W.H. Cockerline Fleet
"W.H. Cockerline & Co. Ltd., Hull, was formed in 1885 to own two second-hand ships, the Baidar and the Spark. In January 1894 the awning deck steamer Pacific was completed by William Gray. In 1895, Gray's shipyard also completed the Graphic and Majestic, followed in 1896 by the Atlantic and in 1897 by the Britannic. This latter ship was sold the following year and replaced by another Gray-built ship, again named Britannic.
Between 1903 and 1905, eight ships were built for the company at West Hartlepool: the Atlantic (2), Britannic (3), and Teutonic from Gray's, and the Oceanic, Olympic, Adriatic, Majestic (2), and Germanic from Irvine's. Irvine's also completed the Corinthic in 1914.
Cockerline's began to rebuild their fleet after the First World War (see note below), adding four new and two second-hand vessels, with Irvine's providing another Corinthic (3) in 1924. Gray's provided the Germanic (3) in 1936, the Athenic (2) in 1937, and the Atlantic (3) in 1939. In 1946 Cockerline's bought the 1942 Gray-built Empire Gareth, renaming her Athenic (3).
In 1954 the company sold its last ship and went into voluntary liquidation in 1957."
[Source: 'The Empire Prospero and W.H. Cockerline & Co. Ltd.', James Layton, Tees Packet issue No. 103, June 1999]
Note: The company also managed ships for the Shipping Controller during the First World War, these included the Irvines-built ship War Hamlet and the Gray-built ship War Valley.
| Name | Built | Gross | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldar | 1871 | 1,003 | From J. W. Smith, Hull, 1885: sold 1888 to Mrs. M. G. Gillies, Londonderry: sold 1889 to S. Hough, Liverpool: wrecked, Schouwen, Holland, November 30,1897. |
| Spark | 1880 | 1,324 | From J. W. Smith, Hull, 1885: sold 1895 to G. L. Ahlstrdm, Stockholm, renamed Baltic: sold 1906 to G. Laven, Stockholm: renamed Bard 1909: wrecked, Hudiksvall, December 14, 1911. |
| Industry | 1887 | 1,830 | Renamed Tropic 1899, see below. |
| International | 1883 | 1,616 | Ward and Holzapfel, Newcastle 1883-5: C. Mar- wood, Whitby 1885-9: sold 1895 to G. L. AhIstr6m, Stockholm, renamed Oceanic: wrecked November 27, 1898. |
| Albany | 1883 | 1,391 | From T. D. Woodhead, Hull, 1893: sold 1894 to Forman Moody & Co., Newcastle: sold 1895 to D. MacIver, Liverpool: sold 1896 to J. C. Lunn, Newcastle, renamed Willowdene: sold 1899 to G. T. Monsen, Stavanger, renamed Verdande: sold 1906 to Kan Sho-Nan, Kobe |
| Pacific (1) | 1894 | 2,622 | Sold 1911 to Rose, Allan and Johnson, Glasgow, renamed Scotsdyke: burnt November 1913. |
| Graphic (1) | 1895 | 2,420 | Sold 1901 to C. A. Tsiropinas, Syra, renamed Emmanuel: sold 1919 to A. A. Capparis, Syra: sold 1924 to G. J. Gregos, Piraeus: stranded January 1925 and scrapped. |
| Majestic (1) | 1895 | 2,586 | Sold 1901 to Cia. Bachi, Bilbao, as Barfolo: sunk in collision, Straits of Gibraltar, January 29, 1913. |
| Atlantic (1) | 1896 | 3,095 | Sold 1899 to C. K. Hansen, Copenhagen, as Brattingsborg: unlisted 1934/5. |
| Britannic (1) | 1897 | 3,206 | Sold 1898 to H. W. Dillon, London, as Alders- gate: sold 1906 to Maclay and McIntyre, Glasgow, renamed Everilda: sold 1918 to Fisher Renwick, Newcastle: sold 1928 to A. Wihuri, Helsinki, renamed Wilma: sold 1941 to G. Erikson, Mariehamn, renamed Avenir |
| Tropic | 1887 | 1,740 | ex-Industry, renamed 1899: sold 1901 to W. Wingardh, Helsingborg, renamed Triton: wrecked, Husum, November 24, 1905. |
| Coralie | 1892 | 2,920 | From Cammell Haigh, Hull, 1902: foundered off Heligoland February 22, 1907. |
| Graphic (2) | 1902 | 3,245 | Laid down as Lord Kitchener: sold 1914 to Morgan and Cadogan, Cardiff, as Nailsea Court: torpedoed 35 m. W. of the Skelligs, January 19, 1917. |
| Oceanic | 1903 | 2,218 | Sold 1908 to Cia. Vasco-Asturiana, Aviles; renamed Santiago Lopez. |
| Olympic | 1903 | 2,217 | Sold 1913 to Svendsen and Christensen, Copen- hagen as H Pontoppidan: sold 1932 to A/B Scandinavic (Nielsen and Thorden), Helsinki, re amed Scandinavic: to P. Henriksen 1940: to C. Olsson, Helsinki 1950: scrapped, Copenhagen February 1954. |
| Atlantic (2) | 1904 | 3,016 | Sold 1939 to P. Eklof, Borga, Finland, renamed Margareta: war loss September 27, 1941. |
| Majestic (2) | 1904 | 3,027 | Sold 1938 to G. Sigalas, Piraeus, as Tassia: to U.S. Govt. (Panama flag) 1942 as Cockerel: returned to Sigalas (Cia. Cadio) 1947: foundered May 1951. |
| Britannic (2) | 1904 | 3,487 | Sunk by submarine 20 m. ESE of Cape Bon, July 30, 1916. |
| Adriatic | 1904 | 3,028 | Missing, October 1916. |
| Germanic (1) | 1905 | 3,377 | Sold 1920 to F. Swan, Cardiff, renamed Pengelly: sold 1921 to Hopkins, Saunders, Cardiff: sold 1923 to Tanaka Kisen, Dairen, renamed Yeiryo Maru: unlisted 1934/5. |
| Teutonic | 1905 | 3,604 | To Russian Govt. 1914, Slavonic: to Archangel Govt. 1917: unlisted 1919/20. |
| Corinthic (1) | 1905 | 3,686 | Sold 1913 to Ryoto Kisen (NUtsui Busen), Dairen, renamed Amagisan Maru: scrapped 1933. |
| Gothic (1) | 1905 | 2,648 | Sold 1907 to Northern S.S. Co., St. Petersburg. renamed Dania: sunk by submarine June 1915. |
| Athenic (1) | 1906 | 4,078 | Laid down as Royal Crown; sold 1915 to A. D. Axarlis, London: sold 1920 to Dean S.S. Co., London: sold 1924 to Wigharn S.S. Co., North Shields: sold 1932 to A. Lusi, Argostoli, as Attikos: unlisted 1937/8. |
| Cambric | 1906 | 3,043 | Torpedoed 14 in. W. of Cape Shershel, October 31, 1917. |
| Republic | 1906 | 4,281 | Sold 1914 to E. E. Ambatielos, Argostoli; renamed Nikolaos: sold 1916 to Bitsis and Hadzikyriakos, Argostoli, renamed Kilkis: unlisted 1919/20. |
| Asiatic (1) | 1907 | 3,589 | Sold 1918 to W. Hepburn, Hull: sold 1921 to Williams Bros., renamed Crossway: sold 1924 to Dairen Kisen, renamed Mantatsu Maru: sold 1937 to Amagasu Gomei, Dairen: scrapped 1938. |
| Gothic (2) | 1906 | 3,807 | Ex-Bessborough: from W. A. Massey, Hull, May 1910: sold 1920 to E. J. Bride, Cardiff: sold 1922 to Williams Bros., Cardiff, renamed Coldway: sold 1924 to C. Daniolos, Andros, renamed Dimitrios: renamed Dimitrios L. Damolos 1924: unlisted 1934/5. |
| Corinthic (2) | 1914 | 4,736 | Sold 1916 to I Chambers, Liverpool, renamed Thurland Castle: sold 1923 to H. W. Dillon Liverpool, renamed Hemisphere: sold 1926 t~ Kohun Kisen, Kobe, renamed Kohki Maru: sold 1930 to Ishigara Sangyo, Fuchu, renamed Nanshin Maru: respelt Nansin Maru 1938: |
| Pacific (2) | 1914 | 4,211 | Sold 1916 to J. Chambers, Liverpool, renamed Hornby Castle: sold 1929 to J. T. Galakis, Chios, renamed Theodoros Galakis: renamed Aspasia 1931: war loss August 21, 1940. |
| Gothic (3) | 1920 | 2,456 | Ex-Nash Light: from Bristol Channel Steamers 1921: sold 1938 to 0. Rosini, Genoa: renamed Velites 1939: sold 1939 to 0. Scorzo, Genoa, renamed Balilla: unlisted 1945/6. |
| Britannic (3) | 1918 | 2,490 | Ex-Mumbles Light, ex- War Damson: from Bristol Channel Steamers 1921: bombed in position 15.42 N., 14.30 S. February 9, 1941. |
| Asiatic (2) | 1923 | 3,741 | Sold 1943 to Ministry of War Transport (F. Hunter, mgr.), renamed Empire Torridge: renamed Huntress 1946: sold 1950 to J. W. Paulin, Abo, as Modesto. |
| Pacific (3) | 1923 | 2,816 | Torpedoed 180 in. WSW of the Faroes, March 1, 1941. |
| Albionic | 1924 | 2,468 | Sunk by raider in N. Atlantic September 11. 1940. |
| Corinthic (3) | 1924 | 4,750 | Torpedoed in position 08.10 N., 14.40 W., April 13, 1941. |
| Germanic (2) | 1931 | 6,820 | Sold 1931 to U.S.S.R., renamed Stanislav (tank) Kossior: renamed Tuapse 1938: unlisted 1943/4 |
| Germanic (3) | 1936 | 5,352 | Torpedoed in position 61.18 N., 22.05 W., March 29, 1941. |
| Athenic (2) | 1937 | 5,351 | Torpedoed in position 58.32 N., 20.13 W., April 4, 1941. |
| Atlantic (3) | 1939 | 5,415 | Sold 1951 to P. D. Hendry, Glasgow, renamed Kingsford: sold 1953 to Wheelock Marden, Hong Kong, renamed Landspride: sold 1959 to Ilex, Hong Kong, renamed Ilexia. |
| Auretta | 1935 | 4,571 | From Chellew Steamship Management Co., Ltd., 1941: mined February 26, 1941. |
| Athenic (3) | 1942 | 2,873 | Ex-Empire Gareth, renamed 1947: sold December 1954 to S.A.M.C., Panama, renamed Astarte: sold 1960 to A. Halcoyssis, Greece, renamed Yanix: sold 1961 to Nicos, Beirut, renamed Nicos. |
| Corinthic (4) | 1943 | 6,766 | Ex-Empire Prospero, renamed 1947: sold 1951 to Lyras, London, renamed Marine Flame: sold 1951 to Reliance S.S. Co., Panama, renamed Shahreza: sold 1952 to Acapulco, Panama, renamed Faustus: wrecked near Hook of Holland November 6, 1952. |