# David Morrison and Liverpool Tugs 1871-1875



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

I am currently researching ships and crews in the 1891
Census for Liverpool ...
I have received a query from a lady trying to discover
when and how her great grandfather David Morrison
died. The family worked on Liverpool Tugs, 'Great 
Emporer', 'Merry Andrew', 'Lord Lyon' and 'I Leed'.
She has been informed that he "suffered a marine 
associated death". The 1871 census shows he served
as stoker on the Merry Andrew; he had died before his 
son was born April 3, 1875.
The 1891 census shows that Lord Lyson and Great
Emperor were still in service (if they are the same tugs).
Please can anyone offer any advice or information?
Best Wishes, Raymond


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## joseph1 (Sep 29, 2008)

great emperor tug work on tyne


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## thamestug (Jun 7, 2008)

MERRY ANDREW 1857



Built 1857 by Thomas & William Smith, North Shields. Iron paddle tug. L120.9’. B20.3’. D10.3’. 178grt. 80nhp 2cyl side lever engine by builder. ON28072

1857 Delivered to unknown owner.
1860 Owner Thomas E. Smith, London. [Believed working on Mersey]
18-4-1872 Following collision with another vessel tug had to be beached near Egremont.
1884 Owner Robert, William, Nicholas & Henry Strong, Liverpool.
1893 Owners Strong Steam Tug Co Ltd, Liverpool.
1905 Scrapped.
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Great Emperor
Regret no vessel details but do not think it was either of the two vessels of same name owned on the Tyne, BUT:

28-4-1876 Damaged after colliding with Morpeth Pierhed.
5-11-1882 In collision with Dock Authority tender Alert off Liverpool Pierhead.
regards
TUG.


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## arweb34 (Jul 16, 2007)

Hello. I'm back and still on the hunt for great-grandfather David Morrison. A cousin has since told me he heard g-grandfather had drowned off the coast of Anglesey in a shipping disaster. Recently found what I think to be him on a crew list at Memorial University. They are sending me a copy of 5 pages. Registers of Wages & Effects of Deceased Seamen give as follows: David Morrison, age 28. Date of death 5th December, 1874. Off Holyhead. Cause: Drowned. Ship's name 'Rescue' from Liverpool. Official No. 20541. Description: Tug. Voyage: Towing. Onboard & drowned: Samuel MacKinley age 45, Robert Robb age 50, James Summers age 45. Tug on Lloyds Register page 591, owned by Liverpool Steamship Tug Co. I gather there was a bad storm at that time but not yet found newspaper report(s) re storm or shipping loss. Gather the Rescue was towing another ship but do not know of a name should that have been the case. Any help would be appreciated, also possible picture of tug. 
Many thanks.
Angie
[email protected]


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

This maybe the vessel in question.

GREAT EMPEROR (1st of name) (1863) iron paddle vessel.
O.N. 47450. 225g. 92n. 139.7 x 23.2 x 11.3 feet.
Post 1874: 225g. 72n. 
Post 1885: 225g. 30n.
2-cyl. (39” x 57”) engine by Marshall Brothers, Newcastle. 110nhp.
1863: Built by Thomas D. Marshall, Willington Quay-on-Tyne for William and Thomas Jolliffe, Liverpool. 
1863: Sold to unspecified foreign owners. 
1874: Sold to William and Thomas Jolliffe, Liverpool and renamed COMMODORE. 
1879: Transferred to William and Tom Andrew Jolliffe, Liverpool. 
1890: Transferred to Sarah A Jolliffe (Howard from 1896), Liverpool and John Woodburn, Windermere. 
1896: Sold Andrew Hattrick, Birkenhead. 
1900: Demolished




GREAT EMPEROR (2nd of name) (1864 – 1899) iron paddle vessel.
O.N. 50270. 252g. 109n. 143.7 x 23.1 x 11.8 feet.
From 1885: 252g. 51n.
2-cyl. (40” x 60”) engine by G. Marshall, South Shields. 110nhp.
1864: Built by Marshall Brothers, Willington Quay-on-Tyne for William and Thomas Jolliffe, Liverpool. 
1879: Transferred to William Jolliffe, Liverpool. 
1890: Transferred to Sarah A Jolliffe (Howard from 1896), Liverpool and John Woodburn, Windermere. 
1896: Transferred to William T. Jolliffe, Liverpool. 
1899: Demolished.


All I have on RESCUE

RESCUE (1857 - ) iron paddle tug callsign N.B.P.J.
O.N. 20541. 202g. 127n. 139.6 x 20.3 x 10.6 feet.
Lever steam engine of 100hp 
1857: Built at Liverpool for Liverpool Steam Tug Co. and appear from source i have available to have remained with them all her life.

She remained listed in the Mercantile Navy List until the 1885 edition but not in the 1888 edition.

This would raise the questions

Was she lost in 1874 or were the crewmen washed overboard?

If lost, it seems strange not to remove her entry from the MNL for eleven years. One might expect a couple of years max lapse for them to be informed of her loss and play catch up.


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