Short Brothers, builders of the George Royle ..... Established by George Short in 1850, and later moving to Pallion in 1869. Short’s built more ships for local owners than any other yard. It closed in 1964 when the firm was unwilling to redevelop and build bigger ships. The yard was demolished, although Bartram’s took over the fitting out quay, which was still in use in the 1980s
George Royle SS
The gates at Short Brothers yard, builders of the George Royle
George Royle
Researched by Paul Hennessey
Position ... 53 01 984N / 001 10 684E
Depth ... 30mtrs
Dimensions ... Length 300.4ft, Beam 40ft, Draft 18.8ft
Tonnage ... 2540 grt / 1630 nrt
Cargo ... Coal
Built ... 1892, by Short Brothers Ltd of Sunderland (yard number Pallion 217) / launched 8/11/1892
Official number ... 99613
Engine ...Triple expansion engine, built by George Clark Ltd
Cylinder measurements and stroke. 22, 36, 59 x 39 inches. 220 nhp
Date of loss ... 18th January 1915
Cause of loss ... On passage from the Tyne to St Nazaire, stranded on Sherringham Shoal during a blizzard
Lloyds of London. Lloyds book of house flags and funnels / owner of the George Royle at the time of her loss
The Times report on the loss of the George Royle 19th January 1915
TWO WRECKS OFF SHERINGHAM, MANY LIVES LOST. SURVIVORS TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Two steamers were wrecked off Sheringham Norfolk, during the heavy gale at the week end, with a loss of about 30 lives. One was the Penarth of Cardiff and the other vessel being that of the George Royle of Sunderland.
THE LOSS OF THE GEORGE ROYLE
The George Royle, a vessel of 2,525 tons, which left the Tyne last Friday bound for St Nazaire, foundered during the early hours of yesterday morning a mile east of the sheringham Shoal and three to four miles north of the coast guard station at Weybourne. Of her crew of 12 to 18 hands it is feared that all were lost save five, who were taken off by a Lowestoft craft that had arrived at that port . Between 8 and 10 yesterday morning five bodies were recovered from the sea at Weybourne. Other bodies were soon floating past too far out to be recovered by the people on the shore, who included coast guards and territorials. One body was that of a little boy not more than 10 years of age. Later in the morning some other bodies were washed ashore at Mundesley , 16 miles to the eastward, for the wind and the set of the current would take them well out past Cromer, which is midway between there and Weybourne.
At 3 oclock in the morning the Cromer lifeboat was launched in response to flares seen from the north west of the town, which would be in the direction of Sheringham Shoal. The tide was about dead low and it was in the teeth of a perfect blizzard that her crew put off. No sooner had she taken to the water than a huge wave swept her broadside towards the eastern breakwater. To the onlookers, among whom was Mr Noel Buxton MP, only a dark speck was visible perilously near in, and only very smart seamanship on the part of her coxswain and crew saved them from being dashed against the breakwater. Once more they got her head onto the seas and at last they got safely off.
By 8 oclock the wreckage on the shore at Cromer told of disaster along the coast, and 2 empty boats came in at Weybourne, one being dashed to pieces as soon as it touched the shingle. The other boat contained provisions.
George Clark ... George Clark of Southwick Engine Works, Crown Road, Southwick, Sunderland. Builder of the George Royle's engine. The Company was established in 1848 by George Clark as a general engineering concern based in Sunderland. It built its first marine engine in 1854. In 1938 it was acquired by Richardsons Westgarth & Company who merged the business with North Eastern Marine ('NEM'), another engineering concern which had been founded in 1865 at South Dock in Sunderland and which they had also acquired, to form George Clark & NEM Ltd.
The Company built engines for many ships including the Saga Ruby. In 1977 the Company was nationalised and was subsumed within British Shipbuilders and then in 1979 it merged with Hawthorn Leslie to form Clark Hawthorn. It then closed in 1982.
Workers at Short Brothers circa 1900.
Weybourne church
At Weybourne church in the far east corner there is a grave, its headstone showing 6 of the George Royles lost crew. Four of these are named by name and two are named just as unknown, the headstone reads as below. As can be seen clearly from the headstone below, it is dated Jan 17 1915 next to where it says George Royle. The UK Hydrographic Office, along with Lloyds have the loss of the George Royle down as 18 Jan 1915. An error on who's part, did the George Royle go down on the 17th or the 18th Jan ???
SACRED
to the memory
of six sailors washed
ashore at Weybourne from
the wreck of the SS George Royle Jan 17 1915
John Cowdy Chief engineer
W. Loft
M. Cuissipe
A. Laparllo
Name Unknown
Name Unknown
The George Royle today
For the most part the wreck of the George Royle is very broken. Her highest sections stand no more than 4 to 5 mtrs clear of the seabed. Her triple expansion engine is still visible as are her boilers and winches. In good visibility she makes for a great dive, caution must be taken in low visibility as there is a risk of finding yourself either inside or beneath some of her broken wreckage.