Hathersage Gallery

Official No. 78420: Code Letters SGLH: Code Letters JHCM.

Owners: 1879 Joseph Benjamin Lister, Merryweather & Co, Hartlepool: 1880 J Merryweather & Co, West Hartlepool: 1897 Rederi AB Magnus Stenbock (A Hulthien) Helsingborg -renamed Ellen: 1904 Rederiaktieb Magnus Stenbock (T Persson ) Helsingborg: 1917 Rederi AB Atran, Helsingborg; 1921 Rederi AB Inga (F Hultman) Falkenburg: 1928 Valborg (H Andersson) Gothenberg: 1938 RederiA/B Ellen (FH Andersen ) Rauma: 1943 Rederi A/B Ellen (H Liljestrand ) Raumo: 1944 German Government; 1946 Rederi A/B Ellen, Rauma; 1954 HS Jakobsen, Helsinki-renamed Harriet.

Masters: 1878-81 E Fleetham: 1881 Hoare: 1882-83 JJ Robson: 1883 G Kennedy: 1884-86 Alexander MacDonald, Hartlepool: 1887-90 WJ Dennis: 1891 W Benzies: 1892-95 J Galley: 1896 GJK Weltz: 1898-1917 JA Lock: 1918-20 GJ Larsen.

Stockton & Hartlepool Mercury 19 December 1885:

A telegram is to hand announcing the death of Captain Alex MacDonald of the steamship Hathersage, who was washed overboard last week off Cape Ortegal in the Bay of Biscay. Deceased belonged Hartlepool & leaves a widow & one child. Hathersage was on her way from Sulina to Amsterdam & belongs to Messrs Jos Merryweather & Sons. (11/12/1885)

Usually trading to the Mediterranean with coal & returning with grain & occasionally to the USA or the Black Sea Hathersage left Sebastopol on 21 November 1885 with a cargo of 2120 tons of rye & a crew of 21 all told bound for Gibraltar. She arrived at Malta on 28 November & took in bunker coal leaving the same day. On 3 December she arrived at Gibralter & received orders to proceed to Amsterdam so sailed on 6 December. On 9 December she was off Cape Finisterre where a strong gale blew up. On 10 December a heavy sea broke over her throwing her on her beam ends & causing a list to port. On the morning of 11 December the master & mate were on deck when a sea broke over the vessel carrying the master overboard. The following day the gale died down & the vessel proceeded to Amsterdam arriving on the evening of 15 December.

1895 June left Blythe for Swinemunde. 4 August 1895 arrived Ulsfborg.

A shipping company which was formed through a long connection of family shipowners which included William, Richard, Joseph Benjamin Lister and William Scott Merryweather. William Merryweather was an auctioneer and purchased shares in his first sailing vessel soon after the Victoria Dock opened in Hartlepool in 1840. His son, Joseph Benjamin Lister Merryweather formed a partnership with Robert Coverdale & Charles Scotson Todd in 1873. On 31 August 1878 the partnership was dissolved by mutual consent and Joseph and his son, William Scott, became partners. Their first ship was the Sarah Ann named after Joseph’s wife.  

William added ships to the company after his father’s death. The last ship was sold in 1915 and he carried on a business as a shipbroker.

Family History:

Richard Merryweather was born in 1815 at Welbury, Yorkshire to parents William and Elizabeth. He became an auctioneer and in the late 1850s and early 1860s had shares in sailing vessels. Richard was married to Elizabeth Mould at Buckingham in 1841. By 1851 the couple were living at Southgate, Hartlepool and by 1861 at Cleveland, House, High Street, Hartlepool with their five children.  Richard died on 3 October 1891 aged 76 at Hartlepool leaving effects of £72.

William Merryweather was born in April 1791 at Welbury, Yorkshire to parents Richard and Margaret (nee Snaith). He married Elizabeth (nee Lister) in October 1813 at Welbury. Elizabeth died in 1854. William was remarried in February 1860 to Eleanor Forster. He died in February 1866 and is buried in St Hilda’s Churchyard alongside his first wife. On his death his effects were less than £1,500.

William and Elizabeth’s first son, also William, was born at Welbury in 1815. He became a porter merchant and then a shipowner. In June 1844 he married Margaret Ann Hauxwell at Hartlepool. William died in July 1853 at Stockton-on-Tees.

Joseph Benjamin Lister Merryweather was born to William and Elizabeth in 1836 at Hartlepool. In June 1859 he married Sarah Ann Scott at Wakefield. By 1881 the family were living at Alverthorpe, Wakefield. Joseph died on 22 December 1902 at Welbury Grange near Northallerton leaving effects of £38,173.

William Scott Merryweather was born in January 1860 at Hartlepool to Joseph and Sarah. He married Emily Elizabeth Wattley in 1885. At this time he was living at ‘Ethelbert’, Victoria Road. He was a member of the Town Council for many years and a J.P. By 1911 he was living at ‘Wrenwood’, Park Avenue, West Hartlepool. William died in July 1930 at Welbury leaving just £40 to his widow.