Greenbank Technical Specification

Completed February 1905; Official No. 119864: Code Letters HBVN.

Owners: 1905 Horsley Line Ltd (H Horsley mgr, Surtees Street) West Hartlepool; 1915 George B Harland & Co, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1905-06 A Brown; 1909 MG Harrison; 1915-8 E Witten.

Bound from Cardiff for Alexandria with a cargo of coal Greenbank was torpedoed by German submarine (U-33 Gustav Sieb) & sank 12 miles north of Cape Falcon, Algeria in 36.00N/00.50W on 3 June 1917. One life lost.

Life lost; Farrell, George, fireman, 37, Liverpool

The company of G.B. Harland & Co. was formed in 1883 with their first steamer Duchess. As well as owning eleven ships throughout the time the company traded they also managed ships.

Family History:

George Blenkhorn Harland was born in 1848 at Sandsend, Yorkshire to parents Thomas and Mary (nee Blenkhorn). He married Isabella Marshall at Hinderwell in 1874. On the 1881 census he was listed as a commercial clerk and the family were living at Milton Road, Stranton. By 1891, still living at the same address, he was listed as being a shipowner. At the time of his death on 6 August 1924 aged 76 George was living at ‘Brooklyn’ Grange Road, West Hartlepool. The family also owned a house at Glaisdale where they spent much of their time. He was survived by his widow and five children. On his death he did not leave a will but his effects amounted to £171,577.

George Horsley was born on 22 June 1836, the eldest of three sons of Matthew Horsley. On leaving school he was apprenticed to E.S. Jobson and later became a partner in the company. The third partner was Ludwig August Stahle. George became an Alderman and was Mayor in 1875 and 1876. He was also Swedish Consul and a member of the Hartlepool's Shipowner Society along with William Maclean.

George married Alethia Ann Berry in 1866 and Matthew Henry, who became known as Harry, was born in June 1867.

On the death of Ebenezer Jobson in April 1877 at his home in Cliff Terrace George took over the company and it became George Horsley & Co. His son, Harry, eventually became a partner in his father’s company and by 1889 it had become George Horsley & Son. George died suddenly at his residence, Claremont House, in December 1895 leaving effects of £83,157.

Harry married Clara Maclean in April 1893. He died on 17 February 1925 at Sidmouth, Devon leaving effects of £274,009. Harry was interred at Stranton Grange Cemetery.

By 1900 the company had become the Horsley Line Ltd., with Harry as managing director. The company ceased trading in 1915.

The following information was compiled by Bert Spaldin and appeared in the 'Tees Packet' No.89, November 1986:
George Horsley was the son of Mathew Horsley, a local pilot who bought shares in sailing vessels and then branched out becoming a steamship owner, firstly in a partnership and then on his own. The company were also timber merchants, shipbrokers and coal exporters, and branches were opened at Hull, Manchester and Gothenburg.