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Turnbull Scotts

133K views 220 replies 97 participants last post by  Roy Foo 
#1 ·
Hi Thats A Blast From The Past Who Remembers This Old Company Any Ships Names And Photos Sam2182sw
 
#2 · (Edited)
Turnbull Scott

As I remember (1960's) Turnbull Scott had a mixed fleet of dry cargo ships, Baxtergate, Southgate, and Sungate, and tankers Eastgate and Stonegate.
While working in offshore oil industry, a colleague had been 2nd Eng. on Eastgate a steam turbine tanker built to the same design as Shell's "H"-Class by J.L Thompson, Sunderland in 1957.
He certainly could tell some tales of their exploits. Eastgate sank at Hong Kong in March 1973 after being seriously damaged by fire resulting from a collision with a vessel called Circea.
By coincidence the Lloyds Surveyor responsible for oil platform certification was Chief Engineer of Eastgate.
 
#213 ·
Turnbull Scott

As I remember (1960's) Turnbull Scott had a mixed fleet of dry cargo ships, Baxtergate, Southgate, and Sungate, and tankers Eastgate and Stonegate.
While working in offshore oil industry, a colleague had been 2nd Eng. on Eastgate a steam turbine tanker built to the same design as Shell's "H"-Class by J.L Thompson, Sunderland in 1957.
He certainly could tell some tales of their exploits. Eastgate sank at Hong Kong in March 1973 after being seriously damaged by fire resulting from a collision with a vessel called Circea.
By coincidence the Lloyds Surveyor responsible for oil platform certification was Chief Engineer of Eastgate.
Read A Shipping Venture by Anne and Russell Long. Turnbull Scott and Company 1872-1972.
 
#4 ·
Eastgate

I did two trips on the Eastgate as 4th engineer and left her in Singapore just before she sailed on her last trip to Hongkong. If I remember correctly she collided with another ship whilst entering Hongkong harbour and caught fire but did not sink. When the fire was out the engineers were able to return to her, start up the boilers and discharge the cargo from the undamaged tanks. Turnbull Scott then sold her.
 
#5 ·
SCOTHEDE said:
I did two trips on the Eastgate as 4th engineer and left her in Singapore just before she sailed on her last trip to Hongkong. If I remember correctly she collided with another ship whilst entering Hongkong harbour and caught fire but did not sink. When the fire was out the engineers were able to return to her, start up the boilers and discharge the cargo from the undamaged tanks. Turnbull Scott then sold her.
Was the Chief Engineer Marnoch Thompson?
There was also a 2nd Engineer Ray Dickenson although he might not have been onboard at the time of the accident.
 
#12 ·
Eastgate Collision 30th March 1973. (Hope this answers previous queries.)

0630 Eastgate anchored Hong Kong awaiting pilot.Local fog bank descended.
Departing cargo vessel Cirea direct hit Eastgate on starboardside No2 wing and centre tank.Undamaged Cirea withdrew.Eastgate spilling cargo ignited - sea ablaze.

Eastgate people all escaped to sea in vessels lifeboats and by jumping.
Rescued by a Chinese junk and police patrol boats and taken to nearest hospital.Very sadly three lives were lost.Vessel made safe by fire department and dockyard works at anchorage permitted towing to discharge berth.
Machinery restarted by a few ships engineers out of hospital. Cargo discharged and tankcleaning completed by the Captain and two mates also discharged from hospital.
In drydock vessel found twisted and declared a constructive total loss.

Eastgate and her compliment were totally faultless. All were outstanding and acts of extreme courage occured. Everyone a hero in the finest traditions of the British Merchant Service.
 
#29 ·
The collision took place while manouvering. The Engine-room log actually read "SBFIER" , slight bump felt in engine room. The main cause of the fire was the other ship involved pulling free from the collision. This caused a spark which resulted in fire and explosion.

The three souls [crew] who died, all drowned.

I sailed with a 2nd Engineer who suffered bad burns while he was a Junior Engineer during this accident.
 
#13 ·
A Turnbull Scott superintendent flew out to Tunis where the Redgate (?) was undergoing storm damage repairs. Would this have been you by any chance ?. I was on the Salvesen managed Virgilia. Along with the master of Redgate ? I was treated to dinner in the Tunis Hotel by the this super, as I had been in a position to render some minor agency help. The exact year unknown, probably early seventies.
 
#18 ·
Eastgate Collision Hong Kong 1973

My original post was from memory given in good faith but during a re-trawl of the internet I have sourced more reliable information and give the following corrections.

1.Time and place - On the 30th March 1973 the Eastgate was approaching the eastern entrance to Hong Kong harbour in the recommended tanker lane at Dead Slow Ahead doing 4 knots and at 02.39 hrs was in collision with Circea at a position - 22degrees13'17'North 114degrees18'03''East bearing from Tathong light 143degree at 1.38 miles.Conditions were - Murky fog patches, with visibility less than two miles. The Circea was estimated as proceeding from port at 12 knots.

2.Eastgate managed to launch two lifeboats remaining personell jumped into the sea and everyone cleared the vessel alive. Sadly three men died in the water they were John Bernard Mac Dermott: John Walter Richard; and Aleksander Vizens.

3.The Circea had only scoring on port and starboard forward plating with one small fracture 750mm long. It is reported that Cirea returned to the scene but no report of having rescued anyone.

4.The authorities declared that -
We consider that Captain Price ( Eastgate's Master) did all that was required of him in the cir***stances of the case to avoid the collision which we consider was caused by the excessive speed of the Circea and the way in which she was handled in known conditions of reduced visibility.
 
#76 ·
Bateson

The chief engineer on board at the time of the collision was Rodger Bateson.
Doug: Bateson was he the company man, worked up from eng/apprentice, having spent several trips on Eastgate, who we knew as 'John the One'. Rumour had it that he was chief on board and instrumental in helping to save crew from the water, anyone know what happened to him?

Frank
 
#20 ·
Turnbull Scott

I joined Turnbull Scott in 1977 and worked in their Farnborough office. The ships then included mini bulkers,small chemical tankers and a product tanker STONEGATE on charter to Shell That year they took delivery of the 29000 mt geared bulk carrier named TRONGATE.

It all seems like a lifetime ago as indeed it is
 
#180 ·
I joined Turnbull Scott in 1977 and worked in their Farnborough office. The ships then included mini bulkers,small chemical tankers and a product tanker STONEGATE on charter to Shell That year they took delivery of the 29000 mt geared bulk carrier named TRONGATE.

It all seems like a lifetime ago as indeed it is
I remember the Trongate. Joined her in Hiroshima for her maiden voyage as 3rd Mate.
 
#31 ·
They also provided officers for the ANNALOCK and RANGELOCK for Wheelock Marden. The MARILOCK and ANNALOCK were gearless, the SEALOCK and RANGELOCK were geared. When Wheelocks ceased trading I think all the ships were arrested. RANGELOCK and ANNALOCK were laid up in Southampton. At the same time SEALOCK brought a cargo of coal to Southamtpon.

MARILOCK was renamed SYCEE amd I think SEALOCK was renamed QUORN
 
#22 ·
Turnbull Scot

The London branch of the three Turnbull tramp fleets was to have the greatest longevity, existing as shipowners for 109 years. Thomas Turnbull of Whitby had recognized the future importance of the Baltic Exchange in finding employment for his Whitby tramp fleet, and he had despatched his 21 year old third son Reginald March Turnbull and his cousin of the same age, Robert Turnbull Scott, to London in early 1869 to familiarise themselves with the London market before establishing a branch office. They worked as clerks in a shipbrokers office for three years before entering business in January,1872 as Turnbull, Scott & Co. at 85, Qracechurch Street as ship and insurance brokers with the main aim of obtaining charters for the Whitby tramp fleet.

The partners were financed by a loan from Thomas Turnbull, and in March, 1872 both partners were elected members of the Baltic Exchange, which originated as two coffee houses in the 17th Century where shipmasters and merchants could discuss their business. The first charter party had been concluded on 3rd February, 1872 for the barque WATERSPRITE operated by Turnbull of Whitby to take a cargo of coal from the Tyne to Alexandria. Their first year of trading as charterers of ships on the Eternal Triangle route of coal out to the Mediterranean, ballast to the Black Sea, and grain homewards made a modest profit of £608, which was shared between them.

The commissions from the charters that the three Turnbull offices at Whitby, Cardiff and London charged each other were put on a firm comercial basis by Thomas Turnbull from New Year's Day, 1889. Although market conditions were poor in 1880, the decision was taken by Thomas Turnbull that the London and Cardiff branch houses, the latter trading as Turnbull Brothers from 1877, should enter shipowning and two iron sister tramps were reserved at the Whitby yard for launch in March/April,1882. HIGHGATE of 1950 dwt was launched first on 4th March, 1882 named after the London suburb in which both partners were living and also the old name for the Eastern end of Church Street in Whitby. The two partners held equally 46 of her 64 shares with the Turnbull family and friends in Whitby holding most of the remainder. HIGHGATE was towed from Whitby to Hartlepool for installation of her compound steam engine costing £5,525 out of her contract price of £20,250. After returning to Whitby for fitting out, trials were held off Hartlepool and she ballasted to Swansea to load a maiden cargo of patent fuel for Alexandria, followed by ballasting to Taganrog in the Black Sea to load wheat for Rotterdam.
The iron tramp SOUTHGATE (1) was launched at Whitby on 23rd April,1883 with slightly increased dimensions than HIGHGATE and her major shareholders were Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay trades people who had a business relationship with the Whitby shipyard.

HIGHGATE and SOUTHGATE (1) continued on Black Sea trading together with the first steel tramp fitted with triple expansion engines, which was launched at Whitby on 26th May,1888 as NORTHGATE by Frances, wife of Reginald Turnbull, and was taken on her maiden voyage to the Black Sea. However she gave only nine years service, going ashore on a sandbank at Sharpness on 22nd December, 1897 and subsequently breaking her back.
Six more steel tramps were built at Whitby for Turnbull, Scott & Co. with the last being named SOUTHGATE (2) of 5900 dwt on 4th November,1899 by one of the daughters of Robert Turnbull Scott. The first SOUTHGATE had been sold four months earlier to Swedish owners, and the pioneer HIGHGATE had sunk off Lundy Island on 19th February,1890 after a collision with a Canadian sailing ship while on passage from Mostyn to Cardiff. The London tramp fleet was thus operating six tramps at the turn of the century.

Robert Turnbull Scott died on 6th August,1903 aged 55 years and as he had no son to succeed him, his share in Turnbull, Scott & Co. was purchased from him under the deeds of partnership by Reginald Turnbull and his son, March. Reginald died on 12th July,1912 aged 64 years and his son received many letters of condolence from clients and fellow members of the Baltic Exchange. March Turnbull became head of the company, and his brothers Noel and Thomas were admitted as partners in 1913.
Turnbull,Scott & Co. continued to act as London chartering agents for the Turnbull fleet at Whitby until the end of the first World War, and also for other Whitby owners notably Capt. Thomas Smailes, whose early seagoing career had been with Turnbull. His ELLERDALE and DARNHOLME, FAIRHAVEN, ESKDALE, BAGDALE and others were regularly fixed until the Smailes family ceased as shipowners at the end of World War 1.
The London office followed the experiment of the Whitby office into limited liability companies in 1906, when their PARKGATE of 1906 completed by R. Craggs & Son on the Tees was registered in 1908 under the Parkgate S.S. Co. Ltd. NETHERGATE (1) of 1890 grounded on the English Bank in the Plate on 11th July,1909, and was refloated in 1910 and declared a constructive total loss and sold locally there for further service after repairs.

The Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd was formed in May, 1911 with a capital of £50,000 and took over SOUTHGATE (2) of 1899, TRONGATE of 1897, WESTGATE of 1893 and EASTGATE of 1889. EASTGATE of 1889 was sold in 1913 to Swedish owners leaving four tramps in the fleet at the outbreak of the first World War: WESTGATE of 1893, TRONGATE of 1897, SOUTHGATE (2) of 1899 and PARKGATE of 1906, two being lost to enemy action:
04.04.1917 PARKGATE Captured amd sunk by U35 80 miles NE of Cap de Fer.
22.09.1917 TRONGATE Torpedoed and sunk by UC71 5 miles N of Flamborough Head on voyage Tyne to France with coal.

This left WESTGATE of 1893, SOUTHGATE (2) of 1899, the new EASTGATE (2) of 1915, completed by William Gray & Co. Ltd at West Hartlepool and HELREDALE of 1906, transferred from the Whitby fleet in 1918.
WESTGATE was reported missing on 8th January,1919 off the Wolf Rock whilst on a voyage from Barry to Malta with coal, cause unknown.

The Redgate S.S. Co. Ltd was formed in 1919 and purchased the steamer GORDONIA of 6720 dwt, built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd in 1908 and capable of a top speed of 7.5 knots on 20 tons of coal/day, from the Gordon S.S. Co. Ltd of London and renamed her REDGATE.

A system of competitive tender for ex German prizes taken over by the British Government as war reparations resulted in five such vessels joining the Redgate and Turnbull Scott Shipping companies for a total of £227,000 between 1920 and 1923. They were renamed SANDGATE, WHITEGATE, FLOWERGATE, NETHERGATE and BAXTERGATE, and all had previously belonged to the Hansa company of Bremen and were thus cargoliners with excellent accomodation for the crew. However when loading coal it was found with their tween decks and relatively small hatches, trimming costs were higher, and although suitable for the Plate trade they were always forced to top up with grain downriver from the Martin Garcia Bar due to their deep draft. A good loaded speed of 11 knots incurred a coal consumption of around 34 tons of coal/day, a figure which could not be tolerated when freight rates became much worse during the Depression.

SOUTHGATE(2) of 1899 was sold to Italian breakers for £8,000 in October,1924. The ex Cardiff tramp CHALISTER was purchased in 1924 and renamed HAGGERSGATE, and ARABISTAN of F.C. Srick & Co. Ltd was purchased on the stocks at the Readhead shipyard at South Shields and completed as SOUTHGATE (3) in November, 1926.

The death of Charles Radcliffe of Cardiff in July, 1926 whose elder brother Henry had founded the famous Cardiff tramp company of Evan Thomas Radcliffe, resulted in the sale of his fleet, of which three were purchased by Court Line Ltd and two by Turnbull, Scott & Co. Ltd. The latter pair were OVERSTONE and SNOWDON, renamed SALTERSGATE (1) and TRONGATE (2). Both tramps met with unfortunate accidents on their maiden voyages for the company: TRONGATE (2) left Cardiff on 9th April,1927 bound for Buenos Aires with coal but shortly after sailing was in collision with the tramp EUTERPE and had to put into Barry to discharge before moving back to Cardiff for repairs.

SALTERSGATE (1) loaded coal at Cardiff for Ibicuy on a tributary of the Parana, but went aground on a mud bank just above the Martin Garcia Bar when taking action to avoid collision on 14th May,1927. On falling tides she remained there for a week until barges were brought from Buenos Aires to lighten her, and on arrival at Ibicuy the pilot was arrested. SALTERSGATE loaded grain there for Hamburg where she arrived on 2nd August,1927.

The 9120 dwt STONEGATE was completed by William Doxford & Sons Ltd in January,1928, and her maiden voyage was down to Rio with coal and on to the Plate to load grain for the Continent.
The former Whitby tramp HELREDALE was sold to Greek owners in 1929, and three sister tramps of 7950 dwt ordered from the Burntisland yard just before the Depression set in in late 1929 and were completed in 1930/31 as SKELDERGATE, ESKDALEGATE and WAYNEGATE. These were Economy type tramps with an average speed of around 9 knots on a consumption of 19 tons of coal/day. However the accomodation as regards crew comfort left much to be desired, and they were also noted for excessive stern-slide in heavy weather. With the completion of this trio the two Turnbull, Scott companies owned a medium-sized fleet of 15 tramps. However five were laid-up for long periods: FLOWERGATE, WHITEGATE, NETHERGATE and SANDGATE on the Tyne for six years, seven years, three years and five years respectively, and BAXTERGATE at Palmouth for over three years.
Prior to her lay-up on the Tyne NETHERGATE had loaded a cargo of asphalt at Tampico for the Anglo-Mexican Petroleum Co. Ltd for South African ports, after which she took a cargo of coal from Lourenco Marques to Singapore. On completion of discharge at Singapore she was taken on time charter by Lambert Brothers for a homeward voyage, redelivery Northern Europe. She was then taken on time-charter at Cardiff at the end of 1928 to Strick Line for a Persian Gulf Round voyage. Among the ports she called at were Marseilles, Port Said, Port Sudan, and the Persian Gulf ports of Bandar Abbas, Bahrein, Abadan, Basra etc returning via Suez to Avonmouth and Barry, where she redelivered on 13th June,1929. She was again time-chartered by Strick Line for a repeat voyage arriving back at London on 17th October, 1929 for discharge before laying-up on the Tyne.

The remainder of the fleet were kept going with only short waits at the end of each voyage before the next charter. SALTERSGATE (1) was laid-up from May to July,1933 after which she was engaged in Plate trading. HAGGERSGATE was laid-up at Avonmouth from June, 1932 moving round to Milford Haven in August and then to Fowey in November to continue lay-up. On her return to service in December,1933 she met with a series of accidents, starting with heavy weather in the Channel on sailing from Fowey for Cardiff to bunker resulting in her being towed into Brest, where she drydocked. A further dry docking at Cardiff and then she loaded coal at Barry, sailing on 11th January, 1934. When approximately 70 miles NW of Cape Finisterre she lost all propeller blades together with a broken stern frame and rudder unshipped, and was towed into Ferrol by EASTGATE (2). She was towed back to Cardiff by tugs and eventually sailed with coal to Buenos Aires and Rosario on 29th March, 1934. On her return home in December, 1934 she became disabled while moving from Birkenhead to Barry and was towed in by the ESKDALEGATE.

The fleet position on New Year's Day,1934 was as follows:
EASTGATE (2) On passage Buenos Aires for Manchester with grain.
ESKDALEGATE At Rosario 20th December.
FLOWERGATE Laid-up Tyne.
HAGGERSGATE Dry-docking Cardiff, due to load coal at Barry for Buenos Aires.
SANDGATE Laid-up Tyne.
SALTERSGATE (1) Sailed Las Palmas for Plate 27th December.
SKELDERGATE At Rosario 22nd December.
SOUTHGATE Sailed Para for New York 23rd December.
STONEGATE At Basra 18th December.
TRONGATE At Buenos Aires 28th December.
WAYNEGATE Passed Madeira for Rotterdam.
WHITEGATE Laid-up Tyne.

The predominant trade was thus coal out to the Plate from the Bristol Channel and grain homewards. Occasionally outward coal cargoes were taken from Tyne and Biyth to the Mediterranean, Canaries or Cape Verde Islands, and sometimes homeward vessels were placed on the Houlder Line berth at Buenos Aires. As a break in the monotony, cargoes of coal were sometimes taken down from the East Coast U.S.A. ports of Newport News and Norfolk to Rio de Janeiro and the Plate; plus timber cargoes from U.S. Gulf ports such as Port Arthur to the same destinations. A real change was the Pacific and Australian trading offered by two year charters to Andrew Weir & Co. Ltd taking phosphates from Nauru Island to Australia, particularly Melbourne. Company ships that participated in these charters throughout the 1920s and 1930s were: BAXTERGATE (2), EASTGATE (2), REDGATE (2), FLOWERGATE and WAYNEGATE. Nitrate charters from Antofagasta and Iquique and other ports in Chile for the Nitrate Corporation were usually discharged at Continental ports.

REDGATE (2) was purchased from Stephens,Sutton Ltd of Newcastle in 1935 as RIDLEY of 1929, this owner also purchasing the laid-up SANDGATE in 1936 and WHITEGATE in January,1937 for their Scrap & Build programme. All of the fleet were trading back at sea from this latter date, and the fleet was supplemented later in 1937 by the big ANGLO-INDIAN of 10020 dwt purchased from the Nitrate Producers S.S. Co. Ltd ( Lawther, Latta ) for £50,000 and renamed BAXTERGATE (2). She was kept on the Pacific phosphate and nitrate trading of her previous owner. EASTGATE (2) of 1915 was sold to Greek owners in November,1937 and renamed ADAMANTIOS, and the fleet voyage position in January,1938 was:
BAXTERGATE (2) Passed Niton 16th January for New Orleans.
ESKDALEGATE Leaving Cristobal 2nd February for Azores.
FLOWERGATE Leaving Malta 6th February for Spain.
REDGATE (2) Sailed Shanghai 10th January for Colombo.
SALTERSGATE (1) Left Partington 20th January for U.S. Gulf.
SKELDERGATE Passed Azores 3rd February for U.S. Gulf.
SOUTHGATE Passed Ushant 8th February for U.S. Gulf.
STONEGATE Due at Cardiff 3rd February.
TRONGATE Left Lisbon 28th January for New York.
WAYNEGATE Due at Rosario 4th February.

REDGATE was discharging cargo at Shanghai in August,1937 when the Sino-Japanese War broke out. The Chinese authorities threw a boom across the Whangpoo river to prevent penetration of the harbour by Japanese submarines and REDGATE remained incarcerated at Dollar Wharf, Pootung for 20 weeks until she finally made a break for freedom through a gap pierced by the Japanese Navy during their attack on Nantao. After drydocking at Shanghai she finally sailed on 10th January for Colombo, where she loaded for North Africa, La Pallice and Nantes.

Two company tramps were lost to enemy action and a third was lost after a fire:
05.10.1939 STONEGATE Sunk by DEUTSCHLAND in position 31-10 N, 54 W on voyage Antofagasta to Alexandria with nitrate.
24.02.1941 WAYNEGATE Torpedoed and sunk by U73 in North Atlantic on voyage Newport & Gourock to Freetown with coal.
11.04.1942 TRONGATE Sunk by Allied warships off Halifax (NS) after fire had broken out in her cargo which included explosives.


Nine Dutch vessels came under the management of the company in the summer of 1940 after the fall of Holland as well as the British WIDESTONE, which was lost together with six of the Dutchmen. EMPIRE SUMMER was managed from 1942 and purchased in 1945, and the long serving Capt. H.L. Brown took the new OCEAN GALLANT away from the Portland(Me) yard in September, 1942.
March Turnbull, Chairman of the company, was appointed Director of the Ship Management Division at the Ministry of Shipping on the outbreak of war. This took control of all British and Allied merchant ships, later becoming the Ministry of War Transport. March Turnbull was in overall charge with many other Baltic Exchange men under him to manage ships of each nationality e.g. one for Greek, Estonian, Latvian, Egyptian etc. and he was knighted for his services in 1941, when he became foreign shipping adviser. Basil Mavroleon sent March Turnbull two Thompson sub-machine guns from New York in the early part of the war for his own personal use! Sir March Turnbull died on 11th October,1943 aged 65 years having served on all the Tramp Shipping Advisory and River Plate Committees during his long career.

The company fleet survivors were the new motorship EASTGATE (3) of 1940, the first in the fleet, SOUTHGATE (3) of 1926 and sold in 1946, ESKDALEGATE and her sister SKELDERGATE (1) of 1930, REDGATE (2) of 1929 and BAXTERGATE (2) of 1925, the former ANGLO INDIAN. EMPIRE SUMMER was renamed STONEGATE (2) for the Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd. The Redgate S.S. Co. Ltd was left with only one tramp in 1947 after the sale of REDGATE (2) and BAXTERGATE (2).
SKELDERGATE was then lost on the East coast of India in November,1950 on a voyage from Madras to Calcutta with wheat. She ran on to a sandbank near False Bay in heavy weather and the tramp became a total loss. Her surviving sister ESKDALEGATE was also sold in 1950, both having been on charter at times to the Golden Cross Line Mediterranean liner service half owned by the company between 1946 and 1953. The whole of the issued share capital of the Redgate S.S. Co. Ltd was purchased in 1951 by France, Fenwick & Co. Ltd.

In 1951 the Turnbull Shipping Co. Ltd owned 5 tramps, four of these being EMPIRE types together with the motortramp EASTGATE (3) of 1940. A second motortramp was on order from the Burntisland yard and was delivered in July,1952 as FLOWERGATE (2) of 9450 dwt on a six year charter to Shaw, Savill & Albion Co. Ltd. The third motortramp in the fleet was purchased in October,1953 as INVERNESS from B.J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd following the death of Sir Arthur Sutherland on 29th March,1953. Renamed REDGATE (3) she had originally been built at Burntisland in 1945 as EMPIRE FREETOWN, and was a replacement for the first motortramp EASTGATE (3), sold in 1952 to Buries Markes Ltd.

The former grain carrying merchant aircraft carrier EMPIRE MACENDRICK which had been converted back into a cargo ship at Hamburg in 1951 was purchased in 1955 and renamed SALTERSGATE (2). Two other EMPIRE types were purchased in 1955 and like their sisters in the fleet were taken on long term charter by BISCO to carry iron ore to the U.K. throughout the 1950s with the charterer also purchasing most of them for scrap around 1960.

The tanker trades were entered for the first time in November,1957 with the completion of the 18100 dwt turbine powered EASTGATE (5) by J.L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunder1and. She was bare boat chartered to SHELL for 20 years but did not complete this for she was heavily damaged amidships by collision and fire off Hong Kong on 30th March,1973 and scrapped at Kaohsiung three months later. A sister, STONEGATE (3), was completed by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd on the Tees in March,1961 for a similar bareboat-charter to SHELL, and when the charter was completed she was sold to Greek owners in 1981 and broken up at Chittagong in 1987.

SUNGATE of 10800 dwt was completed by Burntisland SB Co. Ltd in January, 1958 for a long term charter to Saguenay Terminals Ltd, the company then responsible for the shipping requirements of Alcan. Her first two maiden voyages were from St John (NB) to the Continent with aluminium ingots and grain. She then settled into her intended service carrying bauxite from British and Dutch Guiana to Port Alfred on the Saguenay river, and after loading at Georgetown, Mackenzie and Smalkalden to the depth of the harbour bar she topped up at Chaguaramas in Trinidad. Ingots of aluminium were then loaded at Port Alfred for the U.K., and she ballasted back to the Guianas. As a relief from this triangular service, she occasionally took processed bauxite (alumina) from the St. Lawrence to Kittimat, 400 miles N of Vancouver, returning with ingots and timber and grain to Eastern seaboard U.S.A./Canada.

BAXTERGATE(4) of 12250 dwt was completed at Burntisland in March,1962 to a remarkably similar design to the cargo liners that were then being built for Clan Line, to whom she was chartered for her maiden voyage from Glasgow, Birkenhead and Newport to Indian ports. Shortly before arrival at Madras a fire was discovered in No. 1 tween deck but was extinguished before much damage was done to the cargo or ship. On her return to the U.K. she was chartered to China carrying general cargo from China to Cuba, where she loaded sugar for U.K./Continent/Mediterranean ports and returned to China with general cargo. She remained on this charter until 1971, when she was renamed MEDIATOR for another charter and was sold in 1972.
ARLINGTON COURT of 14100 dwt completed by Bartram & Sons Ltd in April,1962 was purchased in January,1964 and renamed SOUTHGATE (4) while still on charter to the Chinese and continued on this until sold in 1969, her maiden voyage being from Casablanca (phosphates) and Lattakia (cotton) to Shanghai.

NAESS PARKGATE was a large 72000 dwt bulker completed on the Tees by Furness SB Co. Ltd in November,1966 for a bareboat-charter to Anglo Norness Shipping Co. Ltd. Her maiden voyage was from Tubarao in Brazil with iron ore for Emden, ballast to Pascagoula in the U.S. Gulf to load grain for the Continent. She remained in these trades until taken on charter by Broken Hill Proprietary (Australia) for Australian coastal iron ore shipments in 1974 and was renamed IRON PARKGATE. She was sold in 1978 while wearing the Anglo Norness name NORDIC TRADER.
FLOWERGATE (3) was an oil/bulk/ore carrier of 106700 dwt completed in late 1968 by Gotaverken of Gothenburg for a bareboat charter to Grangesberg of Sweden carrying iron ore from West Africa to Japan then ballast back to the Persian Gulf to load crude oil for U.K./Continent. Shortly after delivery she was found to have serious engine defects and required 4 months at the Wilton yard at Rotterdam before finally sailing for Brazil in April,1969. She was purchased by her charterer in 1974 and renamed PORJUS.

The coastal drycargo trades were entered in April, 1968 by the completion of the first of a dozen 2500 3000 dwt traders to be operated by the company over the next 15 years. HOLLAND PARK was built to the order of Park Steamships Ltd but the others were owned by Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd and Coronet Shipping Ltd. All were built in Holland for management by the company but under the chartering control of Otto Danielsen of Denmark. Three were launched on one day, 18th October, 1968, when SALTERSGATE (3), HYDE PARK and REDGATE (4) were put into the water sideways. The larger ESKDALEGATE (4) of 4179 dwt was purchased from Hull Gates Shipping Co. Ltd in 1974, and three new sisters of 5662 dwt joined the fleet from the Devon yard of Appledore SB Ltd in 1976: SOUTHGATE (6) and SANDGATE (2) and GREEN PARK. SANDGATE (2) loaded 4500 tons of bagged sugar at Liverpool for her maiden voyage to Lattakia in Syria.

The coastal chemical and oil trades were entered in 1968 with the formation of Whitehall Shipping Co. Ltd, half owned by the company and A.H. Basse Rederi A/S of Copenhagen. The ships were to have stainless steel cargo tanks, a fact signified by their STAINLESS names. Three of around 3000 dwt were built between 1970 and 1974 with the larger STAINLESS SPRAY of 10400 dwt completed in 1985 and sold in 1989. The coastal tanker SKELDERGATE (2) of 3500 dwt was completed in April,1976 at Lowestoft, and underwent modification at the Wear Dockyard in early 1984 to a water conversion and storage vessel for use in the Falklands. Expansion of coastal tankers was achieved on 8th December,1981 by the purchase of the fleet of the Hull Gates Shipping Co. Ltd and the holding company Fred Parkes Holdings.
Soon after the purchase HULLGATE became a constructive total loss at Milford Haven, leaving five coastal tankers EASTGATE, WESTGATE, HUMBERGATE, NORTHGATE and IRISHGATE all on charter to Rowbotham Tankships. However on 29th November, 1982 four of these were sold to the charterer with Turnbull, Scott Shipping Co. Ltd retaining IRISHGATE with a long demise charter to Rowbotham.

A return to traditional trades had been made in September, 1977 with the delivery of the geared 29600 dwt bulker by the Hiroshima yard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, TRONGATE (4). She traded satisfactorily, particularly in the Plate grain trade to Japan, but her earnings did not match interest repayments and she was sold at the end of 1979 to the Nile S.S. Co. Ltd (Finance for Shipping) for £5.24M with a bareboat-charter back at £850,000/year and was finally sold to Greek owners in 1983.
In 1986 the coastal tanker SKELDERGATE was bareboat chartered to Turkish owners and purchased two years later.
Only IRISHGATE was left in 1990 and with her sale the family owned Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd was sold to British buyers for £2.45M in May,1991.

Name Built Tons Builder Notes
HIGHGATE 1882 1,451 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1890 sunk in collision off Lundy.
SOUTHGATE (1) 1883 1,779 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1899 sold to Sweden renamed OTTO, 1900 sold same name, 1902 sold idem, 1903 wrecked off Terschelling.
NORTHGATE 1888 2,354 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1897 stranded at Sharpness.
EASTGATE (1) 1889 1,675 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1913 sold to Sweden renamed AMPHITRITE, 1919 sold renamed MORIA, 1928 sold to Latvia renamed AUSMA, 1950 deleted from register.
PARKGATE (1) 1889 2,242 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1904 sold to A.H. Bull & Co., USA renamed CAROLYN, 1912 wrecked near Rockland.
NETHERGATE (1) 1890 2,253 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1909 aground and total loss, 1910 sold to Uruguay renamed MALDONADO, 1918 sold to Cie. Francaise des Chemins de Fer de Paris-Orleans, France renamed BLOIS, 1929 sold to Cie. Delmas & Vieljeux same name, 1933 scrapped.
WESTGATE 1893 2,773 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1919 sank of Wolf Rock.
TRONGATE (1) 1897 2,553 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1917 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UC-71 near Flamborough Head.
SOUTHGATE (2) 1899 3,661 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1924 sold to Italy for scrapping.
PARKGATE (2) 1906 3,232 R. Craggs & Sons Ltd, Middlesborough 1917 captured and sunk by German submarine U-35 near Cap de Fer.
EASTGATE (2) 1915 4,277 Wm. Gray & Co. Ltd, West Hartlepool 1937 sold to Adamas S.S. Co., Greece renamed ADAMTIOS, 1940 bombed and sunk by German aircraft at La Rochelle.
HELREDALE 1906 3,574 R. Craggs & Sons Ltd, Middlesborough Ex HELREDALE, 1918 purchased from Thomas Turnbull not renamed, 1929 sold to Greece renamed KAPETAN STRATIS, 1941 bombed and sunk by German aircraft off the West Coast of Ireland.
WHITEGATE (1) 1911 5,067 J.C. Tecklenborg A.G., Geestemunde Ex ARSTERTURM built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1919 allocated to Great Britain as war prize, 1920 purchased renamed WHITEGATE, 1937 scrapped.
FLOWERGATE (1) 1911 5,166 J.C. Tecklenborg A.G., Geestemunde Ex SCHILDTURM built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1919 allocated to Great Britain as war prize, 1921 purchased renamed FLOWERGATE, 1941 sold to C. Strubin & Co., London not renamed, 1944 scuttled as a blockship at Arromanches, 1946 refloated and scrapped.
NETHERGATE (2) 1908 5,096 J.C. Tecklenborg A.G., Geestemunde Ex WARTURM built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1914 seized by Great Britain, 1922 purchased renamed NETHERGATE, 1932 scrapped at Rosyth.
BAXTERGATE (1) 1905 5,679 Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle Ex RHEINFELS built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1914 seized by Great Britain, 1923 purchased renamed BAXTERGATE, 1933 scrapped.
HAGGERSGATE 1913 5,344 D. & W. Henderson & Co. Ltd, Glasgow Ex CHALISTER built for Chalister S.S. Co., 1924 purchased from Adam Bros., Aberdeen and renamed HAGGERSGATE, 1936 sold to Seereederei Frigga, Germany renamed HODUR, 1942 torpedoed and sunk by British submarine Trident off Namsos.
SOUTHGATE (3) 1926 4,862 J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields Laid down as ARABISTAN for F.C. Strick but completed as SOUTHGATE for TS, 1946 sold to Norway renamed OTTEID, 1947 sold to Greece renamed DIMITRIOS A. KYDONIEFS, 1960 scrapped at Hong Kong.
SALTERSGATE (1) 1924 3,940 Northumberland Shipbuilding Co., Newcastle-upon-Tyne Ex OVERSTONE, 1927 purchased from Rochdale S.S. Co. and renamed SALTERSGATE, 1944 sold to MOWT and sunk as a breakwater of Mulberry Harbour.
STONEGATE (1) 1928 5,044 Wm. Doxford & Sons, Sunderland 1939 sunk by gunfire from German pocket battleship DEUTSCHLAND.
ESKDALEGATE (1) 1930 4,250 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1950 sold to C. Macprang Jr., Flensburg, Germany renamed HOLSTEIN, 1960 sold to Brazil renamed MARISSA, 1971 wrecked.
WAYNEGATE (1) 1931 4,260 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1941 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-73.
EASTGATE (3) 1940 5,032 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1952 sold to Buries Markes, London renamed LA ESTANCIA, 1959 sold to Greece renamed KAPETAN KOSTIS, 1966 scrapped.
STONEGATE (2) 1941 6,949 Short Bros. Ltd, Sunderland Ex EMPIRE SUMMER, 1945 purchased from Minstry of War Transport not renamed 1946 renamed STONEGATE, 1955 sold to Germany renamed HASTEDT, 1959 sold to China renamed HO PING WU SHI ER, 1967 renamed ZHAN DOU 52, 1973 renamed HO PING 52, 1984 deleted from Lloyd’s Register.
SOUTHGATE (4) 1943 7,209 J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ex EMPIRE BRUTUS built for Minstry of War Transport, ex VERGMOR 1948, 1950 purchased from Haddon S.S. Co. and renamed SOUTHGATE, 1955 sold to Turkey renamed FAITH, 1967 sold for demolition, 1968 scrapped.
WAYNEGATE (2) 1944 7,416 Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ex MULLION CAVE built for the Admiralty, ex MARGARET CLUNIES 1948, 1951 purchased renamed WAYNEGATE, 1961 sold to Greece renamed KATINGO, 1964 sold to the Philippines renamed PRESIDENT MAGSAYSAY, 1968 renamed MAGSAYSAY, 1968 scrapped.
BAXTERGATE (3) 1944 7,072 Shipbuilding Corp. Ltd, Sunderland Ex EMPIRE COWDRAY built for Minstry of War Transport, ex Granhill 1948, 1951 purchased from Goulandris Bros., London renamed BAXTERGATE, 1960 scrapped.
FLOWERGATE (2) 1952 4,894 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1964 sold to Panama renamed AMENTY, 1977 scrapped at Troon.
REDGATE (3) 1945 7,132 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland Ex EMPIRE FREETOWN built for Minstry of War Transport, ex INVERNESS 1946, 1953 purchased from B.J. Sutherland & Co., Newcastle and renamed REDGATE, 1963 sold to Panama renamed AGIA ELPIS, 1967 sold to Cyprus same name, 1968 scrapped.
SALTERSGATE (2) 1944 4,975 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland Ex EMPIRE MACKENDRICK built for Minstry of War Transport, ex GRANPOND 1947, ex CONDOR 1951, 1955 purchased from Panama and renamed SALTERSGATE, 1957 sold to Bulgaria renamed VASSIL LEVSKY, 1967 trapped in Great Bitter Lake, 1975 released and scrapped.
EASTGATE (4) 1944 7,372 Litgows Ltd, Port Glasgow Ex TREVIDER, 1955 purchased from Hain S.S. Co., London and enamed EASTGATE, 1956 sold to Bulgaria renamed BALKAN, 1968 scrapped.
PARKGATE (3) 1945 7,133 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland Ex EMPIRE CALSHOT built for Minstry of War Transport, ex DERRYCUNIHY, ex ARGOBEAM, 1955 purchased from Argobeam Shipping and renamed PARKGATE, 1960 sold to Lebanon renamed PANAGOS, 1968 scrapped.
EASTGATE (5) 1957 12,166 J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Tanker, 1973 damaged in collision with CIRCEA, towed to Hong Kong and sold to Panama renamed GREAT FAREASTERN and scrapped.
SUNGATE Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1968 sold to Cyprus renamed ELIKON, 1978 sold renamed LISA, 1983 sold renamed MONTEVIDEO, 1984 scrapped.
STONEGATE (3 ) 1961 12,270 Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd, Middlesborough Tanker, 1981 sold to Greece renamed SUNNY, 1987 scrapped.
BAXTEGATE (4) 1962 8,813 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1971 renamed MEDIATOR on charter, 1972 renamed BAXTERGATE, 1972 sold to Argrentina renamed MARVALIENTE, 1981 damaged by fire, sold renamed BRAVO NECK, 1981 sunk in collision.
SOUTHGATE (5) 1962 9,571 Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ex ARLINGTON COURT, 1964 purchased from Court Line, London and renamed SOUTHGATE, 1969 sold to Wm. Brandts, London renamed GELA, 1977 sold not renamed, 1985 sold renamed CYCLOPUS, 1986 scrapped.
NAESS PARKGATE 1966 40,767 Furness Shipbuilding Co., Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees 1974 renamed IRON PARKGATE on charter, 1975 renamed NORDIC TRADER, 1978 sold to Liberia renamed PANAMAX URANUS, 1984 renamed PANAMAX SOLAR, 1985 scrapped.
FLOWERGATE (3) 1968 58,589 A/B Gotaverken, Gothenburg 1974 sold to Granges A/B, Sweden renamed PORJUS, 1978 sold to Liberia renamed UNITED VENTURE, 1980 sold renamed SAAR ORE.
SALTERSGATE (3) 1968 1,426 Scheepswerf De Vooruitgang, Foxhol 1976 sold to Panama renamed LUSTAR, 1982 sold renamed LADY NINA.
REDGATE (4) 1968 1,426 Scheepswerf Gebr. van Diepen, Waterhuizen 1977 sold to Panama renamed ANNEMIEKE, 1978 foundered off Petershead.
WAYNEGATE (3) 1971 1,594 Ast. Construcciones S.A., Vigo 1976 renamed MONKCHESTER on charter, 1978 sold to Charles M. Willie & Co., Cardiff renamed CELTIC VENRURE, 1991 sold renamed Lydia Flag.
TRONGATE (3) 1968 1,432 E.J. Smit & Zoon’s Scheepswerf N.V., Westerbroek Ex HOLLAND PARK, 1971 transferred from Park Steamships and renamed TRONGATE, 1973 sold to Denmark renamed NINA LONBORG, 1976 sold to Oost Atlantic Lijn renamed ADINE, 1977 sold to Lebanon renamed MUHIEDDINE.
HIGHGATE (2) 1972 1,600 E.J. Smit & Zoon’s Scheepswerf N.V., Westerbroek 1982 sold renamed MARIA, 1984 renamed MARIA I.
WHITEGATE (2) 1972 1,600 Scheepswerf Gebr. van Diepen, Waterhuizen 1982 sold renamed HELENA, 1986 sold renamed TALEA.
ESKDALEGATE (2) 1969 2,889 Schiffswerft Neptun, Rostock Tanker, Ex BRUNI, ex FREDERICKSGATE, 1974 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping and renamed ESKDALEGATE, 1977 sold to Cyprus renamed ELISABETH.
NORDIC TRADER See NAESS PARKGATE.
BAXTERGATE (5) 1976 1,598 E.J. Smit & Zoon’s Scheepswerf N.V., Westerbroek 1980 sold renamed BALLYKERN.
SKELDERGATE (2) 1976 1,599 Richards Shipbuilders Ltd, Lowestoft Tanker, 1983 sold renamed CABO AZUL, 1984 repurchased renamed SKELDERGATE, 1986 sold renamed YASEMIN S, 1990 sold renamed TIGER CAT.
FLOWERGATE (4) 1976 1,598 Scheepswerf Gebr. van Diepen, Waterhuizen 1982 sold to Intermarine Rotterdam renamed BLOEMPOORT, 1983 sold renamed WHITEHALL, 1985 sold renamed CHIVAS, 1988 sold renamed MARATHON, 1996 sold renamed REDA, 2002 sold renamed AL KARIM.
SOUTHGATE (6) 1976 3,687 Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Appledore 1983 sold to Turkey renamed FERAY, 1983 sold renamed SOUTHERN STAR, 1984 sold renamed UGUR YILDIZI, 1991 sold renamed AGIOS SPYRIDON.
SANDGATE (2) 1976 3,687 Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Appledore 1982 sold to J. Fisher renamed ATLANTC FISHER, 1988 sold to Arklow Shipping, Ireland renamed ARKLOW BEACH.
SALTERSGATE (4) 1976 3,687 Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Appledore Ex GREEN PARK, 1977 purchased renamed SALTERSGATE, 1982 sold renamed HERMENIA.
TRONGATE (4) 1977 18,604 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Hiroshima 1983 sold to Greece renamed MARIA SITINAS.
HULLGATE 1970 1,594 R. Dunston, Hessle Tanker, ex HULLGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1981 damaged by explosion at Milford Haven and scrapped.
EASTGATE (6) 1979 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex EASTGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
WESTGATE (2) 1979 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex WESTGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
HUMBERGATE 1968 997 R. Dunston, Hessle Tanker, ex HUMBERGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1990 sold to Greece renamed KORINTHIA.
NORTHGATE (2) 1981 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex NORTHGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
IRISHGATE 1981 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex IRISHGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1990 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
 
#78 ·
Sungate

The London branch of the three Turnbull tramp fleets was to have the greatest longevity, existing as shipowners for 109 years. Thomas Turnbull of Whitby had recognized the future importance of the Baltic Exchange in finding employment for his Whitby tramp fleet, and he had despatched his 21 year old third son Reginald March Turnbull and his cousin of the same age, Robert Turnbull Scott, to London in early 1869 to familiarise themselves with the London market before establishing a branch office. They worked as clerks in a shipbrokers office for three years before entering business in January,1872 as Turnbull, Scott & Co. at 85, Qracechurch Street as ship and insurance brokers with the main aim of obtaining charters for the Whitby tramp fleet.

The partners were financed by a loan from Thomas Turnbull, and in March, 1872 both partners were elected members of the Baltic Exchange, which originated as two coffee houses in the 17th Century where shipmasters and merchants could discuss their business. The first charter party had been concluded on 3rd February, 1872 for the barque WATERSPRITE operated by Turnbull of Whitby to take a cargo of coal from the Tyne to Alexandria. Their first year of trading as charterers of ships on the Eternal Triangle route of coal out to the Mediterranean, ballast to the Black Sea, and grain homewards made a modest profit of £608, which was shared between them.

The commissions from the charters that the three Turnbull offices at Whitby, Cardiff and London charged each other were put on a firm comercial basis by Thomas Turnbull from New Year's Day, 1889. Although market conditions were poor in 1880, the decision was taken by Thomas Turnbull that the London and Cardiff branch houses, the latter trading as Turnbull Brothers from 1877, should enter shipowning and two iron sister tramps were reserved at the Whitby yard for launch in March/April,1882. HIGHGATE of 1950 dwt was launched first on 4th March, 1882 named after the London suburb in which both partners were living and also the old name for the Eastern end of Church Street in Whitby. The two partners held equally 46 of her 64 shares with the Turnbull family and friends in Whitby holding most of the remainder. HIGHGATE was towed from Whitby to Hartlepool for installation of her compound steam engine costing £5,525 out of her contract price of £20,250. After returning to Whitby for fitting out, trials were held off Hartlepool and she ballasted to Swansea to load a maiden cargo of patent fuel for Alexandria, followed by ballasting to Taganrog in the Black Sea to load wheat for Rotterdam.
The iron tramp SOUTHGATE (1) was launched at Whitby on 23rd April,1883 with slightly increased dimensions than HIGHGATE and her major shareholders were Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay trades people who had a business relationship with the Whitby shipyard.

HIGHGATE and SOUTHGATE (1) continued on Black Sea trading together with the first steel tramp fitted with triple expansion engines, which was launched at Whitby on 26th May,1888 as NORTHGATE by Frances, wife of Reginald Turnbull, and was taken on her maiden voyage to the Black Sea. However she gave only nine years service, going ashore on a sandbank at Sharpness on 22nd December, 1897 and subsequently breaking her back.
Six more steel tramps were built at Whitby for Turnbull, Scott & Co. with the last being named SOUTHGATE (2) of 5900 dwt on 4th November,1899 by one of the daughters of Robert Turnbull Scott. The first SOUTHGATE had been sold four months earlier to Swedish owners, and the pioneer HIGHGATE had sunk off Lundy Island on 19th February,1890 after a collision with a Canadian sailing ship while on passage from Mostyn to Cardiff. The London tramp fleet was thus operating six tramps at the turn of the century.

Robert Turnbull Scott died on 6th August,1903 aged 55 years and as he had no son to succeed him, his share in Turnbull, Scott & Co. was purchased from him under the deeds of partnership by Reginald Turnbull and his son, March. Reginald died on 12th July,1912 aged 64 years and his son received many letters of condolence from clients and fellow members of the Baltic Exchange. March Turnbull became head of the company, and his brothers Noel and Thomas were admitted as partners in 1913.
Turnbull,Scott & Co. continued to act as London chartering agents for the Turnbull fleet at Whitby until the end of the first World War, and also for other Whitby owners notably Capt. Thomas Smailes, whose early seagoing career had been with Turnbull. His ELLERDALE and DARNHOLME, FAIRHAVEN, ESKDALE, BAGDALE and others were regularly fixed until the Smailes family ceased as shipowners at the end of World War 1.
The London office followed the experiment of the Whitby office into limited liability companies in 1906, when their PARKGATE of 1906 completed by R. Craggs & Son on the Tees was registered in 1908 under the Parkgate S.S. Co. Ltd. NETHERGATE (1) of 1890 grounded on the English Bank in the Plate on 11th July,1909, and was refloated in 1910 and declared a constructive total loss and sold locally there for further service after repairs.

The Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd was formed in May, 1911 with a capital of £50,000 and took over SOUTHGATE (2) of 1899, TRONGATE of 1897, WESTGATE of 1893 and EASTGATE of 1889. EASTGATE of 1889 was sold in 1913 to Swedish owners leaving four tramps in the fleet at the outbreak of the first World War: WESTGATE of 1893, TRONGATE of 1897, SOUTHGATE (2) of 1899 and PARKGATE of 1906, two being lost to enemy action:
04.04.1917 PARKGATE Captured amd sunk by U35 80 miles NE of Cap de Fer.
22.09.1917 TRONGATE Torpedoed and sunk by UC71 5 miles N of Flamborough Head on voyage Tyne to France with coal.

This left WESTGATE of 1893, SOUTHGATE (2) of 1899, the new EASTGATE (2) of 1915, completed by William Gray & Co. Ltd at West Hartlepool and HELREDALE of 1906, transferred from the Whitby fleet in 1918.
WESTGATE was reported missing on 8th January,1919 off the Wolf Rock whilst on a voyage from Barry to Malta with coal, cause unknown.

The Redgate S.S. Co. Ltd was formed in 1919 and purchased the steamer GORDONIA of 6720 dwt, built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd in 1908 and capable of a top speed of 7.5 knots on 20 tons of coal/day, from the Gordon S.S. Co. Ltd of London and renamed her REDGATE.

A system of competitive tender for ex German prizes taken over by the British Government as war reparations resulted in five such vessels joining the Redgate and Turnbull Scott Shipping companies for a total of £227,000 between 1920 and 1923. They were renamed SANDGATE, WHITEGATE, FLOWERGATE, NETHERGATE and BAXTERGATE, and all had previously belonged to the Hansa company of Bremen and were thus cargoliners with excellent accomodation for the crew. However when loading coal it was found with their tween decks and relatively small hatches, trimming costs were higher, and although suitable for the Plate trade they were always forced to top up with grain downriver from the Martin Garcia Bar due to their deep draft. A good loaded speed of 11 knots incurred a coal consumption of around 34 tons of coal/day, a figure which could not be tolerated when freight rates became much worse during the Depression.

SOUTHGATE(2) of 1899 was sold to Italian breakers for £8,000 in October,1924. The ex Cardiff tramp CHALISTER was purchased in 1924 and renamed HAGGERSGATE, and ARABISTAN of F.C. Srick & Co. Ltd was purchased on the stocks at the Readhead shipyard at South Shields and completed as SOUTHGATE (3) in November, 1926.

The death of Charles Radcliffe of Cardiff in July, 1926 whose elder brother Henry had founded the famous Cardiff tramp company of Evan Thomas Radcliffe, resulted in the sale of his fleet, of which three were purchased by Court Line Ltd and two by Turnbull, Scott & Co. Ltd. The latter pair were OVERSTONE and SNOWDON, renamed SALTERSGATE (1) and TRONGATE (2). Both tramps met with unfortunate accidents on their maiden voyages for the company: TRONGATE (2) left Cardiff on 9th April,1927 bound for Buenos Aires with coal but shortly after sailing was in collision with the tramp EUTERPE and had to put into Barry to discharge before moving back to Cardiff for repairs.

SALTERSGATE (1) loaded coal at Cardiff for Ibicuy on a tributary of the Parana, but went aground on a mud bank just above the Martin Garcia Bar when taking action to avoid collision on 14th May,1927. On falling tides she remained there for a week until barges were brought from Buenos Aires to lighten her, and on arrival at Ibicuy the pilot was arrested. SALTERSGATE loaded grain there for Hamburg where she arrived on 2nd August,1927.

The 9120 dwt STONEGATE was completed by William Doxford & Sons Ltd in January,1928, and her maiden voyage was down to Rio with coal and on to the Plate to load grain for the Continent.
The former Whitby tramp HELREDALE was sold to Greek owners in 1929, and three sister tramps of 7950 dwt ordered from the Burntisland yard just before the Depression set in in late 1929 and were completed in 1930/31 as SKELDERGATE, ESKDALEGATE and WAYNEGATE. These were Economy type tramps with an average speed of around 9 knots on a consumption of 19 tons of coal/day. However the accomodation as regards crew comfort left much to be desired, and they were also noted for excessive stern-slide in heavy weather. With the completion of this trio the two Turnbull, Scott companies owned a medium-sized fleet of 15 tramps. However five were laid-up for long periods: FLOWERGATE, WHITEGATE, NETHERGATE and SANDGATE on the Tyne for six years, seven years, three years and five years respectively, and BAXTERGATE at Palmouth for over three years.
Prior to her lay-up on the Tyne NETHERGATE had loaded a cargo of asphalt at Tampico for the Anglo-Mexican Petroleum Co. Ltd for South African ports, after which she took a cargo of coal from Lourenco Marques to Singapore. On completion of discharge at Singapore she was taken on time charter by Lambert Brothers for a homeward voyage, redelivery Northern Europe. She was then taken on time-charter at Cardiff at the end of 1928 to Strick Line for a Persian Gulf Round voyage. Among the ports she called at were Marseilles, Port Said, Port Sudan, and the Persian Gulf ports of Bandar Abbas, Bahrein, Abadan, Basra etc returning via Suez to Avonmouth and Barry, where she redelivered on 13th June,1929. She was again time-chartered by Strick Line for a repeat voyage arriving back at London on 17th October, 1929 for discharge before laying-up on the Tyne.

The remainder of the fleet were kept going with only short waits at the end of each voyage before the next charter. SALTERSGATE (1) was laid-up from May to July,1933 after which she was engaged in Plate trading. HAGGERSGATE was laid-up at Avonmouth from June, 1932 moving round to Milford Haven in August and then to Fowey in November to continue lay-up. On her return to service in December,1933 she met with a series of accidents, starting with heavy weather in the Channel on sailing from Fowey for Cardiff to bunker resulting in her being towed into Brest, where she drydocked. A further dry docking at Cardiff and then she loaded coal at Barry, sailing on 11th January, 1934. When approximately 70 miles NW of Cape Finisterre she lost all propeller blades together with a broken stern frame and rudder unshipped, and was towed into Ferrol by EASTGATE (2). She was towed back to Cardiff by tugs and eventually sailed with coal to Buenos Aires and Rosario on 29th March, 1934. On her return home in December, 1934 she became disabled while moving from Birkenhead to Barry and was towed in by the ESKDALEGATE.

The fleet position on New Year's Day,1934 was as follows:
EASTGATE (2) On passage Buenos Aires for Manchester with grain.
ESKDALEGATE At Rosario 20th December.
FLOWERGATE Laid-up Tyne.
HAGGERSGATE Dry-docking Cardiff, due to load coal at Barry for Buenos Aires.
SANDGATE Laid-up Tyne.
SALTERSGATE (1) Sailed Las Palmas for Plate 27th December.
SKELDERGATE At Rosario 22nd December.
SOUTHGATE Sailed Para for New York 23rd December.
STONEGATE At Basra 18th December.
TRONGATE At Buenos Aires 28th December.
WAYNEGATE Passed Madeira for Rotterdam.
WHITEGATE Laid-up Tyne.

The predominant trade was thus coal out to the Plate from the Bristol Channel and grain homewards. Occasionally outward coal cargoes were taken from Tyne and Biyth to the Mediterranean, Canaries or Cape Verde Islands, and sometimes homeward vessels were placed on the Houlder Line berth at Buenos Aires. As a break in the monotony, cargoes of coal were sometimes taken down from the East Coast U.S.A. ports of Newport News and Norfolk to Rio de Janeiro and the Plate; plus timber cargoes from U.S. Gulf ports such as Port Arthur to the same destinations. A real change was the Pacific and Australian trading offered by two year charters to Andrew Weir & Co. Ltd taking phosphates from Nauru Island to Australia, particularly Melbourne. Company ships that participated in these charters throughout the 1920s and 1930s were: BAXTERGATE (2), EASTGATE (2), REDGATE (2), FLOWERGATE and WAYNEGATE. Nitrate charters from Antofagasta and Iquique and other ports in Chile for the Nitrate Corporation were usually discharged at Continental ports.

REDGATE (2) was purchased from Stephens,Sutton Ltd of Newcastle in 1935 as RIDLEY of 1929, this owner also purchasing the laid-up SANDGATE in 1936 and WHITEGATE in January,1937 for their Scrap & Build programme. All of the fleet were trading back at sea from this latter date, and the fleet was supplemented later in 1937 by the big ANGLO-INDIAN of 10020 dwt purchased from the Nitrate Producers S.S. Co. Ltd ( Lawther, Latta ) for £50,000 and renamed BAXTERGATE (2). She was kept on the Pacific phosphate and nitrate trading of her previous owner. EASTGATE (2) of 1915 was sold to Greek owners in November,1937 and renamed ADAMANTIOS, and the fleet voyage position in January,1938 was:
BAXTERGATE (2) Passed Niton 16th January for New Orleans.
ESKDALEGATE Leaving Cristobal 2nd February for Azores.
FLOWERGATE Leaving Malta 6th February for Spain.
REDGATE (2) Sailed Shanghai 10th January for Colombo.
SALTERSGATE (1) Left Partington 20th January for U.S. Gulf.
SKELDERGATE Passed Azores 3rd February for U.S. Gulf.
SOUTHGATE Passed Ushant 8th February for U.S. Gulf.
STONEGATE Due at Cardiff 3rd February.
TRONGATE Left Lisbon 28th January for New York.
WAYNEGATE Due at Rosario 4th February.

REDGATE was discharging cargo at Shanghai in August,1937 when the Sino-Japanese War broke out. The Chinese authorities threw a boom across the Whangpoo river to prevent penetration of the harbour by Japanese submarines and REDGATE remained incarcerated at Dollar Wharf, Pootung for 20 weeks until she finally made a break for freedom through a gap pierced by the Japanese Navy during their attack on Nantao. After drydocking at Shanghai she finally sailed on 10th January for Colombo, where she loaded for North Africa, La Pallice and Nantes.

Two company tramps were lost to enemy action and a third was lost after a fire:
05.10.1939 STONEGATE Sunk by DEUTSCHLAND in position 31-10 N, 54 W on voyage Antofagasta to Alexandria with nitrate.
24.02.1941 WAYNEGATE Torpedoed and sunk by U73 in North Atlantic on voyage Newport & Gourock to Freetown with coal.
11.04.1942 TRONGATE Sunk by Allied warships off Halifax (NS) after fire had broken out in her cargo which included explosives.


Nine Dutch vessels came under the management of the company in the summer of 1940 after the fall of Holland as well as the British WIDESTONE, which was lost together with six of the Dutchmen. EMPIRE SUMMER was managed from 1942 and purchased in 1945, and the long serving Capt. H.L. Brown took the new OCEAN GALLANT away from the Portland(Me) yard in September, 1942.
March Turnbull, Chairman of the company, was appointed Director of the Ship Management Division at the Ministry of Shipping on the outbreak of war. This took control of all British and Allied merchant ships, later becoming the Ministry of War Transport. March Turnbull was in overall charge with many other Baltic Exchange men under him to manage ships of each nationality e.g. one for Greek, Estonian, Latvian, Egyptian etc. and he was knighted for his services in 1941, when he became foreign shipping adviser. Basil Mavroleon sent March Turnbull two Thompson sub-machine guns from New York in the early part of the war for his own personal use! Sir March Turnbull died on 11th October,1943 aged 65 years having served on all the Tramp Shipping Advisory and River Plate Committees during his long career.

The company fleet survivors were the new motorship EASTGATE (3) of 1940, the first in the fleet, SOUTHGATE (3) of 1926 and sold in 1946, ESKDALEGATE and her sister SKELDERGATE (1) of 1930, REDGATE (2) of 1929 and BAXTERGATE (2) of 1925, the former ANGLO INDIAN. EMPIRE SUMMER was renamed STONEGATE (2) for the Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd. The Redgate S.S. Co. Ltd was left with only one tramp in 1947 after the sale of REDGATE (2) and BAXTERGATE (2).
SKELDERGATE was then lost on the East coast of India in November,1950 on a voyage from Madras to Calcutta with wheat. She ran on to a sandbank near False Bay in heavy weather and the tramp became a total loss. Her surviving sister ESKDALEGATE was also sold in 1950, both having been on charter at times to the Golden Cross Line Mediterranean liner service half owned by the company between 1946 and 1953. The whole of the issued share capital of the Redgate S.S. Co. Ltd was purchased in 1951 by France, Fenwick & Co. Ltd.

In 1951 the Turnbull Shipping Co. Ltd owned 5 tramps, four of these being EMPIRE types together with the motortramp EASTGATE (3) of 1940. A second motortramp was on order from the Burntisland yard and was delivered in July,1952 as FLOWERGATE (2) of 9450 dwt on a six year charter to Shaw, Savill & Albion Co. Ltd. The third motortramp in the fleet was purchased in October,1953 as INVERNESS from B.J. Sutherland & Co. Ltd following the death of Sir Arthur Sutherland on 29th March,1953. Renamed REDGATE (3) she had originally been built at Burntisland in 1945 as EMPIRE FREETOWN, and was a replacement for the first motortramp EASTGATE (3), sold in 1952 to Buries Markes Ltd.

The former grain carrying merchant aircraft carrier EMPIRE MACENDRICK which had been converted back into a cargo ship at Hamburg in 1951 was purchased in 1955 and renamed SALTERSGATE (2). Two other EMPIRE types were purchased in 1955 and like their sisters in the fleet were taken on long term charter by BISCO to carry iron ore to the U.K. throughout the 1950s with the charterer also purchasing most of them for scrap around 1960.

The tanker trades were entered for the first time in November,1957 with the completion of the 18100 dwt turbine powered EASTGATE (5) by J.L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunder1and. She was bare boat chartered to SHELL for 20 years but did not complete this for she was heavily damaged amidships by collision and fire off Hong Kong on 30th March,1973 and scrapped at Kaohsiung three months later. A sister, STONEGATE (3), was completed by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd on the Tees in March,1961 for a similar bareboat-charter to SHELL, and when the charter was completed she was sold to Greek owners in 1981 and broken up at Chittagong in 1987.

SUNGATE of 10800 dwt was completed by Burntisland SB Co. Ltd in January, 1958 for a long term charter to Saguenay Terminals Ltd, the company then responsible for the shipping requirements of Alcan. Her first two maiden voyages were from St John (NB) to the Continent with aluminium ingots and grain. She then settled into her intended service carrying bauxite from British and Dutch Guiana to Port Alfred on the Saguenay river, and after loading at Georgetown, Mackenzie and Smalkalden to the depth of the harbour bar she topped up at Chaguaramas in Trinidad. Ingots of aluminium were then loaded at Port Alfred for the U.K., and she ballasted back to the Guianas. As a relief from this triangular service, she occasionally took processed bauxite (alumina) from the St. Lawrence to Kittimat, 400 miles N of Vancouver, returning with ingots and timber and grain to Eastern seaboard U.S.A./Canada.

BAXTERGATE(4) of 12250 dwt was completed at Burntisland in March,1962 to a remarkably similar design to the cargo liners that were then being built for Clan Line, to whom she was chartered for her maiden voyage from Glasgow, Birkenhead and Newport to Indian ports. Shortly before arrival at Madras a fire was discovered in No. 1 tween deck but was extinguished before much damage was done to the cargo or ship. On her return to the U.K. she was chartered to China carrying general cargo from China to Cuba, where she loaded sugar for U.K./Continent/Mediterranean ports and returned to China with general cargo. She remained on this charter until 1971, when she was renamed MEDIATOR for another charter and was sold in 1972.
ARLINGTON COURT of 14100 dwt completed by Bartram & Sons Ltd in April,1962 was purchased in January,1964 and renamed SOUTHGATE (4) while still on charter to the Chinese and continued on this until sold in 1969, her maiden voyage being from Casablanca (phosphates) and Lattakia (cotton) to Shanghai.

NAESS PARKGATE was a large 72000 dwt bulker completed on the Tees by Furness SB Co. Ltd in November,1966 for a bareboat-charter to Anglo Norness Shipping Co. Ltd. Her maiden voyage was from Tubarao in Brazil with iron ore for Emden, ballast to Pascagoula in the U.S. Gulf to load grain for the Continent. She remained in these trades until taken on charter by Broken Hill Proprietary (Australia) for Australian coastal iron ore shipments in 1974 and was renamed IRON PARKGATE. She was sold in 1978 while wearing the Anglo Norness name NORDIC TRADER.
FLOWERGATE (3) was an oil/bulk/ore carrier of 106700 dwt completed in late 1968 by Gotaverken of Gothenburg for a bareboat charter to Grangesberg of Sweden carrying iron ore from West Africa to Japan then ballast back to the Persian Gulf to load crude oil for U.K./Continent. Shortly after delivery she was found to have serious engine defects and required 4 months at the Wilton yard at Rotterdam before finally sailing for Brazil in April,1969. She was purchased by her charterer in 1974 and renamed PORJUS.

The coastal drycargo trades were entered in April, 1968 by the completion of the first of a dozen 2500 3000 dwt traders to be operated by the company over the next 15 years. HOLLAND PARK was built to the order of Park Steamships Ltd but the others were owned by Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd and Coronet Shipping Ltd. All were built in Holland for management by the company but under the chartering control of Otto Danielsen of Denmark. Three were launched on one day, 18th October, 1968, when SALTERSGATE (3), HYDE PARK and REDGATE (4) were put into the water sideways. The larger ESKDALEGATE (4) of 4179 dwt was purchased from Hull Gates Shipping Co. Ltd in 1974, and three new sisters of 5662 dwt joined the fleet from the Devon yard of Appledore SB Ltd in 1976: SOUTHGATE (6) and SANDGATE (2) and GREEN PARK. SANDGATE (2) loaded 4500 tons of bagged sugar at Liverpool for her maiden voyage to Lattakia in Syria.

The coastal chemical and oil trades were entered in 1968 with the formation of Whitehall Shipping Co. Ltd, half owned by the company and A.H. Basse Rederi A/S of Copenhagen. The ships were to have stainless steel cargo tanks, a fact signified by their STAINLESS names. Three of around 3000 dwt were built between 1970 and 1974 with the larger STAINLESS SPRAY of 10400 dwt completed in 1985 and sold in 1989. The coastal tanker SKELDERGATE (2) of 3500 dwt was completed in April,1976 at Lowestoft, and underwent modification at the Wear Dockyard in early 1984 to a water conversion and storage vessel for use in the Falklands. Expansion of coastal tankers was achieved on 8th December,1981 by the purchase of the fleet of the Hull Gates Shipping Co. Ltd and the holding company Fred Parkes Holdings.
Soon after the purchase HULLGATE became a constructive total loss at Milford Haven, leaving five coastal tankers EASTGATE, WESTGATE, HUMBERGATE, NORTHGATE and IRISHGATE all on charter to Rowbotham Tankships. However on 29th November, 1982 four of these were sold to the charterer with Turnbull, Scott Shipping Co. Ltd retaining IRISHGATE with a long demise charter to Rowbotham.

A return to traditional trades had been made in September, 1977 with the delivery of the geared 29600 dwt bulker by the Hiroshima yard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, TRONGATE (4). She traded satisfactorily, particularly in the Plate grain trade to Japan, but her earnings did not match interest repayments and she was sold at the end of 1979 to the Nile S.S. Co. Ltd (Finance for Shipping) for £5.24M with a bareboat-charter back at £850,000/year and was finally sold to Greek owners in 1983.
In 1986 the coastal tanker SKELDERGATE was bareboat chartered to Turkish owners and purchased two years later.
Only IRISHGATE was left in 1990 and with her sale the family owned Turnbull Scott Shipping Co. Ltd was sold to British buyers for £2.45M in May,1991.

Name Built Tons Builder Notes
HIGHGATE 1882 1,451 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1890 sunk in collision off Lundy.
SOUTHGATE (1) 1883 1,779 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1899 sold to Sweden renamed OTTO, 1900 sold same name, 1902 sold idem, 1903 wrecked off Terschelling.
NORTHGATE 1888 2,354 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1897 stranded at Sharpness.
EASTGATE (1) 1889 1,675 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1913 sold to Sweden renamed AMPHITRITE, 1919 sold renamed MORIA, 1928 sold to Latvia renamed AUSMA, 1950 deleted from register.
PARKGATE (1) 1889 2,242 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1904 sold to A.H. Bull & Co., USA renamed CAROLYN, 1912 wrecked near Rockland.
NETHERGATE (1) 1890 2,253 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1909 aground and total loss, 1910 sold to Uruguay renamed MALDONADO, 1918 sold to Cie. Francaise des Chemins de Fer de Paris-Orleans, France renamed BLOIS, 1929 sold to Cie. Delmas & Vieljeux same name, 1933 scrapped.
WESTGATE 1893 2,773 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1919 sank of Wolf Rock.
TRONGATE (1) 1897 2,553 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1917 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UC-71 near Flamborough Head.
SOUTHGATE (2) 1899 3,661 Thomas Turnbull & Sons Ltd, Whitby 1924 sold to Italy for scrapping.
PARKGATE (2) 1906 3,232 R. Craggs & Sons Ltd, Middlesborough 1917 captured and sunk by German submarine U-35 near Cap de Fer.
EASTGATE (2) 1915 4,277 Wm. Gray & Co. Ltd, West Hartlepool 1937 sold to Adamas S.S. Co., Greece renamed ADAMTIOS, 1940 bombed and sunk by German aircraft at La Rochelle.
HELREDALE 1906 3,574 R. Craggs & Sons Ltd, Middlesborough Ex HELREDALE, 1918 purchased from Thomas Turnbull not renamed, 1929 sold to Greece renamed KAPETAN STRATIS, 1941 bombed and sunk by German aircraft off the West Coast of Ireland.
WHITEGATE (1) 1911 5,067 J.C. Tecklenborg A.G., Geestemunde Ex ARSTERTURM built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1919 allocated to Great Britain as war prize, 1920 purchased renamed WHITEGATE, 1937 scrapped.
FLOWERGATE (1) 1911 5,166 J.C. Tecklenborg A.G., Geestemunde Ex SCHILDTURM built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1919 allocated to Great Britain as war prize, 1921 purchased renamed FLOWERGATE, 1941 sold to C. Strubin & Co., London not renamed, 1944 scuttled as a blockship at Arromanches, 1946 refloated and scrapped.
NETHERGATE (2) 1908 5,096 J.C. Tecklenborg A.G., Geestemunde Ex WARTURM built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1914 seized by Great Britain, 1922 purchased renamed NETHERGATE, 1932 scrapped at Rosyth.
BAXTERGATE (1) 1905 5,679 Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle Ex RHEINFELS built for DDG Hansa, Bremen, 1914 seized by Great Britain, 1923 purchased renamed BAXTERGATE, 1933 scrapped.
HAGGERSGATE 1913 5,344 D. & W. Henderson & Co. Ltd, Glasgow Ex CHALISTER built for Chalister S.S. Co., 1924 purchased from Adam Bros., Aberdeen and renamed HAGGERSGATE, 1936 sold to Seereederei Frigga, Germany renamed HODUR, 1942 torpedoed and sunk by British submarine Trident off Namsos.
SOUTHGATE (3) 1926 4,862 J. Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields Laid down as ARABISTAN for F.C. Strick but completed as SOUTHGATE for TS, 1946 sold to Norway renamed OTTEID, 1947 sold to Greece renamed DIMITRIOS A. KYDONIEFS, 1960 scrapped at Hong Kong.
SALTERSGATE (1) 1924 3,940 Northumberland Shipbuilding Co., Newcastle-upon-Tyne Ex OVERSTONE, 1927 purchased from Rochdale S.S. Co. and renamed SALTERSGATE, 1944 sold to MOWT and sunk as a breakwater of Mulberry Harbour.
STONEGATE (1) 1928 5,044 Wm. Doxford & Sons, Sunderland 1939 sunk by gunfire from German pocket battleship DEUTSCHLAND.
ESKDALEGATE (1) 1930 4,250 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1950 sold to C. Macprang Jr., Flensburg, Germany renamed HOLSTEIN, 1960 sold to Brazil renamed MARISSA, 1971 wrecked.
WAYNEGATE (1) 1931 4,260 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1941 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-73.
EASTGATE (3) 1940 5,032 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1952 sold to Buries Markes, London renamed LA ESTANCIA, 1959 sold to Greece renamed KAPETAN KOSTIS, 1966 scrapped.
STONEGATE (2) 1941 6,949 Short Bros. Ltd, Sunderland Ex EMPIRE SUMMER, 1945 purchased from Minstry of War Transport not renamed 1946 renamed STONEGATE, 1955 sold to Germany renamed HASTEDT, 1959 sold to China renamed HO PING WU SHI ER, 1967 renamed ZHAN DOU 52, 1973 renamed HO PING 52, 1984 deleted from Lloyd’s Register.
SOUTHGATE (4) 1943 7,209 J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ex EMPIRE BRUTUS built for Minstry of War Transport, ex VERGMOR 1948, 1950 purchased from Haddon S.S. Co. and renamed SOUTHGATE, 1955 sold to Turkey renamed FAITH, 1967 sold for demolition, 1968 scrapped.
WAYNEGATE (2) 1944 7,416 Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ex MULLION CAVE built for the Admiralty, ex MARGARET CLUNIES 1948, 1951 purchased renamed WAYNEGATE, 1961 sold to Greece renamed KATINGO, 1964 sold to the Philippines renamed PRESIDENT MAGSAYSAY, 1968 renamed MAGSAYSAY, 1968 scrapped.
BAXTERGATE (3) 1944 7,072 Shipbuilding Corp. Ltd, Sunderland Ex EMPIRE COWDRAY built for Minstry of War Transport, ex Granhill 1948, 1951 purchased from Goulandris Bros., London renamed BAXTERGATE, 1960 scrapped.
FLOWERGATE (2) 1952 4,894 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1964 sold to Panama renamed AMENTY, 1977 scrapped at Troon.
REDGATE (3) 1945 7,132 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland Ex EMPIRE FREETOWN built for Minstry of War Transport, ex INVERNESS 1946, 1953 purchased from B.J. Sutherland & Co., Newcastle and renamed REDGATE, 1963 sold to Panama renamed AGIA ELPIS, 1967 sold to Cyprus same name, 1968 scrapped.
SALTERSGATE (2) 1944 4,975 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland Ex EMPIRE MACKENDRICK built for Minstry of War Transport, ex GRANPOND 1947, ex CONDOR 1951, 1955 purchased from Panama and renamed SALTERSGATE, 1957 sold to Bulgaria renamed VASSIL LEVSKY, 1967 trapped in Great Bitter Lake, 1975 released and scrapped.
EASTGATE (4) 1944 7,372 Litgows Ltd, Port Glasgow Ex TREVIDER, 1955 purchased from Hain S.S. Co., London and enamed EASTGATE, 1956 sold to Bulgaria renamed BALKAN, 1968 scrapped.
PARKGATE (3) 1945 7,133 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland Ex EMPIRE CALSHOT built for Minstry of War Transport, ex DERRYCUNIHY, ex ARGOBEAM, 1955 purchased from Argobeam Shipping and renamed PARKGATE, 1960 sold to Lebanon renamed PANAGOS, 1968 scrapped.
EASTGATE (5) 1957 12,166 J. L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Tanker, 1973 damaged in collision with CIRCEA, towed to Hong Kong and sold to Panama renamed GREAT FAREASTERN and scrapped.
SUNGATE Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1968 sold to Cyprus renamed ELIKON, 1978 sold renamed LISA, 1983 sold renamed MONTEVIDEO, 1984 scrapped.
STONEGATE (3 ) 1961 12,270 Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd, Middlesborough Tanker, 1981 sold to Greece renamed SUNNY, 1987 scrapped.
BAXTEGATE (4) 1962 8,813 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland 1971 renamed MEDIATOR on charter, 1972 renamed BAXTERGATE, 1972 sold to Argrentina renamed MARVALIENTE, 1981 damaged by fire, sold renamed BRAVO NECK, 1981 sunk in collision.
SOUTHGATE (5) 1962 9,571 Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ex ARLINGTON COURT, 1964 purchased from Court Line, London and renamed SOUTHGATE, 1969 sold to Wm. Brandts, London renamed GELA, 1977 sold not renamed, 1985 sold renamed CYCLOPUS, 1986 scrapped.
NAESS PARKGATE 1966 40,767 Furness Shipbuilding Co., Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees 1974 renamed IRON PARKGATE on charter, 1975 renamed NORDIC TRADER, 1978 sold to Liberia renamed PANAMAX URANUS, 1984 renamed PANAMAX SOLAR, 1985 scrapped.
FLOWERGATE (3) 1968 58,589 A/B Gotaverken, Gothenburg 1974 sold to Granges A/B, Sweden renamed PORJUS, 1978 sold to Liberia renamed UNITED VENTURE, 1980 sold renamed SAAR ORE.
SALTERSGATE (3) 1968 1,426 Scheepswerf De Vooruitgang, Foxhol 1976 sold to Panama renamed LUSTAR, 1982 sold renamed LADY NINA.
REDGATE (4) 1968 1,426 Scheepswerf Gebr. van Diepen, Waterhuizen 1977 sold to Panama renamed ANNEMIEKE, 1978 foundered off Petershead.
WAYNEGATE (3) 1971 1,594 Ast. Construcciones S.A., Vigo 1976 renamed MONKCHESTER on charter, 1978 sold to Charles M. Willie & Co., Cardiff renamed CELTIC VENRURE, 1991 sold renamed Lydia Flag.
TRONGATE (3) 1968 1,432 E.J. Smit & Zoon’s Scheepswerf N.V., Westerbroek Ex HOLLAND PARK, 1971 transferred from Park Steamships and renamed TRONGATE, 1973 sold to Denmark renamed NINA LONBORG, 1976 sold to Oost Atlantic Lijn renamed ADINE, 1977 sold to Lebanon renamed MUHIEDDINE.
HIGHGATE (2) 1972 1,600 E.J. Smit & Zoon’s Scheepswerf N.V., Westerbroek 1982 sold renamed MARIA, 1984 renamed MARIA I.
WHITEGATE (2) 1972 1,600 Scheepswerf Gebr. van Diepen, Waterhuizen 1982 sold renamed HELENA, 1986 sold renamed TALEA.
ESKDALEGATE (2) 1969 2,889 Schiffswerft Neptun, Rostock Tanker, Ex BRUNI, ex FREDERICKSGATE, 1974 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping and renamed ESKDALEGATE, 1977 sold to Cyprus renamed ELISABETH.
NORDIC TRADER See NAESS PARKGATE.
BAXTERGATE (5) 1976 1,598 E.J. Smit & Zoon’s Scheepswerf N.V., Westerbroek 1980 sold renamed BALLYKERN.
SKELDERGATE (2) 1976 1,599 Richards Shipbuilders Ltd, Lowestoft Tanker, 1983 sold renamed CABO AZUL, 1984 repurchased renamed SKELDERGATE, 1986 sold renamed YASEMIN S, 1990 sold renamed TIGER CAT.
FLOWERGATE (4) 1976 1,598 Scheepswerf Gebr. van Diepen, Waterhuizen 1982 sold to Intermarine Rotterdam renamed BLOEMPOORT, 1983 sold renamed WHITEHALL, 1985 sold renamed CHIVAS, 1988 sold renamed MARATHON, 1996 sold renamed REDA, 2002 sold renamed AL KARIM.
SOUTHGATE (6) 1976 3,687 Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Appledore 1983 sold to Turkey renamed FERAY, 1983 sold renamed SOUTHERN STAR, 1984 sold renamed UGUR YILDIZI, 1991 sold renamed AGIOS SPYRIDON.
SANDGATE (2) 1976 3,687 Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Appledore 1982 sold to J. Fisher renamed ATLANTC FISHER, 1988 sold to Arklow Shipping, Ireland renamed ARKLOW BEACH.
SALTERSGATE (4) 1976 3,687 Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Appledore Ex GREEN PARK, 1977 purchased renamed SALTERSGATE, 1982 sold renamed HERMENIA.
TRONGATE (4) 1977 18,604 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Hiroshima 1983 sold to Greece renamed MARIA SITINAS.
HULLGATE 1970 1,594 R. Dunston, Hessle Tanker, ex HULLGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1981 damaged by explosion at Milford Haven and scrapped.
EASTGATE (6) 1979 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex EASTGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
WESTGATE (2) 1979 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex WESTGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
HUMBERGATE 1968 997 R. Dunston, Hessle Tanker, ex HUMBERGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1990 sold to Greece renamed KORINTHIA.
NORTHGATE (2) 1981 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex NORTHGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1982 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
IRISHGATE 1981 1,599 Kanrei Zosen K.K., Naruto Tanker, ex IRISHGATE, 1981 purchased from Hull Gates Shipping not renamed, 1990 sold to Rowbotham not renamed, 1993 transferred to P&O Tankships, 1996 to James Fisher.
Your info is sketchy on the Sungate after her days with Saguenay, she was far east for some time running grain from Vancouver and Sydney to Communist China, also recall a trip with East Africa Line, could be other trips Frank
 
#25 ·
Hi,
I am the grandaughter of Captain Price who was Eastgates master at the time of the collision in Hong Kong 1973. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1995 when I was 6 yrs old. My aunty remembers hearing about the collision on the radio and also recalls seeing photos on the front of the Argus, a local newspaper from the area where they lived. I am very interested in finding out more about the incident, I have found one picture of the Eastgate sometime before the collision on the internet. If anyone has any other links to photos or newspaper archives they would be appreciated.
Thanks, Jo
 
#81 ·
Hi - update on the Eastgate



I am the son of the Chief Engineer who was onboard the Eastgate that day. John Bateson was the C/E who finally retired from sea service in 2005. My father has an extensive scrap book of all of the newspaper cuttings from that day. I always found that quite fascinating as a child. I followed my father's footsteps to sea and joined Shell after leaving school. I am now an Engineer Superintendent for Shell Tankers Australia, living in Perth Western Australia.
 
#27 ·
Turnbull Scott

Hi Joe,
Sorry to hear about your Grandad, I served with him in the Stonegate on its maiden trip, but left in 1963, You may try a chap called Mick Holland, he was with him in the Stonegate and may know a little more. Did your Grandad go back to Wales.By the way you may like to get hold of a copy of "A Shipping Venture" Turnbull Scott and Co 1872 to 1972. Interesting read.
Millerman
 
#28 ·
Sorry to hear that Captain price has gone.
He was Master of The Stonegate when I joined as Second Engineer in Singapore in Sept. 1966. A larger than life character - a good seaman and a good tankerman.
He used to tell us that he was only at sea because his first job after school, at the railway station in his valley town, came to an end when he upset a paraffin lamp and burned down the wooden footbridge across the line.
I sailed with him several times on Stonegate and then Eastgate when I was getting in my steam time.
There were three masters who rotated the two tankers. Capt Price, Capt Richardson and Capt Ellerby. All three never to be forgotten!!
At the time of The Eastgate collision and fire I had moved on to job as Superintendent.
Ed.
 
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