Geordstoree

Palmer’s shipyard brought much needed work to Jarrow. With the transport system being most irregular it followed that his work force must live near by. The photograph below shows Palmer’s Street where some of his work force lived. Transport links into Jarrow during this time were very poor, realising this and the need for his [...]

I have found more information on Charles Palmer’s other two marriages. In 1862 George Palmer retired from the company. The company itself was doing well and everything in the garden, so to speak was rosy, that was until April 5th 1865 When Jane his first wife died leaving her husband and 3 sons to continue [...]

Come the 1900′s Palmer workforce would be in excess of 9,000 men and boys. Charles Palmer also held major interests in the local Coal Mining industry. With this in mind Charles wanted to ferry coal to London, from the Durham coal fields, using his own steam collier ships. This is were the John Bowes, named [...]

The ‘John Bowes’ had a long life span. Some 81 years in which she served as a stores vessel in the Crimean War, under went several name changes, survived many collisions and carried general cargo instead of coal. While under one of her many name changes ‘Villa Selgas’ sadly the ‘John Bowes’ sank after developing [...]

1860 was the year ‘Port Mulgrave’ was launched. This was to be the first vessel, off the assembly lines so to speak, launched from the Howdon yard, which had been acquired by Palmers the year before, (1859) on the north bank of the Tyne. This yard went on to build many more ships. The picture [...]