Durham City

Official No. 84541; Code Letters WJDP.

The following appeared in "Steam Navigation and its Relation to the Commerce of Canada and the United States", by James Croil (1898), page 190 :
"It is not often that a tidal wave visits the St. Lawrence [River], but in October, 1896, the S.S. Durham City, of the Furness Line, when off Anticosti, was struck by a big wave which carried away her deck-load, including sixty-eight head of cattle and everything movable.  It was only one sea that did the damage, but it made a clean sweep."

Masters: 1882-88 Michael P Lund: 1888-89 D Galbraith: 1890-94 JA Jacobsen: 1895 W Thompson: 1896-97 AL Paterson.

Stockton & Hartlepool Mercury 19 December 1885:

‘Captain P Lund of West Hartlepool-master of the steamship Durham City has received, through the medium of the Board of Trade, a handsome gold watch in recognition of his humane services in behalf of the crew of the water-logged schooner J.G. Ferris of America in August last, the same having been awarded by the President of the United States.’

1 February 1892 from Boston, Massachusetts for London with cattle, a general cargo & a total crew of 31 plus 23 cattlemen Durham City had her rail & ventilators damaged in force 10 WNW winds in the North Atlantic. One life was lost.

Christopher Furness was born at New Stranton, West Hartlepool, in 1852, the youngest of seven children. He became a very astute businessman, and by the age of eighteen was playing a major role in his older brother Thomas’ wholesale grocery business, being made partner in 1872.

In 1882 the two brothers decided to go their separate ways, allowing Thomas to concentrate on the grocery business, while Christopher took over the ownership and management of the four steamships their company was then operating.

This was the beginning of what would eventually become the huge Furness Withy & Co. Ltd. empire. As many books have been written detailing the history of this company, its ships and its many subsidiaries, this section will only feature those ships with direct Hartlepool connections.

Some of the ships that were not built at Hartlepool but owned by Furness are listed below as 'a general history'