Family History Fun: Sea Stories from Master Mariners

Water is the theme of this week’s Sepia Saturday prompt photograph. So here I take a look at my husband's Donaldson, White and Moffet ancestors who were master mariners, sailing out into the North Sea from South Shields in north east England. Extended family members were in related occupations as a caulker, seaman, river policemen, shipwright, roper, ship's carpenter and marine engine fitter.

To me "snow" was the white stuff falling in winter and a "smack" was a slap to a recalcitrant child. But that all changed as I began researching my husband's maritime ancestors and learnt about the different names for ships in the 19th century - barque or bark or barc, brig, sloop. smack and snow - an illustration of the diverse routes that family history can take you.

Great Great Great Grandfather - Robert Donaldson, Master Mariner (1801-1878)
Mariner records at the National Archives at Kew showed that Robert Donaldson was registered as a mariner on 20th July 1852.

Free Sailing Ship Sunset illustration and picture

Image - Courtesy of Pixabay

Tyne and Wear Archives provided invaluable information on the sea-going life of Robert Donaldson and the ships he sailed on, listed in "“A Dictionary of Tyne Sailing Ships: a record of merchant sailing ships owned, registered and built at the Port of Tyne 1830-1930”, compiled by Richard Keys. This is a complete A-Z of Ships, master mariners and owners, detailing ships, voyages, disasters and share-ownerships, and much more - an absolute must for anyone researching maritime ancestors in this region.

The entries make fascinating reading, with all six ships on which Robert Donaldson sailed, having an eventful history and coming to a sad end - though not under his charge.

The Thetis became a wreck after sinking off the Yorkshire coast in 1869.

The John was stranded in 1861 and became a wreck during a severe easterly gale. Twenty-eight other Tyne ships went ashore in the same area during the same gale.

The Emerald, in December 1855, when on passage from the Tyne to London, foundered in five fathoms on the Dough Sand (Long Sand) Thames estuary. Three survivors were brought ashore by two Bridlington smacks. Eleven others were unaccounted for, including some of the crew of the rescuing smack who were in a small boat, which disappeared.

The Hebe was wrecked in Robin Hood’s Bay, along with other vessels on 27 January 1861. The Ann & Elizabeth disappeared after leaving the Tyne in November 1863, with her captain' wife left a widow with six children.

The William Metcalfe was Robert Donaldson's largest ship. On her maiden voyage, it transported 240 male convicts from Portsmouth to Hobart,Tasmania on a passage that took 102 days. In January 1855 eight of her crew were sent to goal for three months each by the North Shields magistrates for refusing duty. In October 1858 her master and one man were washed overboard. Nine days later, the ship was abandoned, with the crew taken off.

These incidents were by no means unusual and bring home the hazards our mariner ancestors faced in their daily lives.

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Great Great Grandfather John Robert Moffet (1814-1881)

John Robert Moffet in a Napoleonic pose - the only photograph I have of my husband's mariner ancestors - shared with me by internet contact who was also a descendant of John.

John's family originated from Tynmouuth, north of the river Tyne, with his father Robert and brother William both mariners. Two puzzles about the family remain unanswered. John was born in Chatham, the site of the Royal Navy dockyard on the River Medway on the south of England. What had brought his family there?

John's wife Frances Dunn Thomas, daughter and widow of a mariner, had three children, with two, according to the census entr, born in the USA. It would be wonderful to find the background to that, but nigh impossible without any indication of which state. The family first settled in the London docklands area before returning to South Shields.

In the 1861 Census, John was listed as master of "The Brotherly Love" sailing off Flamborough Head in the North Sea. The crew of eight included three young apprentices, four seamen, and a mate, with most born in South Shields.

The caption reads"The Brotherly Love" model. made for her master Captain Moffet."

Illustration supplied by a Moffet descendant.

In South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, there is a portrait " The Brig "Brotherly Love" and the Tug "William" painted by John Scott (1802-1885).

Other mariner ancestors of my husband included, on his mother's side:

Great Great Grandfather Matthew White (1821-187 ).

The 1861 census listed Matthew as master mariner on board the brig "Caroline" off South Shields. Lloyd’s Captains’ Register, recorded the ships Matthew sailed on, travelling as far as the Adriatic, Mediterranean and Baltic ports.

From: the National Archives at Kew, London

Sadly Matthew was,with others, drowned at sea on 10th January 1872, whilst master mariner of the brig "Caroline" - as recorded in "Births, Marriages and Deaths at Sea", online on Find May Past.

Great Grandfather Matthew Iley White. (1849-1901)

On his marriage to young widow Louisa Moffet Pierce in 1884 at South Shields, Matthew was described as a mariner. However he had a change of occupation and was next found as a member of the Tyne River Police, along with his brother Henry.

A long-held story in my husband's family recollected a photograph (sadly lost) of a White ancestor in a top hat in the uniform of the River Tyne police. A silver uniform button (below) is still held by the family.

Tyne and Wear Archives again provided some answers. The Nominal Roll of the Tyne River Police gave details that two sons of Matthew Iley White (senior), had been members of the river police force – but both with rather a chequered career. Henry White joined 9^th January 1882 and brother Matthew June 1896.

The Police Defaulters Book recorded on 11^th June 1889 their misconduct in the same incident - "for assaulting a seaman A. W. Hanson and other irregularities, whilst off duty".

Matthew was fined 2/6 and transferred to the Newcastle Division at his own expense. However he resigned a few months later. Henry was fined 2/6 and transferred to Walker Division at his own expense. The Nominal Roll of 1904 noted his age as 42 and that he had 22 years of service, with a wage of 29/6.

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Storms off South Shields
"The Shields Gazette" on (FindMyPast Newspaper Archive) abounds with headlines and reports on disasters at sea, storms and gales; the lifeboat responses. and the ensuing work of the Mariners' benevolent societies in helping families in distress. Below is one typical instance of what mariners faced.

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

A Fascinating Fact - one of the first purpose built lifeboats was constructed in South Shields in 1789, prompted by a tragedy when a ship with all its crew was lost at sea just off shore.

To Conclude -

My husband's maritime ancestors (Donaldson, White & Moffet) must have had a streak of Adventure in them to venture out from South Shields into the North Sea in all weathers, as they plied their trade as master mariners. They faced storms at sea as part of their daily lives - as evidenced by local newspaper reports of shipping disasters. I was pleased to find such detail of their experiences in the course of my research.

Here is an aerial view taken as we were coming into land at Newcastle Airport, with a clear picture of the River Tyne, its north and south piers. and on the left South Shields, the home of my husband's ancestors.

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