Commercial 1840-?

Ayres Quay, Sunderland: one deck; three masts; square stern; carvel built wood barque; 335g; 96.0 x 23.9 x 17.9; male bust figurehead; some repairs 1848 & 1851.

Owners: 1843 Hartlepool & Durham Commercial Shipping Co (William Lisle, Abraham Scotson & Thomas Rowell) Hartlepool; 1851 Commercial Shipping Co (William Lisle, William George Jackson, William Kilvington & Robert Henry Jackson, Hartlepool; May 1851 Whealer, Sunderland; May 1854 John Punshon Denton, Hartlepool; 1854 Glasgow.

Masters: 1843 Walter Henderson; November 1849-50 Robert Cummings; May 1851-54 George Yule (b. 1824 Dundee C.N. 2646 Dundee 1850); 1854-55 Leonard.

With the dissolution of the Hartlepool & Durham Shipping Co an auction was held on 15 April 1851 at the Wheat Sheaf Inn at Hartlepool to sell 12 of their vessels including the Commercial.

Voyages: 1847 Hartlepool for London; 26 November 1854 sailed from Crookhaven; May 1855 from St Thomas.

Not on the British Register as Commercial by 1857.

As well as being a shipbuilder John Punshon Denton kept ownership of some of the ships he built and also owned and had shares in ships that were registered but not built in Hartlepool. Records that survive show vessels he at least partly owned from 1839. Some would have been for repair which he would then have sold on.

Other shareholders included: George Denton (John’s brother) Robert Elstob Hutton (master mariner & shipowner); John Elstob Hutton (insurance agent); George Wilkinson; Robert Wilson; Edward Lowden; James Winks; William Gray; Robert Gray; Thomas Rowell (bank agent); Thomas Sanderson (grocer); William Garrick (shipowner); Henry and James Proctor (master mariners); John Meldrum; (sailmaker); Jane Eden; Thomas Appleby; Robert Ropner; George Moon (shipowner, Sunderland); Thomas Belk; Robert Lawson Watson; William Huntingdon & Thomas Bell (Sunderland); Robert & William Ord (Sunderland); Elizabeth Hutton Wilkinson &  John Wilkinson (Craythorne); William Marsingdale Wilkinson (Manchester)

Brief Family Histories of some of the above mentioned shipowners:

George Denton was born on 6th September 1804 at Bishopwearmouth to parents Barbara (nee Punshon) and Richard Copeland Denton. He married Susanna Robinson (daughter of John Robinson) at Great Driffield, Yorkshire on 16^th October 1849 and they had five children:  George Robinson born 16^th August 1852; Arthur Copeland born c1853; Alfred born c1855; Ida Preston born c1857; Ernest born c1859. By 1861 the family were living at St Hilda Street, Hartlepool and by 1871 Victoria Place, Hartlepool.

George died aged 73 at Hartlepool on 30^th December 1877 leaving effects of under £300. His widow, Susanna, died in 1908.

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James Winks was born on 19^th April 1800 at North Shields to parents Margaret (nee Fenwick) and John Winks.  He married Alice Allen at Tynemouth in 1824 and they had one daughter. James was a shipwright and the family lived at Middleton.

James died aged 66 at Hartlepool on 28^th July 1866 leaving effects of under £300. His widow, Alice, died in 1888.

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Edward Lowden (also spelt Lowdon) was born in 1810 at Gosforth, Northumberland to parents Elizabeth (nee Nicholson) and Edward Lowden. He became a butcher and was also a lay-preacher.  By 1851 he was recorded as being a widower and in that year and 1861 he was boarding with James Winks and his wife at Middleton. In 1881 he was retired and living at Hanover Street, Stranton. Alice, James Winks widow, was living with him as a servant.

Edward died aged 78 on 28^th August 1888 at Farndale Terrace, Hartlepool.

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George Moon was born 21^st January 1812 at Sunderland to parents Elizabeth (nee Yule) and Henry Moon. He married Mary Ann Ord at Sunderland in 1842 and they had three daughters. In 1849 the family were living at Marine Terrace, Hartlepool. By 1861 they had moved to Hampstead.

George died age 81 at Windsor on 4^th November 1893 leaving effects of £19,676.

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Thomas Rowell was born c1808 at Weetslade, Northumberland to parents William and Catherine Rowell. He married Elizabeth Rowley and they had one daughter, Catherine, born in 1837. Thomas was a bank agent and was mayor of Hartlepool from 1842 to 1843. In 1851 the couple and their daughter were living at Southgate, Hartlepool with Thomas listed as a landed proprietor.

Thomas died aged 48 on 27^th March 1859 at Sedgewick House, Hartlepool leaving effects of under £100.

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John Meldrum was born on 10^th April 1794 at Sunderland to parents Mary (nee Pearson) and John Meldrum. He became a master sailmaker. John married Margaret White in 1842 at Sunderland and by 1851 the couple were living at Hartlepool.

John died aged 65 on 22^nd November 1859 at Hartlepool leaving effects of under £2,000.

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William Garrick was born on 17^th November 1798 at Orkney, Scotland to parents Margaret (nee Matteson) and John Garrick. He married Elizabeth Porteous on 14^th October 1828 at Sunderland. William became a shipping agent and shipowner.

William died on 1^st December 1847 at Hartlepool.

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Henry Proctor was born on 22^nd July 1822 at Lynn, Norfolk to parents Mary (nee Rudland) and James Proctor. He married Bell Watson on 31^st March 1846 at Bishopwearmouth. Henry first went to sea in 1836 and worked his way up to become a master mariner. He was mate of the Margaret of Hartlepool from 1843 to 1845 and was then master of several Sunderland registered ships.

Henry died aged 49 at Sunderland in 1871.

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Thomas Sanderson was born 21 January 1812 at Sunderland to parents Ann (nee Sandal) and Joseph Sanderson. He went to sea in 1823 as an apprentice and worked his way up to become a master mariner.  Thomas married Margaret Mary Sanderson in 1840 at Sunderland. Margaret died in 1847 and he married for the second time to Mary Wayman in 1854 at South Shields. When Thomas retired he became a grocer and provision Dealer.

Thomas died aged 66 on 24^th December 1878 at Sunderland.

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Joseph Nixon Eden was born 30^th April 1806 at South Shields to parents Jane Nixon and John Eden. He went to sea in 1819 as an apprentice and worked his way up to become a master mariner. Joseph married Jane Rennoldson on 1^st September 1831 at Devon.

Joseph died in 1855 at Stockton leaving his shares in the Voyager of Hartlepool to his widow, Jane Eden.

Originally formed in 1838 with a capital of £50,171 the Company was also known as the Durham and Hartlepool Commercial Shipping Co., and the Commercial Shipping Co. The trustees and main shareholders were Thomas Rowell (bank agent), Abraham Scotson (grocer)and William Lisle (miller of Middleton). Other shareholders included William George Jackson, Robert Henry Jackson, William Thompson and William Kilvington.

The company was dissolved with their twelve vessels going under the hammer at the Wheat Sheaf Inn in Hartlepool on 15 April 1851.

 Family History of Hartlepool Shareholders:

William George Jackson was born at Yarm on 10^th April 1811 to parents Hannah (nee Sollett) and William Jackson. He was married to Mary and had a grocer and druggist business at Hartlepool.

William died aged 78 at Crofter House, Hartlepool on 1^st December 1889 leaving effects of £6,027.

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Robert Henry Jackson was born at Yarm in 1817 to parents Hannah (nee Sollett) and William Jackson. He married Elizabeth Kilvington in 1840. Robert had a grocer and druggist business at Yarm.

Robert died aged 48 at Yarm on 27 December 1865 leaving effects of under £6,000. He was interred at St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Yarm.

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William Thompson was born about 1815 at Dyke House, Hartlepool. He became a farmer of 350 acres at Dyke House and married Frances Jane Dobson at Stockton in 1847. The couple had a son and a daughter. On the 1871 census William had retired and was listed as a gentleman with his son taking over the farm. By 1881 the couple had moved to High Street, Yarm. Jane died aged 68 in 1896.

William died at Yarm aged 66 on 19^th June 1881 leaving effects of £8,628.

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William Kilvington was born in Yarm c1822. He married Charlotte Eleanor Cornforth at Stockton-on-Tees in 1851. By 1861 the couple were living at the Town Wall, Hartlepool with their five children. Charlotte died in 1880. In 1881 William his son, George, and daughter, Elizabeth, were living at No. 6 Thornton Street, West Hartlepool. He was Supt Registrar & Clerk to the Hartlepool Board of Guardians for about 25 years.

William died aged 63 on 16^th March 1885 at 5 Catherine Street, Hartlepool leaving effects of £4,847.

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Abraham Scotson was born about 1801 at Hartburn, Durham. He became a grocer and, while living at Sheraton Grange, was married to Ann Robinson at Hartlepool on 20^th April 1825. In 1851 the couple were living at Southgate Street, Hartlepool with five of their children.

Abraham died at Hartlepool on 19^th May 1859 leaving effects of under £3,000.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle – Saturday 21 May 1859.

An inquest was held at Mr. Jacob Taylor’s, Black Bull Inn, Hartlepool, on Friday afternoon, on the body of Abraham Scotson, grocer, who committed suicide by hanging himself the previous day. The reason for deceased going into a desponding state of mind, as appeared from the evidence, was through an accident that occurred to his brother some months ago. Deceased was ill at the time the news came, but he went notwithstanding to visit him, and seeing nothing but death for him, it took such an effect upon him that he never recovered. A few months ago it was thought that he would commit some rash act, but this fear died away, and at the time the act was committed there was nothing observable to excite suspicion as to such a melancholy event. There were no financial matters oppressing his mind. He had retired from business but a few months previously, and was in very good circumstances. The jury came to the conclusion that the act was committed when deceased was labouring under temporary insanity, and gave their verdict accordingly.