# Ethel FD173/Irvana FD430/Apolo in Portugal



## birgir (Sep 4, 2006)

Hello everyone.

This trawler was built in Goole in 1907, and sold to Iceland in 1919. I have been unable to find any photos of this ship. 
(For Gil Mayes, extra information. The buyers in Iceland was Hf. Atlanta, (Elias Stefansson owner/manager until his death in 1920, then Skuli Jonsson, until sold to Britain at the end of 1923.) In an obituary for Skuli Jonsson, it is mentioned that "the real owner was Morr & Co. in Fleetwood". Does anyone know of such a company? There are some strange things about the ship. Hf. Atlanta was formed after the ship was bought, and there are testimonies in memories that the ship was in Iceland in the summer of 1919, before it was registered. A ship named Ethel was also in Iceland in 1915, could be the same.) 

Birgir Thorisson


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello Bigar,
The company would be MARR. 
http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/ethel.html
Could it be that Marrs retained her ownership whilst she was in Iceland?
Gil may have an explanation.

regards
Roger


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## birgir (Sep 4, 2006)

The ship was presumably bought by Elias Stefansson, who was riding high in 1919, primarily in herring, but the herring industry collapsed spectacularly in the fall of 1919 (The great crack), and Elias lost huge amounts of money. He died in the fall of 1920, but contrary to generally accepted history, he was not formally bankrupt. The ship was mortgaged to William Deacons Bank for 11.000 pounds, so some money was paid for it. After his death the company formed to own Ethel (Hf.Atlanta) was run by a mr. Skuli Jonsson, who had been Elias Stefansson´s clerk (again, the rumor that he could not write, having started off as a common fisherman, is patently wrong. He wrote a very good hand). Skuli Jonsson had spent part of WW1 as an apprentice with a firm in Fleetwood, presumably Marr. Therefore, it is a possibility that Marr financed him as he tried for three years to keep the company going.

Birgir Thorisson.


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## gil mayes (Nov 20, 2006)

Birgir and Roger, I believe that the Marrs were involved from the start although you may note that the ETHEL (124698) was bought from Louis Cohen in 1913 by George Moody, Grimsby & J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood. She was sold to the Marr subsidiary, Active Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood, prior to 1915 so it is possible that she was in Iceland in 1915. William Deacons Bank held the mortgage on many Marr & Dinas vessels. As the Portugese CABO JUBY she survived until 1958.
Any further information on this vessel most welcome. 
Gil.


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