Corsair Gallery

Corsair - Customs notified of change of owner 1855.

Official No. 23785; Code Letters NTCP.

Owners: William Gray (woollen draper, West Hartlepool) James Robson (Newcastle-on-Tyne) Matthew Gray (North Blyth) & Henry Taylor (Liverpool) Hartlepool; by 1860 Robert Lawn (master mariner) & John Lawn (farmer, Scarborough) Hartlepool.

Masters: 1844-45 Edward Pearson; 1845 James Pounder (C.N.2095 Newcastle-on-Tyne 1845); 1846-48 Thomas Boyling (C.N.11540 Shields 1855); 1848-52 Thomas George Kane; 1852-55 Francis Walter; 1862-63 Lawn; 1864-65 William Chapman.

Voyages: December 1847 from Narva for Riga put in at Beraholm leaky after being on shore; 1848-51 Hartlepool for the Mediterranean; 27 July 1863 from Hartlepool for Cronstadt with coal she stranded at Dragoc.

Bound from Gluckstadt for Wyborg in ballast Corsair foundered off Nargen in the Baltic during a gale on 8 October 1865. The crew were saved & landed at Cronstadt. 

Corsair custom registration document 1845

William Gray established a woollen & linen drapery business in Hartlepool in 1843. Also having an interest in shipping he acquired shares in sailing vessels from 1844.

Some of the other shareholders included: Robert (draper) & John Gray (Blyth); Matthew Gray (North Blyth); James Robson (Newcastle-on-Tyne); Henry Taylor (Liverpool); James Monks (Durham); Alexander Robertson (solicitor, Peterhead.

Henry Taylor Purvis; John Callender (draper); Phillip Howard (master mariner); James McBeath (master mariner); James Smith (master mariner); Jane Hall; John Fothergill; Jens Christian Nielsen; William Coward; William Horner; Frederick & Joseph Edward Murrell; all of Hartlepool.

William also had shares in sailing vessels along with John Punshon Denton. Eventually the two formed a partnership in shipbuilding with their first ship, Dalhousie, laid down on 4 July 1863. In December 1871 John Denton died. A dispute arose over the company’s profits which was eventually resolved in 1874 with the firm becoming William Gray & Company. In August 1874 the company’s first ship, Sexta, was launched.

William Gray was born on 18 January 1823 at Blyth, Northumberland to parents Anne Jane (nee Bryham) & Matthew Gray. He married Dorothy Wilson Hall on 15 May 1849 at St. Mary, Lewisham, Kent. In the 1851 census the couple were living at 2 Marine Terrace, Hartlepool. By 1861 the census recorded William as being a linen & woollen draper & shipowner & by 1871 as a shipbuilder. The couple had five daughters and two sons. Their eldest son, Matthew, died suddenly of pneumonia in June 1896 aged just 41.

William died aged 76 on 12 September 1898 leaving effects of £1500422. His widow, Dorothy died aged 81 on 7 September 1906.

William Cresswell Gray was born in 1867 at Tunstall Manor to parents Dorothy (nee Hall) & William Gray. He married Kate Casebourne in 1891 and they had four daughters and one son.

William took over as chairman of the company after the death of his father. He was created a baronet in 1917 and was given the freedom of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool in 1920.

William died aged 57 on 1 November 1924 at Bedale, Yorkshire leaving effects of £417347.

William Gray (3^rd generation) was born on 18 August 1895 at Hartlepool to parents Kate (nee Casebourne) & William Cresswell Gray. He was educated at Loretto School in Scotland, and passed direct from the school in 1914 to the Green Howards, where he rose to the rank of captain. He was several times mentioned in despatches, but was subsequently wounded and taken prisoner in 1915. He returned safely in 1918 following the Armistice. He married Mary Leigh at London in 1929.

Following the death of his father William took over the company in 1925. The recession and interest on money borrowed for development had left the company in financial difficulties but this was overcome and shipbuilding continued. The company made a substantial contribution to the war effort during WW2. After the war the company held its own with shipbuilding and repair work. In 1956 William Talbot Gray, the third William Gray’s son, became a joint managing director. He was killed in a car accident in 1971 aged 40. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1962 and closed completely in 1963. William retired to Orchard Cottage, The Drive, Egglestone, Barnard Castle.

William died aged 82 on 28 January 1978 at Barnard Castle leaving effects of £116121.

Ships owned by William Gray & Co. that were not built in Hartlepool are recorded below under 'a general history'.

Thomas Wilkinson and his two sons, George and Matthew owned and had shares in Hartlepool registered ships from the 1840s.

Other shareholders included: John Duncan (master mariner); William Ramsey (master mariner, Seaton Carew); Robert Fawcus; James Stephenson; William Watson; Thomas Robinson; Thomas Wilson ( master mariner); Andrew Smith; William Watson (shipowner) William Bird Gary (shipbroker); Thomas Robinson (clerk); Matthias Newton (shipowner), John Ranson junior & William Grimshaw (all Bishopwearmouth); Robert John Sewell & Ann F Clarke (both Newport, Isle of Wight).

Family Histories:

Thomas Wilkinson was born on 21^st December 1785 at Monkwearmouth to parents Jane (nee Johnson) and George Wilkinson. Thomas married Isabella Shepherd at Sunderland on 25^th June 1810. By 1841 the couple and their two sons, George and Matthew, were living at William Street, Bishopwearmouth. In 1851 the couple and their son, George, were living at Southgate Street, Hartlepool.

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George Wilkinson was born on 1^st January 1817 at Sunderland to parents Isabella (nee Shepherd) and Thomas Wilkinson. He became a surgeon and remained unmarried. In 1861 he was living at High Street, Hartlepool.

George retired on 30^th August 1869 and went on a trip to the Channel Islands where he died suddenly on 14^th September 1869 at St. Hillier’s, Jersey and was interred there. He left effects of under £4,000.

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Matthew Wilkinson was born on 2^nd April 1822 at Sunderland to parents Isabella (nee Shepherd) and Thomas Wilkinson. He married Mary Ann Gordon at Hartlepool on 10 May 1846. Matthew became a druggist/chemist. In 1843 he was advertising his shop and dwelling house in Southgate Street, opposite the King’s Head Hotel, for sale. In 1851 his shop and dwelling house in Market Place was for sale. According to the advertisement the shop had been in use as a chemist/druggist for the past ten years.  By 1861 he and his wife were living at Regent Street, Hartlepool with Matthew listed as a shipowner. In the 1871 census the couple were living at 30 High Street, Hartlepool. The couple had no children and after Matthew’s death Mary took work as a housekeeper for a solicitor.

Matthew died aged 55 at Friar Street, Hartlepool on 7^th January 1881.

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John Duncan was born on 13 August 1810 at Portroy, Banffshire. He went to sea as an apprentice in 1827 and worked his way up to become a master C.N. 37960. He was master on the Hartlepool registered ships Pearl from 1843 to 1850 and the Britannia in 1853.

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Matthias Newton was born in 1876 at Durham to parents Mary (nee Laws) and Joseph Newton. He married Hannah (nee Ranson) and they resided at Bishopwearmouth. He was a tinman and brazier before becoming a shipowner. Matthias died aged 84 at Sunderland in March 1870 leaving effects of under £3,000 to his son John Newton.

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James Stephenson was born 1n 1820 at Wolviston to parents Ann (nee James) and John Stephenson. He married Jane Chapman in 1850 and the couple lived at Bishopwearmouth. He is listed on the census as a timber merchant and commercial agent.

James died aged 89 in 1909 at Wolviston.

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Andrew Smith was born in 1819 at Fair Isle, Shetland to parents Agnes and John. He married Janet Leask on 26 January 1843 at Tynemouth. In 1850 the couple were living at Fowler Street, South Shields and in 1871 at 17 Regent Street, Hartlepool. By 1881 Andrew had retired from the sea and the couple were living at Shortridge Street, South Shields. Andrew went to sea as an apprentice in 1837 and became a master mariner C.N.107804. As well as sailing on Shields vessels he was mate on the Jane of Hartlepool from 1846 to January 1847.

Andrew died aged 78 at South Shields in 1898.