Amble East Cemetery

[janwhin]

Browsing the east cemetery register, following on from another thread, I came across another tragedy from the sea. On 3 April 1901, 5 men were buried, all listed as drowned and cast up from the wreck of the Paris at Hadston. They were, A Thompson (approx 43); E Sawyers (22); R Felsed (34); an unknown male of 37 and S Fergsen (22). They are buried in plots Y 206 to 210.
The Sunderland Daily Echo has a couple of reports. The Paris was a Hull steamer, transporting cement from Rochester to Leith. It struck the dreaded Bondicar rocks in a fierce March gale (31st). Out of a crew of 10 men, 9 drowned. They got into the ship's lifeboat, sheltered in the lee of the steamer from the wind until it began to sink. On cutting the line, the lifeboat capsized, which lost some of the men, it turned over again, leaving only one survivor, Walter Smith, an able seaman from London. He made it back into the baot which was then driven onshore. A body was picked up on the coast but Smith did not know the man's name. Presumably he identified the others buried.

[John@theDrift]

I'm sure I remember seeing set cement shaped bags on the rocks as a child Janwhin. (Does that make sense?) Jettisoned cement bags which had set? Uncle Geordie Buddle told me they were from the wreck of the SS France, could this have been mixed up in folklore with the SS Paris perhaps?

[janwhin]

That sounds definitely like one of those memories that contains a truth but is slightly distorted. It would certainly make sense. I'll see if the newspapers have any mention of an SS France being wrecked but my guess it will be the Paris.

[Placidmaster]

Originally Posted by janwhin

My coal mining family in Broomhill weren't ecstatic about the end of the First War. Apparently the Versailles Treaty provided for "reparation coal" to be mined in Germany on starvation wages. Priced British coal out of the market and really started to bite in 1921. Lockouts and short time eventually resulted in the 1926 strike.

Funny, Just passed through Chopwell, reminded me of how the Russians helped them in the strike.............all caused by the Versailles Treaty.

[leslie]

Originally Posted by John@theDrift

I'm sure I remember seeing set cement shaped bags on the rocks as a child Janwhin. (Does that make sense?) Jettisoned cement bags which had set? Uncle Geordie Buddle told me they were from the wreck of the SS France, could this have been mixed up in folklore with the SS Paris perhaps?

i understood that the bag shaped concrete shapes were part of the war time defences,

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by leslie

i understood that the bag shaped concrete shapes were part of the war time defences,

They definitely used small sand bags or Hessian sacks full of concrete for building defences in WW2 - seen lots of those about.

Think these are larger sacks? which are also well below the high water mark? I would guess they should be hundredweight bags in those days.

[Coquet]

Here's some more tragedy behind some East Cemetery burials from 110 years ago, both drowned in the Quarry,

Veronica Docherty and John McPeke [McPeake] can both be found the Burial Index


Inquest at Amble
Child Falls into Quarry.

Dr. C. Burman, deputy coroner for North Northumberland held an inquiry at the Station Hotel, Amble on Monday last, touching the death of a little girl named Veronica Nora Docherty, who was drowned at Amble on Sunday morning last. - Bridget Docherty said she was the wife of Philip Docherty, and lived at No. 20 Gordon Street, Amble. Deceased was her daughter, aged 2 years and 3 months. She last saw her alive on Sunday morning about 11 o'clock. She left home in company with her little brother. They were out about 20 minutes and were supposed to be playing about the doors till her little boy came and told her that Nora was in the water. She then went with the boy and got her out. The water was just covering her. The quarry is very deep in the middle, but shallow where she was found. Some one came and tried to restore animation but was unsuccessful. The quarry is quite open, there being no protection whatever, and is quite open to the public.
Coroner: Is there no railing round the quarry? - witness: Not where she fell in. - Coroner: Is it private or public property?- Witness: I can't say. - James Ferguson said he was a miner, and lived at No. 23 Gordon Street, Amble. Shortly after 12 o'clock he went down the street after the mother, after hearing the child had fallen into the the water. He got hold of the child and came up on the side. The mother got it out herself. Witness took her in hand, and performed artificial respiration, and sent for the doctor. Witness saw no signs of life whatever. Dr. Stumbles came at once, and he also tried artificial respiration, but was unsuccessful. - A Juryman; there is no protection round the quarry? - Witness: There is a little bit at one side. - Coroner: Is the quarry very deep? - Witness: yes, in some parts, but it was shallow where the accident occurred. - Coroner: Are you prepared to say there is not sufficient protection? - Witness: There is no protection for the public. It is not sufficiently railed in for the protection of children. - Coroner: But the children have no right to be there if it is private property. - Witness (in answer to the Coroner): it is private ground, but quite open to the public. - Coroner: If it is private ground the public have no right there. - After the Coroner had summed up the case, the Jury arrived at the following verdict:- "That Veronica Nora Docherty was accidentally drowned in a quarry hole at the end of Gordon Street, Amble, on the 31st May, 1903; and the Jury are of the opinion that its condition should be brought to the attention of the public authority". [Morpeth Herald Saturday 6th June 1903]



The Amble Mystery -Solved at an Inquest -
The Evils of Drunkenness.

The inquiry that was held by Mr. Charles Percy at the Station Hotel, Amble, on Tuesday, solved the mystery that has surrounded the disappearance of an Amble man named John McPeke. A young man named William McPeke said deceased was his father, a miner, 42 years of age. He had not seen him since the 20th of last month.
Edward Stockdale, belonging to Kenton, Newcastle, said he found the body near the Cliff House, against the old Quarry Bank.
P.C. Young said he examined the clothes and found them in order. He found in the pockets of deceased half-a-sovereign, 1s, and two sixpences.
George Moody said McPeke came to his house about 11 o'clock on Friday the 20th ult. There were other men there, eight in all. Deceased was drunk when he came. They were not all drunk. They were drinking whisky and playing cards, and having jollification. Deceased was worse than any of the rest. Witness's house was about 300 yards from the Quayside. They were arguing a good deal but not quarreling. Deceased left his house alone about half past four in the morning. A man named Walker asked to accompany him, but deceased would not let him. Witness saw him to the bottom of the stairs. That was the last he saw of him. There was no disturbance.
Evidence of a like nature was given by Thomas Rolfe, one of the eight men.
Mrs Mary Jane Brown gave evidence as to hearing the men making a noise all through the night.
Medical evidence was given by Dr Smyth, who said there were no marks of violence, what marks there were were post-mortem.
The Coroner in summoning up discanted the evils of getting drunk. This man had evidently been so drunk as to have lost all knowledge of himself and had fallen into the water and been drowned.- The jury came to a verdict of "Found drowned" [Shields Daily Gazette 8th Jan 1902]

[Coquet]

William McPeke [McPeake], mentioned as the son at the inquest of the latter case above is possibly in there too, dying in 1923 aged 35.

Any info on that burial Janwhin? I wonder if his death was WW1 related as he would be at the age to serve in the conflict - he's not in the absent voters list but he could have been discharged before the spring of 1918.

[Coquet]

Bridget Docherty only lasted a few years after the death of her daughter too, also interred in the east cemetery.

There but for the grace of god go I.

[Coquet]

Here's another, earlier quarry drowning, Robert Armstrong, 63, Hauxley Fisherman. Buried in the East Cemetery. Somewhat bizarre tale of falling into two quarries, Wellhaugh first then Cliff House.
Possibly an ancestor of 'her indoors', who has a line with the Hauxley Armstrongs.



Drowning Case at Amble.

An inquest was held on Saturday night in the Harbour Inn, Amble, before Mr George Watson, coroner, on the body of Robert Armstrong, of Hauxley, fishermen, aged 63 years, who was found drowned in an old quarry on Friday. It appears that on Thursday night last the deceased was in company with two French captains in the Harbour Inn, and left there about eight o'clock to proceed home. On the road, which is a very difficult one, and the night being very dark, he had evidently lost the track, and fallen into a stone quarry belonging to Messrs. Green and Douglas, situated about half a mile south of Amble, a quantity of hair and blood, and also his hat, being discovered among the stones. He, however, managed to scramble out on to the sea beach, and had apparently again mistaken his way, having turned northwards to Amble instead of taking the southerly direction to Hauxley. Having gone nearly a quarter of a mile in this direction he had climbed the links and fallen over into another old quarry full of water, and was drowned. The body was not discovered until the following day. - The jury returned a verdict of "Found drowned" [Morpeth Herald 10/11/1883]
.


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[janwhin]

Originally Posted by Coquet

William McPeke [McPeake], mentioned as the son at the inquest of the latter case above is possibly in there too, dying in 1923 aged 35.

Any info on that burial Janwhin? I wonder if his death was WW1 related as he would be at the age to serve in the conflict - he's not in the absent voters list but he could have been discharged before the spring of 1918.

The register is silent on that one, Coquet. His father's burial states that he drowned in the harbour. There is no addutional info for little Veronica. Sad family that, they lost a 19 month old child a couple of years later and then the mother died at 34.

[BrianK]

Originally Posted by janwhin

Browsing the east cemetery register, following on from another thread, I came across another tragedy from the sea. On 3 April 1901, 5 men were buried, all listed as drowned and cast up from the wreck of the Paris at Hadston. They were, A Thompson (approx 43); E Sawyers (22); R Felsed (34); an unknown male of 37 and S Fergsen (22). They are buried in plots Y 206 to 210.
The Sunderland Daily Echo has a couple of reports. The Paris was a Hull steamer, transporting cement from Rochester to Leith. It struck the dreaded Bondicar rocks in a fierce March gale (31st). Out of a crew of 10 men, 9 drowned. They got into the ship's lifeboat, sheltered in the lee of the steamer from the wind until it began to sink. On cutting the line, the lifeboat capsized, which lost some of the men, it turned over again, leaving only one survivor, Walter Smith, an able seaman from London. He made it back into the baot which was then driven onshore. A body was picked up on the coast but Smith did not know the man's name. Presumably he identified the others buried.

Just a quick reply to the post 'Another sad story' back in 2013, referring to the loss of the SS Paris on 3rd April 1901 - the survivor, Walter Smith, is listed in the 1901 Census as part of the entry for Bondicar Farm. He is a 'Border' at the Farm and is described as 'Sailor saved out of 10 men 29/3/1901'.

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by BrianK

Just a quick reply to the post 'Another sad story' back in 2013, referring to the loss of the SS Paris on 3rd April 1901 - the survivor, Walter Smith, is listed in the 1901 Census as part of the entry for Bondicar Farm. He is a 'Border' at the Farm and is described as 'Sailor saved out of 10 men 29/3/1901'.

Some more details are available on that one now:



The Shields Daily Gazette and Shipping Telegraph Monday, April 1, 1901.

The Severe Gale.
The Sad Disaster Hauxley.
Desperate Struggle of Drowning Men.
Nine Lives Lost.

Further particulars are now to hand of the shipping disaster which occurred off Bondicar, two and a half miles south of Amble, on the evening of Friday last, when nine of the crew were drowned. From a statement by the sole survivor, Walter Smith, Able Seaman, of London, the screw steamer Paris left Rochester for Leith with a cargo of cement. She had had a very bad passage all the way.

The wind was from the North, and on Friday evening, just before eight o’clock, it had veered round east by south-east by her compass. The last light that had been seen by the crew was Whitby. They had no idea they were so close into the land until she struck on the rocks. The wind, accompanied by sleet and snow, was of cyclone violence, and owing to her cargo she became an easy prey to the fury of the tempest, for she very soon began to show signs of breaking up. The small lifeboat was launched, and the whole crew, numbering 10 men, got into her, but were afraid to leave the shelter of the vessel, so for an hour the hung under her lee.

The Paris then began to sink. The water coming over her, filled the boat where the men were sitting tightly packed. The rope which held her to the sinking vessel was cut, and almost immediately she let go she was capsized. Some of the men managed to get to her again, but she capsized a second time. Still the poor fellows struggled hard, but only four of them managed to reach her.

They climbed up on her keel, and as she got away from the doomed vessel, the terrific force of the wind got hold of her, and again precipitated the poor Seaman into the sea. The boat at this time having righted herself, another desperate struggle for life ensued. Walter Smith said that as he and two others were striving to reach the boat he heard, close beside him, gurgling sounds as of drowning men. He himself at this moment sank, and when he came to the surface again swam to the boat and climbed into it. It was nearly full of water but still afloat. He remained in the boat until it washed up onto the beach. When it struck on the beach he just had sufficient strength left the roll himself over the boat’s side and crawl on his hands and knees ashore. He was then picked up and taken to the house of Mr George Douglas, of Bondicar, where stimulants were given, and he soon came round. Smith was treated with every kindness and supplied with food and dry clothes.

The chief officer of coastguard, Mr John M. Woodthorpe, Royal Navy, on receiving information, at once proceeded to the scene of the disaster. The steamer’s light being visible, he immediately proceeded to get the life-saving apparatus into action. A rocket was fired, but unfortunately, the distance was too great, and communication could not be established with the ship.

A body of one of the men was picked up at twelve o’clock. The name of the man is not known to Smith, but he knew him to be the steward and belonging to London. As far as can be ascertained, the following are the names of some of the crew of the Paris who were drowned: — J. Hutton, master; H. Thompson, mate; W. Jennings, able seaman. There were also two fireman, two engineers, the cook, and boatswain, whose names, so far, have not been ascertained.
The Paris was built in Aberdeen in 1878, and was subsequently bought by Mr George R. Haller, 62 High Street, Hull, at which port she was registered in 1887. For many years she traded between Hull and London, but had latterly gone to other ports. The Paris was 145 ft long, with a beam of 21 ft 1 in., and depth of hold 11 ft. 4 in. she was propelled by engines of 45 horsepower, nominal. That time of the loss she was in command of captain Hutton who resided at Hull.

Later Particulars.
Bodies Cast up.

Up to Saturday evening five of the bodies of the crew of the steamer Paris had been recovered. These include the mate, the boatswain, two fireman and the cook. The bodies of the chief engineer was picked up on Sunday morning, and that of the second engineer on Sunday evening, which makes seven and all. The body of the captain has not yet been found.
The survivor Walter Smith is staying at the house of Mr George Douglas, farmer, of Bondicar, and is been kindly and generously treated. The disaster has cast a gloom over the village of Bondicar and Hauxley. Crowds of people from Amble and the neighbouring villages visited the scene of the disaster on Sunday.
The only names of those recovered that can be ascertained are H. Thompson, the first mate, and Bell, the chief engineer. An inquest will be held on the bodies on Tuesday.
Leighton, Lloyd’s agent, visited the wreck and give the necessary instructions as to salving.

[Coquet]

The chief officer of coastguard, Mr John M. Woodthorpe, Royal Navy, on receiving information, at once proceeded to the scene of the disaster. The steamer’s light being visible, he immediately proceeded to get the life-saving apparatus into action. A rocket was fired, but unfortunately, the distance was too great, and communication could not be established with the ship.

I wonder which company had the misfortune of being allocated the Bondicar area? Would this be 'Amble South' or did Hauxley have a company?

[Coquet]

[Coquet]

That would be the back of the stones (if they had them) towards the camera above.
Could not find an Aberdeen built ship called the Paris. Must have had a change of name or something.

[janwhin]

So much history in that cemetery, so little evidence

Nice find, Coquet.

[Coquet]

We now have five folding plastic crosses. We marked the tragedy for a few minutes anyway. Would be national news today; but such losses seemed commonplace back then.

[hollydog]

Originally Posted by Coquet

That would be the back of the stones (if they had them) towards the camera above.
Could not find an Aberdeen built ship called the Paris. Must have had a change of name or something.

So you know that people are reading your good work I have found the Paris in question, all the detail seems to add up http://www.aberdeenships.com/single....0&index=100202

[Coquet]

That's it then; the Don. Says name changed to the Paris. Well spotted.

I did a bit of 'shipbuilding' at Aberdeen, RMS St Helena, did the wiring in the passenger cabins and the bar/lounge! I think it's still afloat, miraculously.