# SS Mascota (ex Torquay)



## John Mullen (Jul 10, 2008)

The Mascota was operated by JW Fisher & Co of Liverpool at the time of her sinking by German Destroyers on 29th March 1917. She was an elderly ship being built by R Thompson & Sons of Sunderland in 1890 and quite small (180' x 27' x 14' depth in the hold). Of her 14 man crew 7 were killed at the outset (listed on the MN memorial on Tower Hill) and 7 taken prisoner one of these died the following day (presumably of injuries received in the sinking) the remaining 6, 2 seamen, a stoker ,a fireman and the chief and second engineers became PoWs.

Does anyone know where I can get a photo of her and can anyone give me any info on the operators, I think they were a fairly large owner of shipping but seem to have operated under numerous names for instance the ship in question having been bought back from an Argentine company and re-registered in Liverpool was "owned" by the Mascota Shipping Co Ltd- why did they do this, were there tax implications?


----------



## janathull (Aug 31, 2005)

Hi John, Have you tried the Liverpool museum, I was after a photo of an old ship and they had it. Cheers janathull


----------



## Roger Jordan (May 9, 2008)

Hello John
The firm of JW Fisher & Co Ltd, of 4-5 Oriel Chambers, 14 Water Street, Liverpool, apparently “owned” its first vessel in 1916, and this and other early vessels were registered in the name of Joseph E Fisher, who was the company’s principal.
The company owned and managed 23 vessels from 1916 to 1934, when its last vessels were disposed of.
The following is extracted from Lloyd’s Confidential Index of 1921, showing the names subsidiaries and of vessels (as of 1921).

JW FISHER
Freeland Shipping Co Ltd
Dragoon built 1917, acquired 1919, 573 tons gross
Freeland built 1919, 574 tons gross
Fairland built 1920, 552 tons gross
Pickavance Shipping Co Ltd
Cambalu built 1920, 496 tons gross 
Pickavance, built 1896 (ex Francis Henderson), acquired 1920, 299 tons gross
Managed for The Shipping Controller
Postell built 1882, acquired 1917, 1029 tons gross, sold Spain 1921

And from Lloyd’s Confidential Index 1939, during 1916-28 the company had one total loss, one war loss, and owned/managed a further 21 vessels (including those mentioned above). CAMBALU was a total loss in 1933, being wrecked off Hartland Point.

Cannot find anything fresh about MASCOTA, except that the Argentinean company that owned it was Lloyd Bahia Blanca Societa Anonima de Naviera a Vapore, Buenos Ayres. It was acquired by that company in 1904.

In Directory of Shipowners, Shipbuilders and Marine Engineers, the company does not show up until the earlier 1930s, and in the 1934 edition it is shown as

FISHER & CO., J.W.
Managers of: Freeland Shipping Co Ltd
Offices: 14 Water Street, Liverpool 2
Fleets – 3 stmbts
DRAGOON 573gt, 258nt, 750dw, 13’2¾” dft, 
1917 b [built] J Lewis & Sons, Aberdeen
e [engines] J Lewis & Sons, Aberdeen
FAIRLAND 552gt, 242nt, 729dw, 12’8” dft
1920 b Goole SB Co
e W Beardmore, Glasgow
FREELAND 574gt, 263nt, 770dw, 13’2” dft
1919 b J Lewis & Sons, Aberdeen
e J Lewis & Sons, Aberdeen

In the 1936 edition of the same publication, the company is listed without vessels. All three remaining vessels were sold to the unrelated James Fisher & Co, Barrow in Furness, in 1934.

Hopefully there is something in the above that will be of interest.
Regards
Roger


----------



## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

World Ship Society book MERSEY ROVERS published 1997 has a detailed history of the company and ships and sub companies brought by Joseph Fisher but no picture of the MASCOTA.


----------



## John Mullen (Jul 10, 2008)

Many thanks for the idea I have done what you suggest & the pictures librarian has promised to have a look

yrs

JM


----------



## John Mullen (Jul 10, 2008)

Thanks for the comprehensive info Roger, I don't suppose you can hazard a guess as to why they operated this way can you? Was there a tax advantage do you think? Or was it simply custom & practice among certain classes of shipowner.

Yrs

JM


----------



## John Mullen (Jul 10, 2008)

Many thanks DavidJM I will try to get hold of a copyand have a read.

yrs

JM


----------



## Roger Jordan (May 9, 2008)

Hello John
The author of Mersey Rovers, Roy Fenton (we are old friends) has today sent me a PDF of the first page of the chapter concerning the Fisher family. If you could send me your e-mail address by PM, I will send the PDF off to you. The first page of the history gives the background to the family set-up.
Regards
Roger


----------



## T Murphy (Oct 9, 2008)

Hello John,

I note your interest in the Mascota. One of my friends is a grandson of the Chief Officer. He, and his family knew little of the history of the Mascota and have been extremely interested in the contents of your posting.

Regards

Tom


----------



## ChristopherThomasJones (Aug 17, 2010)

Hello John and Tom

I found this thread having discovered the name of the ship on which my grandfather perished and 'googled' it. I believe he was the ships master/captain. I went to the Maritime Museum today in Liverpool knowing only his name and the year he died. They found a TA Jones (his name was Thomas Arthur) listed in the record of MN names n the monument at Tower Hill in London, but there was no other information about him. The story I was told is that he refused to surrender his vessel. I’d like to know more, so if you have obtained any pictures or if the grandson of the First Mate would like to enter into an exchange of information I would be only too pleased to take part.

Chris


----------



## ChristopherThomasJones (Aug 17, 2010)

Forgot to add, I found this on another site/blog (http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/gardiner6.htm)

_Chief Officer Edward Woods of the SS Mascota; how did a member of the Merchant Navy end up in a military cemetery some miles from the open sea? SS Mascota was a 674 gross ton defensively armed trawler which was captured and sunk 8 miles off Lowestoft by a German TPD on 29 March 1917 with 7 men lost and 7 taken prisoner. Woods's grave was moved to Larch Wood from Bruges General Cemetery, St Michel, after the war. Because he was the only merchant seaman to be moved there, he is mentioned in the introduction to the original CWGC register in the list of cemeteries concentrated to Larch Wood. He hailed from Dundalk._


----------



## T Murphy (Oct 9, 2008)

*Mascota*

Hi Chris,
It has been a while since I checked here. I will pass this on to Terry (the grandson referred to). I am sure that he will want to exchange what he can.
Tom


----------

