Pacific Voyage History

A number of Hartlepool-built served in the company's fleet.

The following has been extracted from a much longer article ‘The Empire Prospero and W.H. Cockerline & Co. Ltd.’, written by James Layton, which appeared in the May/June 1990 issue No. 103 of the Tees Packet.

“W.H. Cockerline & Co. Ltd., Hull, was formed in 1885 to own two second-hand ships, the Baidar and the Spark. In January 1894 the awning deck steamer Pacific was completed by William Gray. In 1895, Gray’s shipyard also completed the Graphic and Majestic, followed in 1896 by the Atlantic and in 1897 by the Britannic. This latter ship was sold the following year and replaced by another Gray-built ship, again named Britannic.

Between 1903 and 1905, eight ships were built for the company at West Hartlepool: the Atlantic (2), Britannic (3), and Teutonic from Gray’s, and the Oceanic, Olympic, Adriatic, Majestic (2), and Germanic from Irvine’s. Irvine’s also completed the Corinthic in 1914.

Cockerline’s began to rebuild their fleet after the First World War, adding four new and two second-hand vessels, with Irvine’s providing another Corinthic (3) in 1924. Gray’s provided the Germanic (3) in 1936, the Athenic (2) in 1937, and the Atlantic (3) in 1939. In 1946 Cockerline’s bought the 1942 Gray-built Empire Gareth, renaming her Athenic (3).

In 1954 the company sold its last ship and went into voluntary liquidation in 1957.”

The company also managed ships for the Shipping Controller during the First World War, these included the Irvines-built ship War Hamlet and the Gray-built ship War Valley.

Masters: 1894-97 F Marshall: 1898 JC Wotton: 1899 CW Joules: 1908 JR Peck: 1909 a Barron: 1913 John Grigor.

Scotsdyke left Grangemouth in September 1913 with a cargo of coal on a voyage for Venice. On route she called in at Susa, North Africa & other Mediterranean ports taking on board a quantity of zinc ore & esparto grass which was used in the manufacture of paper. A large amount of the grass was stacked on the deck which somehow set on fire when the vessel was just off St Catherine’s Point on 19 November 1913. The flames could be seen from the shore & the Iron Duke which had just left Portsmouth on her trails-came to the rescue. The master’s wife, the crew’s pet dog & all the crew, including a boy of 14, were taken from the burning vessel. Several of the crew were treated for slight burns.

Crew November 1913: Erskine, 1^st mate; Hardy, John, fireman; Spitri, fireman.

Passengers November 1913: Calder, WB; Geddie, AF. (Both Parliamentary Journalists)