Enfield Gallery

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at Westminster Town Hall, on the fifth and sixth days of February 1894, before R. H. B. MARSHAM, Esquire, assisted by Captains RONALDSON and PARFITT, into the circumstances attending the strandings of the British steamship "ENFIELD," on or near the Island of Laeso Cattegat, on the 6th December 1893, and at or near Hastbaden, Sweden, on the 7th December 1893. 

Report of Court. 

The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances attending the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons stated in the annex hereto, that the cause of the said stranding on the 6th December 1893 was that the master, Mr. Christopher Vasey, did not make sufficient allowance for current and leeway; and that the cause of the said stranding on the 7th December 1893 was that the master neglected to use the lead on and after passing the Kobber Ground Light-vessel. 

The Court finds the master in default for the stranding on the 7th December 1893, and suspends his certificate, No. 95,379, for six months. 

Dated this tenth day of February 1894. 

(Signed) R. H. B. MARSHAM, Judge. 
We concur in the above report. (Signed): A. RONALDSON, WM. PARFITT, Assessors. 
Annex to the Report. 
This inquiry was held at Westminster Town Hall on the 5th and 6th of February 1894, when Mr. McConnell appeared for the Board of Trade, Mr. McNair for the owners, and Mr. Botterell for the master of the "Enfield." 

The "Enfield" was a screw steamer, official number 92,902, built of iron by Messrs. W. Gray and Company, of West Hartlepool, in 1885, and was registered at the port of West Hartlepool. 
Her dimensions were: length, 279.7 ft.; breadth, 37.4 ft.; and depth of hold 20 ft. Her gross tonnage was 2,055.45 tons, and registered tonnage 1,313.67 tons. She was rigged as a schooner, and was fitted with triple-expansion engines of 200 horse-power combined. 
The vessel was owned by Mr. F. H. Pyman and others, Mr. Pyman having been appointed managing owner in October 1885.

The "Enfield" left Aarhuus, in Denmark, on the 6th December last at 6 a.m., in water ballast, under the command of Mr. Christopher Vasey, who held a certificate of competency, No. 95,379, with a crew of 23 hands all told, drawing 12 feet 6 inches aft and 10 feet 4 inches forward. There was no cargo, nor were there any passengers. 

The steamer at the time of sailing was in a good and seaworthy condition, and well found in every respect. She had three compasses on board; the pole compass, by which the vessel was navigated; a steering compass on the bridge and one aft; they were last adjusted in February 1893 by Stenton, of Cardiff. 
She was steered by hand and steam gear combined, and was fitted with four boats, two of which were lifeboats. 

About 11.20 a.m. the vessel was abeam of the Fornas Lighthouse, distant 3 1/2 miles, the weather being clear, with a fresh breeze from the S.W. The course was N. 1/4 W., in order to make the Laeso Channel Light vessel; and the vessel, which had her fore-topsail set, was going full speed, about 10 knots. The master was navigating the vessel by an Admiralty Chart, corrected to 1891. 

About 3 p.m. the master, on coming out of the chartroom and finding the weather had become slightly hazy, ordered the second mate to take the fore-topsail in, and to obtain a cast of the lead. 

The engines were accordingly stopped for about ten minutes, but before a cast of the lead could be taken it was found the vessel was aground, although nobody on board appears to have felt her strike. About 1½ fathoms of water was found forward, 2 fathoms amidships, and about 3 fathoms aft. The engines were put full speed astern to keep her from driving further up the bank, the wind being right aft, and the fore-ballast tank was pumped out. 

Between 5 and 6 p.m., while she was backing off, a light was several times seen bearing about N.W. The master made it out to be a twelve-second flashing light, and took it to be the Laeso Channel Light-vessel, but it was visible only for a short time. 

The vessel, which was presumed to have grounded on the S.W. flats of Laeso Island, came off undamaged. Her head was then turned round to the southward, and the engines were kept at slow; the master's object being to dodge about all night, or until the weather became clearer, and then to proceed through the Channel. She was steered between S. and S.W. It was blowing a fresh gale, the atmosphere was pretty thick, and the lead was kept going constantly. 

About 4 a.m. of the 7th December the master, who had been on deck since she took the ground, left the chief mate in charge, telling him to keep her head about south, to go slow, and if he saw the Fornas Light to turn her round to the N.N.W. and call him. 

At 7.30 a.m. the master returned on deck, when the chief mate informed him that she had made about a S.S.E. course, and had gone 9 or 10 miles. He further stated that he had occasionally put the engines at half and full speed for the sole purpose of keeping her on her course; but, according to the memory of the second engineer, whose watch it was from 4 to 8 that morning, she went full speed nearly all the time. The weather having become clearer, the vessel was turned round and put at full speed on a N.W. course. 

At about 10 a.m., on soundings being taken, the water was found to be shoaling, whereupon the course was altered to N. 1/2 E., to run parallel, as the master thought, to the Danish bank; but at 10.30 a.m., the weather becoming thicker, she was again turned round to the south, the engines slowed, and the lead kept going. 

At 12.45 p.m., after a consultation with the chief officer and the chief engineer, the master altered the course to E.S.E., and the engines were put at full speed to pass out into the Kattegat between Anholt Island and the Kobber Ground Shoal. 

At about 2 p.m., in consequence of a steamer being seen steering to the northward, and of the weather becoming clearer, it being now possible to see seven or eight miles off, her course was altered to N. by W. 1/2 W., to take her through the Laeso Channel. 

At 3 p.m. a lightship was seen abeam on the vessel's port side, which was assumed to be the Laeso Channel Light-vessel. No cast of the lead was taken, though the master by resorting to that measure could have ascertained whether his assumption was a true one or not. The course was soon afterwards altered to north. 

At 5 p.m. a flashing light was observed nearly ahead, which was taken by the master to be the Hirtsholm Light, and the course was altered to N.E. by N., to pass about two or three miles outside of it. The master stated that he took the light to be the Hirtsholm Light, as he made out three flashes, though the third was a very slight one; but the chief mate and the second mate said they could discern two flashes only, while the boatswain stated that he thought he saw a third flash. The Winga Light has two flashes, whereas the Hirtsholm has three, and in addition to this fact, the soundings off the Winga Light are very much deeper than those off the Hirtsholm; no soundings however were taken. At 6 p.m., the light being nearly abeam, the engines still going full speed, and the weather being clear, she struck on a rock, which afterwards proved to be the Hastbada Rocks, about four miles to the southward and eastward of the Winga Light. About 10 p.m. some fishermen came off. A telegram was sent to Gothenburg for assistance; a salvage steamer came the following morning, and at three o'clock in the afternoon, in consequence of bad weather having come on, they all left the vessel, which subsequently broke in half, her stern sinking in deep water. 

These were the facts of the case, and on the conclusion of the evidence Mr. McConnell, on behalf of the Board Trade, put to the Court the following questions: 

1. What number of compasses had she on board, where were they placed, and were they in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the ship? 

2. Did the master ascertain the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time? Were the errors of the compasses correctly ascertained, and the proper correction to the courses applied? 

3. Whether a safe and proper course was set at 11.25 a.m. on the 6th of December, and thereafter steered, and whether due and proper allowance was made for currents, wind, &c., the vessel being light? 

4. Whether proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel from time to time, especially having regard to the weather prevailing? 

5. What was the cause of the stranding of the vessel on the afternoon of the 6th December? 

6. Whether blame attaches to the master and officers, or either of them, in respect of such stranding? 

7. Whether safe and proper courses were set and steered after the vessel was got off, and whether due and proper allowance was made for currents, wind, and the vessel being light? 

8. Were proper measures taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel from time to time on the 7th of December, and particularly at or about 3 p.m., and again at or about 5 p.m.? 

9. Was a safe and proper course set at or about 5 p.m. on the last-mentioned date, and thereafter steered? 

10. Whether a good and proper look-out was kept? 

11. Whether the lead was used with sufficient frequency? 

12. Whether the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care? 

13. What was the cause of the stranding of the vessel at or about 6 p.m. on the 7th December? 

14. Was the master justified in mistaking the Kobber Ground Lightship for the Laesso Channel Lightship, and the Winga Lightship for the Hirtsholm Light respectively? 

15. Whether the master and officers are, or either of them is, in default in respect of the second stranding and loss of the vessel? 

Mr. Botterill and Mr. McConnell having respectively addressed the Court, judgment was given as follows: 

1. She had three compasses: the pole compass, by which she was steered, one on the bridge, and one aft. They were in good order, and sufficient for the safe navigation of the ship. 

2. The master ascertained the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time. The errors of the compasses were correctly ascertained, and the proper corrections to the courses applied. 

3. At 11.20 a.m. of the 6th December a safe and proper course was set, but it was not made good, sufficient allowance not being made for current and leeway. 

4. The only measure taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel previous to the stranding of the 6th was that the master watched his patent log. Had the lead been used shortly before the stranding the master would have been warned of his danger. 

5. The cause of the stranding on the 6th was that sufficient allowance was not made for current and leeway. 

6. Blame attaches to the master for this stranding. 

7. The evidence as to the courses set and steered after the vessel got off is not satisfactory. It appears that after dodging about on various courses and at various speeds throughout the night of the 6th and forenoon of the 7th, the master found himself at 3 p.m. off a lightship which he took be the Laesso; but which was, in fact, the Kobber Ground. Safe and proper courses were not steered. 

8. Proper measures were not taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel on the 7th December. 

At 3 p.m. a cast of the lead would have at once shown the master that the light-vessel then in sight could not be the "Laeso Lightship" for which he took it. 

Again at 5 p.m., when the Winga Light was sighted, a cast of the lead would have shown him that it could not be the Hirtsholm Light, as he supposed. 

9. A safe and proper course was not set about 5 p.m. of the 7th December. 

10. A good and proper look-out was kept. 

11. The lead was not used with sufficient frequency. 

12. The vessel was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care. 

13. The cause of the stranding on the 7th was that the master neglected to use the lead on and after passing the Kobber Ground Light-vessel. 

14. The master might have been justified in at first mistaking the Kobber Ground Light-ship for the Laeso Channel Light-ship; but he might have easily ascertained his mistake by taking a cast of the lead. 

He was not justified in mistaking the Winga Light for the Hirtsholm Light, since the former has two and the latter has three flashes. But even if the flashes were not distinctly discernible, a cast of the lead would have removed all doubt. 

15. The masters alone is in default. 

The court suspends his certificate for six months. 

(Signed) R. H. B. MARSHAM, Judge. 

We concur. (Signed) A. RONALDSON, WM. PARFITT, Assessors. 

Official No. 92902: Code Letters KCNW.

Owners: 1885 Pyman Bros, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1885-93 C Vasey.

Enfield left St Petersburg on 24 July 1887 bound for Amsterdam with a cargo of 2,500 tons of grain, a crew of 23 hands & four passengers. On the afternoon of 27 July she grounded at Grasgard on the Island of Oland in the Gulf of Bothnia. After a few days when some of her cargo was jettisoned & some transferred to another vessel she was got off & taken to Stockholm for repairs to material damage.

George Pyman was born in May 1822 in Sandsend, North Yorkshire. He went to sea as an apprentice and by 1843 he was Master of the vessel Nameless.

He married Elizabeth English in 1843 and they had two daughters and seven sons.

In 1850 he left the sea and the family settled in West Hartlepool where he went into partnership with his brother-in-law Francis English, as grocers and ship chandlers. In about 1854 he changed direction and went into partnership with Thomas Scurr as shipbrokers for the local collieries. They owned shares in a number of sailing vessels. Other shareholders included Francis English, John Smurthwaite, Thomas Wood & Ralph Ward Jackson.

Thomas Scurr died in 1861 and George then formed his own company as George Pyman & Co. In 1865 he purchased his first steamship, the George Pyman, and gradually shares in the brigs were sold off. Eventually the company became the largest owners of steamships in the north of the U.K.

In 1873 Thomas Bell of Newcastle joined as a partner in the firm. From 1879 the company opened branches in Hull, Grimsby, Immingham and Glasgow. When George retired in 1882 the Bell family took over the running of the company.

Pyman, Watson & Co. was set up in Cardiff in 1874 by John, one of George’s sons along with Thomas Edward Watson and Francis and Frederick, another two of his sons, set up Pyman Bros. in London in 1903. Some of these companies ships were registered in West Hartlepool.

George was elected a Poor Law Guardian in 1861, an Improvement Commissioner in 1868, and was sitting on the Durham County Bench from 1872. In 1879 he was appointed Vice Consul for Belgium and in 1888 was elected the second Mayor of West Hartlepool. In 1895 he received the honour of being made a Freeman of the Borough. George died in November 1900 at his home, Raithwaite Hall.

There is a wealth of further information in Peter Hogg’s book ‘The Pyman Story’.