Hello,
I'm new to this forum; I wonder if anyone can help me.
I am researching the story of a ship wreck, the wrecking of the Garthpool on Armistice Day in 1929; all the crew survived and enjoyed a bit of an adventure on the islands for several weeks before being shipped home as 'Distressed British Seamen.' My great grandfather, Christopher Bedford Steel, (1907-1943), nick named 'Scuppers' by the crew, was a passenger/apprentice, on board for the experience of the voyage.
So far I have found a lot of articles, references in lots of books, and various documents from ancestry as well as many photos from several contacts.
As well as looking for any more detail about the whole story, from Boa Vista, where they spent a few rough days, to being wined and dined on Sao Vincente, in the town of Mindelo, to being shipped home as distressed British seamen on the steamships Avelona Star and Deseado, I am also looking into each of the crew members stories;
Who they were;
What they experienced; and
What became of them...
I have already got a good idea of several individuals stories (The Captain, passenger Peter Kerr Smiley, Apprentice Tom Oates, Stan Hugill, Shantyman, etc etc and of course my relative, 'Scuppers',) but I'm always discovering and learning more.
Here is a full list of the crew>> you never know, maybe one of your relatives is here;
David Thomson, 1866-1949, of Anstruther, Fife; Captain of the Garthpool 1926-29; AKA 'Old man' (I have been in contact with his grandson)
Thomas William Loades, 1860-1933, of Kingsbridge Devon; Chief Mate; an old shellback
(Still working on his tree/story)
Stanley Butcher, 1905-(not sure exactly when he died), of Hull; 2nd Mate;
Lester Newman, 1901-1977, not sure where from; 3rd Mate (I was in contact with a grandson of his)
William Chenoweth, 1884-?, of Aberdeen Scotland; Bo'sun (work in progress; he was on one of the Artic voyages in 'Scot's Discovery in about the 1900's I think)
Emile Louis, 1861-1940, of Mauritius; Cook; Nick named 'Doe' (was married to English woman Rose A (surname unknown); they had a son, born in Hong Kong in 1917, they lived in Liverpool, Emile died in Liverpool but I don't know what became of Rose...)
John Mcpherson, 1884-?, of Aberdeen; Shipwright/carpenter; nick name 'Chips' (I know very little about him)
Edward James Smith, 1912-?, of Port Adelaide; Sailmaker, nick name Sails; son of Walter Thomas Smith, lighthouse keeper of Point Lowly, Spencer Gulf, Australia circa1890's-1903
(There are some great clues here so I'm hopeful an Aussie relative may get in touch?)
Stanley James Hugill, 1906-1993, of Hoylake, Cheshire; A.B. & shantyman;
Christopher Bedford Steel, 1907-1943, of Farnborough, Hants; Passenger/Apprentice; nick named 'Scuppers' by the crew; I am his great grand daughter
Thomas Herbert Beveridge Oates, 1910-1941, b.South Africa, lived in Dover; Apprentice
(I have found some great details out about this romantic soul; he wrote at length to a sweet heart in the late 1930's, Elizabeth Eadie; I'd love to hear from Oates relatives; but he had no children)
Timothy James 'Toddy' O'Sullivan, 1907-after 1970, of Waterville, Co.Kerry, Ireland also lived in Co. Cork; Apprentice; went on to become a successful hotelier, running the Gresham in Dublin from the 1940's through the 1960's (I have been in contact with his grandson)
Robert G. B. Harrison, 1911-1942, of Newport, Mon, Wales; Apprentice; wife Enid Y Evans, (Some great clues/work in progress ((WIP)))
Henry Walsworth Kinney(2), 1910-1989, of Hawaii; Apprentice; son of HW Kinney, writer; His son is the 3rd HW Kinney, lawyer in New Orleans (I was in contact with his grandson; aiming to re connect)
Felix Rolph Mines, 1912-?, of Chesterton, Cambridge; Apprentice; emigrated to Australia
(I'm in contact with his niece)
William Norman Basson, 1912-1980, of Hemel Hempstead, Herts; Apprentice (WIP)
Edward Ernest Fenwick, 1914-?, of Hull; Apprentice (I have notes on his family tree; I know he ended up in Singapore by 1978, then Captain of the Rajah Brooke)
William Austin Willis, 1914-?, of Bangor, Co Down, Ireland; Apprentice (WIP)
George Collas Hocart, 1908-?, pf Guernsey, Channel Isles; Seaman (WIP)
Charles Dowman (possibley Charles Darby Allen Dowman); 1905-1997?; of Cork; Seaman; wife Rosemary (WIP)
James Alfred McBrearty, 1909-1977, of West Derby, Lanc; Seaman; later Captain and 'Cape Horner' (WIP)
Edward Vyvyan N Fuller, 1907-?, of Liskeard/lived at Withial Rectory House; Seaman; father Vicar of Withial early 20th century (WIP)
Charles McLelland, 1904-?, of Belfast; Seaman (I know very little)
Archibald McVeigh, 1907-1982, of Belfast; seaman (WIP)
Albert McMillan, 1887-?, of Argyle; seaman (Very little known)
William Joss, 1869-?, of Aberdeen; seaman (Very Little/WIP)
William Joseph Reeds, 1902-?, lived at Sailors Home Liverpool but I don't know where he was from; seaman (WIP)
Arthur Edward Pearson, 1908-?, of Hull; seaman; possibley one of the 'Hull Pilots' getting certificate (Also Fenwick/Allman possibley one of them Hull pilot too) (Great clues here...)
Charles Edward Allman, 1908-1972, of Sculcoates(I think born Hull); seaman (cluess....)
William Taylor, 1910-?, of Liverpool (grew up at 10 Neil Street); seaman (I am sketching his tree; he lived at 10 Neil Street, Liverpool with is family, who had lived there from at least 1911 or earlier through to 1929 and maybe onwards)
William McPherson Hutton, 1876-?, of Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland; Purser; enginner and later at 'Cape Horner' as he sailed on the Viking in 1934, kept a diary and wrote a book 'Cape Horn Passage' where he mentions runiting with fellow passenger, Pazolt...(No idea where he died but I don't think it was in the UK given his travels...great clues here...)
Peter Kerr Smiley, 1879-1943, born Paisley, Scotland but family Irish; Major in Boar War; MP for Antrim North circa 1908-1911; purser on Garthpool (I have met his grandson)
Alfred James Pazolt, 1876-1956, of Boston, USA; purser twice on Garthpool; Artist and wrote two articles on his Garthpool experiences (I have some great notes on Pazolts history but more most welcome)
Jean Gloro, 1898-?, French Canadian (not exactly sure); seaman; in Pazolt's account, 'the frenchman' or 'Frenchy' was a thief; Captain Thomson found some money and other things were mising and they caught the frenchman but he got away once and was chased and caught again; he appears seperately from the crew on the return voyage, I reckon he was in the brig or something like that...(Tricky one this; any French researchers help most appreciated)
Any information, help and advice would be most appreciated,
Thanks,
Take Care,
Bye for now,
Jessica S. Fox
Do email me at (I've written it out to avoid phising, scams, etc)
Email removed - please PM Jessica, or reply on this thread.
Thanks
I'm new to this forum; I wonder if anyone can help me.
I am researching the story of a ship wreck, the wrecking of the Garthpool on Armistice Day in 1929; all the crew survived and enjoyed a bit of an adventure on the islands for several weeks before being shipped home as 'Distressed British Seamen.' My great grandfather, Christopher Bedford Steel, (1907-1943), nick named 'Scuppers' by the crew, was a passenger/apprentice, on board for the experience of the voyage.
So far I have found a lot of articles, references in lots of books, and various documents from ancestry as well as many photos from several contacts.
As well as looking for any more detail about the whole story, from Boa Vista, where they spent a few rough days, to being wined and dined on Sao Vincente, in the town of Mindelo, to being shipped home as distressed British seamen on the steamships Avelona Star and Deseado, I am also looking into each of the crew members stories;
Who they were;
What they experienced; and
What became of them...
I have already got a good idea of several individuals stories (The Captain, passenger Peter Kerr Smiley, Apprentice Tom Oates, Stan Hugill, Shantyman, etc etc and of course my relative, 'Scuppers',) but I'm always discovering and learning more.
Here is a full list of the crew>> you never know, maybe one of your relatives is here;
David Thomson, 1866-1949, of Anstruther, Fife; Captain of the Garthpool 1926-29; AKA 'Old man' (I have been in contact with his grandson)
Thomas William Loades, 1860-1933, of Kingsbridge Devon; Chief Mate; an old shellback
(Still working on his tree/story)
Stanley Butcher, 1905-(not sure exactly when he died), of Hull; 2nd Mate;
Lester Newman, 1901-1977, not sure where from; 3rd Mate (I was in contact with a grandson of his)
William Chenoweth, 1884-?, of Aberdeen Scotland; Bo'sun (work in progress; he was on one of the Artic voyages in 'Scot's Discovery in about the 1900's I think)
Emile Louis, 1861-1940, of Mauritius; Cook; Nick named 'Doe' (was married to English woman Rose A (surname unknown); they had a son, born in Hong Kong in 1917, they lived in Liverpool, Emile died in Liverpool but I don't know what became of Rose...)
John Mcpherson, 1884-?, of Aberdeen; Shipwright/carpenter; nick name 'Chips' (I know very little about him)
Edward James Smith, 1912-?, of Port Adelaide; Sailmaker, nick name Sails; son of Walter Thomas Smith, lighthouse keeper of Point Lowly, Spencer Gulf, Australia circa1890's-1903
(There are some great clues here so I'm hopeful an Aussie relative may get in touch?)
Stanley James Hugill, 1906-1993, of Hoylake, Cheshire; A.B. & shantyman;
Christopher Bedford Steel, 1907-1943, of Farnborough, Hants; Passenger/Apprentice; nick named 'Scuppers' by the crew; I am his great grand daughter
Thomas Herbert Beveridge Oates, 1910-1941, b.South Africa, lived in Dover; Apprentice
(I have found some great details out about this romantic soul; he wrote at length to a sweet heart in the late 1930's, Elizabeth Eadie; I'd love to hear from Oates relatives; but he had no children)
Timothy James 'Toddy' O'Sullivan, 1907-after 1970, of Waterville, Co.Kerry, Ireland also lived in Co. Cork; Apprentice; went on to become a successful hotelier, running the Gresham in Dublin from the 1940's through the 1960's (I have been in contact with his grandson)
Robert G. B. Harrison, 1911-1942, of Newport, Mon, Wales; Apprentice; wife Enid Y Evans, (Some great clues/work in progress ((WIP)))
Henry Walsworth Kinney(2), 1910-1989, of Hawaii; Apprentice; son of HW Kinney, writer; His son is the 3rd HW Kinney, lawyer in New Orleans (I was in contact with his grandson; aiming to re connect)
Felix Rolph Mines, 1912-?, of Chesterton, Cambridge; Apprentice; emigrated to Australia
(I'm in contact with his niece)
William Norman Basson, 1912-1980, of Hemel Hempstead, Herts; Apprentice (WIP)
Edward Ernest Fenwick, 1914-?, of Hull; Apprentice (I have notes on his family tree; I know he ended up in Singapore by 1978, then Captain of the Rajah Brooke)
William Austin Willis, 1914-?, of Bangor, Co Down, Ireland; Apprentice (WIP)
George Collas Hocart, 1908-?, pf Guernsey, Channel Isles; Seaman (WIP)
Charles Dowman (possibley Charles Darby Allen Dowman); 1905-1997?; of Cork; Seaman; wife Rosemary (WIP)
James Alfred McBrearty, 1909-1977, of West Derby, Lanc; Seaman; later Captain and 'Cape Horner' (WIP)
Edward Vyvyan N Fuller, 1907-?, of Liskeard/lived at Withial Rectory House; Seaman; father Vicar of Withial early 20th century (WIP)
Charles McLelland, 1904-?, of Belfast; Seaman (I know very little)
Archibald McVeigh, 1907-1982, of Belfast; seaman (WIP)
Albert McMillan, 1887-?, of Argyle; seaman (Very little known)
William Joss, 1869-?, of Aberdeen; seaman (Very Little/WIP)
William Joseph Reeds, 1902-?, lived at Sailors Home Liverpool but I don't know where he was from; seaman (WIP)
Arthur Edward Pearson, 1908-?, of Hull; seaman; possibley one of the 'Hull Pilots' getting certificate (Also Fenwick/Allman possibley one of them Hull pilot too) (Great clues here...)
Charles Edward Allman, 1908-1972, of Sculcoates(I think born Hull); seaman (cluess....)
William Taylor, 1910-?, of Liverpool (grew up at 10 Neil Street); seaman (I am sketching his tree; he lived at 10 Neil Street, Liverpool with is family, who had lived there from at least 1911 or earlier through to 1929 and maybe onwards)
William McPherson Hutton, 1876-?, of Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland; Purser; enginner and later at 'Cape Horner' as he sailed on the Viking in 1934, kept a diary and wrote a book 'Cape Horn Passage' where he mentions runiting with fellow passenger, Pazolt...(No idea where he died but I don't think it was in the UK given his travels...great clues here...)
Peter Kerr Smiley, 1879-1943, born Paisley, Scotland but family Irish; Major in Boar War; MP for Antrim North circa 1908-1911; purser on Garthpool (I have met his grandson)
Alfred James Pazolt, 1876-1956, of Boston, USA; purser twice on Garthpool; Artist and wrote two articles on his Garthpool experiences (I have some great notes on Pazolts history but more most welcome)
Jean Gloro, 1898-?, French Canadian (not exactly sure); seaman; in Pazolt's account, 'the frenchman' or 'Frenchy' was a thief; Captain Thomson found some money and other things were mising and they caught the frenchman but he got away once and was chased and caught again; he appears seperately from the crew on the return voyage, I reckon he was in the brig or something like that...(Tricky one this; any French researchers help most appreciated)
Any information, help and advice would be most appreciated,
Thanks,
Take Care,
Bye for now,
Jessica S. Fox
Do email me at (I've written it out to avoid phising, scams, etc)
Email removed - please PM Jessica, or reply on this thread.
Thanks
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