[Mike Kemble]

On a recent visit to Wallasey to find my great grandfathers grave, my sister took me to Rake Lane Cemetery, Liscard, Wallasey to show me where his grave is.

All I knew was that my great grandfather was an American sailor who had allegedly jumped ship in Liverpool, married Annie Fahy ........... and that was it, until Sunday.

On his gravestone it records that Daniel Kemble was accidently killed on board MV Cheshire, Bibby Line on the 1st October 1935. Aged 58.

Also buried there is his wife who died aged 81 and his daughter who died aged 83. His son Harold, my grandfather, is buried elsewhere in the same cemetery with his beloved wife.

Can anyone help me regarding details of the MV Cheshire (I believe she was a passenger ship) and, if possible, point me in the right direction to find out what happened on that date in 1935, where the ship actually was etc??

I have deliberately doctored the image to make it more readable. The metal band around is a sign of the times I'm afraid, vandals knocked it over and its been repaired, the band holding it tight until cement set.

[Hugh MacLean]

Hello Mike,

Welcome to the site. There is a photo and information of mv CHESHIRE official number 149625 at this link: http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuil...hip.asp?id=894

More photos at this link: http://www.photoship.co.uk/
To find out where she was in 1935 you may have to consult her Voyage Record Card which may be held at the Guildhall Library, London

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/guildhalllibrary
or telephone:
020 7332 1868/70

[Mike Kemble]

Thank You Hugh, appreciated.

[gdynia]

Mike
Bibby Line have had 5 vessels with same name I think this is the one your looking for

Cheshire (2) Built 1927. 1939 commissioned as Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Cheshire, 1943 converted to troopship, 1949 Australian emigrant ship, 1957 scrapped.

[Mike Kemble]

Originally Posted by gdynia

Mike
Bibby Line have had 5 vessels with same name I think this is the one your looking for

Cheshire (2) Built 1927. 1939 commissioned as Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Cheshire, 1943 converted to troopship, 1949 Australian emigrant ship, 1957 scrapped.

Thanks, I noted on one of the links above that there were at least three different Cheshire's. The one I am interested in was indeed launched in 1927. The others on that site look "too modern".

this is the page I am putting together, but its not "live" yet:

http://www.mikekemble.com/misc/family3.html

[Roger Bentley]

Mike, I sailed on the Cheshire in 1951 when she was an immigrant ship to Australia. I will shortly post two pictures of her as she was at that time. Hopefully these will appear here tomorrow. Regards, Roger Bentley

[Mike Kemble]

Many thanks Roger, look forward to it.

[Roger Bentley]

Originally Posted by Mike Kemble

Many thanks Roger, look forward to it.

Hi Mike, Here goes my second attempt to load the pictures. If they come through OK I will send another message with a bit more information on them. Regards, Roger

[Roger Bentley]

Mike the pictures have come through. The small one is from one of the postcards sold in the ship's shop, as we carried 650 immigrants each trip to Australia thousands of them must have been sold. The other picture was taken by a firm called Sydney Bridge Cameras and most crew members bought one. There was a Bibby history and in this there is a picture of the Cheshire with the traditional four masts. She is shown as in a UK port and is probably discharging cargo. I posted two pictures of Bibby ships with their four masts on the gallery on this site. Have a look at the Worcestershire and Derbyshire. Best regards, Roger

[John Rogers]

Mike the picture you posted of the ship appears to be in Port Said.
John

[Mike Kemble]

Well, It was the Med, so not far out eh?

Roger. many thanks

[chilla]

Originally Posted by Roger Bentley

Mike the pictures have come through. The small one is from one of the postcards sold in the ship's shop, as we carried 650 immigrants each trip to Australia thousands of them must have been sold. The other picture was taken by a firm called Sydney Bridge Cameras and most crew members bought one. There was a Bibby history and in this there is a picture of the Cheshire with the traditional four masts. She is shown as in a UK port and is probably discharging cargo. I posted two pictures of Bibby ships with their four masts on the gallery on this site. Have a look at the Worcestershire and Derbyshire. Best regards, Roger

Roger I was a passenger on the MV Cheshire when it arrived in Sydney in April 1951. I think the Captain's name was Potter. I am trying to find out about an incident that occurred in the Great Australian Bight that kept us below decks for a day or two on that journey.

[chilla]

I was a passenger on the MV Cheshire when it arrived in Sydney in April 1951. I think the Captain's name was Potter. I am trying to find out about an incident that occurred in the Great Australian Bight that kept us below decks for a day or two on that journey.

[Mike Kemble]

The important date for me is what went on, on 1st October 1935, my great grandfathers date of death by accident on board. Thanks to all contributors thus far, looking forward to an answer, eventually, I hope.

[R58484956]

MV Cheshire. 10623 tons built 1927 by Fairfield Co; Ltd,Glasgow. 483.6 x 60.3 x 31.8. Two diesels 2S CSA 8 cylinders built by shipbuilders. 2 double ended boilers @120psi. Code flags GLXV. DF, Radar. cruiser stern O/No; 149625 British flag Registered Liverpol.
Owned by Bibby Line Ltd.

[rodmco]

Originally Posted by chilla

I was a passenger on the MV Cheshire when it arrived in Sydney in April 1951. I think the Captain's name was Potter. I am trying to find out about an incident that occurred in the Great Australian Bight that kept us below decks for a day or two on that journey.

are you sure it was 1951 as i too arrived on the Cheshire but it was april 1950 the captain was Phillip Potter and my mother brothers & sisters all remember being locked down for a few days crossing the bight i have a copy of part of the passenger list but of course it would have made multiple trips
Rod McEvoy

[rodmco]

Originally Posted by Roger Bentley

Hi Mike, Here goes my second attempt to load the pictures. If they come through OK I will send another message with a bit more information on them. Regards, Roger

Hello Roger
I found the pictures of the cheshire great i arrived on the cheshire in april 1950 if only they had been ayear earlier i would have been on that ship the captain was Phillip Potter & we arrived on the27 april but i was 3 at the time so i dont remember much.I am new to this site so I hope I don,t muck it up
Rod McEvoy

[chilla]

Hello Rod
My family all left Liverpool in February 1951 arriving in Sydney 10 April 1951 looks like Captain Potter had done a few trips by then. I found from another web site that MV Cheshire commenced her first sailing from Liverpool to Sydney on 9th August 1949. 57 years in Australia this year for me and 58 for you. Not bad!

[tassietiger]

Greetings, I arrived in Australi on 19th March 1952 on board the " Cheshire" with my parents after 6 long weeks at sea. I recently found an Autograph book signed by several of the crew including the Captain Philip. H. Potter, .it is great to hear about others who travelled on this fine Ship

[Fred Ackers]

Tassietiger
Captain P.H.Potter O.B.E went on 2 captain bibby line Herefordshire on charter 2 Port line called Port Hardy 1955 still sailin 2 OZ . Cheshire didn't carry the troopin colours like the Lancashire which i was an engineer on 1954-55 also the Devonshire carried troopin colours

[John McGregor.]

Originally Posted by chilla

Roger I was a passenger on the MV Cheshire when it arrived in Sydney in April 1951. I think the Captain's name was Potter. I am trying to find out about an incident that occurred in the Great Australian Bight that kept us below decks for a day or two on that journey.

G'day Chilla! I live in Adelaide and I arrived in Melbourne on the M.V. Cheshire. It sounds like we may have been on the very same trip...but I think that you may have got your dates wrong. The Cheshire arrived in Melbourne with us on the 10th. of June, 1951. I doubt whether the ship would have made a return journey to Liverpool and back here to Oz in just six weeks. Get in touch with me...I think that I may be able to jog your memory with an event that happened during the journey.

[Mike Kemble]

Sounds veeeery mysterious?

[ian d.cameron]

Hi Mike
Just found this thread and wondered how you are getting on with your research.
Also wondered if you tried Kew
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...accessmethod=5
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...accessmethod=5
If you put in the ships name, official number and name of deceased and date of death it might be found here.

[Roger Bentley]

According to my discharge book the three trips I did on the Cheshire had the following dates. 1. Signed on 23.2.51 signed off 31 May 1951, 2. signed on 18.6.51 signed off 21.9.51 3. signed on 12.10.51 signed off 15.1.52. Hope this helps to clarify dates for that period. In any case the Cheshire could not have been in Melbourne on 10 June 1951. I was most certainly home on leave on that date as the signing on details confirm. Regards, Roger

[bibbyresearcher]

Hi Mike
Have just found this thread as I was looking for anything on the later Cheshire. I see it was started last year; did you find out the information you wanted?
The key is the ships official no. 149625 which an earlier post has given you. The crew Agreement will give the reason for discharge, and when there has been a death, the Log should also have been retained (but not always the case) which will record the events. Crew Agreements are all over the place, including, and principally in the Maritime Museum Newfoundland. Agreements however for years ending in '5' (i.e.1935) are held at the Maritime Museum at Greenwich. They are held off site so you need to order it up before you visit. You can do this by email. I checked the catalogue at Newfoundland and they have both Agreement and log for 1936 so you might be in luck with a log fro 1935.

A Master is required to file a 'Birth & Death Return' but these have not been retained for the years including 1935. Search the Register of Deaths of Seamen' at The National Archives (TNA) at Kew ref: BT 334/92. This has the basic information which was sent to the General Records Office now at Southport. Once you have details, they can supply a copy of the Death Certificate.

Searching by official number on the TNA Kew site throws up passenger lists for 1935. These won't have any information on crew, but they show for that year, the ship was on the London - Rangoon run.

Hope this helps. I've not included the web/email links but just Google and you'll find them.

Ian