# S.S.Wooler Foundered off Ushant 02/01/1899



## Ken Berry (Jul 15, 2007)

Hi All,
If anyone can help would be greatly appreciated. My G/Uncle was William Robert Wilde born Birkenhead Cheshire 1858. He was a Carpenter and/or a Shipwright. He died in 1906 from injuries received when the S.S.Wooler foudered. He was washed up on the beach a fair way from where the ship foundered. Local people found him and nursed him back to reasonable health. He had received severe head trauma injuries. So with him nor appearing on the 1901 England census,I am presuming he might have been a fair while before he got back to his Wife Mary J. Wilde (nee Berry) at Birkenhead Cheshire. He is not listed as a member of the crew in the Merseyside Ships web site. Originally leaving from Barry with coal for Las Palmas,she did stop over at Bremerhaven. Have seasrch the Distressed British Seaman lists and had no luck. If anyone can point me in a new direction Thank You.Best regards Ken B


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

Hi Ken

Have you (or I) got the correct Wooler? According to Hocking's Dictionary of Disasters at Sea, there was a steamer named Wooler built by E Withy & Co in 1891 and owned by Steel, Young & Co. The ship was 2403 tons gross, being 290' in length, 38.1' feet in breadth and depth of her holds was 20 feet. She was powered by triple expansion engines giving 221 nominal horse power. This Wooler foundered off Ushant in a gale on 2 January 1899 while on voyage from Cardiff to Las Palmas with a cargo of coal. 19 men drowned but 4 survivors were picked up by the steamer Loch Etive on 4 January. 

Dave W


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

wightspirit said:


> Hi Ken
> 
> Have you (or I) got the correct Wooler? According to Hocking's Dictionary of Disasters at Sea, there was a steamer named Wooler built by E Withy & Co in 1891 and owned by Steel, Young & Co. The ship was 2403 tons gross, being 290' in length, 38.1' feet in breadth and depth of her holds was 20 feet. She was powered by triple expansion engines giving 221 nominal horse power. This Wooler foundered off Ushant in a gale on 2 January 1899 while on voyage from Cardiff to Las Palmas with a cargo of coal. 19 men drowned but 4 survivors were picked up by the steamer Loch Etive on 4 January.
> 
> Dave W


FYI at the time of loading, the vessel would have been in Barry, but at that time Barry Docks came under the jurisdiction of Cardiff Urban District Council, The rail tracks were owned by the Barry Railway Co. as well as The Cardiff and Taff Vale Railway company. 

The Wooler would have sailed from Barry as it was the, "Handy Size", vessel of it's day. Barry had an innovative lock, which allowed this size ship to enter and sail fully loaded at every stage of tide, Cardiff had little, or no, water at Low Springs.


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## Ken Berry (Jul 15, 2007)

*S.S.Wooler*

Hi Billieboy and Wight Spirit,
Yes thats her OK 4 survivors and 19 lost.
My Great Uncle was on her William Robert Wilde. I jusr can't find him anywhere. A distant relation in Australia gave me a few details (didn't know I had them) so we are both loking.Was wondering if anyone can come up with other sources of Info or possible web sites.Looked everywhere for a photo. Still no luck either.Thank You for your help with the confirmation of the Wooler.200HP to push her through the water in those kind of Storms. Might have preferred some Oars like the Vikings had. But opted for Twin Six Doxfords when I did my turn at sea. Best regards Ken B(Applause)(Wave)(Thumb)


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

Hi Ken

Here's something to get your teeth into. The Times: there are reports varying from a few lines to several column inches on the following dates: 9 January 1899 page 7, 10 January 1899 page 4 and 7, 11 January 1899 page 4, 12 January 1899 page 8, giving some names. 3 February 1899 page 9, 6 March 1899 page 14 advising there would be a wreck enquiry, 8 March 1899 summarising the wreck report. I didn't see the name Wilde mentioned but in the reports there is mention of 'the remainder of the crew being foreigners.' Did he change nationality perhaps, are you sure he was on board? I'll do another newspaper search online - more might be revealed there.

You can access The Times and 19th century newspapers online if you are a library member, and that library subscribes to this facility. If they do, obtain a PIN number from them and you can browse to your heart's content on your home computer.

Dave W


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

Here's a bit more - North East Daily Gazette 12 January 1899 lists the crew. No mention of anyone by the name of Wilde. Some men went to sea under assumed names and that may be something to pursue further. For photographs and/or plans, try Hartlepool Maritime Musem and Hartlepool Central Library.

Dave W


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