SS Coverdale

Fellow researcher Direcleit has looked extensively into the census forms for Lewis and Harris, and I am quite happy to refer you to his blog for some of his work with the census returns.

I have done a little bit for my research into WW1 and its impact on the Lewis contingent. This evening I came across the census record for Stornoway, under the heading of Vessels. The address is given as Stornoway Outer Harbour. There are several vessels in port, with their name used for an enumeration district. One of them was the John Coverdale. I shall highlight others in days to come.

The SS John Coverdale was operated by Coverdale & Co of West Hartlepool (Sunderland) from 1899 until 1911. In that year, the steamer was sold to Maclay & Mcintyre of Glasgow for £14,500. They operated the vessel as SS Kassanga. She was torpedoed in the Irish Sea on 20 March 1918 by U-103, at position 52.27N, 05.26W, between Wexford in Ireland and Aberystwyth in Wales. The Kassanga had been en-route from Glasgow with a cargo of coal. No life was lost.

In Stornoway, 17 years earlier, the John Coverdale was recorded with the following crew:

George Dixon, 46, Master, England
Alfred Olsen, 47, 1st Mate, foreign subject (Sweden)
Wm Bromley 24, 2nd Mate, England
G A T Dixon 25, 3rd Mate, England
T Lawrie 44, Cook, Leith (Mid Lothian)
G Jaben 30, AB (seaman), foreign subject (Holland)
T Hutchinson 21, AB (seaman), Leith (Mid Lothian)
A Groat 24, AB (seaman), Westray (Orkney)
D Groat 22, AB (seaman), Edinburgh
T Hughes 29, AB (seaman), Wales
J W Bulman 31, 1st Engineer, England
J Airey 25 2nd Engineer, England
T Sweeting 26, 3rd Engineer, England
Ra Pease 21, 4th Engineer, England
J Campbell 49, Fireman, Leith (Mid Lothian)
A Carter 28, Fireman, US
O Stanke 25, Fireman, foreign subject, Germany
R Lord 18, Mess Room Boy, Leith (Mid Lothian)
J Fernie 31, Steward, Musselburgh (Mid Lothian)
T Luttle 20, AB (seaman), Barbados
W A Olsen 22, AB (seaman), foreign subject (Sweden)
R Waterson 18, Ordinary seaman, England
J Anson 46, carpenter, England
J Boyle 32, fireman, Ireland
J Matthew 32, fireman, Ireland
G Cannon 27, fireman, England
P Lohirra 27, fireman, foreign subject (Germany)