Wouldhaves in North Shields Part 3

Richard Wouldhave (RI102) was christened on Aug 10th 1832, the sixth child of Richard Wouldhave (RI101), mariner and Isabella Arkel, and their first son.

In 1841 the family is living in Milbourne Place in North Shields (census data).  Also close by are his grandmother, Hannah Arkel, aunt, Elizabeth Arkel, and his uncle John Arkel, a grocer.  

Richard’s father died when he was about 12 years old and he was living with his mother at 18 Middle Street, North Shields in the 1851 census; his occupation is Boat builder.

Richard (RI102)married twice, firstly to Jane Jackson at the Salem Chapel, Hood Street, Newcastle, in the second quarter of 1852 and secondly to Ann Webster in the third quarter of 1868 following the death of Jane in 1866. Jane was the daughter of George Jackson, a master mariner in North Shields and Ann was the daughter of Thomas Webster, shipwright of North Shields.

In the 1861 census Richard is living in Coble Dean, Chirton with his wife, Jane, and their son Richard (RI103).  In 1871 the family is at the same address in the census.

In 1881, Richard and Ann are living in Grey Street, North Shields.

In 1901 Richard is living in Jarrow, at 2, St Peter’s Square.  They have boarders living with them, a father (widower)from Herfordshire, and his two sons working in the shipyards by the name of Phillips, as well as their granddaughter Mary A Halby.

Children

Richard and Jane had five children, three of whom died in infancy. 

Richard (RI103), born in 1856, married Ellen Wells in 1875.  He had various occupations connected to the sea; shipyard labourer, seaman, waterman, mariner and steamboat fireman.  They had 10 children.

Anne Wouldhave, born 1885, married Campbell Watson Bannerman in 1885 and they had 4 children.

Richard and Ann had three children, only one of whom survived to adulthood.  Margaret Jane Wouldhave was born in 1870 and married Patrick Hely in 1899.

Most of Richard's children were christened in the Middle St Mission, a Methodist Chapel.  His mother Isabella was a chapel keeper and was living in the Chapel Yard, Middle Street in the 1871 census.  This would suggest strongly that Richard converted to Methodism sometime before his marriage in 1852, since the Salem Chapel in Hood Street was part of the Newcastle Methodist circuit.

Boat building

Information indicates that in 1873 Richard built two ships at Coble Dean, the Coble Dean, a sailing vessel rigged as a sloop and the Rising Sun, a wooden barge.

Richard became a partner with William Johnson in 1875 and they moved premises to the Low Lights at North Shields.
Wouldhave and Johnson launched their tugs at the Low Lights up until 1884 when the Fish Quay was extended. The modern photograph shows the fish quay at North Shields which is on the site of the original Wouldhave and Johnson dock.

Tugs built by Wouldhave and Johnson, North Shields.

The following is a list of wooden tugs powered by steam paddles built by Richard Wouldhave & William Johnson at North Shields:

(Information from http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/index.html This site includes many photographs of the ships built by Wouldhave and Johnson)

1875	Adonis
1875	Meteor
1876	Alice
1876	Aristocrat
1876	Livingstone
1877	Electric
1877	Quickstep
1877	Selina
1877	Skylark
1877	Wakendam No 9
1878	Brighton
1878	Stag
1879	George 1st
1879	Omonoria
1879	Stefano
1880	Comet
1880	Cruiser
1882	Granite City
1883	Electric
1883	Victory
1884	Wellington
1884	William Findley
1884	William Wouldhave
1885	General Gordon
1885	Pera

Richard Wouldhave also appears to have built the following tug in his own name at North Shields:

1879 Olga

Additionally, one of the boats built by Richard was a lifeboat for Mr James Young, magistrate and shipowner, who presented it to the authorities of the port of Bilbao as a charitable gift in 1883.  Mr Young was awarded the Spanish Order of Merit in recognition of his gift by the Spanish Society for saving life. This honour was conferred on him by the King of Spain. The Spanish named the boat the James Young. (Reported in the Shields Daily Gazette, 7th July 1884)

Richard died in 1907 in Mildred St, Darlington.  He is buried in Preston Cemetery, North Shields in the Methodist section. Ann died in 1926.