Mancunia Gallery

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Hessler Shipping Co., was founded in 1901 with the main owner being Jacob Hessler. He had entered into a partnership with Furness, Withy & Co., in that year. The company was later known as the Swift Steam Ship Co. Ltd., then as the Hartlepools Seatonia S.S. Co.

The original Seatonia S.S. Co., directors were J.K.M. Hessler, Victor Nilson, Thomas Fallows Thompson and Wilfred John Atley.

The company managed ships for the M.O.W.T. during WW1.

Family History:

Jacob Kruse Muller Hessler was born on 3 January, 1859 at Skein, Norway to parents Nils Julius Johansen Hessler and Anne Maria Muller. He came to West Hartlepool when he was about twelve years of age and lived with a relative.
He first worked for Groves, Maclean & Co., shipowners then for V. Nilson & Co., timber merchants. In 1881, living at Stranton, Jacob was listed as a shipbroker’s clerk. He married May Bastow in 1883 at Sunderland and they had one daughter born in September 1884.
He remarried at Oslo, Norway in December 1891 to Christiane (Kitty) Johanne Andersen. They had a further five children. By 1891 Jacob had started his own business as a shipbroker and the family were living in Rium Terrace Stranton. He became a naturalised British subject on 10 July, 1899. At that time he was living at Thistlewood, Clifton Avenue, Hartlepool.
By 1901 the family were living at Wooler Avenue, West Hartlepool, with Jacob listed as a shipowner and timber merchant.  In the 1911 census the family were living at Seaton Carew and Jacob was listed as a timber agent.

Jacob was Vice-Consul for Norway for many years and in 1919 was made a Knight of St. Olav in recognition of his services.

Two of their sons were killed during WW1 serving with the Durham Light Infantry. Captain Jacob (Jackie) Kruse Muller Hessler lost his life on 23 March, 1918, aged 21. Captain Jacob Andrew Norman Hessler lost his life on 27 May, 1918, aged 25.

Jacob died at his home, Esk House, Elm Grove, West Hartlepool, on March 22nd, 1938, aged 79.

The Mancunia was a four-masted, clipper-bow steamship launched from the William Gray shipyard on July 21st, 1898. She had been built to the order of the Manchester & Salford Steam Ship Co. Ltd. (Sivewright, Bacon & Co., Managers). She reached a speed of 11 knots on her trials on October 6th, after which she sailed in ballast to Bluefields, Nicaragua, under the command of Captain E. Wattley.

She was put up for sale in 1915, and while lying in Barry Docks awaiting auction, she was purchased by the Seatonia Steam Ship Co. Ltd. (Jacob Hessler & Co., West Hartlepool, Managers), for £40,000.
On November 1st, 1916, when some 55 miles off the south-west coast of Ireland, she was stopped and sunk by the German submarfine U-49 (Kapitanleutnant Hartmann). She had left Montreal in October 1916-stopped off at Musgrave Town, Newfoundland & left on 20 October bound for Barry, Wales with a cargo of pitprops. No lives were lost, but her Master, Captain A. Pattison, was taken prisoner aboard the U-boat. The rest of her crew were later picked up by the Swedish steamer Axel Johnson and the Icelandic trawler Bragi.

Official No. 108834: Code Letters QHGC.

Masters: 1900-04 E Wattley: 1905-07 W Dunbar: 1908-11 CH Laing: 1915-16 A Pattison.

Sivewright, Bacon & Co. was formed in West Hartlepool in 1883 as both Shipowners and Ship Brokers, and were based at No.76, Church Street, West Hartlepool. When the Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1896 they saw the business opportunities and transferred their company to Manchester in 1897.
At various times they owned a number of Hartlepool-built ships, including Gladestry, Coventry, Oswestry, Daventry, Castleventry, Eastry, Empress, Mannibgtry, Lincluden, Palatina, Mancunia, Oldhamia and Lincairn.

Family History:

William John Sivewright was born at Hartlepool in 1863 to parents William John (bank manager) and Hannah (nee Stevenson) Sivewright. He started his working life as a mercahnt's clerk. William married Mary Jane Shadforth at Durham in 1887.

William died at Stockport, Cheshire in January 1919 leaving assets of £150,518.

William Charles Frederick Bacon was born on 12th January 1854 at Wivenhoe, Essex to parents William and Mary (nee Murrell) Bacon. He went to sea aged 15 and by the age of 22, having obtained his master's certificate (no. 19398) at Colchester in 1876, became master of the sailing vessel Esperanza belonging to William Gray. Retiring from the sea at the age of 29 he joined the firm of Sivewrights, shipbrokers, agents and shipowners of West Hartlepool. By 1881 he was living in Hartlepool. He married Amy Sivewright at Hartlepool in 1881 and, by 1891 the family were living at Chadwick House, Stranton. Amy died in 1900 and William was re-married to Charlotte Harrison at Kendal, Westmoreland in 1909.

William lost two of his sons to the war. Harvey was a 2^nd Lieut in the 7^th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment and was killed in August 1915. He is listed in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour. Edward was in the Royal Flying Corps and was brought down on his first flight over enemy lines on 31^st August 1917.

William died in January 1931 leaving assets of £ 120,315.

An extract from William's obituary in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail on 13 January 1931.

On the opening of the Ship Canal in 1894 the firm, appreciating the possibilities of the new port, transferred its business from West Hartlepool to Manchester, where it developed the Manchester - Montreal trade, now so firmly established by its successor, Manchester Liners. During the war Sivewright, Bacon sold its fleet with the exception of one ship, which had been captured by the Germans.

In 1902 Captain Bacon was appointed a director of the Manchester Ship Canal Company, and immediately associated himself actively with the company’s affairs, later becoming chairman of the Bridgewater Committee of the company. His knowledge and his capacity as an administrator were quickly manifested. It was during the war, in August, 1916, that Captain Bacon’s colleagues on the Ship Canal directorate invited him to undertake the chairmanship of the company rendered vacant by the death of Mr John K. Bythell. In accepting it Captain Bacon became the company’s third chairman since the canal became reality, Lord Tatton being the first and Mr. Bythell, who directed the policy of the company for nearly 22 years, the second. Daniel Adamson, strictly speaking, was the first chairman of the company, hut the work did not begin till Lord Egerton succeeded.

Harold, the eldest son the first family, joined his father’s business and for some years has been steadily assuming greater responsibility in the conduct of its affairs. Captain Bacon enjoyed robust health for the greater part of his life, but in the summer of 1927 had to undergo a series of severe operations, and although recovered in a way denied to most men of his years a good deal of the elasticity had gone and had to lake greater care of himself. Taking care had little attraction for one who spared himself nothing either in the interests of the great under la king whose affairs directed vet in the multifarious calls made upon him one public cause or another. He devoted a great deal lime to charitable causes, and no purse-strings opened more readily than his. Apart from the power of his interest, so readily obtained for any national or charitable activity, was much sought for the atmosphere of good will which went wherever did. He could preside over banquet with the same felicity he brought to board meetings, and in the quiet conversational tones of the plain straightforward speaker put everyone in good humour. He lived at Shawbrook Lodge, Burnage, Manchester for many years, but was at last persuaded to retreat before the advance of bricks and mortar and seek refuge in Wilmslow.