Lowther Range Gallery

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.

The steamship Lowther Range.

Newcastle Journal 26 Oct. 1914
THE STEAMER LOWTHER RANGE. Messrs Furness, Withy and Co., Ltd., managers of the Neptune Steam Navigation Company Ltd., which company owns the steamship Lowther Range, as to which steamer there have been reports the newspapers, state that the Range is on time charter, and recently sailed with a cargo of coal from Newcastle (N.S.W.) to Guaymas (Mexico). The owners have just received a cable from the captain of the vessel, reading as follows:— Esquimalt (Govt.), received 6.1 a.m., Oct. 22.—Stopped by British cruiser Oct. 11; after coaling from cargo, ordered Esquimalt with balance; arrived this afternoon.—Gundry, Master."