Sea Nymph

Jens Christian Nielsen established his business in 1852 as a coal exporter and timber merchant so it was a natural progression to purchase shares in sailing vessels from about 1862. Some of the shares were owned by William Gray and John Denton. In 1872 he formed his company C. Nielsen & Co., with the purchase of his first steamer, Saint Hilda, built by Withy, Alexander & Co. By 1882 the company had become C. Nielson & Son then in 1888 C. Nielsen & Sons. After his death the company became Hans C. Nielson & Co. The Luis was lost in 1918 and no further ships were registered at West Hartlepool. As most of their ships traded to the Scandinavian countries they were registered in those ports.

Family History:

Jens Christian Nielson was born in 1824 at Nordby, Fano in Denmark. He moved to England and by the 1851 census was living at Picton, Place, Newcastle-on-Tyne with his wife, Fanny/Fannie, and his son, Hans Christian. The family moved to Hartlepool soon after and Jens, usually known as Christian, established his business. Fanny passed away at Hartlepool in early 1866 and Christian was remarried in 1867 at Hartlepool to Eliza Frances Taylor. The couple had two sons and two daughters. By the 1881 census Christian had become a naturalised British Subject and the family were living at 15 Cliff Terrace, Hartlepool. During his lifetime Christian was Danish vice-consul and was created a Knight of Danneborg by the King of Denmark. He was also a consular agent for the U.S.A., a Justice of the Peace and a mayor of Hartlepool in 1870-71. He was a vice-chairman of the Hartlepools Shipowners Society, chairman of the Hartlepool Pilotage Board and a representative on the Port and Harbour Commission. Christian was also a warden of St Hilda’s Church for many years.

Christian died aged 76 at ‘Nordby’, Norton-on-Tees on 23 December 1896 leaving effects of £22,367. He was interred at St. Hilda's.

Hans Christian was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1851 to parents Jen Christian Nielsen and Fanny/Fannie. He was married at Stockton in 1877 to Elfrida Julia Hay. They had one son, Hans Rupert, who was born at Norton-on-Tees in 1885. Elfrida Julia Nielsen died at Hartlepool in 1914. After his father’s death Hans became Danish vice-consul. He was also a member of the Port and Harbour Commission the Hartlepool Pilotage Commission, and was a Justice of the Peace for Hartlepool. The family lived at 12 Cliff Terrace, Hartlepool until the outbreak of the war when Charles moved to Norton-on-Tees. Hans spent his summers at Norton and his winters in Denmark.

Hans died at the age of 88 while visiting one of his daughters at Birkerod, Denmark on 28 January 1939 leaving effects of £58,010.

Charles Nielson was born at Hartlepool in 1858 to parents Jen Christian Nielsen and Eliza Frances (nee Taylor).  In 1871 he and his brother Frederick were pupils at a boarding school in Knaresbrough. Charles became a timber merchant and was married at Wakefield in 1886 to Margaret Luis Fernandes.  They had a son and a daughter. In 1901 the family were living at 15 Cliff Terrace. By 1911 they were living at Billingham Hall, Stockton-on-Tees and later moved to ‘Hartburn Lodge’, Stockton-on-Tees. Margaret Luis Nielsen died in 1934.

Charles was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Charles died aged 81 at Stockton-on-Tees on 7 June 1939 leaving effects of £79,699.

Official No. 24226: Code Letters NVWB

Owners: 1847 Austin, Mills & Co. Sunderland; 1851 J. Peake, Prince Edward Island; 1853 Henry Whattley Wood, Liverpool; 1855 Schillizzi, Liverpool; by 1860 William Gray & Henry Taylor, Hartlepool; December 1861 William Gray, Henry Taylor & Grace Yeaman, Hartlepool; 1862 William Gray, Grace Yeaman & Jens Christian Nielsen, Hartlepool; 1864 Isaac Bedlington, West Hartlepool.

Masters: 1847-50 Walker; 1851-54 Groundwater; 1854 James W Tracy; 1855-56 Albeury; 1857 W Harris; 1858-60 J Daniel; 1861-70 D Chaplin; 1864 James Webster; 1864 H Mcbeath.

Voyages: 1850 Sunderland for the Baltic; bound from the Baltic for the UK she put in at Elsinore July 1875 an apprentice from London, Alfred Walter Boland, fell overboard near Wyborg & was drowned; 21 October 1875 with loss of her anchor.

Sea Nymph left West Hartlepool on the morning of 21 February 1880 for Rotterdam with a cargo of coal & a total crew of nine. She was wrecked at Debol Sands, Zedrickzsa on 24 February 1880. Part of the cargo was saved. No were lives lost. The mate, Stainthorpe, was in charge of the ship while the Master was sleeping. The mate’s certificate was suspended for three months.

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'.