Newcastle City Gallery

Christopher Furness was born at New Stranton, West Hartlepool, in 1852, the youngest of seven children. He became a very astute businessman, and by the age of eighteen was playing a major role in his older brother Thomas’ wholesale grocery business, being made partner in 1872.

In 1882 the two brothers decided to go their separate ways, allowing Thomas to concentrate on the grocery business, while Christopher took over the ownership and management of the four steamships their company was then operating.

This was the beginning of what would eventually become the huge Furness Withy & Co. Ltd. empire. As many books have been written detailing the history of this company, its ships and its many subsidiaries, this section will only feature those ships with direct Hartlepool connections.

Some of the ships that were not built at Hartlepool but owned by Furness are listed below as 'a general history'

Official No. 86943: Code Letters WPRG.

Owners: 1882 Christopher Furness & Co, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1882-83 K Doyle: 1884-87 R Valder: 1887 Robert Thornton.

 Northern Daily Mail 1 February 1888.

‘The screw, steamer Durham City, owned by Messrs C Furness & Co of West Hartlepool, arrived in the Tyne yesterday morning with a general cargo from New York, having on board the crew of Newcastle City, owned by the same company. The Newcastle City left the Tyne on 20 November last with a general cargo. Stormy weather was experienced on the evening of 23 December. The Nantucket lightship was sighted about twenty minutes to ten at which time an ugly sea was running. The lightship was abeam to the northward about half past eleven & half an hour later the starboard watch was called from below & the port turned in. The vessel afterwards struck a rock. The engines were ordered full speed astern, but for half an hour the vessel continued to thump. When she slid off into deep water it was found she was leaking aft, in consequence of which the pumps were manned. The waves at this time were making a complete breach over her. Subsequently the vessel was sinking & the fires extinguished. The boats were launched. One of them was smashed by a heavy sea & there were only two left. Into these the men got. One contained the captain, his two sons (Robert, one of the boatswains & John, ordinary seaman) & a passenger. The captain was the last to leave. The other boat contained the remainder of the crew. After leaving the steamer a heavy gale sprang up, with a strong tide, & it took the men all their time to pull to the lightship. They reached it in safety & were kindly treated. They were taken off by a steamer & landed at Hyanis, where, after staying a couple of days, they were sent forward by the Old Colony Railroad & Fall River line, where the majority of them, together with the captain, embarked on board the Durham City of West Hartlepool, belonging to the same company, & so reached the Tyne. Newcastle City sank in sixteen fathoms of water & is a total loss with her cargo. She had a crew of 27 hands including the captain. The steamer was built at West Hartlepool in 1882 & was 2,129 gross tons register. During the home voyage the Durham City experienced stormy weather.’

With a crew of 26 & a passenger working his way to America which made 27 hands all told Newcastle City left the Tyne on 29 November 1887 bound for New York with a general cargo of 2,500 tons. There was bad weather all the way over the Atlantic & at 1.30am on 23 December 1887 she struck on rocks off Nantucket Island, USA. She was got off the rocks but was damaged & making water so rapidly she was sinking. At 9am the last of the crew left the vessel & 15 minutes later she foundered. All the log books & ship’s papers went down with her. It was recorded in the directions that these shoals shifted after heavy gales & severe weather. Because of that fact the master was not found in default. No lives lost.

Crew November 1887:Mitchell, chief engineer; Thornton, John, seaman; Thornton, Robert, boatswain; Thornton, Robert, master; Tritschler, 2nd engineer