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Roll of Honour

Hartlepool seafarers lost at sea

Cummins, Valentine

2nd Engineer
35, Collingwood Road, West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool
1885
21/3/1917

Valentine Cummins was lost on the steamship Stanley which had been built by Irvine, Hartlepool and was owned by Pyman's the Hartlepool Shipping Company. The ship had been travelling from Newport News across the Atlantic to Cherbourg carrying oats and iron ore when hit by submarine U24 off the west coast of Ireland.


Valentine was the third son of Whitby born Isabella (probably nee Harrison) and Irishman John Henry Cummins. There were 8 children of the marriage, 7 of whom survived. In 1881, the couple were in  Lees Place West Hartlepool with their first child John who had been born in Bradford. John was a mariner and Isabella a dressmaker and it is unclear why they were briefly living in Bradford. A further son was born there around 1882 after which they moved to and settled in West Hartlepool.

By 1891, they were in Durham St West Hartlepool and there were 4 further children, three girls and 6 year old Valentine. In 1911, Isabella was a widow living at 15 York Rd West Hartlepool and along with three daughters there was 26 year old Valentine who was a marine engineer.

Meanwhile, also in 1911,in Cundall Road West Hartlepool, Lavinia Cole was living with her widowed mother Hannah Cole and both had been born in Hinderwell near Whitby.

In 1914, Valentine Cummins married Lavinia Cole in Hartlepool and at the time of his death, they were living at 35 Collingwood Road west Hartlepool.