Roanoke

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'

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Masters: 1908-09 CJ Higgins: 1911 JE McLean: 1915 SW Wilson: 1917 WN Williams.

Voyages: from Melbourne via Newcastle arriving at Sydney, NSW on 11 September 1909.

Crew September 1909: Aliff, Nooroo, tindal, 36, Calcutta; Alla, Foorcan, fireman, 20, Calcutta; Alla, Habeel, trimmer, 30, Calcutta; Alla, Oerasta, trimmer, 17, Calcutta; Allah, Delah, fireman, 25, Calcutta; Allee, Ahamod, serang, 43, Calcutta; Allee, Arfan, fireman, 18, Calcutta; Allee, Barkat, trimmer, 17, Calcutta; Allee, Edrio, oilman, 38, Calcutta; Allee, Endraz, 2nd tindal, 29, Calcutta; Allee, Esrack, 1st tindal, 27, Calcutta; Allee, Furman, fireman, 25, Calcutta; Allee, Irfan, trimmer, 18, Calcutta; Allee, Mabaruck, trimmer, 20, Calcutta; Allee, Mahamed, lascar, 29, Calcutta; Allee, Rackman, donkeyman, 35, Calcutta; Allee, Thazeed, oilman, 23, Calcutta; Allee, Torzan, 2nd donkeyman, 25, Calcutta; Allee, Yacoob, oilman, 36, Calcutta; Anjon, Mahamed, fireman, 25, Calcutta; Barber, CTC, 2nd mate, 24, Kent; Brown, John, chief steward, 40, Glasgow; Bux, Rohim, serang, 35, Calcutta; Cader, Abdoo, seacunny, 30, Calcutta; Cader, Abdool, winchman, 32, Calcutta; Corfield, E, able seaman, 39, Bristol; Cuthbert, GB, 2nd engineer, 35, Port Glasgow; Ebrahim, lascar, 28, Calcutta; Ebrahim, cassab, 32, Calcutta; Eddoo, E, lascar, 25, Calcutta; Fife, James, assistant steward, 24, Manchester; Graham, JR, able seaman, 48, Liverpool; Gunny, Abdool, lascar, 36, Calcutta; Higgins, CJ, master; Meah, Mossy, fireman, 25, Calcutta; McCulloch, J, assistant steward, 22, Barrow; McDonald, W, mate, 31, Glasgow; McIver, Charles, chief engineer, 37, Tyrone; McNeil, Thomas, carpenter, 40, Glasgow; Naim, Abdool, lascar, 25, Calcutta; Roghoo, lascar, 25, Calcutta; Rutherford, RG, 3rd engineer, 20, Almond Bank; Simpkin, ES, 3rd mate, 25, Berry; Stewart, D, able seaman, 24, Glasgow; Stubbs, NN, 4th engineer, 26, Rangoon; Yossein, Alala, fireman, 23, Calcutta.

The Roanoke had been torpedoed and badly damaged on February 11th 1917, when some 4 miles south-east of Aberdeen. The Newcastle Journal of November 16th reported "Mr. Justice Hill, in the Admiralty Court, yesterday awarded £8,345 salvage renumeration to several of His Majesty's ships and sailors from Dundee, for services rendered the steamship Roanoke of West Hartlepool. The Roanoke was worth £95,000 and the total value of the salved property was £153,533. The Roanoke with a general cargo was torpedoed and got very much down by the head. The salvage lasted six days, the Roanoke being taken to the Tay, and eventually to Dundee."

The Dundee, Perth, Forfar and Fife's People's Journal of November 17th added that the ship had been torpedoed while on a voyage from Dundee to New York with a valuable general cargo. Salvage awards were: "Owners' tug Gilroy, Trustees of the Harbour, Dundee, £1,250; Master and crew £500. Owners' tug Joseph Philip, Trustees of the Harbour, Dundee, £375; Master and crew £125, excluding Mr. Gall, Pilot, and Mr. C. Yule, Harbourmaster, with to Mr. Donald Cameron, Dundee, Pilot, £250; James Gall £50, Charles Yule £50, and John Hannay Thompson, General Manager and Engineer, Dundee Harbour, £25."