr J. W. S. Manners, Victoria Terrace, West Hartlepool. The cause of the collision has not yet transpired, but we understand the depositions of Captain Booth will be taker, to-day.
The barque Penelope, Captain Booth, belonging to West Hartlepool, was towed into Hartlepool yesterday afternoon at 3 p.m. by the tugs “Great Emperor”, and “North Star”, deal laden, having been in collision with a steamer off the Tyne on Sunday.
J. Manners was in partnership with Prosper Veulles, vice-consul for Spain from 1874, as shipbrokers, coal exporters and general merchants at West Hartlepool under the company name of J. Manners & Co. The partnership was dissolved in March 1877 with John Manners carrying on under the same company name as shipowner, shipbroker and coal exporter.
The company owned four ships throughout its history from 1871. Two were Hartlepool built and the other two were the steamship Greta built in 1873 by J. Softley & Co. South Shields. She was sold in 1877 to Capper, Alexander & Co. West Hartlepool and was then sold on in 1885 to Henry G. Harper & Co, West Hartlepool who in turn sold her in 1893 to owners in Odessa. The other was the steamshipCeleste built in 1875 by Robert Craggs, Middlesbrough. She was sold in 1880 to Capper, Alexander & Co. of West Hartlepool who in turn sold her on in 1885 to owners in Bari.
As shipowners J. Manners & Co. went into liquidation in 1879. John carried on business as a shipbroker until his death in 1891.
Family History:
John William Sanderson Manners was born in 1841 at Norton to parents William and Marianne (nee Prissick) Manners. In 1861 he passed his examination at Sunderland for a second mate’s certificate. John married Elizabeth Mary Dent at Marske-by-the-Sea on 14th August 1872. In 1891 the couple were living at Station Lane, Seaton Carew with their two sons, Ralph, who was born at Seaton Carew in 1877 and Kenneth, who was born near Edinburgh in 1882.
John died aged 49 on 19th July 1891 at Hartlepool. He was interred at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Seaton Carew.
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