Lowlands Gallery

Robert Hardy and Joseph Forster Wilson founded Hardy, Wilson & Co., owning 20 ships from 1879 to 1894. The company was dissolved on 30 June 1894 and Robert Hardy continued trading as R. Hardy & Co., owning 11 ships until the company ceased trading in 1913. Joseph Forster Wilson continued trading as J.F. Wilson (Wilson Shipping Co. Ltd.) owning 15 ships between 1894 and 1919.

R. Hardy & Co., also owned the steamer Uplands built by Ropner in 1890. she was sold in 1912 to Stettin owners and renamed Belgravia. In May 1918 she struck a mine and sank.

Family History:

Robert Hardy was born 1853 at Trimdon to parents Robert and Elizabeth (nee Appleby). In 1871 he was boarding at Stranton. By 1881 he was listed on the census as married and boarding at Roath, Glamorgan and by 1901 he was living at St Martin in the Fields. In 1911 he was a widower staying at Earls Court Hotel, Tunbridge Wells.

Robert died aged 81 on 6 September 1934 at Northbrook, West Hartlepool leaving effects of £129,979.

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.

Completed May 1888; Official No. 92925: Code Letters KRJP.

Owners: 1888 Hardy Wilson & Co, Hartlepool: 1894 Wilson Shipping Co (JF Wilson & Co) West Hartlepool: 1904 Wilson Shipping Co Ltd (JF Wilson & Co) West Hartlepool: 1908 Northumbrian Shipping Co (L McCarthy) West Hartlepool: 1914 Lowlands SS Co (J Crass) West Hartlepool

Masters: 1888-89 JR Holman: 1891 Kempson: 1892-93 Blacklin: 1894-96 WH Dormand: 1896 W Turner: 1897-1900 WH Dormand: 1900-05 T Thomas: 1906 D Lloyd: 1907 WH Manson: 1908 F Bunkewitz: 1909 A Robertson: 1911 CH Smith: 1912-13 GW Sybenga: 1914 J Thompson: 1915 FJ Shoemack: 1916 FW Major.

Bound from Hull with a cargo of deals, battens & boards Lowlands was torpedoed without warning by German submarine (UC-7 Georg Haag) 8 miles NE by E of North Foreland on 18 March 1916. She was towed to Mucking Flats in the Thames the following day, patched up & refloated. On being towed to the Colne she began to fill. The pilot, Harry French, wanted to beach her on the Brightlingsea side but was overruled by the naval authorities. She was beached on the mud flats off East Mersea where she slid off into the channel & broke her back. She could not be raised & was eventually sold for partial scrapping.  No lives lost.

J.F. Wilson formed his own company when his partnership with Robert Hardy was dissolved on June 30th, 1894, and the company of Hardy, Wilson & Co., ceased trading.

From 1894 J.F. Wilson & Co., owned 15 ships until the company ceased trading in 1919.

In 1904 the company became Wilson Shipping Co. Ltd

Family History:

Joseph Forster Wilson was born in 1853 at Stockton-on-Tees to parents William and Ann (nee Forster). He was married in 1876 to Emily Tassell who was born in Seaton Carew. By 1881 they were living at 139 Station Lane, Seaton Carew with two sons and a daughter and by 1891 the family had moved to Craiglands, Stranton and had a third son. By 1901 they were living at Pangbourne, West Hartlepool. Joseph was Mayor of Hartlepool in 1896.

Joseph died aged 60 at Pangbourne on 14 July 1914 leaving assets of £56,516.